“Was that a … ?” Laura asks.
“Burp?” Mabel answers. “Yessir. That was one bodacious belch.”
It’s followed by another loud, sustained, burp that reverberates through the overhead speakers.
In a casual, unbothered voice, Otis Dixon’s words ring through the sound system. “Man oh man, that chili gave me all sorts of gas.”
The crowd stills. A few people snicker.
And then Otis asks, “Hey, is this thing on?”
The crowd of townspeople shout, “Yes!” almost in unison.
I close my eyes, shaking my head in second-hand embarrassment.
Otis goes silent. There’s a long pause.
Then Otis clears his throat right into the microphone.
His voice is subdued at first, but he grows in boldness with each word. “Well,” he coughs lightly. “Sorry about that, folks.”
I press my lips together, trying not to lose my composure.
Otis hesitates just long enough for a ripple of amused laughter to spread through the crowd.
Then he adds, “Junie warned me about having seconds on the chili.”
The laughter explodes. Memaw snorts. Even Mr. Duggins doubles over in laughter. Laura wipes a tear from her eye.
Otis sighs. “I guess I should’ve listened to Junie.”
Chapter 11
Angie
Small towns are the places
where everybody knows your name
and everybody knows your business.
~ Unknown
Power is restored and we quickly fill the popper with another round of oil, kernels, salt and sugar. When the batch is popped, we start serving customers again. The rest of the vendors’ lines move along too. The sun starts its slow descent and the street is bathed in the sweet golden glow of evening.
I’m about to take off my apron to go hunt down Mom and the boys when Cherry approaches the booth. “Oh, Angie, I was looking for you.”
“You were?”
“Yes.”
Her smile is deceptively warm. Cherry Blanchard is notorious for wanting a firefighter husband—or a doctor—or any single, employed man. But she’s especially fond of firemen.
Cherry steps closer to the table, moving to the side so a customer can put an order in with Laura while she talks to me.
She says, “I heard EJ telling Truck he was cautious about your boys.”
I should know better than to engage in this conversation with her, but my curiosity gets the better of me.
