A Spool of Blue Thread

In July 1959, Abby awaits a ride from her unofficial boyfriend, Dane Quinn. They’re both helping Merrick prepare for her upcoming wedding (the Whitshanks are felling a tree in the yard and need help), despite Merrick not knowing Dane, and her brother Red having a crush on Abby. Though from a good family, Dane’s a misfit. His antisocial behavior began when his mother divorced his father and ran off with her lover. While driving, Dane admits that his father has recently kicked him out the house, and Abby considers their relationship—even their friends are shocked at their affection. For Abby, however, “He became her newest worthy cause. She flung herself at him, worked to bring him out of himself” (296). As they arrive at the Whitshanks’ house, Dane reveals that he’ll have his temporary lodging to himself for the weekend, and he wants Abby to come over. Though she expected this day to arrive, she handles the news poorly by making excuses and then exiting the car hastily.

Red “talks shop” in front of the house with Earl, Landis, and Ward—friends, and his father’s workmen—and Abby delights in the sound of a chainsaw because it reminds her of her father. Red later asks her if she’ll accompany him to the wedding. Dane hasn’t been invited, however, so Abby has been planning to decline. She tells Red that she’ll consider it, and though he seems to want to ask something else, he leaves. Junior appears, acknowledges Abby briefly, then joins the workers. Junior always wears old-fashioned clothing, as if he is some illustrious figure from the past. Inside, Abby sits in the kitchen while Mrs. Whitshank cooks. Mrs. Whitshank, too, hopes she’ll attend the wedding. The subject then turns to Abby’s work with poor black children. Abby likes the job, but Mrs. Whitshank thinks it’s dangerous and shows bad judgement. Abby comments about the Wicked Witch from The Wizard of Oz. When the witch dies, she regrettably says, “Oh, what a world, what a world” (308). Abby takes this to mean that people who seem scary are really just sad.

Merrick arrives, donning a flashy red kimono. She’s had a bad dream where she was stuck in a car falling off a cliff. Instead of dying, however, she kept floating, and then woke up. Abby finds the dream horrific, but Mrs. Whitshank casually explains that a dream involving a convertible means someone will soon make a mistake. Merrick takes offense, but her two best friends arrive and whisk her away to practice her makeup. Mrs. Whitshank admits that “Merrick’s always put me in mind of my granny Inman” (312). For Mrs. Whitshank, there are easy types and hard types, and Merrick belongs in the latter type along with granny Inman. Mrs. Whitshank informs Abby that she’s also part of the easy type, then tasks her with delivering water to the workers. As Abby goes outside, she overhears Junior on the phone cursing Mitch, the man they’ve all been waiting for to instruct them on tree trunk removal. As the workers drink (Abby avoids Dale and suddenly remembers that she doesn’t have any nice underwear), the Whitshanks’ neighbor storms up and complains about the noise. Junior arrives and berates the man, explaining how laborers like himself only have the weekend because the week is for fixing other people’s problems. Red diffuses the situation by suggesting a mutually agreeable time. Though Red’s bargaining incenses Junior, his neighbor agrees and leaves.

Abby and Mrs. Whitshank discuss the quarrel outside, which leads to a discussion about Red’s future. Though Red wouldn’t think twice about quitting college and joining his father full-time, Junior wants better for him. Abby wonders why Junior wouldn’t be happy with his son following in his footsteps. Mrs. Whitshank eventually compares her youthful dalliance with Junior to Romeo and Juliet. To Abby’s horror, she next reveals that she was 13 when they fell in love, like Juliet. Junior, however, was 26. Mrs. Whitshank’s father caught them having sex and chased Junior out of the county. She didn’t see him again for five years, but when they did connect, it was like they’d been together the entire time. She hasn’t even told her own kids this secret, so swears Abby to secrecy. Abby, wondering if Mrs. Whitshank realizes that their love was a crime, swears. She later sits on the porch, where Pixie and Maddie also recline. When Merrick arrives, Pixie asks about Dane and is disappointed that he and Abby are an item. When Merrick frets about what she’ll do with her hair on her honeymoon, Pixie snidely remarks that she can wear it like Abby’s.

At lunch, Junior holds court over the cowed table. His manner of dress, plus his fixation on the “haves and have nots,” makes Abby wonder how he could have ever been the romantic man of Mrs. Whitshank’s story. Though Abby envisions her future home much like the Whitshanks’, lunch causes doubt. Junior begins upbraiding Red for kowtowing to their entitled neighbor, but Landis changes the subject. Red seemingly takes no notice of his father, though Abby notes a faint blush on his face.

Red again queries Abby about the wedding. Dane smirks at Red’s determination, but Abby feels sorry for Red despite previously making fun of his “attention” for her. Encountering Junior, she calls him a hypocrite. He hates the rich, but he not only supports Merrick marrying one, he wants Red to act better than them. Junior warns Abby that she’s out of place and has no basis to judge, and Abby storms away. She knows about Junior’s shady past and can’t believe how much he puts on airs. Outside, Abby watches Red count tree rings. To her surprise, his calmness intrigues her. She looks at Dane and thinks about the Wicked Witch’s last words: “Who would have thought […] that a good little girl like you could destroy my beautiful wickedness?” (339). Her focus then shifts to Red, and she tells him that she’ll accept his ride to the wedding.