* This is the continuation of a work of friction.
...The gravel path curved around the lake. They walked and rode in silence. Mable hated not being able to walk on her own. She had a lot of good miles on her legs, but wished for a few more. It just hurt her knees so much nowadays. Nellie wouldn't even know her now, but she guessed Nellie would probably be in the same boat as she was; waiting to be taken back home, but still here on earth trying to understand how life could already gone by so quickly and why you were being picked last for heaven. They had both beaten their legs pretty well, but it had always been worth it. Vines and other undergrowth were never very kind to any one's legs. It didn't matter what time of year it was.
Lucy was so glad to be outside. The last couple of days had been miserable. Prim Willow Place had changed everyone's work schedules and responsibilities around. No one really understood when they were suppose to work and even if they got the time right, they weren't real sure about how to do their new assignment. No one was happy about things except for the stupid man who had come up with the new system. She was sure it had all looked so pretty and perfect on paper; things like that always did. She felt her whole life was ruled by people making decisions for her and she was left to deal with how they really looked and were to be carried out.
"Mrs. Lucy, you ever had a crab apple thrown at you?"
"What's that, Mable? You say damnedest things sometimes. Just plain, ole' crazy."
"Well, I don't mean to. I just say what is running around in my head."
"Nobody means to be crazy. It just comes out natural for most of us. It seems most of us been born with it."
"Well, I guess I may just be naturally crazy then and old."
"Now, Mrs. Mable, I didn't mean ta' get ya' dander up. I never called ya' old and Lord knows we all a little crazy; most of us is a lot crazy."
"I just asked you about the crab apples because we passed a crab apple tree back there and it made me laugh. Those boys used to make me so angry. We girls would be walkin' down the clay road just singin' and laughin'. Ya' know how silly, young girls are? Well, we would be making our way to wherever and out of nowhere those ignorant boys would just start throwing those crab apples at us. Oh', we'd scream, run away, and those boys would just laugh and laugh. We should've grabbed those apples and thrown em' right back at them. I always had a better arm than half those boys at recess....
Snippet 4 on the way,
David
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