Stacy Matthews - Dear Mary 01 - Think Twice Before You Order Read Online Free

couple of years she only leaves the house two or three days
a week now, Sundays for church and a couple of evenings for potlucks with some
of the other widows in the neighborhood. Grandpa says the rest of her time is
spent either out in the yard or peering out one of her windows. Even though she
is getting on in years, she still knows everything about everyone. I think
Grandpa was counting on the nosiness slowing down as she got older, no such
luck.
    I made it back to the door and could have pretended that I
didn’t hear her, but I knew everyone in the neighborhood heard her calling
“yooouuuu whoooo Sid!” over and over. Besides I knew I would have to talk to
her sooner or later so it may as well have been then.
    She really hasn’t changed over the years. She’s about five
feet tall. Has salt and pepper hair, and still goes to the beauty shop every
week to get it done. When she’s home and puttering around the house she wears
one of her housedresses, and they aren’t just any old housedresses. These
babies are chock-full of flower prints. Some have huge flowers on them; some
have little itty-bitty flowers all over them. The ones with the itty-bitty
flowers make you feel like you’re looking at a poster, one that if you stare at
long enough you’ll see some kind of picture or it just makes you really dizzy.
I would imagine she has between forty and fifty of these beauties. They used to
be the kind with the snap buttons. Now that she is older they are the kind that
zips up the front. If she is out in the yard she has on her gardening outfit,
which is a nice pair of Capri pants usually khaki or some version of brown, a
lovely blouse, tennis shoes, and of course her straw hat.
    When my mom and I went out shopping for a gardening hat we
would call it a “Mrs. Ruby hat”. They were hats with a huge brim so your face
wouldn’t get sunburned while you were outside. When my mom finally found one
she got one of the worst sunburns she ever had. Somehow it did the opposite and
reflected the sun directly onto her face.
    After Mr. Ruby died Mrs. Ruby became fairly religious; however
she still loves her “refreshments." I think she was genuinely happy to see
me, not just trying to get info out of me. Of course she knew exactly when I
got here. I don’t think she ever sleeps and I swear those are screen marks on
her face and not wrinkles.
    At first the conversation was the typical, how are things in
New York, do you like what you’re doing, blah, blah, blah. Then it got a little
interesting.  She said with so many people coming and going at Grandpa’s
house she didn’t know if I would have time to stop by and talk to her. I asked
her what she meant.  She said since that young woman started living with
Grandpa it seemed like someone was constantly coming and going and she was
getting tired of the late night traffic.
    You would have been proud of me. I didn’t get hysterical or
start talking fast or anything. I calmly asked her if she had ever talked to
Grandpa about the young girl. Get this, she say’s “Oh no dear, I think that
would be intruding. I believe people should mind their own business.” I wanted
to scream, “Since when”? But I didn’t. I told her I agreed with her completely
and asked when she last saw Grandpa. She said it had probably been three or
four days but that she honestly couldn’t remember with church, potlucks, and
everything else. So Grandpa has a girlfriend living with him, and late night
guests, interesting.
    We talked for a little longer, and then I came back into the
house. I don’t mind telling you Mary, I am quite disappointed with Mrs. Ruby.
All of this church and potluck stuff is definitely getting in the way of her
snooping. She didn’t have half the gossip she used to. I wish Charlie would
call, I am sure he will know what’s going on, and who Grandpa’s girlfriend is.
I think I’ll go for a drive instead. See if any new businesses have opened up
since I was here