Harold walked in through the front door.
My brothers and I were dumbfounded. Nobody said anything as we
looked at each other.
Hey, Ive been telling you I talk to her all the time, Momma told
us. And she talks back to me.
Finally, I believed her.
When Daddy worked as a driller, he was on the graveyard shift and
some of his workers would occasionally come to our house before
their shift. One night, one of our distant cousins, Wade Childs,
was sitting in a dark green chair next to the fireplace. He didnt
know it was Maimeys bed. Our front door was glass, so we could
see through it from top to bottom. Wade was facing the door and
saw the knob turning. Since it was nighttime, he couldnt see
Maimey because of her dark coat.
Wade must have thought a ghost was opening the door. His eyes got
bigger and bigger, and then Maimey walked through the door. She
walked straight toward him and sat in front of the chair. Then
she started growling at him. She didnt bark; it was only a low
growl in her throat.
Merritt! Wade screamed. Merritt!
Mamma walked in from the kitchen and asked him what was wrong.
I didnt do anything, he said.
Oh, you need to get out of her chair, Momma told him. Shes
telling you shes ready to go to bed.
Wade got out of the chair, and Maimey jumped into it. She sneezed
and spun around three times before taking a seat.
Before Maimey started to snore, I swear I heard her say, Sleep
tight and dont let the bedbugs bite.
Whenever we went hunting and fishing, Bullet and Maimey were
always with us. They were great at retrieving ducks, doves,
quails, squirrels, or whatever other game we were hunting. But
Maimey had more of a thirst for blood.
Every morning when we went outside to wait for the school bus,
Bullet and Maimey would sit and wait with us. Bullet would lie
down on the ground, but Maimey would run across the railroad
tracks in front of our house and into a big mess of dewberry
bushes. She wouldnt be gone three minutes but always came back
with a rabbit in her mouth. She did it every morning, Monday
through Friday, without exception. Maimey would come back, lie
down, eat the head off the rabbit, and leave the rest. Dont know
why she didnt eat the body, but thats what she did. Every day
when we came home from school, Momma would tell us to get the
rabbit carcass off the front porch. I knew rabbits liked briar
patches, but I couldnt believe how many rabbits were over there
My brothers and I were dumbfounded. Nobody said anything as we
looked at each other.
Hey, Ive been telling you I talk to her all the time, Momma told
us. And she talks back to me.
Finally, I believed her.
When Daddy worked as a driller, he was on the graveyard shift and
some of his workers would occasionally come to our house before
their shift. One night, one of our distant cousins, Wade Childs,
was sitting in a dark green chair next to the fireplace. He didnt
know it was Maimeys bed. Our front door was glass, so we could
see through it from top to bottom. Wade was facing the door and
saw the knob turning. Since it was nighttime, he couldnt see
Maimey because of her dark coat.
Wade must have thought a ghost was opening the door. His eyes got
bigger and bigger, and then Maimey walked through the door. She
walked straight toward him and sat in front of the chair. Then
she started growling at him. She didnt bark; it was only a low
growl in her throat.
Merritt! Wade screamed. Merritt!
Mamma walked in from the kitchen and asked him what was wrong.
I didnt do anything, he said.
Oh, you need to get out of her chair, Momma told him. Shes
telling you shes ready to go to bed.
Wade got out of the chair, and Maimey jumped into it. She sneezed
and spun around three times before taking a seat.
Before Maimey started to snore, I swear I heard her say, Sleep
tight and dont let the bedbugs bite.
Whenever we went hunting and fishing, Bullet and Maimey were
always with us. They were great at retrieving ducks, doves,
quails, squirrels, or whatever other game we were hunting. But
Maimey had more of a thirst for blood.
Every morning when we went outside to wait for the school bus,
Bullet and Maimey would sit and wait with us. Bullet would lie
down on the ground, but Maimey would run across the railroad
tracks in front of our house and into a big mess of dewberry
bushes. She wouldnt be gone three minutes but always came back
with a rabbit in her mouth. She did it every morning, Monday
through Friday, without exception. Maimey would come back, lie
down, eat the head off the rabbit, and leave the rest. Dont know
why she didnt eat the body, but thats what she did. Every day
when we came home from school, Momma would tell us to get the
rabbit carcass off the front porch. I knew rabbits liked briar
patches, but I couldnt believe how many rabbits were over there