Mind Games

“Sure you can. Thea’s going to finish this up, then you can make one for yourself.”

“You make one for you, Grammie. Then we all have one.”

“You know what, Rem. I believe I will. Fill the bag, Thea, and put your intent and your faith with it. They count just as much as the rest. That’s good, that’s fine. Now, when you hang it by your bed tonight, you’ll say this, three times:

“Sleep, peaceful sleep, be with me tonight, and stay with me till the morning light.”

Thea repeated it, nodded. “How do you know how to do all this, Grammie?”

“My mama taught me, like her mama taught her and on back a long, long ways. Kitchen magic. It’s part of these hills. It’s part of who we are.”

She helped Rem make his, then made her own.

“Tonight, at tuck-in time, we’ll hang them and say the words. But now, I think the three of us and the three dogs should take a walk. Summer doesn’t last forever.”

The days passed, as days will, and every night Thea said the words three times. Her sleep stayed peaceful.

They went to the town park to watch fireworks on the Fourth, and Thea got to hang out with Maddy, and some other girls. Rem found some boys his own age, and ignored her. And that was fine with Thea.

On the last days of summer, Maddy came to visit, or she went to Maddy’s house. Rem’s new friends Dwayne and Billy Joe did the same.

They took walks and paid calls. They made peach ice cream and gathered black walnuts.

Lucy hired a man she called Knobby, who had more hair on his face than on his head, to fix up the attic.

“It doesn’t have to be fancy, Knobby. I want the kids to have this space. You’re gonna need to pull electric up here, and the internet business so they can do the game console.”

He scratched his impressive brown beard. “Gotta insulate, Miss Lucy, or those kids’ll fry in the summer, shiver all winter.”

“You do that. But I want the beams showing. Got character that way. Floors are fine, and solid with it. I’m getting one of those TVs that go up on the wall, so I’m going to want you to hang that when I do.”

With a grin, he shot a finger at her. “Sounding fancy now.” And she laughed.

“Just fancy enough. I’ll have the kids pick out the paint color once you start on the Sheetrock. There’ll likely be some lively debate on that.”

“Lucy, Modeen and I, we think about you. You know how fond we were of Cora, and of John when he came along.”

“I know you were. I feel those thoughts, Knobby, and they comfort me.”

“How’re those children doing?”

“They’re getting through, Knobby. They’ve made some friends, and I’m so thankful for it. Don’t get much quiet around here now, but I don’t mind that a bit. They’re good as gold. I’m biased on that, and it’s not like I don’t have moments when I think: How can they argue about anything under the sun? They’re good as gold.”

“And how’re you doing, Lucy?”

“Getting through, Knobby. We’re all getting through. Now, how much do you think this’ll set me back?”

He scratched his beard. And they began negotiations.

July blurred right into August, and Knobby and his helper got things going. Lucy drove the kids clear into Pikeville for back-to-school shopping.

She’d had both of them put on long pants and jeans from their dressers and closets. It didn’t take long to see every pair hit high-water. And Rem’s feet, when she checked, were squeezed into his shoes.

They spent an afternoon putting donation boxes together. And a good portion of the next in Pikeville at the mall.

They loaded up on school supplies.

Thea loved new school supplies, with everything fresh and clean and neat. Rem didn’t care about them, and cared even less about new clothes.