A seven minute free write on
a topic called
Her
mother makes it better.
"Her mother
makes it better." "Oh yeah, we'll see about that!"
called out the snotty girl in pigtails chasing after a red dodge ball in the
playground. "My mom makes it better and I can prove it!"
"Oh yeah, she repeats, "Oh yeah", said her school mate chasing
after her benevolently, her breath seizing and her legs twisting and turning to
keep up. "What's your mom call it? Better than puke
cake?" Teased the pigtails. "No, I'll have you know that
its called better than Robert Redford?"
"Robert Redford? Whose that
your mom's boyfriend?" "Shut up", she flinched and tossed
her hand out, barely grazing the girl's cheek and the girl looked back flushed
and awestruck. A backhand to her face." A backhand! Why you little"...
"Christine,
Christine!" Let's go! Your brother's got soccer practice and I don't have
time for this."
Christine wiped her still
red flushed face tossing a look of scorn at Huffy face before she ran to her
minivan. Threw her ball in and shoved her tongue out for one last snarl
at Huffy before her mother drove off at a menacing pace.
The girl picked up her own
ball and thought of puke cake. Her mother made the best cake,everyone
knew that! So did the book club and her sister and her brothers who
smoothed the chocolate pudding whisks across their tongues during her mother's
final cake making steps. "Who wants to lick the cream cheese?"
Huffy was always first. "Can I lick the back as well?"
"Let your brother,
you had your chance." Her mother's face was shifting towards the
bowls contents. She had already pressed the walnut crust to the pan,
baked it to three fifty and was adding the cream cheese with a clean spatula.
"I'll have you know that your grandma made this, the best."
She said, eyeing the Redford.
