Heartsong (Logan 2)

tubes in his nostrils and tiny beads of sweat had

broken out on his brow. I took a cloth from the table

beside the bed and wiped his forehead. As I did so, he

mouthed my name.

I leaned in because he was barely whispering. "Melody . . come closer," he said. I looked back

at the nurses' station and then brought my face as

close to his as I could.

"What is it, Uncle Jacob? You should just rest,

get better."

He shook his head.

"Won't get better," he said. He swallowed, the effort causing him to close his eyes. His Adam's apple strained against his skin and bobbed. Then he opened

his eyes again. "My fault," he said. "It was my fault." "What was your fault, Uncle Jacob?"

"Haille."

"My mother? I don't understand, Uncle Jacob.

What are you saying?"

"Haille . . . When I was a young boy . . . she

was barely thirteen but I . . did a terrible thing . . .

made her do it. She never told, but it was my fault . . .

my fault she became what she became and we had all

the family trouble."

I stared at him. His eyes were watery, dark, the

pupils smaller.

Suddenly, he found my hand and squeezed my

fingers as hard as he could, which wasn't very hard. "I didn't mean to be so hard on you, but I feel

more responsible," he said after a big breath. He

closed his eyes and then opened them quickly. "A sin

can last forever, be passed on from mother to

daughter, from father to son . . . forever. Be a good

woman and end the devil's hold on us all." He

swallowed hard and closed his eyes. Then he