The Mexican Skirt

by Teresa Tumminello Brader

I asked to wear the skirt, a souvenir of a long-ago trip to Mexico, every time I visited Grandma. We tied its wraparound strings tightly around my immature waist, fastening the excess material with a big safety pin. I lifted the heavy fabric up from the floor and spun around. Grandma clapped her hands together as she sang, “Frankie and Johnny were lovers.” Her voice wavered when she hit the high notes. I twirled around the den, imagining myself older.

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Teresa Tumminello Brader, author of Lucky, was born in New Orleans and lives in the area still. Her stories have appeared most recently in Brink, Hobart, and Clapboard House, and are forthcoming in Route 66 and The Ranfurly Review.