Vonetta painted for a short while and then glanced back with a smile. “You, on the other hand, look radiant, dear. Not just your hair. There’s a whole new bounce in your step. What’s new in your life?”
Crystal responded with a weak smile, thinking about Key with some guilt. “Nothing, really.”
“Are you dating any nice men?”
Crystal pulled the quilt up to her chin. “It’s so hard finding someone who’s right for you, isn’t it?”
“You will, my precious. One day you’ll have your own family and it will be just as happy as this one has been. Yours will be the house where all your kids’ friends hang out.”
“I’m not sure I want that. I’ve planned my whole life around my career. I want to go back to school for my master’s and then do something else.”
“Good grief,” Vonetta said. “You sound like you can’t be an intelligent woman and have a happy home life. I thought that thinking went out with the ‘70s. When I was in high school, feminism meant bra burning and man-hating. My parents thought it was all about having sex at will and women joining the workforce instead of being wives.”
“No, I don’t think that at all,” Crystal protested. “I appreciate that women don’t have to forgo family life for a career. I hope to have a partnership when—if I get married.”
“Don’t worry. You’ll find just the right person for you.”
Crystal adjusted the folds of the blanket. Did she want to get married? She loved being with Key, but they were very different. She definitely wasn’t the type he would choose for a wife. She was still his buddy in many ways.
“How did you know that Mr. Emerson was the one?” she asked, curious, and also hoping to change the subject.
“Didn’t I ever tell you this story?” Vonetta tilted her head to look at the canvas. “I think that’s enough for today. Get the turpentine out for me, would you?”
Crystal went to the supply cabinet and brought it to Vonetta as she began to put her supplies away in a box.
“I had just gone through a painful divorce. When I learned that I wasn’t able to have children, my husband totally rejected me. He was pretty nasty about it.”
Crystal had known there was a previous marriage, but not the details of it. She winced. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.”
“Oh no, honey.” Vonetta sat down beside her on the futon and poured a cup of coffee from the thermos on the table. She gazed thoughtfully out towards the river. “I was thirty years old, divorced and barren. I didn’t even feel like a woman anymore. I think I just went through the motions of my life for the next year. I was a teacher—I had always loved kids, but now they were just a painful reminder.”
She sipped from the steaming cup.
“That spring I got the flu. I wasn’t taking care of myself, and the stress on top of it did me in. Well, it turns out I was walking around with pneumonia until I just passed out in the parking lot one day. Joe was another teacher at the same school. He found me.”
Her mouth curved in a reminiscent smile. “He got me to a doctor, took me home, made me take my medicine. He came by my house every day to cook for me, to check on me. And we talked.”
The smile widened and lit up her whole face. Abruptly she seemed to remember Crystal. “Well, let’s just say that I got better and one thing led to another. He made me believe in myself as a woman again. We were together, just the two of us, for a long time before we decided to adopt.”
“That must have been a big adjustment for both of you.”
“Lord, yes! We were looking for an infant. We had a lawyer who put us in contact with different places and we were on the waiting list for an infant. And then we met Keyandré.”
Her heartbeat sped up. “Oh, yeah? He wasn’t an infant, right? What was he like as a child?”
“We adopted him when he was almost four. We couldn’t leave him behind. He just went straight to the heart. That little face…He looked like the loneliest boy in the world. We were going through the proceedings when we got word that there was an infant available. So we just took them both!” She chuckled.
She turned pensive once more. “Look at him now. He’s Mr. Smooth, laid back and full of charm. Sometimes I look at him and I just praise God. You’d never guess how he was when we first got him.
“Lord only knows what he went through in those first years of life, because he’s totally blocked it out. When he came to us, he wasn’t potty trained, he didn’t talk and he flinched when anybody made a sudden move around him. He used to wake up in the night crying and shaking. I would sit and hold him on my lap until my legs went numb.
“In the daytime, when you tried to hug him, he’d just stiffen up like a rigid little board. He didn’t know how to react. He’d slip away as soon as possible. He didn’t really resist, but he was as stiff as a wooden doll. I don’t know what was done to him, but I hope that whoever abused him is suffering ten times what he went through.” Her voice was as grim as her face. She looked as if she could tear the abuser apart with her bare hands. Then she relaxed with an effort, going back to normal.
“It was almost a year before he would allow himself to hug me back. It was two years before he started to really open up and trust us. Shonté first got through his defenses. He was a close and attentive big brother. Once she started to talk and walk, she adored her brother Key. She followed him everywhere. She was the first one to give him that nickname. I liked his full name, Keyandré. It means ‘wise man.’ He and Shonté were inseparable; she was the princess and he was always right by her side. He was quiet, but in his own way he could make people feel at ease; he could charm.”
The sliding glass door to the house slid open and Shonté stepped through. She rubbed her arms briskly. “Brrr! It’s freezing out here. What are you guys doing?”
“Girl talk,” said Crystal. “Come on in,” she invited, lifting the blanket.
Vonetta shifted. “It is cold out here, isn’t it? Why don’t we go inside?”
“Oh. I didn’t mean to interrupt you,” Shonté said in a sullen voice. “I’ll leave you alone.”
Vonetta stared at her. “Of course you’re not interrupting. Come on out.”
“Never mind!” Shonté snapped and flounced back into the house.
Vonetta’s mouth tightened.
“I’m sorry,” Crystal said. The warmth she had been feeling vanished, as if a dome of frost had dropped over her head.
“It’s not you who should be apologizing,” gritted Vonetta. She marched into the kitchen and ripped off her fleece jacket.
Crystal followed more slowly.
“Shonté,” Vonetta called out in a steely voice. “I want to talk to you.”
Shonté stopped and eyed her mother with resentment. “What?”
“You’ve been sulking around here all weekend. Crystal won’t tell me, but I know something has happened between the two of you. I want to know what’s bothering you.”
Crystal hovered in the background, her stomach twisting into knots of dread.
Shonté glared at her and said in a hard voice, “You want to know what’s wrong? Do you really?”
“I do.”
“Then I’ll tell you. It’s her!” She jabbed a finger at Crystal. “Ever since she came around this family, it’s been ‘Crystal is so smart,’ ‘Crystal is so sweet,’ ‘Crystal is my special helper.’ Don’t you think I know you wish Crystal was your daughter instead of me?”
“You’re wrong, baby—” Vonetta began in a shocked voice.
“Am I?” Shonté cut in, her own voice choked with anguish. “You don’t even know half of what I’ve done. I’ll never measure up to Crystal. I don’t care anymore. But I just wish you’d all stop pretending!”
“Pretending? What are you saying? That your father and I were lying all these years?”
“Never mind,” Shonté said. “I don’t expect you to admit it anyway.”
“You’re damn right I’m not going to admit it when it’s not true. But
I want you to tell me where you got such an idea?”
“Never mind, Mother. I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Hey, hey, hey!” said Joe coming into the room and staring at the three women in accusation.
Crystal felt alternate waves of hot and cold washing through her body. This was awful. Why had she come anyway? She was only making everybody miserable.
“It’s my fault,” she said. “I shouldn’t have come.”
“What are you talking about?” Joe demanded.
“Stop being so noble, Crystal. It’s my fault, my fault!” Shonté clasped her breast in high drama. “I don’t care. I’ll just go to my room.”
They heard her running footsteps and muffled sobs. With a short bark, Masai galloped after her.
Vonetta and Crystal stared at one another.
“What is it?” Vonetta asked in a pained whisper.
Crystal felt tears brimming in her eyes. “There was a man…But I don’t think that’s all. She just resents me so much lately. I don’t know what to do!”
The older woman crossed the room to put her arms around Crystal. Crystal gave one convulsive sob, leaning her head on Vonetta’s shoulder.
Vonetta patted her back. “Go talk to Shonté,” she murmured over her shoulder. Joe hesitated, then turned to leave the kitchen.
“Shush, sweetheart,” Vonetta comforted. “I know you didn’t do anything wrong.”
Crystal flung her head up. “I’ve been hiding things! From all of you.”
“Do you want to tell me about it now?”
“I can’t,” she said pulling away reluctantly. “Soon, I promise. Why don’t you go see about Shonté?”
Just then Key came charging into the room. “What the hell is going on?” His face glowed with indignation and he looked huge and menacing.
“Key,” she breathed softly.
“Did she hurt you?” he roared.
“No. She’s just angry.”
“Wait till I talk to her!” He stormed from the room. Vonetta hustled after him and in minutes they were all upstairs. The sounds of yelling, stomping and door slamming reverberated through the house. Crystal reeled into the family room and collapsed on the couch.
What a mess!
CHAPTER 19
Crystal had witnessed a few of these family blow-ups over the years. All four Emersons could be passionate and vocal. Eventually the storm blew over without any lasting damage. Everyone had a chance to vent and release simmering resentments. Crystal always stayed out of the way until the storm passed. But this time she was aware of being the catalyst for the blowup.
Alex and Tracey crept into the room, looking anxious.
“What’s going on?” Tracey whispered, glancing at the ceiling.
Crystal shrugged, unable to speak.
Alex and Tracey exchanged a look. “This looks like a family crisis. We’re going out to dinner,” Alex said, his voice determined. He glanced at Crystal. “Want to come with us?”
She hesitated, wincing at the sound of Key bellowing Trevor’s name. She longed to get away, but felt compelled to stay.
“No, I’ll stay.”
Tracy and Alex hurried from the house, animated gossip bursting from their lips before they were out of earshot.
Crystal sighed. She imagined this was one Thanksgiving they wouldn’t forget soon.
She listened to the shouting, accented with an occasional plaintive bark. Key and Crystal yelled at each other about Trevor and Graham, while Joe bellowed at both of them in outrage for the way Shonté had been treated.
Crystal wondered if Key was going to reveal their affair in his excitement. She’d heard her name several times and wondered if her physical altercation with Shonté had been revealed. She dreaded having to explain that to Joe and Vonetta.
She stiffened when she heard footsteps running down the stairs. Several pairs of footsteps.
Shonté pelted into the room first, her hair flying and her eyes red-rimmed.
“Crystal! Tell them I never tried to keep you from coming.”
“No, she didn’t—”
Joe was right on her heels. “She didn’t have to! I know my daughter’s mouth.”
“Daddy, how can you say that?”
Joe was proceding to spout examples of her reckless mouth when Vonetta came in talking right over him.
“Don’t you walk away from me when I’m talking to you, little girl. We’re going to get to the bottom of this if we have to stay here all night! I never heard such garbage! Telling me I don’t love you, when I have spent the last 27 years making sacrifices for you, treating you when you were sick, watching you perform from the time you were little, chauffeuring you to one activity or another, fighting with teachers who short-changed you, attending every single one of your events. Do you remember how I drove through that snowstorm to make sure you got to audition for that school? I made a home for you, ungrateful brat!”
Joe was still ranting. “Made me wait while you locked yourself in the car. That tantrum because I wouldn’t let my 14-year-old daughter go on a couple date.”
Key, hovering in the background with a ferocious scowl on his face, chimed in. “Because she’s a brat! You two spoiled her rotten, gave her everything she wanted, let her twist you around her finger!”
Crystal’s head swiveled from one to the other.
Vonetta turned her outrage on Key. “Oh, don’t you dare! Don’t you dare. Who was it who got a car when he was sixteen years old because he begged and moped? Who wouldn’t eat anything but scrambled eggs for six weeks? Who do you think fixed them for you night after night? Huh? And who scratched both your behinds when you had chicken pox!” she concluded as if she’d scored game point.
“You act like you’re the only one who ever did anything for these kids,” Joe exclaimed. “Who was I, the invisible man?”
Vonetta ignored him and whirled on Crystal, who jumped. “And why the devil do you sit there letting Shonté talk about you like a dog? That’s right, they told me all about that fight at the theater and how she ran over you the last few weeks. Didn’t we teach you to have a backbone in all these years?”
“Don’t you talk to her like that!” Joe spoke in a peevish tone. “You know how sensitive she is.”
“Sensitive?” Shonté screeched. “If you knew what she’s been saying about me—”
Key roared. “If you knew how she’s been protecting you—”
They were off once more. Crystal pressed her hands against her throbbing head and wished she was in another country.
Suddenly Key flung up his hands. “I’ve got to get out of here for awhile.”
He stalked from the room, and after a moment they heard a door slam.
Silence descended on the room. The family looked at one another in shame-faced realization.
Shonté burst into tears. “Oh, Mommy, I am so sorry! I love you so much.” She squeezed Vonetta in a hug that should have broken her back while Vonetta hugged her just as fiercely. Joe went to throw his arms about both of them while they all babbled apologies and devotion. They turned to Crystal to draw her into the group hug. In minutes they subsided to chairs with relief and exhaustion.
Vonetta wiped the last tears from her face. “I swear if you guys put me through many more of these—”
Chuckles of agreement answered her and the last of the resentment drifted away.
Shonté turned to Crystal.
“I am so sorry, Crystal. I know I’ve been absolutely awful to you. I just haven’t been happy with myself, and somehow it was easier to take it out on you.”
“Yes, you did,” Crystal grunted. But she reached over and gave Shonté’s hand a quick squeeze.
Shonté peeped at her with a half-smile. “Cee, you remember how together you always were back in high school? Key and I were in awe of you.”
Crystal choked. “Me? You’re kidding, right?”
“You were on all the committees and boards, you were in all the honors classes. I don’t kno
w how Key and I would have gotten through math and English without you. Sometimes I felt stupid after you explained something to me five times. Everything seemed to come so easy to you.”
She stared at her in disbelief. “Easy? I struggled and studied all the time. I worked.”
“She certainly did,” echoed Vonetta. Joe nodded. “We were so proud of you, Crystal.”
“Me, too,” said Shonté. “All the teachers and other students respected you. They just took one look at me and knew I didn’t have a brain in my head.”
“Shonté, please. If you think you had it bad, try being the brainy, weird, fat girl in high school.”
“Oh stop, both of you.” Vonetta waved her hand in annoyance. “Shonté, you were adorable. As well as kind and exciting. Nobody could help loving you. And Crystal, you never gave yourself enough credit for your strength or your appeal. We were crazy about you and thankful that you loved us.”
“Really?” Crystal breathed, tears threatening to spill.
“Yes,” said all three at once. The comfortable laughter bubbled out of them once more. Crystal looked around at them, a glow of affection warming and strengthening her from the inside out. She belonged.
When Key came home, calm and remorseful, he was treated to the same loving renewal.
Tracey and Alex returned, looking cautious. But now the family was able to joke about the evening’s drama and the evening ended on a happy note.
Early on Sunday morning, while Joe drove Alex and Tracy to the airport, Vonetta, Shonté and Crystal whisked through the house to tidy up the ravages of the weekend. Key emptied garbage and made some minor repairs around the house.
Carrying a bulging garbage bag, Key walked into the family room where Vonetta and Crystal were hanging pictures.
“Hey, Mom, I almost forgot, I brought some shoes for your church’s homeless shelter.”
Vonetta took the bag. “I know they’ll be excited when I bring these. You spend a fortune on shoes, don’t you?”
“I can afford it, Mom,” he assured her with an affectionate laugh.
Crystal eyed the plastic bag wistfully. What had happened to the shoes she’d thrown up on that first night they made love? Had he been able to clean them up enough to be useful to someone else?
Who's That Lady? Page 23