Carrie And Me: A Mother-Daughter Love Story Part 30

Henderson Swamp is eerily beautiful. Trunks and roots grow out of the opaque water, the whole scene in browns, grays, and blacks. The truck is parked on the sh.o.r.e of the bog as Kate sketches and F.M. looks at a map.

"Where are you from, F.M.?"

"Well, accordin' to my mama, heaven."

Kate doesn't look up from her sketch pad. "Must be nice, heaven."

F.M. looks at her deadpan, but his eyes sparkle.

The next day Kate is sitting on a park bench in Natchez, sketching, when F.M. comes up behind her and places a big gift-wrapped box on the bench.

"What's this?"

"Aren't you supposed to open presents to find out?"

Kate opens the box and there's a very pretty dress inside. Kate pulls it out ever so gently, like it's made of b.u.t.terfly wings.

"Why?"

"Well ... frankly ... that outfit you've got on ..."

"Not exactly low-key?"

"No, ma'am, but that's not my point exactly. Well, I thought if you had another dress, we could do some laundry."

"Are you saying I stink?"

"No! No, Kate. You don't-"

Kate sniffs her pits as an older woman walks by, looking at her disapprovingly, shaking her head. "Oh, man! I sure as h.e.l.l do! Why didn't you say anything?"

"Well, it's not exactly the easiest subject to bring up."

Kate laughs. "How many days have I ... ?"

"Since yesterday. Least that's when I noticed it."

"It's those little motel soaps. They don't lather up, and most times they just break into little pieces." Kate looks at the dress. "It's so ... different. Not exactly what I'd usually wear."

"I hope it's the right size."

Kate spots a filling station down the road. She heads toward it, the dress over her arm. "Well, I'm gonna find out! Be right back!"

She hoofs it down the street while F.M. sits on the bench looking after her. She turns back for a moment. "F.M.!"

He smiles and waves. Kate takes a good, long whiff of her armpits again as a knot of tourists hurries past her. She looks at them and rolls her eyes dramatically. "Hey, it's not that bad!"

F.M. cracks up.

Kate is wearing the new dress that F.M. bought for her, with her stomper boots. She looks feminine, yet very much her own person. Spying a beautiful old clapboard house with a sign outside, PATRICIA'S KITCHEN, Kate turns to F.M. "Could we go there for dinner?"

"Absolutely."

Patricia's Kitchen is a very frilly southern home whose living room has been converted into a small restaurant. Filled with flowers, pictures of fuzzy animals, and lots of paintings and sculptures of Jesus and the Virgin Mary, the restaurant consists of only a handful of tables. There is one other couple dining.

A middle-aged woman approaches F.M. and Kate. She smiles briskly and says, "Welcome to Patricia's. I'm Patricia. Table for two?"

"Yes, ma'am." F.M. smiles as she ushers them to a table. "Would you care for a beverage?"

Kate says, "I'll have a gla.s.s of red wine."

"Oh dear, I'm sorry but we don't serve alcohol in this establishment. Gilby's across the way does, though... ."

"No, that's okay. Do you have cranberry juice?"

"That I can do."

Patricia looks toward F.M. for his order.

"Water's fine."

An hour later, as F.M. and Kate are finishing their meal, Patricia approaches the table. "Will that be all for you folks this evening?"

"Yes, ma'am." F.M. grins. "That was a great meal."

"Do you know someplace we could stay the night here in town?" Kate asks.

"Well, yes, as a matter of fact. You could stay right here! We run a small bed-and-breakfast. Only three rooms, but they're very nice."

Kate looks at F.M. who says, "Well, thank you, ma'am, we'd be honored to stay here."

"Very well. Ina May?"

A young woman who is clearly Patricia's daughter enters from the kitchen. Although she's the same age as Kate, she could be from another world. Conservatively dressed like her mother, she has the dowdy appearance of someone twice her age. Shyly wiping her hands on her ap.r.o.n she says, "Yes, Mama?"

"Would you show this nice couple to Room 2?"

F.M. and Kate quickly glance at each other and then both speak at the same time: "Oh, no! We'll need two rooms."

Patricia gives them a confused look, to which Kate reacts with a rueful grin. "He snores like a jackhammer. I haven't had a decent night's sleep in days."

F.M. doesn't miss a beat. "I'm sorry, honey... . I told you I'll see the doctor just as soon as we get back home."