Desertsong3

Do you need to get back to Episode one? Here it is! Do you need to get to Episode two? Here it is! Chaos Bites on the Nose Sharon pounded on the trailer door. She stood holding her oldest daughter, Caren, by the hand and under her arm was a baby who liked to ride her hip. Caren carried the baby bed, a canvas squre almost too small for such a big baby, but a comfortable place. Women don't have much sensitivity for small places if they are small themselves, and Sharon a girl with two girl children, was probably a worse offender than Subi, who while the smallest adult female, had worked with men. "Loraine is still sleeping," I told Sharon. "No one is dressed here." "It's all right. We're all girls. We're not very formal here," Loraine explained from the bedroom door where she stood on the balls of her narrow, pink and blue feet. Big veins that ran like swollen rivers made my wife's feet blue in places. A lot of women have pink and blue feet. One shoulder of Loraine's ivory colored, sleeveless night gown dropped. She gave it a quick shove into place, pushed some hair out of her eyes and padded into the living room to be social. "I wish I could offer you coffee," went the pitter pat of her apology to Caren. "I think my husband made juice." It wasn't juice. It was Kool-aide. "Which flavor is it?" Loraine asked me. I shrugged. "Strawberry," Douglas answered. "Want some?" Loraine offered. "It's still warm," I reminded her. "Put it in the fridge. It will get cold." Loraine padded into the kitchen and emerged with the pitcher, paper cups, and a cigarette clenched on one side of her mouth, and her hand bag over one arm. She found a rocking chair with hidden mechanism, a hideous early American thing with nubbly copper colored upholstery and huge, knicked, dark pine arms with cigarette burns. She glanceda round for an ash tray and fumbled for a match. The pitcher and cups sat on the coffee table or what passed for one. I realized that I hated this trailer. Caren poured herself a cup of "juice." "If you drink this stuff your tongue stays red all day." "You really think it's that long?" I inquired. Loraine lit her cigarette and inhaled a greedy drag. "I thought every thing in this house had cooties," Sharon talked kid. Sharon was wearing cut off, denim shorts, and a blue chambray shirt knotted just above the fly. The shirt was open to reveal a triangle of weathered, pale skin. Sharon was going to age badly. I was sure of that. She shifted from one foot to the other in red, slip on sneakers. Where do women find all those canvas shoes. Thankfully, Loraine did not have a taste for those things, but Sharon and Subi both thought they were the best thing since sliced bread. Sharon stopped shifting, took the baby bed from Caren and put her younger daughter down in it. "Douglas' mommy makes the juice!" Caren told everyone. "Douglas' daddy made the juice," I corrected. Sharon squatted on flexible feet. The baby did not lie down but stood in the bed, holding the sides. Sharon fumbled in her oversize purse for a tommy-tippy and filled it with strawberry Kool-aide. Baby Jasmine took the cup with both hands, and chugged a swig. "Jasmine's going to have a red tongue," Caren announced and stuck out her freshly died tongue to show everyone. "Big deal," groaned Douglas. "Wan 'Juis!" cried Bradley about whom everyone had forgotten. "Coming right up," Sharon was happy to tend bar. "Can I come for a walk with you mommy?" Caren asked Sharon. "Sure," Sharon shrugged. "I'll bring Caren by later. I think Subi could use some air." "She still taking it hard?" Loraine asked. "We're both taking it hard, but Subi just has her husband, so it's worse for her. I have the kids to think about." "I'm glad I can watch them for you. Are you sure you don't wnat me to take Caren." "She wants to go walking." "Yes but..." "We don't have that kind of gossip. She all ready saw me cry this morning." "That bad..." "Yeah...it got to me. We're just lucky Subi didn't scratch DelGrasso's eyes out last night." "She was that angry..." The cat fight metaphor amused me. "Of course she was. You men left Richard and my husband flat! You know how it feels to be left flat!" "We had to make time," I protested. "You have to take care of your friends," Sharon replied. "Come on Caren. We're out of here." "Wow!" I sighed. "She's right," Loraine answered between puffs of blue smoke. "Women always side with..." "Didn't you hear what she said? And DelGrasso didn't even have the sense to say he was sorry to Subi last night. I'm glad all she did was cry. She's holding up very well." "Well in two days her husband will be here. Then everything will calm down again. We'll get to work. Do you think she can forget..." "Who knows... I never figured her out. She likes men. I mean she works with them so it may be easier for her. She's going to be the only woman in the water testing group if she passes her exam. She better like men.... God I could use a coffee." "God is not going to make the coffee, Loaraine dear." "Is that a subtle hint? OK, William, I'll put up the water and measure out the coffee. You pour it in when it boils. I'm making six cups. We'll take the grounds off and it will be good all day, sound decent?" I guessed I couldn't complain. "Can you watch the babies while I take a shower and get dressed?" I knew this was coming. "Just don't use up all the hot water," I warned her. "I won't. We can't let chaos break out you know?" I laughed. "William dear," Loraine informed me. "You wouldn't know chaos if it bit you on the nose!" William Bachman