Nancy also took the Ugly Sweater Contest too seriously. This year’s getup was a red sweater dress with gold tassels around the collar and hem, and a 3-D Santa sewn in the middle of the dress with blinking lights in garland encircling his fat frame. Nancy had taken care to wear makeup and style her hair, usually kept in two flowing braids. The microphone stand had been adjusted earlier to accommodate her petite stature. She stood behind the stand and swabbed her face with a pink handkerchief.
“This is by far the hardest part of the service. Grand Oak Acres is a family, and when we lose a family member, we lose a link in our sturdy chain.”
Residents nodded. A round of whispers arose as volunteers took their place behind a decorated oblong table. Mattie counted the unlit candles on the table, eighteen in all. Soft music flowed from a mounted projector as the words In Memory flashed across the screen amid a background of white Calla Lilies. She’d forgotten about the In Memory phase of the program. Emma’s voice rang out in her ear: “they’d better not put no ugly picture of me on that screen.” Her throat caught as she shook Emma’s voice away. This would be the first year she sat through the ceremony without her crony.
Nancy recited their names alphabetically as a candle was lit for each person. Kauthon held her hand when Emma’s face emerged. A Gullah Festival photo depicting Emma dancing with a blue ball of cotton candy had been chosen. She leaned over to Kauthon. “Excuse me, please.”
She gathered her purse and went to the bathroom. She stared at herself in the mirror, Emma’s image renewing her sense of urgency. Grand Oak had been good to her, better than two of her three children, but it wasn’t home. She took a few deep breaths, pulled her phone from her purse, and dialed Gabrielle first.
“Gigi, the program is ending soon. Please come join me. I hoped you talked to Alice and Joshua about the rotation. I want to come home again.”
She ended the call and dialed Alice’s home number. Beryl had forbidden her to have a cell phone. He’d found the one she’d purchased for Alice and handed it to the trash men on pick-up day. The phone and a few other offenses caused Beryl to toss her from their home. The phone rang three times before Beryl, groggy with an edge of anger in his tone, answered, “Parker residence. How may I help you?”
“It’s Ms. Mattie, Beryl. May I please speak to Alice?”
“She’s in bed. I’ll have her call you tomorrow.”
“It’s really important. I need to tell her something.”
“Ms. Mattie, her bedtime is at nine. She has work in the morning and I refuse to disturb her.”
She ended the call without saying goodbye. She knew Joshua would be there; probably too late. She checked her voicemails in anticipation of hearing her children’s voices. Joshua’s text message helped, but it wasn’t his voice. She rubbed the back of her neck and rejoined Kauthon in the rec room.
“I was about to come after you. I figured the tribute would be hard on you.”
“Since Emma passed, I feel like I’m here, but I’m gone.”
“Time’ll heal it.”
“Who said I had a lot of time left?”
“Don’t say that.”
“That’s easy for you to say. Come tomorrow you’ll be in Connecticut with your daughter. It’s almost Christmas and my children haven’t brought me anything, not even a fruitcake.”
Kauthon chuckled, asked her, “Do you really want one?”
They both laughed. They watched as the El Bethel Senior Choir assembled their instruments. The troop closed out the program every year with special requests from the residents. She scribbled “Carol of The Bells” on one of the request slips Nancy distributed two weeks ago. Daniel played a stirring rendition of the song every Christmas until arthritis wouldn’t allow him. She glanced at her watch again and settled back in her seat. Kauthon swayed to the songs, his feet tapping with the drummer’s rhythm. When the last song ended, everyone stood to their feet with thunderous applause.
Nancy stood behind the microphone stand again, her shoulders moving to the instrumental accompaniment from the band. “This concludes our pageant for the year. El Bethel’s Senior Choir outdid themselves this year.” She turned sideways and pointed at them as each member nodded with glee at the acknowledgment. “Please fellowship with them and enjoy the refreshments we’ve provided.”
Kauthon rose, stretched, and shook his pant legs free. “I’m not much for all this mingling. I need my traveling rest.” He extended his left hand and helped Mattie to her feet. “I’ll walk you back to your room.”
She stood as well but swatted his hand. “I am in a mingling mood. I plan to stick around a little while longer. You go on back to your room. I’ll swing by there when I’m done.”
He tipped his hat to her and gently kneaded her shoulder. “I had a really good time.”
After he reached the door, Mattie uttered under her breath, “maybe in another lifetime.” As he walked away, her heartrate quickened as she touched her right wrist. Shackle free. Cathy’s Famous Punch was calling her name. She approached the refreshment table as Agatha chatted with Corneila and Harriet.
“They sang better this year. I know it was because of the tenor up front,” said Agatha. She pulled her mink stole closer and winked at him.
Corneila and Harriet exchanged glances.
“Didn’t you notice how he looked at me?”
“I didn’t notice,” said Harriet, daintily adding finger sandwiches and fruit to her plate.
“Well, he did. I don’t see a ring on his finger, either. Maybe he’s a widower.”
Mattie couldn’t resist the urge to stir the gossip pot. She ladled punch and said, “He’d probably be perfect for you now that Kauthon’s leaving.”
“Leaving?” Corneila, Harriet, and Agatha spoke in unison.
Mattie sipped. Waited. “He didn’t tell you he’s moving to Connecticut?”
Agatha’s face dropped at the news. “He hasn’t said anything to me. I at least want to say goodbye to him. I wanted to get to know him better and now he’s leaving.”
“He’s gone to bed now and you know he can sleep through a hurricane. I wouldn’t disturb him if I were you.”
Everyone knew Agatha had crept into Kauthon’s room in the middle of the night at least three times. He began locking his door the night he woke up and discovered her next to him wearing lingerie and a chin-length bob wig. The street committee said he told her, “This ain’t Halloween and I don’t feel like playing tricks with you. Go back to your room, Agatha!”
Agatha redirected her focus on Tenor Man. She walked away from them and chatted up the older man as he helped the band members pack their instruments.
“Agatha is too old to be carrying on like some teenager,” said Corneila.
“There’s a difference between spunk and desperation. She thinks she has spunk, but God knows it’s desperation,” said Harriet.
Band members stacked instruments on the rec room dolly and walked past the ladies. Mattie yawned. “I’m hitting the sack, too. I’ll see y’all in the morning.”
She followed closely behind the men, falling in stride with the chatty bass player.
“You fellas need some help?”
“We’re just pulling the van around to put the instruments inside.”
“Ah, the least you can do is let me hold the door for you,” she said, rubbing her right wrist again. Washed in relief about the receptionist’s absence, she relaxed and quickened her pace.
She pulled her purse and coat tighter, exiting Grand Oak with the band members. She scanned the parking lot, scared and excited when she saw the familiar car idling on the grass. She ran toward the vehicle, opened the door, and slammed it.
“Drive. Go!” she shouted.
“Ten more minutes and I was about to drive off.”
Mattie slid further in her seat as Joshua’s SUV turned into the parking lot.
I knew he’d be too late.
8
About What I Said
Colton enjoye
d Gabrielle’s soft hands on his fleshy back. No other woman, not even his wife, popped the blackheads on his back like she did. In fact, his wife refused to do so. They’d just had a marathon love-making session when he promptly fell asleep. Gabrielle always knocked him out after the first two rounds. A light tap on his shoulder and the whisper, “turn over,” roused him from his nap. She’d soaked a face cloth in the bathroom with hot water, straddled his back, and placed it on blackheads that had sprung up like weeds. She insisted they stay at the Mansion on Forsyth Park tonight. She mentioned going to Grand Oak to see her mother, but they got bogged down doing their business. He planned to break the news to her the moment they got to the room, but one thing led to another, and they were locked in heated passion. Now her yammering sounded like Charlie Brown’s teacher. Roselle expected him home in two hours, and he hadn’t planned on disappointing her. She nuzzled his ears as he sought the right words.
“…so we could renovate your house, I could sell my house, that way I won’t have to live in the house your wife created. I mean, it would be the same structure, but I’d be putting my stamp on it.”
“Mmm-hmmm.”
“Then we could change church membership, because there is no way I could face those hyenas at Christ Missionary, you being a deacon and all.”
“Mmm-hmmm.”
Colton’s back slackened under the tenderness of her kneading.
“I don’t think we should have a big wedding. I’m forty-nine. You’re fifty-three. What’s somebody gonna give us? A toaster and some Egyptian towels? I think a wishing well would be best.”
“Mmm-hmmm.”
Gabrielle lightly punched his back. “Say something other than mmm-hmm, Colt!”
“That feels good, Gigi.”
Something had changed. Colton had been her most generous sponsor. She’d fallen in love with him after six months of dating even though he was married. She remembered him from high school; he was a senior when she entered her freshman year. Strong and muscular, he was the athlete and scholar all the girls wanted. Thirty years later, their paths crossed at Blessingdale’s Thrift Shop while Mattie shopped for vintage Club cookware, her retail therapy item of choice. He held a purse and waited in the clothing section of the store. They locked eyes and she immediately recalled the giant, brown-skinned athlete everyone called Doc. She knew he’d chosen academia, walked away from the NFL after reading about him in the Savannah Tribune. Gabrielle’s jaw dropped when his wife exited the dressing room. She was bigger than a Hollywood mansion. Water rolled down her three chins as she modeled the too-tight evening gown for Colton. She did a double-take, recognized the woman was his high school sweetheart and head cheerleader, Roselle Jones. Gone was the brick house all the young men admired. Gabrielle sauntered over to them in a tight yellow blouse and fitted jeans. She gripped her designer purse and asked, “Aren’t you Doc and Roselle?” She adjusted her sunglasses above her forehead.
She saw the lust in his eyes and embarrassment in Roselle’s face as she sucked in her gut. Roselle gave her the head-to-toe once-over and dropped her head.
“Do I know you?” he asked, taking the lead and approached her.
“I was a few years behind you guys. Gabrielle Benson.” She shook his hand.
“Oh. I remember you.” He turned to Roselle. “Rose, you remember Gabrielle. I think you all mentored the younger girls during cheerleading summer camp.”
“You look familiar.” Roselle mopped sweat from her face with a small cloth draped across her shoulder. “Time’s been good to you.”
“You as well,” Gabrielle lied.
After an awkward pause, Gabrielle pointed at Mattie. “I have to get back to Mama. She’s going to buy out all of Savannah’s cooking pots if I don’t get to her. It was nice seeing you two again.”
“It was nice to see you also,” he said.
She walked away knowing something unspoken hung in the air between them. She was done with Johnny, her last sponsor, and wanted someone new to explore. She also wanted to finally settle down, stop playing games.
She rubbed Colton’s back softer as his words came rushing back to her. You’re so beautiful. Roselle let herself go a long time ago. You’re the kind of woman I want for my wife. You look good and you take care of yourself.
“When we first got here, you said you wanted to tell me something,” she said, rubbing warmed jojoba oil on his back. She licked his inner ear and the side of his face.
He shook his head. “That drives me crazy. Stop.”
She chuckled. She’d learned his hot spots early on and used them to her financial advantage.
“Let me turn over. I have to say this face to face. It’s about what I said. About us being together, I mean.”
He grabbed the remote and turned on the television.
“This sounds important. I don’t want a television playing,” she said.
“I need some background noise.”
“Colt, why?”
“I’m nervous.”
“Let’s compromise. I’ll mute it for now.” She silenced the chatter. “Satisfied?” she asked, anticipating his proposal.
He sat up in his boxers and rubbed her face. His back to the TV, he took a deep breath. “Gigi, reconnecting with you has been indescribable. It’s been a long time since I’ve laughed this much, traveled, talked about my feelings, aspirations.”
She rubbed his hands, loving the prospect of not being single and fifty.
“I do, however, need to apologize. What we’ve been doing is wrong and I feel horrible. You see—”
Her hyperventilating scared him. Gabrielle placed her hand over her chest, gasping for air. He hadn’t broken the worst of the news and she was a mess. He didn’t know she was so fragile. He tried a different approach.
“I know you feel I led you on, but—”
This time she screamed, pointed to the television. His eyes widened as he watched the breaking news story. He pressed the mute button on the remote, watched her mother’s face on the screen. The newscaster reported in a grim voice, “A Mattie’s Call has been issued for Grand Oak resident, Mattie Benson. She is a seventy-two-year-old African American woman, five feet seven inches tall with shoulder-length auburn hair. She was last seen wearing a gray sweater, black slacks, and a black wool peacoat. If you know of her whereabouts, please contact the Savannah Police Department immediately.”
9
Upped And Walked Away?
Gabrielle watched Colton speed away after dropping her off at the Grand Oak entrance. He said they’d pick up the conversation later, but she didn’t care. Guilt wracked her body as she trudged down the hill to the facility and watched the activity going on outside. Police cars and an ambulance were posted near the front door. Through the glass door, she saw Joshua in heated conversation with a woman in a business suit and a police officer. Ms. Agatha stood near them as well. She quickened her pace but was stopped by an officer near the door.
“What business do you have here?”
“The missing woman. Mattie Benson. She’s my mother.”
The officer scanned the names and photos on the checklist he’d been given. “Are you Gabrielle?”
“Yes.”
“Right this way.”
He escorted her inside. The front lobby, filled with residents and staff, oozed the familiar antiseptic and applesauce scents Gabrielle had come to despise. Joshua’s voice spat thunder to the nursing home administrator and a police officer as everyone kept their distance.
“So you’re telling me, with all these damn security cameras in this building, you didn’t see my seventy-plus-year-old mother walk away?” He pointed to the overhead cameras for emphasis. “A seventy-plus-year old woman upped and walked away and no one saw anything?”
“Sir, we’re trying to get to the bottom of this matter. She must have left after the pageant.”
Gabrielle moved closer, touched Joshua’s shoulder. A slight bit of relief covered his face when he saw her.
�
�Gigi, this woman is saying she doesn’t know how Mama walked away!”
“Josh, calm down. We won’t solve anything with you screaming.”
He turned his venom on her. “Maybe if you had been screaming, or caring, or at least been here for the pageant like she asked you and Alice, she wouldn’t be missing. Would she?”
“Doesn’t look like you were here either!”
“I texted her. She knew I was running late.”
The scent of sex with Colton rose in her nostrils and she averted her brother’s cold gaze. She was laid up with someone’s husband, and all her mother wanted was a little bit of her time. She looked around. “Where is Alice anyway?”
“Probably in bed asleep next to that monster she calls a husband. I called three times and nobody answered.”
“Let’s take this into Mrs. Ross’s office,” the officer suggested.
They followed her into the office with Agatha in tow. The men allowed the ladies to have a seat. Marci Ross kept a fresh pot of coffee brewing in her office, and she offered everyone a cup. Joshua breathed heavy and directed his questions to Agatha.
“Tell me what happened again.”
“We were at the Christmas pageant at the rec room. Your mother had walked down with Kauthon Spence, then he left. The band from the church was the last group to perform. After they packed up everything, I saw your mother walk out with the band. I figured she was going back to her room.”
“What about the security system?” he asked.
Marci fidgeted. “Mr. Benson, your mother’s Wander Guard bracelet malfunctioned two days ago. It worked better on her left arm, but she insisted her left arm was for the watch your father gave her, so she wore it on the right. It was being serviced and should have been returned yesterday. The repair was delayed, so that’s how she was able to walk out undetected. If she’d worn the bracelet, the alarm would have triggered the door sensor. We are so sorry. It was a huge mistake on our part.”
“No one was at the front desk monitoring anything?” Gabrielle asked.
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