Family Thang Page 29
“Speak now or forever hold your peace,” Reverend Jones said.
Ruth Ann again turned and smiled at Darlene. “Little girl, this is your opportunity to raise your hand, state your disapproval.” Darlene didn’t respond. “When you go home to yo momma, ask her if she knows someone literate to instruct you the rules of public etiquette.”
“You may kiss the bride,” Reverend Jones said, and Eric kissed Shirley, bending her backward.
“Ohhhh!” a collective sigh from the congregation.
Eric’s crutches fell to the floor and the kiss continued… and continued… and continued… and then Eric lost his balance and they both fell to the floor.
“Oh-oh!” someone said.
Shirley helped Eric to his feet, handed him his crutches and said, “Ain’t he something!”
The congregation laughed.
Eric said, “Give God the glory.”
Ruth Ann tossed a handful of rice in the air as Eric and Shirley came down the aisle. Shirley never looked happier. Halfway she remembered to toss the bouquet, and Darlene practically dove over two pews to catch it.
Won’t help one bit! Skinny tricks like her need more than a bouquet to land a husband. Without a father brandishing a shotgun or a lucky lotto number, she’s a spinster for life.
A few hours later, Ruth Ann sat on the steps of her mother’s porch. She didn’t attend the wedding reception held at the Rialto theater downtown. Didn’t feel up to it. She felt homesick and lonely.
She wondered what Lester was doing and resisted the urge to call him. What could she say?
Lester, I miss you, I miss my bed, my car, my life, and I’m sick and tired of staying at my mother’s house. May I please come home?
Sounded good and was very true, but Lester… What’s going on with him? He hadn’t once come by to check on her after the tragedy at the park.
Shirley invited him to her wedding and he neglected to attend. Does he have another woman? She shook her head. No way! She hadn’t been gone long. Three months isn’t long at all.
A truck stopped in front of the house and Robert Earl and Shane, still wearing their wedding clothes, got out and walked up to the porch.
“How was the reception?”
“We left early,” Robert Earl said. “I don’t like to eat with a man got one leg. Spoils my appetite.”
“Momma,” Shane said, “I’m going to work for Uncle Earl.”
Ruth Ann hadn’t got used to him calling her Momma. “Do what?”
“Work at my station,” Robert Earl said.
“What station?”
“The one I’m building.”
She looked from Robert Earl to Shane, who appeared excited by the proposition. “Robert Earl, Shane is seeing a therapist. I don’t think it’s a good idea filling his head with fantasies.”
Robert Earl smiled at her with his new dentures, as if she were senile. “She who has no confidence in her big brother is not welcome at Robert Earl and Shane’s Gas Station and Exotic Snake Farm.”
“Momma, you hear that? I’m a business partner. Ain’t that right, Uncle Earl?”
“Yes, indeed. Both our names will be in bright lights. I’ll be the CEO, the chief everyone obeys. Shane will be in charge of pumping gas, wiping windshields, keeping the place clean. The technical stuff.”
“Momma, can you believe it? I’ll be pumping gas.”
Ruth Ann sighed, disturbed that Robert Earl was falsely encouraging Shane. “Robert Earl, how you propose to do all this?”
“How you think? With money, of course.” He pulled out his wallet, attached to a silver chain, and took out a piece of paper. “Look at this.”
Ruth Ann reached for the paper and Robert Earl snatched it away.
“You look with your eyes, not your hands!” He unfolded the paper and waved it in front of her face.
She glimpsed the amount on a check. “Seventy-five thousand dollars!”
“Hush! Don’t tell the whole dang neighborhood. And close your mouth before a bug flies in it.”
“You mean they paid you? The insurance company paid after all what happened? I’m shocked.”
“You? You should’ve seen me when I first got the check.”
“Robert Earl, can I borrow a couple hundred?”
His face tightened up. “I don’t know.”
“What you mean you don’t know? You said—”
“I know what I said! Dang! Don’t start begging—make people hate you!”
“What’s the name of the insurance company?”
“Non-yo business! Next door to YU Tripping.”
“Robert Earl, I can’t believe you won’t let me borrow at least fifty dollars!”
“Give it a day or two, it’ll sink in. A month ago I called Leonard and told him about the policy I found in Estafay’s stuff and he hooked me up with his buddy, Victor. Don’t tell nobody…”
He paused and patted Shane on the shoulder. “Go get your uncle a glass of Kool-Aid. Wash your hands and put some ice in it.” Shane ran inside the house. “Don’t tell nobody I told you, Ruth Ann. Leonard and Victor are planning to get married next year. Yours truly won’t be there.”
Shane came out of the house empty-handed. “No Kool-Aid. Some orange juice. You want that?”
“No, don’t worry about it. Victor works for an insurance company. He told me not to worry, let him handle everything. Last week I got this check.”
“You’re sharing it with Shane?”
“No, I’m not. I am making him my business partner. I owe him that much. He does have a way with animals and such.”
Ruth Ann squeezed Shane’s shoulder. “Are you sure this is what you want to do?”
“You bet, Momma!”
Robert Earl said, “We’re going to my house to teach Albert Number Two some new tricks. You wanna come watch?”
“Albert Number Two, is he a snake?”
“Yup.”
“Hope you don’t mind me asking. What tricks can a snake possibly do?”
“Wag its tail, heel, stay put, stay still, play dead, roll over with a little help. A buncha stuff. C’mon, let’s go.”
“No, y’all go ’head.”
Robert Earl and Shane returned to the truck and were halfway down the block when she yelled, “Robert Earl!”
The brake lights brightened. Ruth Ann closed the front door and crossed the grass to the street.
Robert Earl backed up and stopped. “What?”
“Can you drop me off? I’m going home.”
“Yeah. Scoot over, Shane.”
“No, I’ll ride in back.” She climbed into the truck bed and sat on the hump over the wheel.
A change was in the air. The wind blowing her hair felt good on her face. In a few weeks it would be even cooler and sunset would occur earlier. Dirt in the bed swirled up and caught in her eyes and mouth. In the sky two streaks of jet exhaust overlapped. A cross, Ruth Ann thought. A good sign.
Robert Earl stopped the truck and she hesitated before getting out. “Thanks, Robert Earl. Shane, you be careful. I love you.” Shane nodded.
Robert Earl tapped the horn before driving away.
She checked the mailbox at the end of the driveway. Empty. Her Expedition was parked outside of the garage, which meant Lester had driven it. Dusty. He could have at least washed it.
At the front door she wondered whether to knock, ring the doorbell, or simply barge in. Hand trembling, she knocked softly on the screen door. No one answered. She took a deep breath and stepped in.
Lester sat in the brown La-Z-Boy by the window, his lower face hidden behind a newspaper. He saw and heard me coming and he just sat there. He was dressed in… What the hell is he wearing?… Brown baggy short pants, a black-and-gold starter jersey and leather sandals. She’d never seen Lester wear sandals in her life.
She wondered if she’d walked into the wrong house. “Lester?”
The man before her had waves in his short-cropped hair, a hairstyle sported by young men.
“Lester?”
A glance at the life-sized portrait of her and Lester on the far wall confirmed she was in the right house. Who the hell is this man sitting in Lester’s chair? She wished he would remove the paper from his face.
The man spoke, “How are you doing, Ruth Ann?”
The voice definitely belonged to Lester. She cleared her throat and said, “I’m fine. How are you?”
Looking at her over the top of the paper: “I’m fine. I heard what happened. I’m sorry.”
Why doesn’t he put the damn paper away? Nothing can be that damn interesting. “It was a terrible ordeal, Lester, just terrible. I don’t think I’ll ever get over it. I’m traumatized.”
“You’ll get over it. You’re a strong woman, Ruth Ann. A very strong woman.”
What the hell does that mean? “You don’t mind me coming over, do you?”
“No, not at all. I’m headed out in a few minutes.”
“To work?” He shook his head. “Where?”
“Not important.”
Not important? Since when? A thought struck her and she inhaled deeply, trying to detect the slightest scent of perfume.
Some woman has been here! In my house!
She could feel it, though didn’t see anything revealing. Some woman has been here!
“Lester, may I use the bathroom? I was riding in the back of Robert Earl’s truck and—”
“You know where it is.”
On her way there she pushed the bedroom door open. The bed was unmade, but nothing else was out of place.
Inside the bathroom she immediately checked the hamper and medicine cabinet. Nothing to indicate another woman’s presence.
Some woman has been here!
“Find everything you were looking for?” Lester asked upon her return.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Nothing. I moved a few things around while you were gone.”
“Such as?” Ruth Ann snapped.
“Nothing major. A few whatnots. By the way, what brings you by?”
Ruth Ann couldn’t decide which irritated her more: the question, or the annoyed manner in which he’d said it. Not to mention his insistence on hiding behind the damn paper. She sat down on the couch.
“Nothing, really. Shirley got married today. A nice wedding. Very nice. I was just sitting round the house, you know,” addressing the floor, and she noticed in her periphery the newspaper on the end table. “I was thinking…” She looked at him… gasped and put her hand to her mouth. She saw it, or rather she didn’t see it.
My God!
The scar wasn’t there!
“What happened to your face, Lester?” She realized it was a stupid question as soon as she said it.
Lester laughed. “I had it removed. A friend told me about this doctor in Jackson, Mississippi. He’s from Europe somewhere, and he specializes in removing scars and tattoos with a laser.”
“May I touch it?” Another stupid question. Lester didn’t respond.
Silence. Uncomfortable silence. Awkward silence.
“It’s not half as hot as it was last week,” she said, for lack of anything else to say.
Lester nodded.
“Lester, you really look good. Really, you do. I don’t mean to stare—you really look good. Momma moved to Chicago with Leonard. They couldn’t make the wedding. Leonard and his partner took her on a cruise to the Bahamas. You really look good, I’m not lying. The insurance company paid Robert Earl and he plans to open the gas station he’s been harping about. He’s taking Shane in as partner. Uh… I can’t get over how good you look. Lester, may I come home?”
Lester stood up and she saw the frown on his unmarked face. The doctor had done a remarkably good job, not even a hint of a scar.
“Lester, I want to come home. Please! I’m not the selfish woman I was. I’ve grown up. I didn’t realize what I had—what we had—until I lost it. Lester, let me come home. Please! Don’t make me beg.”
“Okay,” Lester said. She stood up and moved to hug him. Lester stopped her short with an outstretched hand. “You can come back. I won’t be here.”
“What? What are you saying?”
“Apparently you haven’t gotten the papers yet. I filed for divorce, Ruth Ann.”
Struck dizzy, she fought the need to sit down. “No, Lester! Divorce is not the answer. Not after twenty years of marriage. Are you willing to throw everything away? All we’ve worked hard to get? Because of a little…” She saw the brick wall and applied the brakes.
“A little what? A little affair?”
“I was wrong! I admit it. I was wrong! But I don’t think we should throw away all we worked so hard to get. Not without a fight! Don’t we owe ourselves another try? Let’s give it one more try, Lester. One more! This time I’ll do the heavy lifting. Promise! I won’t let you down. Promise!”
Lester took a long time to respond. “Sorry, Ruth Ann, it’s over. You can have the house and everything else except my truck.”
“You’ll continue paying for everything, won’t you?” The sharp arch of one eye and the twitching of the other indicated a definitive no. “I can’t pay for it!”
“Guess you’ll have to get a job.”
“A job! In this economy? No one will hire me at my age, no track record whatsoever! I won’t let you do this to me, Lester. I’ll contest the divorce.”
“Ruth Ann, please! You’re still young, attractive; you’ll find someone else to take care of you in no time.”
“An insult, Lester. A damn insult! I don’t want someone else, I want you. Nobody else. Nobody but you! You, Lester! My husband.” She crossed to him and took his hands in hers. “I love you, Lester.”
“That’s nice,” Lester said.
She looked him straight in the eye and squeezed his hands. “Baby, honey, sugar, stop this crazy talk. Give me one more chance.” She tiptoed and kissed his lips. Lester didn’t respond. “One chance to show you how much I love you.” She kissed him again, searching for his tongue. He didn’t allow her entrance. “Let me right this wrong, Lester.”
He freed his hands and gently pushed her back. “I’ve met someone else.” He massaged his temples. “We’re thinking about getting married.”
Another dizzy spell descended on her. “Are you kidding me? Tell me you’re kidding me.” He shook his head. “You gotta be kidding me! I haven’t been gone three months. You’re telling me you met someone within three months and now you’re talking marriage. You know how crazy you sound? Who? Who is she?”
“I don’t think you know her.”
“She from here? Dawson? I hope you thought enough of me not to mess with somebody I know. What’s her name?”
“Darlene Pryor.”
Ruth Ann frowned, trying to place the name. She didn’t know her, yet the name rang a bell. “You’re right, I don’t know her. Where does she live?”
“She lives next door to Shirley. She was at the wedding.”
The room started spinning faster and faster. She staggered to the couch and collapsed onto it. “What did she wear to the wedding?”
“A green dress.”
Ruth Ann swooned and thought she would be sick. “Long braids?” Lester nodded, and Ruth Ann shook her head. “It’s not real, Lester. I bet you a million dollars her hair isn’t real!”
“Yeah, well, I got to go. I’ll come by tomorrow and get my things.”
Ruth Ann sat up to wage a last-ditch effort. “Lester… honey… she’ll break your heart. Fake women wear fake hair. You’ll never be able to trust her. She’s a child, Lester, looking for a sugar daddy to take care of her.”
Lester started for the door. Ruth Ann sprang to her feet, crossed the room in three steps and grabbed his arm just as he was opening the screen door.
“You’re pulling on me again, Ruth Ann.”
She released him. “Lester, don’t I deserve one last chance?”
A red-white-and-blue van rode by in the street, a loud speaker announc
ing, “Ice cream! Snow cones! Bomb pops!”
Lester watched it disappear around the corner before turning to her. “If you answer one question honestly, I’ll…I will consider one more try.”
“What, honey, what? Do I love you? Yes, I do. I most certainly do!”
“No, that’s not what I want to ask you.” He looked her straight in the eye, and she forced herself not to blink. “Was Eric the first?”
She looked away. The million dollar question. “The first what?”
“You know.”
She met his eyes briefly. “Yes,” she whispered.
“Then who’s Shane’s father? He’s not mine and he’s not Eric’s. Who?”
A cough itched her throat. “Two questions, Lester,” showing him two fingers. “Two! You said one.”
“Who is Shane’s father?”
She met his eyes, and though hers were blinking rapidly, she held his gaze. “You,” she mumbled. “You’re his father, Lester.”
Lester stared at her for a minute, his expression as blank as a sheet of paper. He gave her a quick peck on her forehead, walked out the door, got into his truck and drove away without once looking back.
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Document ID: f8523ec9-df5a-41a9-acfc-4075c1e12730
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Document creation date: 9.12.2012
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