really,” Mother protested. “Jolene wouldn’t do something like that.”
Belle laughed. “Helen, you never will get used to other folks’ wicked ways.”
“But why would she? Why would Jolene … take an interest in her husband’s brother? And while she’s pregnant! No, Belle, I just cannot believe that.”
“Well,” Belle said, “I figure it’s like this. Now Jolene, she never had much going for her except her looks. No, I’m not attacking her, Helen, just stating God’s plain truth. Jolene hooked Bobby Lee because she was sexy—everyone knows that. That’s how she’s gotten everything—it’s the only way she knows how to get anything. And now Bobby’s gone most all the time, and folks are whispering he’s got a fancy girl up in St. Albans, so she gets herself pregnant, thinking she’ll keep him home with a son.”
“Oh, Belle, don’t say that. She’s lost the baby. At least give her credit for wanting it.”
“Oh, she wanted it. Because it was a boy, that’s why. Look here, Helen. I know what it’s like to lose a baby. I been there. But Jolene just ain’t the mothering kind, you know that as well as I do. Hell, look at how she treats the child she’s already got. She treats Reana Mae like hired help—and you know that’s the truth.”
“But still …”
“Still nothing. She wanted a boy to keep hold of Bobby, because she’s getting older now. Not ancient, like us, of course.” She laughed. “But not eighteen no more, either. The bloom is off that rose, Helen, and we all know it, and so does she.”
I listened, transfixed at this bit of adult lore.
“So now here she’s pregnant, and Bobby Lee’s still gone, and folks are still whispering, and she’s getting fat—not just a little pouch like she got herself with Reana Mae. I mean she’s getting fat . So she has to prove to herself she’s still got it, you know? And who is there around here to prove it with but the boy? And Lord knows, Caleb’s all boy. And he used to have it mighty bad for Jolene, back when he was a little one.”
“But, Belle, what did she … I mean, how …?” Mother’s voice trailed away. I could feel her embarrassment wafting up the stairwell.
“You’re blushing now, Helen, but you’d have died to see how she carried on. The fatter she got, the shorter her dresses got. She took to wearing halter tops and shorts around the house, even when it was freezing outside. And she’d lean herself over in front of the boy when he was sitting at the table—you could see everything she had then. She was always touching him or brushing up against him. It was purely revolting.”
“What did he do?” Mother whispered.
“Caleb?” Belle laughed again. “Lord, Helen, he was so embarrassed he like to died. He ignored her mostly. Then later, he got snappish with her. Started making little digs at her, about how fat she was. I heard him one time tell her she looked like a trailer park queen—only he said trailer pork queen. And then he laughed.”
“Poor Jolene,” Mother said.
“Well, now, I don’t rightly know about ‘poor Jolene.’ She has reaped what she has sowed, Helen, flaunting herself in front of a sixteen-year-old boy … her husband’s own brother, at that.”
“I know it’s shameful, Arabella. But think how awful it must be for her.”
“Think how awful it was for poor Caleb, once she caught on he wasn’t interested. She tore into that boy like a hound on a rabbit. Everywhere he went, she dogged him. Everything he did, she was after him for it. I seen her take a switch and whip that boy’s back till it bled, just because he left the screen door open. It wasn’t right, Helen. She was acting like she had that bad blood.”
There was a pause. I could hear a spoon stirring in a teacup. What, I wondered, was bad blood? Before I could think much about it, Belle was talking again.
“That last day, when Ida Louise came to the house looking for him, she said Jolene was in a devil’s
Belle laughed. “Helen, you never will get used to other folks’ wicked ways.”
“But why would she? Why would Jolene … take an interest in her husband’s brother? And while she’s pregnant! No, Belle, I just cannot believe that.”
“Well,” Belle said, “I figure it’s like this. Now Jolene, she never had much going for her except her looks. No, I’m not attacking her, Helen, just stating God’s plain truth. Jolene hooked Bobby Lee because she was sexy—everyone knows that. That’s how she’s gotten everything—it’s the only way she knows how to get anything. And now Bobby’s gone most all the time, and folks are whispering he’s got a fancy girl up in St. Albans, so she gets herself pregnant, thinking she’ll keep him home with a son.”
“Oh, Belle, don’t say that. She’s lost the baby. At least give her credit for wanting it.”
“Oh, she wanted it. Because it was a boy, that’s why. Look here, Helen. I know what it’s like to lose a baby. I been there. But Jolene just ain’t the mothering kind, you know that as well as I do. Hell, look at how she treats the child she’s already got. She treats Reana Mae like hired help—and you know that’s the truth.”
“But still …”
“Still nothing. She wanted a boy to keep hold of Bobby, because she’s getting older now. Not ancient, like us, of course.” She laughed. “But not eighteen no more, either. The bloom is off that rose, Helen, and we all know it, and so does she.”
I listened, transfixed at this bit of adult lore.
“So now here she’s pregnant, and Bobby Lee’s still gone, and folks are still whispering, and she’s getting fat—not just a little pouch like she got herself with Reana Mae. I mean she’s getting fat . So she has to prove to herself she’s still got it, you know? And who is there around here to prove it with but the boy? And Lord knows, Caleb’s all boy. And he used to have it mighty bad for Jolene, back when he was a little one.”
“But, Belle, what did she … I mean, how …?” Mother’s voice trailed away. I could feel her embarrassment wafting up the stairwell.
“You’re blushing now, Helen, but you’d have died to see how she carried on. The fatter she got, the shorter her dresses got. She took to wearing halter tops and shorts around the house, even when it was freezing outside. And she’d lean herself over in front of the boy when he was sitting at the table—you could see everything she had then. She was always touching him or brushing up against him. It was purely revolting.”
“What did he do?” Mother whispered.
“Caleb?” Belle laughed again. “Lord, Helen, he was so embarrassed he like to died. He ignored her mostly. Then later, he got snappish with her. Started making little digs at her, about how fat she was. I heard him one time tell her she looked like a trailer park queen—only he said trailer pork queen. And then he laughed.”
“Poor Jolene,” Mother said.
“Well, now, I don’t rightly know about ‘poor Jolene.’ She has reaped what she has sowed, Helen, flaunting herself in front of a sixteen-year-old boy … her husband’s own brother, at that.”
“I know it’s shameful, Arabella. But think how awful it must be for her.”
“Think how awful it was for poor Caleb, once she caught on he wasn’t interested. She tore into that boy like a hound on a rabbit. Everywhere he went, she dogged him. Everything he did, she was after him for it. I seen her take a switch and whip that boy’s back till it bled, just because he left the screen door open. It wasn’t right, Helen. She was acting like she had that bad blood.”
There was a pause. I could hear a spoon stirring in a teacup. What, I wondered, was bad blood? Before I could think much about it, Belle was talking again.
“That last day, when Ida Louise came to the house looking for him, she said Jolene was in a devil’s
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