Lena by Jacqueline Woodson Page B

gonna take me another bath.” Her voice was hoarse.
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    â€œWell, take it in a hurry. Miz Lily already got breakfast started.” I finished drying off and started wrapping my band around my chest.
    Dion watched me without saying anything.
    â€œWe getting in another truck today?” She poured some bubble bath in the tub and started the water running. Her hair was kind of sticking up all over her head from her going to bed with it wet and I guess, until I got into that shower, mine hadn’t looked much better.
    I shrugged, finished pulling my clothes on and kind of finger-combed my hair in the mirror. Dion climbed into the tub and started washing herself right away.
    â€œIt was nice sleeping in a real bed.”
    â€œYeah, it was,” I said. “I’ll bring you in some clean clothes. Make sure you fill yourself up good at breakfast.”
    Dion nodded without looking at me.
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    Miz Lily was on the phone when I came downstairs. I stood there waiting to take it from her.
    â€œI have to go,” she said quickly. “You just keep an eye out, you hear? I’ll talk to you soon.”
    When she hung up, she looked at me and smiled. “You expecting a call, sugar?”
    I shook my head, feeling the grin leaving. “No, ma’am. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
    Miz Lily nodded. “You sleep all right?”
    â€œYes, ma’am. I slept just fine.”
    She had set the table real pretty with a jarful of yellow flowers in the center and these nice sky-blue plates and mugs set down on top of a flowered tablecloth. There was a big pile of bacon beside the flowers and a stack of biscuits next to the bacon. The clock above the refrigerator said eight-fifteen. I looked at the phone, then turned and bumped eyes with Miz Lily.
    A few minutes later, Dion came downstairs, her hair still wet. She pressed the arm of her shirt to her nose, took a deep smell and smiled. “Thanks for washing our stuff, Miz Lily.”
    â€œYou sleep good, Dion?” Miz Lily asked, bringing a bowl of scrambled eggs over to the table.
    â€œYes, ma’am.”
    â€œCan I help you with anything, Miz Lily?” I asked, trying to keep my mind away from the phone.
    She shook her head. “Y’all just get to eating.”
    She was wearing an apron. Underneath it, she had on a dark dress with a string of pearls hanging around her neck and nice shoes that matched the dress. Her hair was curled up all over her head.
    â€œYour hair looks real nice,” I said.
    Miz Lily shook her head and laughed. “Hush, girl. I just throw a few curlers in it at night and see what the morningtime brings.”
    She brought a container of orange juice to the table and filled up three glasses. “Y’all must be so excited about seeing your mama.” She stood there waiting for an answer.
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    Dion was sitting chewing on a piece of bacon. She kind of looked at me, then nodded. Seemed like forever ago we’d been in Miz Lily’s car telling her about going to see Mama.
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    â€œYes, ma’am.” I put a biscuit and some eggs on my plate.
    â€œYou say you talked to her last night?”
    I swallowed. Had I said I talked to her?
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    â€œNo, ma’am,” Dion said real fast. “Lena say she talked to the nurse.”
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    â€œAnd the nurse told her you was coming today?”
    Me and Dion nodded.
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    â€œYou don’t by chance know that nurse’s name, do you?”
    â€œNo, ma’am.”
    â€œYou say your mama’s last name is . . . ?”
    â€œWe didn’t say,” Dion said.
    Miz Lily smiled. “Well, my goodness. I’m sitting here in my house with strangers don’t even know their last name.”
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    â€œBright,” I said. “Lena and Dion Bright.”
    Dion glared at me but didn’t say anything.
    â€œPretty names.” Miz Lily went back to the stove. I looked at Dion and shrugged. I wanted to