Chapter 8 - Page 106 - Talking Eyes

    Jim stood up, and Rhasha leaned forward. Her face was in front of his face. Smiling, she stuck her tongue out at him, then kissed him on the forehead.

    “Rhasha,” Jim said, “you’re a handful, but I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

    With Rhasha sitting on his shoulders, Jim crouched low, shuffled toward the living room door, and stepped out onto the front porch. Once he was in the front yard, Rhasha sat up straight. As Jim walked toward the dining hall, Rhasha acted as if Jim was her horse, and waved at the people on either side as they passed. With one hand holding his collar, Rhasha threw her other hand up in the air, swinging it wildly. Smiling, she greeted everybody within hearing range. “Howdy partner,” she yelled and bounced up and down on Jim’s shoulders, as though she was in a saddle. No one could resist laughing at her.

    A car pulled up behind them when Jim had crossed the street. He couldn’t see who was in the car-Rhasha’s legs blocked his view.

    “Hey Jim,” a voice said, “it looks like you have a big black growth on your back.”

    Jim turned all the way around and saw Jackie standing behind them. “Yeah,” Jim said, “but I’m getting ready to dump her.”

    Rhasha spurred Jim in his side with her heels. “Where’s my gun?” she said, “I’m gonna shoot the varmint.”

    Jim and Jackie laughed as Rhasha fixed her hand in the shape of a pistol. She cocked her thumb as if it was the hammer of a gun and pretended to shoot Jackie, then blew imaginary smoke off the end of her finger.