
  ,,XXXI

  ,,AUNT ,,MIR&A'S ,,APOLOGY

  ,:5 ,REBE3A ALI<T$ F ! TRA9
AT ,MAPLEWOOD & HURRI$ 6! PO/-
(FICE ": ! /AGE 0 /&+1
:AT 0 H] JOY 6SEE UNCLE ,J]RY ,COBB
HOLD+ ! HORSES' H1DS4

  8,! REG'L> DRIV] 'S SICK10 HE EXPLA9$1
8& :5 !Y S5T = ME1 ?9KS ,I 6MYF1 MY
DRIV9' "DS IS OV]1 B ,REBECKY WON'T LET
! GRASS GR[ "U H] FEET :5 %E GITS H]
AUNT ,JANE'S LR1 & L Z N ,I'LL KET* H]
TD2 OR1 IF %E GITS DELAY$1 TM = C]TA94
,S "H ,I 2 JE/ Z ,I 0 M 'N SIX YE> AGO4
,W Y 2 A R1L LADY PASS5G]1 OR W YE SIT
UP 9 FRONT ) ME80

  ,EMO;NS ( V>I\S SORTS 7 ALL /RU7L+ TGR
9 ! OLD MAN'S FACE1 &! TWO OR ?REE
BY/&]S 7 A/.D$ :5 !Y SAW ! H&"S1 /ATELY
GIRL FL+ H]F ON ,MR4 ,COBB'S DU/Y %\LD]
CRY+ L A *4 8,OH1 UNCLE ,J]RY60 %E SO2$2
8DE> UNCLE ,J]RY6 ,X'S ALL S L;G AGO1 &
S M* HAS HAPP5$1 & WE'VE GR[N S OLD1 & S
M* IS GO+ 6HAPP5 T ,I'M FAIRLY F"R5$40

  8,"!1 "!1 LOVEY10 ! OLD MAN :ISP]$
-=T+LY1 8WE'LL 2 ALL AL"O ON ! /AGE1 &
WE'LL TALK ?+S OV] 'S WE G AL;G ! ROAD
AN' ME2E !Y WON'T LOOK S BAD40

  ,E MILE (! WAY 0 Z FAMILI> 6,REBE3A Z
6UNCLE ,J]RY2 E WAT]+-TR\<1 GR9D/"O1 R$
B>N1 W1!R-VANE1 DUCK-POND1 & S&Y BROOK4
,& ALL ! "T %E 0 LOOK+ BACKW>D 6! "D1
SEEM+LY S L;G AGO1 :5 %E SAT ON ! BOX
S1T =! F/ "T1 H] LEGS DANGL+ 9 ! AIR1
TOO %ORT 6R1* ! FOOTBO>D4 ,%E CD SMELL !
BIG B\QUET ( LILACS1 SEE ! P9K-FL\NC$
P>ASOL1 FEEL ! /I6;S (! />*$ BUFF CALICO
&! HAT$ PRICK (! BLACK & YELL[ PORCUP9E
QUILLS4 ,! DRIVE 0 TAK5 ALM 9 SIL;E1 B X
0 A SWEET1 -=T+ SIL;E BO? 6UNCLE ,J]RY
&! GIRL4

  ,!N CAME ! SI<T ( ,ABIJAH ,FLAGG %ELL+
B1NS 9 ! B>N1 & !N ! ,P]K9S ATTIC W9D[S
)A :ITE CLO? FLUTT]+ F !M4 ,%E CD SPELL
,EMMA ,JANE'S LOV+ ?"\ & WELCOME 9 T LL
WAV+ FLAG2 A ^W &A MESSAGE S5T 6H] J AT
! F/ MO;T :5 ,RIV]BORO *IMNEYS ROSE
96VIEW2 "S?+ 6W>M H] HE>T TILL !Y CD
MEET4


















  ,! BRICK H\SE CAME NEXT1 LOOK+ J Z (
YORE2 ?\< X SEEM$ 6,REBE3A Z IF D1? %D H
CA/ "S MY/]I\S SPELL OV] X4 ,"! 7 !
ROLL+ M1D[S1 ! /ATELY ELMS1 ALL YELL[ &
BR[N N[2 ! GL[+ MAPLES1 ! G>D5-B$S B"R )
A/]S1 &! HOLLYHOCKS1 RIS+ TALL AG/ !
P>LOR W9D[S2 ONLY 9 PLACE (! *E];L P9KS
& R$S (! NO4+ /ALKS1 ) _! GAY ROSETTES (
BLOOM1 0 A CRAPE SC>F HOLD+ ! BLS TGR1 &
ANO!R ON ! SITT+-ROOM SIDE1 & ANO!R ON !
BRASS KNOCK] (! BR[N-PA9T$ DOOR4

  8,/OP1 UNCLE ,J]RY6 ,DON'T TURN 9 AT !
SIDE2 H& ME MY SAT*EL1 PL1SE2 DROP ME 9
! ROAD & LET ME RUN UP ! PA? 0MYF4 ,!N
DRIVE AWAY QKLY40

  ,AT ! NOISE & RUM# (! APPROA*+ /AGE !
H\SE DOOR OP5$ F )91 J Z ,REBE3A CLOS$ !
GATE 2H H]4 ,AUNT ,JANE CAME D[N ! /"O
/EPS1 A *ANG$ WOMAN1 FRAIL & BROK5 &
:ITE4 ,REBE3A HELD \ H] >MS &! OLD AUNT
CREPT 96!M FEEBLY1 Z %E DID ON T "D :5
%E OP5$ ! GRAVE ( H] BURI$ LOVE & %[$ !
D1D FACE1 J = AN 9/ANT1 6A *4 ,W>M? &
/R5G? & LIFE FL[$ 96! AG$ FRAME F ! "Y
"O4

  8,REBE3A10 %E SD1 RAIS+ H] H1D1 82F Y
G 9 6LOOK AT H]1 D Y FEEL ANY BITT];S
OV] ANY?+ %E "E SD 6Y80

  ,REBE3A'S EYES BLAZ$ REPROA*1 ALM
ANG]1 Z %E SD *OK+LY3 8,OH1 AUNT ,JANE6
,CD Y 2LIEVE X ( ME8 ,I AM GO+ 9 )A HE>T
BRIM;L ( GRATITUDE60

  8,%E 0 A GD WOMAN1 ,REBE3A2 %E _H A QK
TEMP] &A %>P T;GUE1 B %E WANT$ 6D "R1 &
%E DID X Z NE> Z %E CD4 ,%E N"E SD S1 B
,I'M SURE %E 0 SORRY = E H>D ^W %E SPOKE
6Y2 %E DIDN'T TAKE 'EM BACK 9 LIFE1 B %E
ACT$ S 'T Y'D "K H] FEEL+ :5 %E 0 G"O40

  8,I TOLD H] 2F ,I LEFT T %E'D BE5 !
MAK+ ( ME1 J Z "M SAYS10 SO2$ ,REBE3A

  8,%E WASN'T T10 SD ,JANE4 8,GOD MADE Y
9 ! F/ PLACE1 & Y'VE D"O 3SID]A# YRF
6HELP ,HM AL;G2 B %E GAVE Y ! ":)AL 6"W
)1 & T A9'T 6BE DESPIS$2 SPECI,Y :5
ANYBODY GIVES UP H] [N LUXURIES &
PL1SURES 6D X4 ,N[ LET ME TELL Y "S?+1
,REBE3A4 ,YR AUNT ,MIR&Y 'S WILL$ ALL ?
6Y1--! BRICK H\SE & BUILD+S & FURNITURE1
&! L& ALL R.D ! H\SE1 Z F> 'S Y C SEE40

  ,REBE3A ?REW (F H] HAT & PUT H] H& 6H]
HE>T1 Z %E ALW DID 9 MO;TS ( 9T5SE
EXCITE;T4 ,AF A MO;T'S SIL;E %E SD3
8,LET ME G 9 AL"O2 ,I WANT 6TALK 6H]2 ,I
WANT 6?ANK H]2 ,I FEEL Z IF ,I CD MAKE
H] HE> & FEEL & "U/&60

  ,JANE W5T BACK 96! KIT*5 6! 9EXORA#
TASKS T D1? HAS NO P[]1 EV5 =A "D1 6BLOT
F EXI/;E4 ,HE C /ALK "? DWELL+ AF
DWELL+1 L1V+ DESPAIR & DESOL,N 2H HM1 B
! TA# M/ 2 LAID1 ! DI%ES WA%$1 ! B$S
MADE1 0"SBODY4

  ,T5 M9UTES LAT] ,REBE3A CAME \ F !
,GRT ,PRES;E LOOK+ :ITE & SP5T1 B *A/5$
& GLORIFI$4 ,%E SAT 9 ! QUIET DOORWAY1
%AD$ F ! LL ,RIV]BORO _W 0! OV]HANG+
ELMS4 ,A WIDE S5SE ( ?ANK;L;S & P1CE
POSSESS$ H]1 Z %E LOOK$ AT ! AUTUMN
L&SCAPE1 LI/5$ 6! RUM# (A WAGON ON !
BRIDGE1 & HE>D ! CALL (! RIV] Z X DA%$
6! SEA4 ,%E PUT UP H] H& S(TLY & T\*$ F/
! %9+ BRASS KNOCK] & !N ! R$ BRICKS1
GL[+ 9 ! ,OCTOB] SUN4

  ,X 0 HOME2 H] RO(1 H] G>D51 H] GRE5
ACRES1 H] DE> TREES2 X 0 %ELT] =! LL
FAMILY AT ,SUNNYBROOK2 H] "M WD H ONCE M
! -PANION%IP ( H] SI/] &! FRS ( H]
GIRLHOOD2 ! *N WD H T1*]S & PLAYMATES4

  ,& %E8 ,H] [N FUTURE 0 CLOSE-FOLD$ /2
FOLD$ & HI45 9 B1UTI;L MI/S2 B %E L1N$
H] H1D AG/ ! SUN-W>M$ DOOR1 & CLOS+ H]
EYES1 :ISP]$1 J Z IF %E _H BE5 A * SAY+
H] PRAY]S3 8,GOD B.S AUNT ,MIR&A2 ,GOD
B.S ! BRICK H\SE T WAS2 ,GOD B.S ! BRICK
H\SE T IS 6BE60

  ,5D ( ,! ,PROJECT ,GUT5B]G ,ETEXT (
,REBE3A ,( ,SUNNYBROOK ,F>M

