I am sharing an excerpt today from A Good Kind of Knowing by Kathy Lynn Harris for CLP Blog Tours!
Wednesday was Bingo Night at the lodge, one of the Order of the Moose’s best fund-raising activities. Ruby D. and Sera headed for the game room, making their way through the darkened entrance, past the large oak bar and through a maze of heavy round wood tables and a line of pool tables lit by swinging beer lamps.
They followed the growing crowd noise, as a good third of the town of Lakeville was already there. The room was lined with six-foot tables and metal folding chairs, all having seen their better day. A thick halo of smoke was forming a cloud over the room, settling just beyond the overwhelming aroma of popcorn, nachos and processed cheese.
Ruby D. spotted her mother and the kids up front, and Little Ricky ran up to Sera when he saw them. He jumped into her arms and she tried to swing him around like she used to.
Ruby’s girls smiled shyly as Sera walked up to the table. Sera knew the look already, the new demeanors. Ruby D. must’ve spoken to them.
Across from Sera, about five tables over and sitting by himself, was Louie Mikesh, with his black vinyl pocket protector hanging out of his white shirt. He was busy organizing his bingo cards around him. Sera waited for him to look up, but he was too engrossed in preparations. Next to him on either side in the folding chairs were his beautifully groomed dogs. They sat watching, with ears perked. One had his head up watching Louie’s strategy, the other rested his long nose on the table in front of him. Both reminded Sera of those pictures of dogs smoking cigarettes, playing poker or shooting pool together.
“So much for health codes in this town,” Ruby D. said, sneering at Louie’s dogs. “You’d think that crazy man would have more sense than to bring those mutts with him to Bingo Night.”
“He’s not crazy, Ruby D. Just a little different, that’s all.”
“Looks batshit crazy to me.”
“Looks batshit crazy to me, too,” Little Ricky copied his mother.
“So what’s going on with you and Bill?” Ruby D. nudged Sera to get her attention back to their table.
“Nothing. Everything. I don’t know.”
“Try not to take it too personally. I suppose he’s just being Bill, which ain’t exactly an ideal prototype,” Ruby D. said.
“And who made you an expert on this?”
“You. And you thought I wasn’t listening.”
Sera laughed. “Oh well, as King Lear said, ‘Pour on. I will endure.’”
“Oh Lord, now she’s quoting Shakespeare. Somebody get this woman a beer!”
Sera declined the beer for fear she’d lose what little food she’d been able to keep down today. In fact, as she began to feel worse, she was about to grab her keys from her friend, when a meekly shouted “Bingo!” caused a stir across the room.
Louie stood up and waited for one of the bingo “officials” to check off his game sheet. “It’s all correct,” he said. His dogs barked in celebration.
“I’m tellin’ you, that man is fruit loops,” Ruby D. said.
“Fruit loops!” Little Ricky shouted, standing on his chair and hugging his mama’s arm.
