by Steven Duncan

Created on: April 27, 2008

THE MAIL COMES SWIFTLY TO BLACKLAND FLATS
"You think his car ever breaks down?" Annie asked.
"Mailmen's cars don't break down," Katie said, knowingly.
The girls sat on the porch steps; old wood, splintering now. Rusted nailheads protruded, waiting to catch careless flesh. Their voices were slow, lazy, like drifting dandelion seeds. Not a southern drawl; more an idle.

The yard was going yellow and cracked as summer progressed, the dry rock roads dusting trailers and cars and trees with a fine sprinkling of white powder. A rain would wash it all clean, but the most recent shower was a month gone, and it had been a light one anyhow. Twice the volunteer fire department had come out to snuff grass-fires. A burn-ban was in effect. The trash was stacking up by the barrel out back.
The girls, sisters, could see dust now, rising over the roofs, some flat, some peaked, of the trailers across the field.
"But what if his car did break down?" Annie insisted.
"I told you," Katie said.
Annie, the smaller of the two, thought a bit, her lips pouty beneath a sunburned nose just beginning to peel. Her eyes, pretty greens, unlike Katie's muddy browns, focused intently on the rising cloud. Annie had auburn hair, and a narrow frame. Katie was wide, with a full-moon face and dirty blonde hair which always seemed to tangle, no matter how Mama brushed or washed it.
"Are you gonna get it?" Annie asked.
"When he leaves."
"I dare you to get it from him."
Katie huffed, as if weary. Annie was seven and had just learned daring from some slope-browed kid at church. Now everything was a dare, and would be, it seemed, for some time. Dare you to eat raw cookie dough. Dare you to touch the wall outlet. Dare you to hide Mama's keys.
Annie was giggling.
"What's so funny, you little coon-ass?" Katie demanded.
Annie's jaw dropped, giggles falling away.
"You said the A-word," she said, looking back at the door as if expecting Mama to suddenly catch ear of it, as if the word was even now drifting through the house like a bad smell.
"I say what I want," Katie declared. "I can because I'm ten. When you're ten you can go right in class, and say good morning Mrs. Coon-ass, and nobody cares. I do it everyday."
"Nuh-uh."
"Yeah-huh."
"Nuh-uh!"
"Yeah-huh!"
They both went silent after that, until Katie remembered her sister's giggles.
"What were you laughing at?"
Reminded, Annie started laughing again.
"In Sundee school the other day, Rodney dared Brian to wear his shirt inside out, and Brian did! Mrs.

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