Mama Does Time

The three of them looked so glum, I thought I’d toss them a bone.

“It’s not like he’s moving to California,’’ I said. “Miami’s only three and a half hours south, you know. In fact, I’m going down to visit him next weekend. I plan to try some arroz con pollo and un cafécito Cubano.’’

“Mace!’’ Maddie’s mouth was tight with disapproval. “You may want to experiment, but I really don’t think you should talk about your sexual shenanigans in front of Mama.’’

I laughed at their shocked expressions. “All that means is rice with chicken and a short Cuban coffee. Didn’t I tell y’all? I’ve started studying Spanish.’’

The End

About the Author

Like Mace Bauer’s, Deborah Sharp’s family roots were set in Florida long before Disney and Miami Vice came to define the state. She does some writing at a getaway overlooking the Kissimmee River in the wilds north of Okeechobee, and some at Starbucks in Fort Lauderdale. As a Florida native and a longtime reporter for USA Today, she knows every burg and back road, including some not found on maps. Here’s what she has to say about Himmarshee:

Home to cowboys and church suppers, Himmarshee is hot and swarming with mosquitoes. A throwback to the ways of long-ago southern Florida, it bears some resemblance to the present-day ranching town of Okeechobee. The best thing about Mace and Mama’s hometown: it will always be threatened, but never spoiled, by suburban sprawl.