Belle Prater's Boy Chapter 11 Summary

  • The next evening, Woodrow comes to Gypsy's door and asks her how she's feeling. He also says that he's brought Blind Benny to visit her.
  • She can see even in the dim light that he has holes in his face where his eyes are supposed to be, but she doesn't say anything. He asks her how she's doing and calls her Beauty… which is what her father used to call her.
  • They chat for a bit about the chiggers—little bugs that bite you and make you itch—and how there's a bad crop this year.
  • Then Blind Benny says that he remembers how her father used to sing her to sleep in this very room, and that he used to be good friends with Amos Leemaster.
  • Gypsy lies down in her bed and listens as Blind Benny sings Amos's favorite song to her. She tells him that she feels sick and needs to rest now, and they both leave.
  • The next day it's hot so Porter puts an electric fan in Gypsy's room and asks her if she needs anything else. He's trying to be nice to her… as always.
  • Gypsy thinks about how her father built her the tree house, and because she was too small to go up by herself, he always went up there with her when she wanted to play. Well, until he died, at least.
  • She didn't go back to the tree house until she was 10 years old and her mother had just married Porter and left on her honeymoon.
  • Gypsy calls to her mother and says that she wants to go to the tree house, but her mother says that she needs to rest right now. Then she says that she hates Porter and he'll never be her father.
  • This upsets her mother and she leaves the room, saying that Gypsy's never given him a real chance.
  • By the following Saturday, Gypsy feels a lot better and hangs out with Woodrow for most of the day. They decide to have a weenie roast by the creek once Gypsy's allowed to go outside again and agree they'll invite all their friends from school.