Page 23 of A Fabulously Unfabulous Summer for Henry Milch

As I walked across the pole barn, Nana Cole called out for me, “Henry, come here for a second.”

She was standing with Sue Langtree of all people. When I got close enough, my grandmother said to Sue, “Ask him. Go ahead.”

“Do you sing?” she asked. “We’re in desperate need of a tenor.”

“I don’t.”

With a glance at Nana Cole, she asked again, “Not even a little?”

I shook my head. Nana Cole poked me in the arm.

“What?”

“He’s lying,” she said. “Henry has a very sweet voice. He should come sing for you. When would be a good time?”

“Oh, no, no… I cannot—”

“We have fifty dollars a week for a good tenor,” Sue said.

The money was tempting, of course, but getting paid would not make me a good singer.

“How about Wednesday afternoon around three?” Sue suggested.

“I can’t leave my grandmother. Her health—”

“Bring her with you,” Sue said, then noticed someone across the room waving at her. “Oh God, Carla Allen. I have to hide. She wants us to do selections fromGodspell.”

And with that she was gone.

CHAPTER SIX

“What was that about?” I asked as we pulled away from the church.

“Sue Langtree knows things. I’m sure of it. Now you have an opportunity to ask her.”

“I thought you decided it was an anti-Christian hate crime?”

“That’s still a strong possibility. Sue is just the sort to have liberal friends.”

“Nana, a lot of my friends are liberals. None of them are violent.”

“Mmmm-hmmm,” she said, clearly not believing me.

I rolled my eyes but decided not to continue down that very dark road.

“I think you should pay me the money you promised me.”

“And I think you should actually earn it.”

“I did what you asked. I talked to someone in the sheriff’s office.”

“Yes, well, after thinking about it, I think you need to do more. I’ll pay you after you talk to Sue Langtree.”

“You told her I have a very sweet voice.”

“It’s all right to lie for the right reasons.”

“Did you not pay any attention to the sermon today?”