top of page

DEBORAH'S TREE

Search

Excerpted Inspirations #173

Linda Odhner, with photos by Liz Kufs
Apr 8
0 min read

[Twelve-year-old Jeremy Talbot and his mother and sister are riding home from their father’s funeral. Uncle Ralph has already scolded Jeremy and Sarah for quarreling, and as they arrive home they are amicably wrangling over fastening seat belts.]

Uncle Ralph turned and looked at them, his face stern.

“Didn’t you hear your mother say you weren’t to talk?” he said ponderously, clearly just beginning on a lecture.

Sarah’s smile vanished, her body tensed. Jeremy moved fast. He opened the door and slid out in one move.

“She said not to talk until we got home and we are home,” he said, knowing he was sounding like a smart-aleck but determined to escape without a scolding from this person he didn’t even know. If Mum wanted to bawl him out later, fine. It was none of this guy’s business how they behaved.

[...]

Finally the visitors began to leave. Uncle Ralph, as he was about to go out the front door, astonished Jeremy by slipping a ten-dollar bill into his hand and muttering, “Get something nice for your mother and sister. You’ll know what they’d like. Don’t say it’s from me.”

“But …” Jeremy began.

Then he stopped. He knew in that instant that this solemn, awkward man had found the afternoon as long and difficult as he had. He knew, too, that Uncle Ralph had not intended to be mean when he had told them off; he had only been doing his best to help Mum.

“But me no buts,” Uncle Ralph said. Then he hurried away.

Jean Little, Mama’s Going to Buy You a Mockingbird (1984), pp. 121-123)

[Continued next week]

Recent Posts

Excerpted Inspirations #175

Excerpted Inspirations #175

Excerpted Inspirations #174

Excerpted Inspirations #174

Excerpted Inspirations #172

Excerpted Inspirations #172

Comments

bottom of page