The Lilac Tunnel: My Journey with Samantha

I ball up the skirt and whip it at Eddie, narrowly missing his head. He ducks out of the hedge squawking, which brings Elsa running out the back door, and after hearing his side of things, she turns the scolding on me instead, reminding me sharply of my place. Rude as he may be, he’s Master Eddie to me, and I’ll show him respect.

Respect? Doing laundry all afternoon in the hot sun was hard enough. Respecting Eddie will be harder still. Samantha leans against the oak tree through my scolding, kicking at the dirt, casting me sad, apologetic looks, and once Elsa disappears back inside, she’s right beside me again, apologizing under her breath, glancing nervously at the house before reaching again for another piece of clothing from the tub.