The Bible I Bought Twice

“For the ham,” he said. “Whatever she did with the other ninety.”

“That’s not necessary.”

“It is to me.” He put on his hat and went to find his wife.

I put that $100 in my purse. I will tell you what I did with it later.

Warren came out to my house that evening after he dropped everyone off. He still had his good shirt on, with the tie pulled loose.

He sat on my top porch step, right where Micah had sat on Thursday, and he did not say anything for a long time.

“Micah told me in the truck,” he said at last.

“He said, Dad, Grandma got me two Bibles. And I said, what do you mean two? And he told me the whole thing. What Mom said. What Grandma did. What you said at church.”

“I didn’t say much.”

“You didn’t have to.” He rubbed his face with both hands. He looked tired in a way that has nothing to do with doubles.

“Mama, I should have asked where that Bible was. I knew you were getting it. I just figured it was handled.”

“You had a lot on you.”

“That’s not a reason.” He looked out at the pecan tree.

“I’m not going to fight with Heidi about it tonight. I’m going to let her sit with it. But I am going to say something to her, and it won’t be gentle.”

“Say it quiet,” I said. “He sleeps next to the kitchen.”

Warren laughed, one short breath, and put his head down on his knees. I sat down beside him on the step.

I put my hand on the back of his neck the way I did when he was Micah’s age, and we watched the light go out of the sweetgums.

On Wednesday there was an envelope in my mailbox with no stamp on it.

Inside were nine ten-dollar bills and a plain index card. The card was blank. I turned it over twice to be sure.

I did not call Heidi about it. I did not need a note.

I knew what a blank card from Heidi cost her, and I figured it was as close as she was going to come.

I took the envelope and Lowell Colburn’s hundred dollars, and I drove to Haleyville. I walked into the bookstore, and I put $190 on the counter in front of Pam.

“For the church,” I said. “Every child at Pine Grove who gets baptized this year gets a Bible with their name on it. Black leather, like his. You do the gold.”

Pam looked at the money. She looked at Kelsey, who had her hand over her mouth.

Then she put her glasses on her nose, took out a pencil, and wrote a list on the back of an invoice.

“There’s six more coming up before spring,” she said. “I’ll start the engraving Monday.”

“Don’t give me a receipt,” I said. “Give it to Brother Wayne.”

The next Sunday came in bright and windy. The leaves were blowing across the church lawn, and the cotton trailers rattled by on Highway 195.