Journals of the Secret Keeper

by Jennifer L Ray

  "Do you know where he lives," he asked.

  Samuel looked out into the field and could still see the pointed ears of the fox. He wondered if he was chasing a rabbit or some other small creature. He wanted to venture into the tall weeds of the field to follow him, but he wasn't sure what he'd do if the fox decided to chase him for lunch. So, he stayed with Andrik in the low cut grass of the backyard.

  "He's in the same nursing home Mr. Ricky was in. Maybe Mr. Ricky can tell you something about him," he said quietly.

  Andrik instantly mentally declined that option. He didn't know where he stood emotionally with Mr. Ricky. He no longer hated the old man. He didn't exactly want a relationship with him either. He felt detached. It was as if he lived in one world and Mr. Ricky lived in another. There could be no crossing of the boundaries.

  His feet shifted and he and Samuel fell into an awkward silence. Minutes passed as they watched the fox leaping through the tall grass. Andrik heard the gates opening up and Samuel followed him as he headed to the front yard.

  They watched as a middle-aged woman climbed out of a taxi and handed the cab driver fare money. She was of slim build. The suit she wore was pristine in appearance and her hair was severely combed back from her forehead into a tight bun at the nape of her neck. Her dark brown skin glistened in the sun as she turned towards the house. She had a look of acute relief on her face and when she saw them her full lips spread into a radiant smile.

  "That's Vivica. Chance's grandmother," Samuel said under his breath to Andrik.

  Before they reached her, Chance came bounding out of the house dragging Willetta with him.

  "Grandma, Grandma! This is my momma," he yelled.

  Willetta and Vivica stared at each other. In the spirit of most women, it took them less than thirty seconds to weigh and measure one another. Willetta grinned into the older woman's face and won her heart instantly. Vivica opened her arms and held her close to her for a small while. Then she began to cry. She fell completely apart before everyone's eyes. The tears wouldn't stop flowing and even she couldn't say whether she was crying from sadness or joy and in the end she decided it must have been from both.

  Willetta wiped Vivica's face with her bare hands and said, "You stop that crying. Everybody's okay now, Vivica. We're all okay."

  Andrik and Samuel watched in amazement as Willetta wrapped her arm around Vivica's waist and walked her into the house. Chance followed closely behind them. The expression on his face was priceless and unforgettable. The joy of a hundred little boys radiated like the sun from his huge smile."

  CHAPTER 46

  "Okay family," Samuel began. "The bottom line to Mama Jean's will is that before any money is dispersed two things have to happen. Chance has to meet all of his living parents. I'm talking, momma, daddy, and every living grandparent from grands to greats."

  He stopped and looked around the living room. Everyone was letting this sink in. Chance looked excited as any eleven year old boy would be. This was a grand mystery and he was actually living it.

  "I can't tell you what the second thing is. I argued with Mama Jean that she could shipwreck this whole thing with the next stipulation, but she was adamant. She knew her mind and she was determined. I can tell you this. If things don't go as she planned, a lot of money will be tied up for a long time," he finished.

  Chance sat squeezed in between Vivica and Willetta. He was a happy camper about it too. Andrik was sitting on the chair close to the fireplace. His long legs stretched virtually into the middle of the cozy little living room. Samuel stood by the fireplace. Gwenneth sat on the hearth next to her husband.

  "So, we need to take Chance to meet Aunt Olivia and Aunt Octavia," Willetta said.

  "Yes," Samuel said. "But there is one more

  living relative he has to meet."

  "Who," Andrik asked.

  "He has a living grandfather," Samuel said

  mysteriously.

  "Cut the crap, Samuel," Willetta said.

  "Enough of this mystery game. Who is it?" "Well since you asked me directly, it is not

  against the rules for me to answer that. Ferguson

  Mosley is Stanley's father," he said slowly. Andrik felt that he had been punched in the

  stomach. Bile rose up and threatened to spew out of his mouth. He sat up slowly and tried to drown out the sudden ringing in his ears. His eyes locked with Willetta's and the horror he saw on her face

  mirrored his own feelings.

  "That's Andrik's grandfather," she said

  dumbly.

  "He's your grandfather too," Samuel said. "No," Andrik hissed. "We do not have the

  same grandfather."

  He stood up. Everybody cringed at the look

  of violence on his face. No one said a word as he

  stormed out of the house. They all sat in frozen

  silence as the sound of squealing tires broke the

  silence.

  "Where is he going," Chance asked. He was

  the only one unaware of the implications of the new

  revelation. He, Samuel and Gwenneth were the

  only one with a regular heartbeat.

  Vivica squeezed Willetta's cold fingers and

  silently conveyed her sympathy. She'd seen the

  way Andrik and Willetta watched one another. It

  was obvious they were in love. She hoped they

  hadn't had sex and she hoped even more there was a

  simple explanation that would make this potentially

  incestuous situation unlikely.

  #

  Mr. Ricky heard the car and saw the

  headlights a second before the door crashed open.

  He and Martha were sitting at the table eating a late

  night snack of peanut butter and crackers and milk.

  His already unsteady hands dropped the crackers at

  the sudden violent intrusion.

  Andrik stood in the doorway staring at

  Martha. Mr. Ricky knew the anger he was seeing,

  because it was his kind of anger. He didn't know who the boy would manhandle first. He hoped it

  was him and not Martha.

  "Both of you get up and come with me," he

  growled.

  "Where we going, son," he said.

  Andrik blinked and looked at him closely

  for the first time. His chest rose and fell with his

  efforts to maintain control. His eyes narrowed and

  he continued to stare mutely at the old man sitting at

  the table. The eyes, nose, and mouth were all the

  same as his. His eyes shifted to Mr. Ricky's hands.

  They were, once again, his hands. The color of his

  skin was dark as spades just like his. Andrik

  realized he was looking into the future. He would

  age just like this. This would be him when he

  turned seventy or eighty. He looked away. His voice was calmer when he said, "We're

  going to the Big House. We have some questions

  for Ms. Martha."

  Martha put her cup down. She knew exactly

  what this was all about. There was only one piece

  of news that would put such a look of rage on

  Andrik's face. They'd found out who Stanley's

  father was.

  "I see Mama Jean ain't left no stone

  unturned. Let me get Stanley's letters," she said. It was ten minutes before Andrik finally got

  the two old people into the car. His patience was at

  the snapping point, but he was definitely composed

  again. He drove a safe speed back to the house and

  no one was more thankful than Mr. Ricky and

  Martha.

  #

  "I ain't saying a word until you let me read

  my Stanley's letter. Andrik been thinking all these

  years that Stanley hated him. I want him to know what Stanley really hated," Mart
ha said. She stood

  in the center of the living room.

  Andrik held his head in his hands. He could

  hear Willetta crying quietly on the couch. He

  wouldn't look at her. He had gone from anger to

  dismay. His chest hurt and he wanted to take

  Martha's letters and tear them to shred. He'd

  dragged her down here to hear only one thing from

  her lips. He wanted her to say that Ferguson

  Mosley was not Stanley's father. Instead she was

  reading a letter from Stanley.

  "…I know Andrik is a good boy, but he

  reminds me too much of myself. I used to dream

  my daddy would love me, but he was too busy

  judging other folks and being a hypocrite. I

  heard him come in here and disown Andrik and

  Anita. It made me sick. I think Anita

  probably had an affair with Mr. Ricky, because Richard told me him and Anita were waiting

  until they got married. This baby look just like

  Richard, but he look like Mr. Ricky too and you

  know for yourself that Mr. Ricky will cheat on

  Mama Jean. Don't you momma? Ferguson Mosley is mad because his son is married to his

  stepdaughter. He call that incest. I wonder what

  he call sleeping with one woman when he married

  to another? I ain't nobody's daddy and ain't gone

  be nobody's daddy. I wouldn't know where to begin, cause I sure ain't never had no

  daddy."

  Willetta stood on wobbling legs and went to

  Andrik. He enfolded her in his large arms and they

  held on to one another. His lips blindly found hers

  and the kiss would have turned into something else

  if Samuel hadn't spoken.

  "Okay, okay. Now we know that Ferguson

  Mosley is not your grandfather, Andrik. But he is

  Chance's great grandfather and he is alive.

  Someone will have to take Chance to meet him and

  explain to the old man exactly who he is. Any

  takers," he asked.

  "I'll do it," Martha spoke up. "I got some

  unfinished business with the old coot anyway." No one said anything, but practically

  everyone, including Mr. Ricky, was uncomfortable

  with Martha being the one to take Chance to meet

  mean old Mr. Ferguson Mosley.

  CHAPTER 47

  Old-timers say that Ferguson Mosley was

  cocky and arrogant before he became a preaching

  man, but that he turned all that cockiness into

  religious tyranny when he started Bible toting. It

  was also rumored that his oppression on his first

  and second wife were so severe that the poor

  women died prematurely of heart failure. Needless

  to say, he'd outlived most of the naysayers and was

  well enough for someone in their eighties. But if the four people approaching him as he

  sat in the social area of the nursing home were

  familiar in anyway, he didn't show it. Martha,

  Andrik, Willetta, and Chance walked right up to

  him with Martha in the lead of course. It had been

  decided by all that this arrangement was much safer

  than sending poor Chance in alone with Martha. "Do you know who I am," Martha asked

  loudly. The elderly people sitting on various

  couches and chairs turned to look their way. The

  ones who kept staring at the T.V. were obviously

  hearing impaired.

  "Sure I know you," Mr. Mosley said without

  a hint of hesitation.

  "Well, what you got to say about it," Martha

  said.

  "I never thought you'd get this old,

  momma," he said. His eyes grew round and large

  as he stared up at Martha standing over him. "I'm

  gone take care of you."

  "I ain't none of your momma," Martha

  hissed. "Don't tell me you done lost your mind,

  Ferguson," she said.

  "Speak up, cause I got Alzheimer's," he said. Willetta didn't know whether to laugh or

  cry. They'd spent most of the night preparing for this meeting with the infamous Ferguson Mosley

  only to find he was senile.

  "I don't care if you play crazy or not. You

  gone meet your children. This here is Willetta.

  She's Stanley's daughter. This is Chance. He

  Willetta's son. This tall handsome man is Andrik.

  The child Anita had," she forged ahead.

  Andrik's eyes never left the man's face and

  he wasn't sure, but he thought he saw a flicker of

  something like recognition before a stare of bland

  confusion settled in its place.

  "Hello, grandfather," Chance said. He

  stepped close to Mr. Ferguson who reached out an

  old and trembling hand to pat him on the cheek.

  Ferguson and Chance continued to stare at one

  another for a second more.

  "Mr. Ferguson, we just wanted to come and

  make your acquaintance. Is there anything you

  need from us before we leave," Willetta said kindly.

  She didn't see much sense in staying any longer. He

  didn't know who they were.

  Ferguson tore his eyes away from Chance to

  look at Willetta. He reached his hand out towards

  her and patted the back of her hand.

  "You ain't the nurse that take care of me.

  You new around here ain't you," he asked. They stayed and listened to Martha berate

  the old senile Mr. Ferguson for a few minutes more,

  before Andrik had had enough. He wrapped his

  long fingers around Martha's forearm and leaned

  down to whisper in her ear. She clamped her mouth

  shut and snatched her arm out of his grasp before

  saying goodbye to Mr. Ferguson and wobbling

  towards the door.

  All in all the visit was extremely

  uncomfortable and not nearly the success it should have been. But Chance had met his grandfather and that had been the sole purpose. No one looked back as they walked away from Mr. Ferguson. So, no one saw the look of desperate longing that shadowed his face as he watched them until he couldn't see them anymore.

  #

  That evening Willetta and Andrik stood

  beneath the mulberry tree at Mama Jean's shack.

  Mr. Ricky and Martha were at the Big house.

  Willetta had asked Andrik to ride with her to the old

  house. He had no idea what she was up to, but he'd

  hoped fervently that it had to do with finishing what

  they had started on the porch a few nights before.

  Since the Ferguson scare, he'd wanted nothing more

  than to make Willetta his the only way a man knew

  how.

  "I want to show you something," Willetta

  whispered.

  Andrik laughed, "Why you whispering,

  Lettie?"

  "I don't know," she said in her regular voice.

  She hadn't realized she was whispering. She got

  down on her knees and crawled around. Andrik

  watched speechlessly as she grasped something in

  the grass and began lifting the ground. He had to

  step out of the way, as he was standing on part of it. "What in the world," he whispered. From her knees on the ground Willetta

  looked up into his face, "Now whose whispering,"

  she said.

  Andrik lowered himself to the ground and

  hovered over the grave with Willetta. He watched

  as she began pulling books out. "This is where you

/>   got those first journals from," he said incredulously. "Yes. Mama Jean told me about these

  journals the night before she died. She told me that

  if I didn't believe in secrets not to touch them, but

  believe you me after all we've been through the last

  weeks, I believe in secrets. I believe in how

  damaging they can be. We're getting these out and

  we're going to read them."

  Andrik didn't say a word. He got up off the

  ground and got into the car. Willetta watched as he

  backed the car as close to the grave as he could. He

  popped the trunk and came back to Willetta. "Let's get them loaded up then," he said.

  # Andrik found an old bookcase in the storage house and dusted it off. He dragged it onto the back porch and sat it up in an unused corner. Everyone except Mr. Ricky and Martha helped unload the journals and place them neatly on the shelves. The last ones to be shelved were William Thompson's journals. They were still hidden underneath the cover in the trunk. Andrik dug them out and brought them in.

  "I hope yall know what you doing," Martha said disapprovingly. "Them journals been buried for almost a hundred years. It don't seem right to sit them out on no shelf."

  Before Willetta could answer, Chance slid up to her and said, "Grandma said somebody on the phone for you."

  Willetta smiled down into his eyes and he smiled back. She realized she was staring into a male version of her very own smile and impulsively threw her arms around him.

  "You are so sweet," she whispered into his ear. Then she let him go after sensing his

  embarrassment and headed to the kitchen. She picked up the phone with a questioning frown creasing her brow.

  "This is Willetta," she said. "Willetta, this is Aunt Olivia," her voice was crackly with age.

  "Hey, Aunt Olivia. How are you," Willetta asked.

  "Old and weak, baby. I'm just calling about the screen with the red-haired woman on it. Did Andrik tell you why I wanted it," she asked.

  "Yes ma'am, he did. There has been so much going on it slipped my mind. I'll bring it to you. We're planning another visit out that way in a few days," she said.

  "Oh, good. I thought you wouldn't ever come back out here after what happened," Aunt Olivia said.

  "No. I'm fine now. We're bringing someone special to meet you," she said.

  "Yall come on then. I love surprises," she said.

  Willetta hung up after the day and time of the visit had been settled.

  CHAPTER 48

  Willetta received another phone call the day they were supposed to go to Aunt Olivia's.