I can hear my brother, Dewey's, light open mouth snores as I lay in the twin bed across the room from him.  I'm too big for it, and Dewey's too big for his.  Both of us are a few hairs over six foot.  But, it don't matter.  Momma even tried to buy us new ones, but my daddy put his foot down.

 

"When they's grown and contributing to the house, they can get new ones.  I done spent all I'm a'gonna on these two."

 

At sixteen, I can't leave even if I want to, and especially cause of  Dewey.  It's cause of me that he's the way he is.  He used to be right as rain, that was before my daddy clobbered him, hitting him in the head with a manure covered shovel.  All cause of me.

 

"Your brother saved your life," Momma whispered as she tended to the gash on Dewey's head.  "You are debted to take care of him now."

 

To look at my brother, you wouldn't ever know he was dim.  He smiles a lot, even when it ain't appropriate to do so.  And he hugs real tight when he's happy.  Momma always has to tell him not to squeeze so tight that he makes her head pop off.  I have to tell him certain things time and time again because he tends to forget.  My daddy, he don't got no use for him, calls him dummy.  Maybe he is a dummy, but I'd rather surround myself with a hundred dummies than suffer around my daddy.

 

"Dew," I whisper.  "Hey, Dew."

 

"Hmm."

 

"You're snoring.  Roll over."

 

I hear the springs squeak. I feel comfort just hearing his voice.  "We gonna go to the mountain top?  Once we get done here."

 

"Course," Dewey says. 

 

I can hear the smile in his voice and imagine the two of us standing there.  "Okay.  Night, Dewey."

 

"Night, Huck."

 

I fold my arms behind my head and think about the mountain top.  Its a place where the righteous go.  Momma says that the Bible tells about it so it has to be true.  And, we may not be righteous but we sure don't deserve this hell.  She says there'll be honey and wine.  I won't touch the wine, but I sure will enjoy the honey.

 

  *****************************************************************************************************************

 

There's a commotion in the yard below our window at first light.  I hear a lot of sqawking and the rooster is going at it like the devil hisself is fixing to fry him up for dinner.

 

Dewey tosses off his covers and scrambles to the window about the same time I do.  "That dang fox is after the girls," he says, excitedly.  He shoves the window up and sticks his head out.

 

"Move," I push him to the side and try to squeeze my head out as well.  But it ain't no fox.  No sir, it's my daddy and a copperhead in a stand off.  That snake is coiled up, his head darting out like lightning.  Daddy is swinging his hoe at it.  I see one chicken down in the midst of a mess of feathers on the ground.

 

The rooster, Ben, is trying to go after the snake and my daddy.  Hes protecting his girls from both.

 

The snake lunges at Daddy, and the hoe slices down but misses.

 

"Stay put," I yell to Dewey as I grab my pants and race out the bedroom and down the stairs.  No time to put on my shoes, which ain't the wisest choice but I hurry out the door and run around to the back of the house.  By the time I get there, I see a dead snake, a dead chicken and the rooster is dead as well.

 

"What happened to Ben?"

 

"He got in my way."

 

 "You could have shooed him away,"I mumble as I look around at the carnage.  Ben has been around as long as I can remember.  He was protective over his girls.  I always thought that was a good thing.

 

"Go get your shoes on and take care of this mess," he says.  There is no remorse or feeling in his voice.  I doubt he's ever felt either of those things.

 

I nod, glance at the dead animals and snake, and shiver despite the morning sun.  Ben didn't deserve this.  He was a good rooster,  he did his job.  He just happened to get in my daddy's way.  I look up, Dewey staring down at the scene.  All Ben had done was get in Daddy's way.  Dewey got in his way once.

 

It's not a good place to be.