Where The Watermelons Grow

Della sits outside the playhouse and recalls how she and Arden built it after their parents caught them playing in the old tobacco shed. Their parents didn’t like the playhouse much better, but if it collapsed, it would be less dangerous than the shed.

Arden finds Della at the playhouse around dinnertime. Della is standoffish, having already eaten her packed sandwiches. Arden wants to know why Della didn’t come get her. She’s been looking for Della and even went by Della’s house. Della asks if Arden saw Mama. Arden says Mama was in the kitchen with Mylie. Della confesses she ran away. Arden scolds Della for this choice. Della is feeling less confident in her decision, but she doesn’t want to go back. She asks Arden to keep her location a secret. Arden is not sure, but agrees when Della points out that her absence has forced Mama to get out of bed and watch Mylie for the first time in days. Della promises Arden she won’t stay away from home too long.

Even after the sun eventually sets, Della is still uncomfortably hot. The mosquitos are biting despite her bug spray, and a distant, rainless thunder groans. Della pulls out her math book and does some problems, which takes her mind off things for a bit. She watches as the fireflies emerge.

Della spots Daddy walking from her house to Arden’s with a flashlight. She hears him knock and the flashlight shines in the direction of the playhouse. Moments later, he walks up and finds Della despite her attempts to hide. He demands she get out of the playhouse and come home, but Della refuses. Daddy tells Della that Mama thinks Della has been at Arden’s, and she’d be upset to know the truth. Della asks Daddy to tell Mama she’s sleeping at Arden’s and admits that she can’t go home right now. Daddy acknowledges how hard things have been for Della in the last couple weeks. He agrees Della can stay in the playhouse for one night, and he’ll tell Mama that Della is at Arden’s. He promises to come back and collect her in the morning before church.

Della curls up on the dirt floor and rests her head on her backpack. She thinks about how the Bee Lady’s honey helped Arden’s little sister with nightmares. She wishes she had that honey right now.

In the morning, Della is sweaty and dirty, even before the sun has fully risen. She wonders when Daddy will come for her, but the idea of seeing Mama again still worries Della, so she won’t go back on her own. She tries to work on math problems again, but she’s too hot and uncomfortable. She lies down and feels more alone than ever.

Arden brings blueberry muffins to Della later in the morning. She explains that she didn’t tell Daddy where Della was; he guessed himself when Della wasn’t with Arden last night. Arden hasn’t told her parents about Mama. She asks when Della is going back. Della isn’t ready to see Mama, but Arden suggests Della’s absence could be making Mama worse. When Arden returns to her house, she invites Della, but the thought of being hugged by Arden’s mother in their happy, functional home sounds painful to Della. She decides to stay and wait for Daddy to come get her. The wind picks up and pulls at the playhouse.

The wind gets worse as the morning drags on, the sky filling with clouds. The thunder is louder now, but there’s still no sign of rain. The playhouse shudders in the wind. Della can only lie down in the humidity and wait for Daddy. She recalls times when her mother would sing or read to her. Della wonders what Daddy will tell her about Mama’s condition when he comes. She feels it’s getting late—church has probably started, and yet Daddy hasn’t shown up.

When Daddy arrives, he looks serious. He informs Della that Mama had to be taken to the hospital in an ambulance after getting really bad this morning. She’d prevented Mylie from eating and attacked Daddy when he fought her on it. Della’s mind spins and all she can think about is how much she longs for rain.

Daddy gives Della two choices: join Daddy and Mylie at Daddy’s parents’ house near the hospital or stay with Arden’s family. Della wasn’t old enough to visit Mama the last time Mama was in the hospital, but now that she is, she still doesn’t want to go. She also doesn’t want to be in Arden’s house with her happy, normal family. She’d rather be alone, but Daddy won’t let her. The shack isn’t safe, and he doesn’t want Della home alone. The wind picks up and crumbles the house. Della escapes with just a scrape on her leg. Daddy gives Della a hug and walks her to Arden’s house.

The hug from Arden’s mom is just as painful as Della anticipated. She wishes it were her own mama instead. Arden’s mom asks if Della would like to talk about it, but Della has nothing to say. Arden gives Della a hug. Della stays quiet for all that afternoon and dinner.

As the girls go to bed in Arden’s room, Arden expresses that she’s happy Della is there. She tries to clarify that she doesn’t mean she’s happy about Della’s mom, but Della is already upset, having watched Arden’s perfect family all day. Della tells Arden she hates it at Arden’s house and expresses that Arden has no idea what it’s like. Arden replies that she doesn’t know because Della keeps these things from her. The girls go quiet, angry.

Della thinks about another Bee Lady story, about how the honey cured two quarrelling sisters of their argument and made them remember they love each other. Della and Arden have never been like this in all their years as best friends.

Della wakes up early that morning and sneaks out to sit on the porch, needing a moment to herself. The wind howls around her and the thunder is even louder. She thinks about how nothing she did made any difference for Mama. Della thinks about the last 15 days since she caught Mama with the watermelon that night. She hasn’t been able to cry yet, as much as she’s wanted to. She’s sorry she couldn’t fix Mama.

A bee stings Della on the arm, and Della recalls what the Bee Lady said about having honey for Della. Della decides there’s something she must do before facing her family again.

The sun is still coming up as Della sets off for the Bee Lady’s house. She trudges on through the heat and humidity, feeling sleep-deprived and dehydrated. When she arrives at the Bee Lady’s house, shortly before breakfast time, Tabitha Quigley is tending to the bees in her yard, wearing no protective gear or shoes.

Tabitha recognizes she’s in a bad condition, so she gives Della lemonade and honey butter bread. Once Della has recovered, she asks Miss Tabitha about the honey she said she had for Della. Miss Tabitha says she has honey that can heal Della. It’s a special jar she felt that she needed to keep separate from others. The honey was made when her bees were frequenting the watermelon blossoms on Della’s family farm. Miss Tabitha explains that she doesn’t always know how her honey will work because its magic brings out a person’s inner strength. Everyone who has been touched by the magic of Quigley honey already had a little strength within. Miss Tabitha allows Della to take the honey free of charge.

Della begins walking home with the honey. Thunder crashes and the sky opens up into torrential rain.