Taking Care of Moses by Barbara O'Connor Page B

to speak to anyone along the way. When she came nearer to Randall, her gold-colored eyes flicked in his direction, then, just as quickly, flicked away.
    Randall followed her into the Fellowship Hall. By the time he got inside, she was crossing the room toward a cluster of women on the other side. At first the room was buzzing with chatter. Then, slowly, a hushed silence settled in.

    When the women in the group across the room realized Lavonia was heading for them, they nervously patted their hair and cleared their throats. Mrs. Charlotte Jennings jostled Moses on her hip and set a smile on her face.
    Lavonia stopped in front of Mrs. Jennings and nodded her head toward Moses.
    â€œThat’s my child,” she said.
    Moses let out a squeal.
    Mrs. Jennings’s mouth twitched and she shifted him to the other hip. “I beg your pardon?” she said.
    â€œThat’s my Nathan.”
    â€œNathan?” Mrs. Jennings chuckled nervously and looked at the women around her.
    Lavonia nodded. She reached for the baby. The flowing sleeves of her robe fell away, revealing more bracelets than Randall had ever seen on one person. Shiny silver bracelets stacked clear up to her elbows.
    â€œI’m afraid I don’t know you,” Mrs. Jennings said. She took a step backward and held Moses against her with both arms.
    â€œI’m Lavonia Shirley.”
    â€œLavonia Shirley?” Mrs. Jennings narrowed her eyes and cocked her head. “Well now, I think maybe I do remember you. I haven’t seen you around town in a long time. I thought you moved away.”
    â€œI didn’t.”

    â€œStill, I don’t really know you,” Mrs. Jennings went on. “I can’t be giving this baby up to just anybody. Pardon me for casting doubt on you, Mrs. Shirley, but how am I supposed to know he is really your child?”
    Some of the women nodded. Moses waved his chubby arms and squealed again.
    Lavonia lowered her hands and lifted her chin. “That baby was left in a cardboard box on the steps of this church on the evening of June 15. The box came from behind the Winn-Dixie. It had ‘Nabisco Saltine Crackers’ written on the side in red. He was wrapped in a yellow-and-white-striped blanket. Three extra T-shirts were tucked in there. Plain white. He wore socks with kittens on them. There was a note written on blue paper with a sunflower at the top. The note said, ‘Please take care of me.’ I meant to put some apple juice in there, too, but I forgot.” Lavonia took a deep breath. “He loves apple juice,” she added.
    No one moved. No one spoke. Randall watched Lavonia’s face, so calm and peaceful. If she really had been scared like she had told him she was, then she must have wrestled that scared feeling and won.
    Now it seemed like all eyes in the room shifted from Lavonia to Mrs. Jennings.
    Mrs. Jennings kept the smile frozen on her face. Her white neck was flushed and blotchy. And in that brief minute, Randall could tell she had built a wall between
herself and Lavonia. Not a wall you could see or touch, but a wall that was solid with bad feelings.
    And then Lavonia said, “I want to thank you folks for taking care of my child. You gave me the help I needed to pick myself up and carry on.” Lavonia stood straight and tall. She glanced around her at the crowd that had gathered there in the Fellowship Hall. Then she looked at Mrs. Jennings and said, “This is a fine church, and you are fine people.”
    Mrs. Jennings’s face began to change. Slowly, slowly, slowly. The hard edges softened. The tight line of her mouth relaxed. There was no doubt about it, Randall thought. That wall was beginning to crumble.
    Lavonia stood there in the middle of all those silent, staring church folks and smiled at Mrs. Jennings.
    â€œI been watching you,” she said. “Seeing all you done for my Nathan.”
    Moses made a cooing sound and patted Mrs.