"Big Sister, Little Sister"

In the car Leslie and Sukie sat first patient, and expectant with the hope that at any moment the front door of their Aunt Melvina’s house would open and their father and cousin Juanita would come out.  

“It’s quiet.”

“Yeah.”

“Ssshh.”

“Umhm....ssshh.”  Sitting very still, they managed not to slide their legs over the vinyl seats.  They were conscious of their breaths, and, in their ears, could hear the beating of their own hearts.  Outside the sun was going down and fat brown squirrels darted from hiding place to grass, from grass to tree, from tree to tree limb, and then froze.  In a watchful stillness.  A single breeze swept so confidently down the corridor of the street that it collected and dispersed several smells all at once: the smell of something frying in a kitchen, and the smell of fresh-cut grass; the smell of burning leaves and the smell of autumn’s turning coat-of-many-colors.

“It’s a MONster!”

“Ssshh.”

Sukie reached for her sister’s hand and Leslie scooted closer as protector, coward, and dramatic actress all rolled into one.  She turned to stare into Sukie’s face until her eyes began to water.

“They forgot all about us.”

“No, they didn’t.”  Sukie poked out her lips and blew a puff of air.

“Unhunh.  The monster BLEW inside the house and HUFFED and PUFFED and blew Daddy down, down, down, and DOWN! to the ground!”

Sukie gave Leslie a look of distaste.  She had heard the story of “The Three Little Pigs” enough times to know it had been the wolf that huffed and puffed and blew down the house.  She snatched her hand out of Leslie’s grip and moved her body a couple of inches to the left.  Sensing the game change, Leslie moved a few inches closer to Sukie.  

Sukie retreated and Leslie advanced until the two of them were nearly bunched-up together in the corner of the car behind the driver’s seat.  Sukie tried to push Leslie away.  

“Stop sitting by me!”

Leslie, grinning devilishly, tried to put her arm around Sukie.

“I can always sit by you if I want. Because:  I’m the big sister and you’re the ll-iitt-lll sister. Come here, baby, come here.”

“Stop it! I’m telling on you!”

With their braids jabbing the air like horns, they fell into tugging and pinching each others limbs, tumbling and pawing and baring their teeth like cubs in the wild.

“I’m sure your mother wouldn’t want to see you fighting this way.” An immaculate voice-over  came through the car window.  Startled eyes found a woman whose hairstyle made her look like she belonged on “The Dick Van Dyke Show.”  Sukie---who had been at a disadvantage---used the moment to deliver a well-aimed shot against her sister’s ear.  Intimidated by the strange woman’s ethereal scolding, and humiliated by Sukie’s cheap shot, Leslie brought a hand to her face and worked to squeeze out a cry.  It took a few moments but she was finally able to get a nice wail going.  Covering her eyes, she peeked at Sukie, who had retreated fully to the other corner of the backseat and was sitting with her hands tucked beneath her legs.  She was suspicious of Leslie’s tears and didn’t like the way the woman placed her bloody-red fingernails near the door locks just as the wailing brought Leo and Edna out of the front of the house.