"Who was Mama, Atticus?"
"Jean Louise, finish what you're eating before you talk," Aunt Alexandra scolded. Yeah, okay.
"What do you mean, Scout?" Atticus asks in reply, keeping his mind on my question.
"I mean, I want to know more than she was a Graham from Montgomery and died of heart problems. I don't even know her name Atticus. You never even so much as mention her."
There was silence at the table. Cal looked up the pot she was cooking in, Aunt Alexandra gave me a dirty look and Atticus just sat there kind of cold. Maybe I came of harsh but she was my mother, I deserved to know about her.
"Her name was Kerry Graham. Her mother, your grandmother, Maureen Graham, was Irish. She came from County Kerry, Ireland, hence your mother's name. She had a brother and a sister who died in infancy making her an only child. Paul, your grandfather, killed himself after his son was born and Maureen raised your mother all by herself, cleaning houses," he stops to take a sip of coffee. This is tough for him, cause he can't even look at me.
"She was a beautiful girl. She had dark brown hair just like you, she had blue eyes just like you, you remind me so much of her."
"Where'd you meet her?"
"Jean Louise, don't you think you're pushing it?"
"Sister, it's okay. She was in town with her mother. Her mother got a job cleaning for Robert and Ann Witherspoon, you know the couple who ran the grocery store on Washington St?"
"I reckon I do."
"Well, your mother got herself a job there as a clerk. I went in there quite often for groceries."
There was a knock on the door on that note. I told them I would get it. It happened to be Miss Maudie. She was wearing V-neck dress that would make Uncle Jack swoon for sure if he were here.
"Good morning, Miss Maudie," I greeted as she stooped to hug me.
"Good morning, Scout. How are you, honey?"
"I'm okay. Just got done with breakfast."
"Hello, Maudie," Atticus said coming up to the door.
"Hello, Atticus. I came by to see how Jem is doing."
"Well he's in his room if you want to see him," he says taking her by the arm and leading the way.
"Who is it, Atticus?" Jem called from his bedroom.
"It's Maudie, son."
I walked into the room with them and saw the tears well up in her eyes as she spotted him. All I saw was he had no problem finishing not one but two breakfast plates. Nothing ever ceased to amaze me quite like a hungry man's appetite. She sat down on the bed and gave him a kiss on the forehead. I couldn't help but grin at the fact he was looking down her dress.
"I'm so sorry, Sweetie. How do you feel?"
"I feel pretty beat up."
"You look it, too," the words just falling out of my mouth. Atticus shot me a look.
"Gee, thanks Scout," Jem shot back rolling his eyes.
"I'm sorry."
"Tell you what? I'll make you a big, giant cake," she said rubbing his head.
"A chocolate one? With buttercream frosting?!"
"Whatever you like, Jem," she said chuckling.
"Hmmm… I could get used to this!"