Also Known As Harper Read Online Free Page A

about how Sarah Lynn Newhart’s grandma had felt when her house burned to the ground.
    Whatever could fit in boxes had been plopped into them, without any careful wrapping, or even fastening up the lids. I could see that the toilet-brush box also held Mama’s best Christmas towels and the picture of my dead great-grandma.
    Mama must have seen me looking, because she touched my arm real lightly and said, “Grandma spent a lot of time primping up in the bathroom in her day, so I’m sure she wouldn’t mind.”
    I liked how Mama managed to joke a little or sound hopeful, even in a bad situation. Just like how Mr. Atticus Finch always did in
To Kill a Mockingbird.
Except for when it came to Flannery. No one was allowed to mention the baby who almost was.
    Which was why I practically flew off the porch when I saw the lady bending down toward my apple crate. I knew what she was reaching for, and it wasn’t my stories. But I had to make my way around a pile of kitchen chairs, and I couldn’t get to her in time.

 
    Â 
    Â 
Chapter Five
    Â 
    Â 
    THE LADY HELD UP the peach sweater and unzipped her pouch with the other hand. “How much you want for this?”
    I grabbed Flannery’s sweater out of her hand so quickly, I caught my fingernail across her arm. “It’s not for sale!”
    I held tight to the smallest hope that Mama hadn’t seen what she was holding up, but as soon as I turned back around, I knew for sure that the peach color had soaked right into Mama’s eyes. A tiny kitten sound came out of her mouth as she sank down on the top step of the porch.
    Mama pointed across the yard to the lady’s car. “You’re trespassing, and you’d better get yourself off this property before I call the police.” The wordswere strong, but Mama’s voice sounded as if it was going to break at any moment.
    The lady made her way to her car a lot faster than when she’d come in. She shook her head and turned toward us as she opened up the door. She pointed her chin down to her chest and looked up at us from under her eyebrows with crazy eyes, like she was delivering up a curse. “You people ain’t going to sell one thing at this yard sale! No one will even set foot at this ridiculous dump!”
    I wanted to go kick in the other side of that lady’s car, but I saw the wobbly steps Mama was taking and I kicked away a perfectly sharp rock instead.
    I went over and put my hand on Mama’s shoulder and did my slow, quiet voice, like I used on Hemingway when I was reading him to sleep. “Let’s rest up here on the porch, Mama, while we figure on what to do.”
    I smoothed out the sweater across my lap so the edge of the sleeve was touching Mama’s arm. She put her arm around me and leaned down on my shoulder. Just a brush stroke of that peach fuzziness made her breathing steady right up.
    It worked the same with me. Only a hint of anything Flannery made my whole body relax.
    I closed my eyes and I could almost smell the baby wipes I’d brought along to the hospital to help give Flannery her first bath. I had packed those in my black patent-leather pocketbook while Daddy was helping Mama into the car in the driveway. Before we’d known Flannery wasn’t going to open those eyes of hers.
    You can go on in and have a look at her.
Daddy had said it quietly, so Hem couldn’t hear.
Just you, now, Harper Lee. Hem’s too little.
    Hem wouldn’t have understood about her not waking up and all.
    Then Daddy had squeezed my hand and I’d gone into Mama’s hospital room. Flannery was up close to Mama, in Mama’s bent arm, wrapped in a peach blanket Daddy had bought for her.
    It’s okay to touch her.
Daddy’s eyes had been shiny, as if some tears were working their way out.
    I had reached next to Mama and fixed the blanket so it wasn’t so loose. It was chilly in that hospital room.
    Mama had touched