Bishop's Road Read Online Free Page A

friggin’ coloureds and he wasn’t having that. When he caught sight of Ruth with her hair all over the place he would go into a rage - yelling and hollering there was no way he could be the father of a youngster with a head on her like that. And he would find a pencil and paper and try to figure out where he was when Ruth’s mother got pregnant and who might have been around in his absence. Hours he spent at it, but not being mathematically inclined, never did come up with an answer though he asked the question often enough.
    And now here is Ruth with the moon over her shoulder and her hair dries soft and floats about her face. How long since she let it free? How long since she was free? How long since she supported the warm weight of a strong man? How long since she dug her heels into a mattress and howled? And why the hell is she thinking this way? It’s that damned moon! She curses as she yanks the curtains to shut it out but they never did close properly and a thin streak of blue winks in the mirror when she turns off the overhead light.
    Ruth is wrong, though, and while the moon may be in on it, she is not the cause. This particular disturbance hitched a ride with Judy. It is in her pockets and on her face and finding the inhabitants of Mrs. Miflin’s house needing a little more than they had bargained for, has decided to stay awhile. With the moon’s blessing it is creeping under doors and through closets leaving a smudge of itself on shirts and underwear, photographs and letters. And it goes to the attic for a quick look around before sliding under Mrs. Miflin’s pillow to nap.

    Tonight Ginny Mustard doesn’t leave her nest under the rhododendron until the music stops and the lights go out in the big house. At midnight she walks home with the moon to guide her steps. Lets herself in the front door. Climbs the stairs to her room and crawls under her covers, the creak creaking of a cradle lulling her to sleep.

    The new day begins with a bang. Judy is furious because Mrs. Miflin has forbidden her to visit friends on Caine’s Street. She started off asking nicely for permission and when that didn’t work she took to stomping around the house, slamming doors and yelling about what a bitch Mrs. Miflin is and how she’s going to report her to the authorities for keeping her locked up. Maggie is hiding in her room with her shoebox tucked under the bed and both hands pressed to her ears and she hums as loud as she can to drown the terrible sounds, lies on the floor and curls in a ball,rocks back and forth, back and forth.
    Ruth is pissed. She has been trying to write a quiet letter to someone she hasn’t heard tell of in years, who visited her dreams last night. She can’t think with that racket going on and twice has pushed pen through paper in exasperation.
    Eve is in the garden looking for signs of new life. She went back inside when the fight began and found a pair of blue earmuffs for silence and is quite content to pick away at the earth despite the battle.
    Old Father Delaney poked his head out of the rectory at one point and wondered briefly what the fuss was all about but he hasn’t been in that house since it was a convent and it will take more than blood-curdling screams to entice him there again.
    It would be easy enough for Judy to overpower the round Mrs. Miflin and escape, but she chooses not to. Would rather do some screaming and slamming. Mrs. Miflin is right, of course, though that’s the last thing Judy will admit aloud. She just wants to get over to Jimmy’s house for a bit of weed, is all. She hasn’t been high since last week and Jimmy owes her big time since she’s the only one who knows he beat the crap out of Frankie and the cops are still looking. When Frankie gets out of his coma he’ll tell for sure but right now only Judy can point the finger. It’s killing her to have the upper hand and see it go to waste. Still and