Eye of the Storm (Hudson 3)

I hesitated and decided this was a woman who

only wanted to hear the truth. In same ways that was

refreshing.

"No, ma'am," I said with conviction.

She stared a moment. Was the wall of ice

cracking?

"So who's your mama? Not Ms. Victoria. I

imagine," she said, folding her rolling-pin arms under

her small bosom.

"No. Her Younger sister. Megan."

"She's not married to your daddy, right?" she

asked, tilting her head in expectation.

"Hardly." I said. She nodded, understanding

only too well.

I told her about Grandmother Hudson and how

I had come to live here. She listened, clicking her

tongue and pressing her lips together once in a while.

Her face grew solemn when I described what had

happened to Brody. Then she rose in silence to clear

off the dishes. My story seemed to take all thought

from her mind. She was so silent for so long. Finally, she wiped her hand on a dishtowel and turned back to

me.

"Ain't no point in asking yourself why all the

time," she said.

"The answers to those questions don't rest here

with the living. We will find out later what the

purpose was to all our burdens. That's what they mean

by the promise in the Promised Land.

"Mv daddy used to say that." she added smiling

softly to herself. Then. as if she realized she had left