"Does she go to a special school?"
"Yes, here. I have a tutor come regular, a young man who is a specialist with the deaf." She paused. "What about your own schooling?"
"I'm going to get my high school equivalency." I said. "I guess I'll have to start thinking about it more seriously now, and what I'll do afterward."
"Well. I guess you will. Time to pay the piper and end this running away from your troubles, girl. You don't see them, maybe, but they're always right there, like gum on your heel. Trouble with young people today is they have no grit, no staying power. Some difficulty comes, and they give up and run off. My daughter is a prime example.
"Think I like being left with a little zirl who's deaf to boot?" she asked before I could disagree. "No, but I don't whine and moan and wring my hands and cry. 'Woe is me. Oh, woe is me.' I do what has to be done. Always have, always will. Take a letter," she said.
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"Pardon?"
"Take a letter, take a letter. Write that down and remember it." She started shelling the peas again and then stopped. "She tell you her name?"
"She said her name was Echo. Is that true?"
"Yes, it's true. Her idiot mother named her that because when she spoke to her, it just came back at her, being the girl was deaf. Thought she was being cute. I guess. As it turned out. I like it. and I think Echo does. too. Although it's not easy to tell when she likes something and when she doesn't."
Just then, the phone rang. We both looked at it.
"Finally." she said, rising and answering. "Yes, she's right here. Well, she ain't running off. Okay, I'll tell her that." She hung up and turned to me. "They begun the work on your uncle, and preliminarily it looks like an acute case of cirrhosis. You know what that is?"
"A liver disease," I said.
"Yep. Alcoholics get it. My husband died of it, which was ironic, being we owned a winery. He wasn't fond of wine. He drank Scotch like water. We're all our worst enemy and put ourselves behind the eight ball. Keep peeling. I'd like to eat dinner tonight, not tomorrow," she said, and sat again.
"How'd your parents kick the bucket?" she asked after a moment.
I told her about Daddy and tried to soften what Mama had done, making it sound as if she had simply made a mistake.
"Everyone stews in his or her own juices in this world. I guess," she said. "Ain't you been through a tunnel of hell, and now with your uncle and all," she added, showing some warm sympathy, but it didn't last long. She grimaced and finished the peas. "Hardships come and go. You just have to gird up your loins and push ahead. No sense crying over spilt milk."
The phone rang again. This time, my heart began to thump hard and fast. She answered it, listened, and then nodded and held out the receiver. I rose slowly and took it from her.
"April, what happened?'" Brenda asked immediately after I said hello.
I told her how Uncle Palaver had been drinking and how I had tried to stop him or slow him down but nothing had helped.
"Where are you, exactly?" she asked. I really didn't know and turned to Mrs, Westington and asked her.
"About ten miles east of Healdsburg," she told me, and I told Brenda.
She was silent a moment. "Well. I don't know what we're going to do," she said. "I'm actually flying out in four hours for Germany. You can't return to the house in Memphis. I moved out," she added quickly. I'll have to call Cousin Pete. He's the only one I can think of quickly. Mr. Weiss will help you, too. I'm on a two-month tour," she added.
"I'll be all right," I said, tears coming to my eyes. I didn't want her to give up her opportunity, but it hurt to hear that she wasn't even considering it.
"Of course, you will," Mrs. Westinaton mumbled behind me. I glanced at her and turned back.
"Oh. I guess I'll just have to cancel. Maybe I can join up later."
"No, it's all right. Brenda,"
"You see what you did by running away," she snapped.
"I'll be all right," I said. "I'll call Cousin Pete myself."
"Good,' she quickly replied. "And call Mr. Weiss again. He'll find a lawyer there to help you do what has to be done."