“That’s exactly what I’m telling you,” Grandma said, lifting her head. “Maggie couldn’t live with the shame she’d bring on our family. But I’ve always felt that if I’d told Mama the truth the day when she asked me about Maggie, it wouldn’t have come to that. My sister would be alive today if I’d just opened my mouth. She could have taken a whipping or moved to another city, but she’d be living and we’d be together now. So you see, child, I just don’t want you to make the same mistake that I did. I don’t want you to have to live with guilt for the rest of your life if anything happens to Lena and her baby.”
Staring at Grandma’s pleading eyes, I thought hard for a few seconds. I realized Grandma was stronger than an Army tank. She had endured years of suffering, because she chose not to betray her sibling. Gazing at the humble woman before me, my heart ached with pure pain. Every wrinkle on Grandma’s tired face was a living testimony of what she’d endured as a child and lived with for all those years. I wondered how the elderly woman’s life might have been different if her only sister had lived.
I felt every ounce of Grandma’s regret. I thought hard regarding the decisions I’d made over the last few weeks. Again, I pondered whether or not I’d done the right thing. Then I asked myself if I could do the right thing. Is it really in me to betray a friend?
Suddenly, I remembered the comment Lena had made about killing herself when I thought she was just joking. What if she wasn’t? Would she really do that?
After a minute of conflicting thoughts racing through my mind, I shook my head and focused on Grandma’s teary eyes. Finally, I knew exactly what I was going to do. It was as if everything that I’d been worrying about had fallen into one pile at my feet. Burying my face in my palms, I released a stream of warm tears. My whole body shook as I cried, and the harder I sobbed, the more I sensed the heavy burden being lifted from my tiny shoulders. All the ills I’d endured over the last couple of weeks were being released along with my tears. I didn’t have to worry about betraying Lena. I didn’t have to worry about lying to Mom, Joyce, or Henry anymore. I could let it all go and trust myself to do the right thing. I didn’t want to live with regret for the rest of my life. This was an opportunity for me to take the first step into adulthood.
I think Grandma sensed what I was thinking. She patted my back, and said, “It’s okay, baby. Grandma knows how you feel. Everything is going to be all right. I promise you.” Leaning my head against her frail shoulder, I inhaled the faint scent of rose water and thanked God for this strong woman being a part of my life.
That’s when Grandma began to cry, too. Before I knew it, I was comforting the one who had just comforted me. Reversing positions, I placed my arm around her thin shoulders and said these words, “It’s all right, Grandma. I’m here with you, and I’m not going anywhere. I promise.”
Within minutes, Grandma had cried herself to sleep. Lowering her back against the pillow, I lifted Grandma’s feet and placed them on the bed. I reached to the foot of the bed and pulled a homemade quilt up over her shoulders. “Sleep well, Grandma,” I whispered. “You’re free at last, and so am I.”
Later that evening when my parents and brothers made it home, I told them about the sheriff’s visit to the house. Then, I confessed that Lena had contacted me, and I’d known all along where she was.
“Reecy, I can’t believe you kept this from me. How could you do such a thing?” Mama asked, expressing her disappointment.
“I’m sorry, Mom. I was trying to keep my word. I didn’t want to be known as a tattletale who no one could trust.”
“Oh, baby, I didn’t realize what you were going through. I just wish you had come to me,” Mama said, reaching out to embrace me. I felt like a newborn baby in her warm arms.
“All right,” Daddy began. “Let me call the Turnipseeds and see if we can drive over there to see them this evening. I can only imagine what they’re going through right now.”
Daddy picked up the telephone, dialed the number, and spoke to Mr. Turnipseed for several minutes. “It’s settled. They’re expecting to see us in about thirty minutes.”
I was more scared now than I’d ever been in my short life. Wondering about how the Turnipseeds would react to my information, I left Mama’s arms and went to my room to relax for a few minutes.
Kneeling down beside my bed, I prayed for guidance. I also prayed for Lena and her family to forgive me for what I was about to do. Although I believed I was doing the right thing, I wasn’t sure if Lena would forgive me for betraying her trust. And I wasn’t sure if Lena’s family, including Henry, would forgive me for keeping quiet for this long.
By the time we arrived at the Turnipseeds’ spacious home, I was more relaxed than I’d been in weeks. Sitting in the back seat of Mama’s car, I was awed by the brown brick structure as well as the freshly-manicured lawn. They had a huge circular driveway, and Daddy parked our Buick right in the center of it directly across from the double front doors. The colors from the handmade stained glass vibrated in the evening sun.
Mr. Turnipseed greeted us at the front entrance with a curious expression. Wearing a white shirt with a black striped tie, he looked like the professional man that he was. We had never been to their house before, even though we’d driven by there on several occasions just to glance at the magnificent, two-story estate. Not many black people were able to live the lifestyle they were living during the seventies. Grandma had called this place a palace, and now I knew why.
Mr. Turnipseed looked tired but excited as though he’d been hoping and praying that this had something to do with the disappearance of their daughter. In seconds, Mrs. Turnipseed was standing by his side in the double-wide foyer, escorting my parents and me into their burgundy and gold-decorated living room. Looking even more haggard than her husband, Mrs. Turnipseed walked with her shoulders slumped as if she was carrying the weight of the world, and it was slowly but surely defeating her. I thought that Mrs. Turnipseed must have lost weight over the weekend, because the blue shift dress she wore drooped on her like it was two sizes too big.
I almost lost my nerves when I looked up and saw Henry entering the living room wearing jeans and a white buttoned front shirt. He spoke to everyone and passed his parents to sit next to me on the loveseat. Turning towards Henry, I said, “I’m sorry for not speaking up sooner.”
“What are you saying, Reecy?” Henry asked, easing to the edge of the seat.
“I’m saying that I know where Lena is, and I’ve known all along,” I stated, hearing both of Lena’s parents release a loud gasp.
“Oh, Jesus,” cried Mrs. Turnipseed. “Please, child, tell us everything that you know.
I swallowed my nerves, turned back to Henry, and said, “Please don’t hate me for this. I gave Lena my word that I wouldn’t tell anyone.”
“It’s okay, Reecy, just tell us where my sister is,” Henry replied, remaining calm. He placed a hand on my arm, encouraging me to continue.
I glanced up at both my parents, and they nodded their approval. Mr. and Mrs. Turnipseed both remained standing and hugged each other, waiting for me to proceed. Their expressions were just indescribable. I’d never seen such a mix of joy and pain etched on anyone’s face.
“Lena came to me a few weeks ago asking for my help. She said that she needed my assistance in locating a shelter for unwed teenaged mothers in Louisiana.”
Mr. and Mrs. Turnipseed gave each other a strange look. Then, Mrs. Turnipseed interrupted me. “Excuse me, did you say Lena asked you to help her locate a shelter for unwed teenage mothers?”
“Yes, ma’am, that’s what she asked me to do. She’d heard some older girls at school talking about the place and asked me to do some research to see if it was true.”
“Are you trying to tell me that my fourteen-year-old daughter is pregnant?” Mrs. Turnipseed asked, narrowing her eyes. The arms that had just hugged her husband were now hugging herself.
I was scared to continue, but I had to answer her question. I looke
d over at Mama again for reassurance. She closed her eyes and nodded her head one time.
“Yes, ma’am. She didn’t know for sure at first, but I went with her to the clinic, and she had the test done.” Turning to Henry, I said, “The day you gave us a ride home, we were really walking home from the county clinic. I went to the dollar store first to exchange a pair of jeans, and then I met Lena at the clinic.”
“Who’s the father?” Mr. Turnipseed demanded, stomping his foot. He had both hands balled into fists like he was ready to battle with the devil. “Did she tell you who the father is?”
Mrs. Turnipseed remained in a speechless trance with her jaws clenched. I could see tears starting to form in the corner of her eyes. I was praying she didn’t start acting like that possessed girl from The Exorcist movie.
“Look,” Mama interjected, noticing the reluctance on my trembling face. “The main thing is to find out where Lena is. You can worry about who the father is later on.”
“That’s right,” Mrs. Turnipseed concurred through clenched teeth, coming back to reality. “Please tell me where my child is,” she mumbled, sinking down into the nearest armchair.
I looked at Henry and kept my eyes on him as I continued recalling my story. At first, his face showed disappointment. Gradually, it changed from concern to understanding.
By the time I was finished, Mrs. Turnipseed was broken down into tears. She cried and screamed, “Why didn’t I know? Why didn’t she come to me?”
My heart was bleeding for Lena’s parents as I stared at mine. “Come on, sweetie, it’s time to go home,” Mama said, clutching her purse. “We’ve done all we can do here.”
Mr. Turnipseed had the car keys in his hand, pacing the living room floor. “I don’t mean to be rude,” he stated. “But my family and I are heading out of town. Thank you all for bringing your daughter over here this evening,” he said, shaking hands with Mama and Daddy.
“Thank you, Reecy,” Henry said. “I knew that if you knew something, you’d tell us sooner or later. I’m happy Lena confided in you. Without your help, we still wouldn’t know what to do.”
Just hearing those words made me feel much better about my betrayal. I wanted to reach up and hug Henry with all the strength I had left, but I didn’t.
“I just hope she and the baby are okay when you find them. Please tell Lena I’m sorry for telling on her.”
“Reecy, please don’t worry about it. I know it was a tough decision for you to make, but believe me, it was the right one. You’ll see.” Henry placed a finger under my chin, and said, “Keep your head up.”
“Thanks, Henry. Thanks for understanding,” I said, staring into his eyes. I saw a kindness there that I’d never seen before. I had always thought of Henry as an odd-looking young dude with thick glasses. I’d never taken the time to see the real person behind those lenses. I wished in my heart that maybe, just maybe, I was old enough to go out on that date with Henry.
We all walked outside together. I got in the Buick with my parents, and Henry got in the back seat of the white Cadillac DeVille with his. Daddy pulled out of the driveway first and watched the Turnipseeds back out and pull off in the opposite direction like lightning in the middle of a thunderstorm.
“It’s tough being a parent. I know they’re happy to be going after their daughter,” Daddy commented.
“Yes, I bet they are,” Mama responded, turning to look at me in the back seat. She didn’t speak to me. Our eyes met and held each other for several seconds.
The look in Mama’s eyes told me all I needed to know. I’d made the right decision. Mama was proud of me, and I was proud of myself. For the first time in my life, I felt like a real grown-up. But hopefully, I’d never be in a position like that again. It was too hard trying to be an adult.
CHAPTER TEN
It was nightfall by the time we made it back to the crib. I could hear the crickets singing outside my window as I sat on the twin-sized bed in my room listening to the funky sound of Millie Jackson singing, “Hurts So Good.” I didn’t understand the complete meaning behind the lyrics, but it made me think about Lena and how she’d described her first sexual experience. I wondered how it was possible to go from feeling hurt to feeling good during sex. Pushing the thought of intercourse from my virgin mind, I tried to concentrate on what had transpired during the day.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to push away my thoughts of Henry Turnipseed. I was filled with emotions that I’d never experienced before concerning him, and I was in awe of the way he’d handled the entire situation. Henry had made me feel so comfortable and good about my final decision. If I was able to date, he’d be the type of guy that I’d choose. He was kind, smart, and considerate. That was all it took to make any relationship work.
Thankful that my confrontation with the Turnipseeds had gone well, I picked up the telephone and called my best friend. It was time to make amends with someone I’d missed talking to all week.
I held my breath, counting the rings until Joyce answered the telephone on the third one.
“Hi, Joyce, I need to talk to you.” I was relieved to hear her tender voice.
“Hi, Ree, what’s up?”
“Not much. Why do you sound so down?” I asked, worried about my friend. I hoped nothing bad had happened during our break-up.
“I just got home from my group date with Rodney.”
“Oh, yeah, how did it go?” I asked, knowing that any news concerning Rodney wouldn’t be good.
“You won’t believe what happened. There were two other couples, and we all met at the movies tonight. Anyway, my parents dropped me off in front of the theatre and met everybody. As soon as they pulled away, each of the other couples left.”
“What do you mean they left?”
“I mean they left Rodney and me standing in line at the theatre. I don’t know where they went. They just disappeared. Then he had the nerve to ask me to leave with him.”
“What? Where did he want to go?” I didn’t like the way this conversation was going.
“He said something about wanting to be alone with me. He said we could go back to his house and talk, because his parents were out of town. Anyway, I started to go with him. We got to his car, and then I had some second thoughts.”
“What happened?” I asked, holding her breath.
“He had me pushed against the car door. He started kissing on me and rubbing me down and saying how much he wanted to talk to me when he got back to his place.”
“Oh, no, please tell me that you didn’t fall for that.”
“Girl, please, I realized he was planning to do a whole lot more than talk. You know, your best friend ain’t a fool. At least I hope I’m still your best friend.”
“Joyce, you’re my best friend for life. I’m so sorry he hurt you and tried to use you like that.”
“Well, you tried to tell me. I’m sorry for going off on you like I did. I guess I really wanted to believe he liked me. Now I know what a jerk he really is. I can’t believe I even went out with him in the first place.”
“What did he do when you told him you weren’t going home with him?”
“He turned on me. Rodney cussed me out and called me everything but a child of God. Now you know I’m not stuttin that fool. You best believe that I went to the payphone and called my daddy to come get me. He’s going to take care of Rodney.”
“I have a feeling he’s not going to be the only father gunning for that Rodney. Anyway, you’re too good for him. You deserve someone much nicer than Rodney Payne.”
“I know that’s right,” Joyce replied, laughing with me. “I need someone who can love me and treat me right. And so do you, Ree.”
“Yes, with time, I’m sure that we’ll both find the right guy.”
“That’s true, we’re still young chicks. Now tell me what you been up to this week. What have I missed?”
I was happy to have my best friend back. I couldn’t wait to share my tumultuous ordeal with Joyce. It would f
eel so good to finally have everything out in the open between us.
“I tell you what, I have a lot to tell you, but I don’t want to do it over the telephone. Please ask your mom to let you come spend the night with me, and I’ll tell you everything you missed this week.”
“Wow, Ree, you sound serious. Is everything all right?”
“Yeah, everything is fine now. I’ve got a story for you, though, and there’s going to be a lesson in it for both of us.”
“Don’t worry; my mom will have me over there within the hour. Your best friend is coming to the rescue.” I could hear the happiness in Joyce’s voice and the popping of her fingers through the telephone.
*
The rapid knocking on my bedroom door woke me up at the break of dawn the next morning. Mama always got us up early on Saturday mornings to watch cartoons. Of course, the Jackson 5ive cartoon series was my favorite. I couldn’t get enough of that cute Michael in any shape, form, or fashion.
I looked down and smiled at my best friend’s face lying at the foot of my bed. We’d stayed up half the night talking about boys and the type of families we wanted to have someday. I was determined to have three children like my mom while Joyce only wanted to have one child. “Just for the experience,” as she put it. We’d finally drifted off to sleep way past midnight listening to the radio station playing slow jams. The last song I recalled hearing was “Summer Breeze” by the Isley Brothers. You know, Ron Isley’s mesmerizing voice could put anybody to sleep.
I was still half asleep. I started to roll over on my side when I heard the loud knocking again along with my mother’s raised voice. And since I didn’t want Mama to open the bedroom door and come in slinging a belt, I sat up in bed, and shouted, “Yes, Mama!”
“It’s time to get up. I’ve got breakfast waiting for you and Joyce on the table.”
“Okay, Mama, we’re getting up!”
I felt better that day than I’d felt in weeks. I had my best friend back, and my conscience was clear. I tumbled out of bed with a happy heart and pulled the covers off of Joyce. “Wake up, sleepy head. Mama has breakfast ready for us.”
Bell Bottom High: Book 1: Freshman Fears Page 9