Mattie's Call

by Stacy Campbell

  “I can’t promise, but I’ll do my best.”

  Synaria went to the kitchen. “I need a drink. I made my famous lemonade. I have to swig something.”

  She prepared two glasses and set them on the coffee table.

  “One for me, one for you.”

  He extended a tight smile and sat back on the sofa. Their family had been down this road with Alice for years. Rescue attempts proved futile. Now another person would witness his sister’s vulnerability.

  “Have you ever fought Beryl?”

  “Once.” He paused before sharing the event. “Daddy was still alive. Alice called me in the middle of the night crying and screaming. She’d locked herself in the bathroom with a cordless phone and said he wouldn’t let her go to bed unless she recited some scriptures.”

  Synaria shook her head.

  “I called Daddy and we drove over there. I practically beat the door down until Beryl answered. He snatched the door open, said he was the boss of his wife and his house, and told us to get the hell off his property.” Joshua’s jaw tightened. “I punched him and knocked him down. Daddy didn’t stop me, and I would have continued if Alice hadn’t interfered. Can you believe she jumped on my back and yelled at me to get off him?”

  She listened intently.

  “I didn’t speak to her for two months. He didn’t press charges, but I was so mad at her for being foolish. At the time I felt like she was dumber than a box of rocks.”

  Synaria held his hand. “We had a representative come into the library from one of the shelters a few months ago. It’s not uncommon for a victim to go back to an abuser numerous times.”

  “I learned firsthand.”

  “Once she makes up her mind, she’ll leave for good.”

  “It’s been years.”

  “It can always happen. Don’t stop believing.”

  He sipped the lemonade and relaxed. Synaria’s presence eased the tension. He reached in his jacket pocket and removed a small box.

  “I brought you something from Atlanta.”

  Her face flushed. “What on earth? You didn’t have to bring me anything.”

  “A little bird told me you loved The Wizard of Oz and collected figurines. This is my way of saying thanks for all your help with Alice.”

  She removed the wrapping paper from the box. She squealed after seeing the musical figurine. “You have ESP. This was next on my list to purchase.”

  The musical figurine featured ToTo and the words “There’s no place like home” painted on the side. She turned the crank and “We’re Off to See the Wizard” played.

  “This one goes on the shelf, Joshua. I love it.”

  He watched her walk to a shelf filled with ornaments. If his personal life wasn’t so tangled, he’d ask her out. She was pleasant and down-to-earth, the kind of woman he desired. His mind quickly turned to his past failed relationships, causing him to grab his keys.

  “Let’s get going. I want to get this over with.”

  They drove to Alice’s in silence. They pulled into the driveway and approached the door with caution. Joshua rang the doorbell five times. They turned to leave and were stopped by the sound of the door cracking.

  “Yes.”

  Joshua eyed his sister. The light that glowed in her eyes at the prospect of being free again had dimmed. She looked at him and Synaria as if they were strangers.

  “Who’s at the door, Baby?” Beryl asked.

  “Josh and Synaria. I’ll be back in the house in a few minutes.”

  “Let them in.”

  All three raised their eyebrows. She stepped aside and invited them in. Her hands trembled as she offered them seats. They waited for Beryl to join them, but he stayed upstairs. Joshua cut to the chase.

  “Why didn’t you answer our calls?”

  “I feel like I’m a burden to you all. My place is here with my husband. I took vows and I need to honor them. Every marriage goes through a rough patch.”

  “This isn’t a patch, Alice; this is a garden full of weeds,” Joshua said through clenched teeth. “You can’t be serious!”

  “He said he was sorry and he would change. We are going to counseling.”

  “Alice, he cheated on you. I was here the day you ran out in tears,” Synaria added.

  “The Bible says the Lord will restore the years the locust hath eaten.”

  “What about the money he stole? I’m willing to help you get back on your feet, Alice. Come back home with me tonight. You can come back to the library and we can get you going with your online classes.” Synaria wrung her hands, desperate for Alice to say she was joking.

  “Synaria, thank you. Keep the things you have there. I am Beryl’s helpmeet. He wouldn’t have slept with Davina if I had been more attentive to his needs.”

  Joshua had heard enough. He jumped to his feet and approached Alice. “Locust this. As far as I’m concerned, you’re dead to me! Our parents didn’t intend for us to be out here alone, but if you don’t want to be bothered with us, I’ll leave you alone for good!”

  “Joshua!”

  “Don’t Joshua me, Synaria. Let’s go!”

  He headed for the door with Synaria close behind. He gazed at his sister once more, unfazed by the tears streaming down her face.

  “Joshua,” Alice said. She followed him, touched his shoulder. He slammed the door without acknowledging her.

  She hadn’t noticed Beryl had come downstairs. He stood in front of her and caressed her face. “He made up his mind, Alice. Let him go,” said Beryl.

   24

  Your Eyes And Ears

  Dear Mrs. Benson:

  The plan has jumped off the track a little. Things didn’t go very well when your children met with Attorney Durk. Gabrielle stormed out of Roastfish & Cornbread, leaving Joshua and Alice in a tizzy. Oh, Gabrielle wasn’t too pleased with you giving Karen jewelry and money, either. They didn’t like the conditions of the will, but it appeared they were willing to move forward with the plans. Appeared is the operative word here. Joshua hasn’t made much progress with meeting Langston, Gabrielle is still job hunting, and sadly, Alice has returned to her husband. There is still time for you to come back home. We can work our way around the whole Mattie’s Call thing. These children need you. When something changes, I’ll update you.

  Your Eyes and Ears

  Mattie slapped her thigh in disgust. This isn’t how she planned things. Sure, she wanted her children to realize how hard she and Daniel had worked to give them a solid foundation. Isn’t that every parent’s goal? She figured she’d go away for a weekend, have them go crazy with worry, then show up again since Gabrielle harped on her occasional forgetfulness. Then the Mattie’s Call happened, and she didn’t know how to stop the scam. Things happened so quickly she didn’t have time to retract things. “Oh well, they’ll have to depend on each other until I figure this out.”

  She rocked in the chair Daniel had made for her and reminisced on the times they had shared in this house. He believed children shouldn’t know everything about their parents. The Helen, Georgia, property was the biggest secret they’d kept from them and was now her refuge and hiding place. She gathered uneaten apple slices and a jar of peanut butter and headed toward the kitchen.

  Daniel promised they’d have a place of their own to keep their romance alive. They’d both been eye-and-ear witnesses to unloving marriages, and they didn’t want the same for themselves. He listened to his father’s tales about the wealthy family for whom he chauffeured and decided if he ever got married, he’d build a place for Mattie so she could take a break from the real world every now and then.

  A knock at the door halted her steps. Many of the people they’d befriended over the years had sold their properties, rented them out, or died. They were cordial to the other residents, but never too chummy and only addressed people on a first-name basis. No histories or trench stories were ever shared. She’d avoided her new neighbor for the past few months she’d been at the house. She was a pe
rsistent presence and Mattie decided to face her like a woman and send her on her way.

  “Just a minute,” she said.

  Mattie tied a paisley silk scarf around her hair and put on a pair of sunglasses. Whenever she ventured into town or watered her plants, she took care to be incognito. Even though she was in the middle of nowhere, anyone could spot her.

  She strolled to the front door. “Yes.”

  “I wanted to introduce myself,” said the voice on the other side of the door.

  She tightened the scarf and opened the door with a tiny crack.

  The woman held a garden trifecta in a painted basket: tomatoes, okra, and several ears of corn. Her thinning, white hair jutted out like a weather vane and framed her overdone face. A red headband held medium-sized curls in place. Mattie zoned in on her right eye: its cloudiness gave the appearance of milk that had spilled on her cornea. She wore blue jeans, work boots, and a T-shirt that read “Will Hoe for Vegetables.” Animated kale, spinach, and red peppers with legs danced around on the shirt as the caption “Dig Me” hovered above them. She reminded Mattie of a senior Barbie the way her breasts emphasized the veggies. The woman extended a wrinkled hand to Mattie and spoke through Botoxed, ruby-red lips.

  “Ursula Kinsey. I promised I wouldn’t let this week go by without meeting you.”

  “Nice to meet you, Ursula. My name is Ma—Maude Benefield.” Mattie was amazed at how quickly she concocted the lie.

  “Mind if I come in? I have a few vegetables from my garden for you.”

  Ursula extended the basket and Mattie accepted.

  “I’ll leave my boots on the porch if that’s okay with you. My shoes are a little dirty and I don’t want to track mud in your house.”

  “That will be fine. Come on in and have a seat when you’re done.”

  Ursula may as well have been a cat the way she glided in and sat. She bounced her socked feet up and down on the carpet and removed a pack of cinnamon red hots from her jeans pocket. “Would you like a few, Maude? It’s my new habit since I chucked the cancer sticks.” She tossed a handful of candies in her mouth and made suckling sounds.

  Mattie looked up at the box of candies. “No thank you.”

  She gave a slight thump to the okra and tomatoes as she rinsed them in the sink. “These are beautiful. I’ll shuck the corn later tonight. I haven’t had succotash in a while.”

  “Is that what you’ll do with those?” she said, moving the candy around in her mouth.

  “Sure will. Succotash is a Southern staple.”

  “My son, Riley, could never hold it down, so I stopped making it.”

  “May I offer you something to drink or eat?”

  “Water will be fine. Although at my age, it’ll run through me like slop through a hog.”

  Mattie laughed. “Ice?”

  “Please.”

  She left the garden bounty to air-dry and joined Ursula with the water.

  Ursula sipped. “I’ve been seeing you go back and forth and thought you might need some company. I’m shocked you’re getting around so well since the grocery truck delivers food to you. The truck is usually reserved for those of us who have problems moving.” She swiped a coaster from the stack on the table and set the glass down.

  Oh God. Gladys Kravitz. “I like the convenience of the truck. I haven’t fired up my Caddy in a while.”

  “I’m available to take you into town if necessary.”

  “I couldn’t inconvenience you.”

  “No trouble at all. We’re the only three on this path and need to look out for each other.”

  “Three?”

  Ursula flicked out her red tongue and nodded. “Yes. Old man Phillips lives in a house way back off the beaten path. He comes every year in the heart of the summer. Been sick lately, though.” She sipped again.

  “Oh. I didn’t know there was someone else back here.”

  “May I ask a favor?”

  Mattie hesitated. “Go ahead.”

  “Would you take off your sunglasses? Eyes are the window to our souls and I want to see what you look like.”

  Mattie leaned back. “My cataracts won’t allow it. That’s another reason I don’t get out all that much. The sun is vicious on my eyes.”

  “I don’t blame you. I’m familiar with eye issues. I was teased as a child and given the name Cyclops. I didn’t pay them any mind, though. No childhood regrets and no sitting onstage with Dr. Phil.”

  Full of new lies brimming on her tongue, she threw out another so Ursula would leave. “I was about to take my nap before you came, so if you’ll excuse me.”

  Ursula stayed planted in her seat. “A few more questions and I’ll go. Would you indulge me?”

  Mattie sighed. If a few more questions would do the trick, she was onboard. She nodded.

  “What brings you to Helen? I bought my cabin two years ago and I’m seeing you for the first time this year.”

  “It’s family property. We don’t get up here that much.”

  “Where are you from originally?”

  “Athens.”

  “I was born and raised here in Helen. Lived in Manhattan until my husband passed two years ago. I decided to come on back home. Things have changed with the town being so touristy now.”

  Mattie wouldn’t give an inch. She stretched her arms and patted the rocker’s hand-sewn cushion.

  “I’ll be going now, Maude. Maybe we can swap recipes sometimes. I’m getting back into cooking after eating out all those years. I’m a yell away, okay.”

  Mattie lifted her body on the side of the rocker and walked Ursula to the door.

  “When would you like your basket back?”

  “It’s yours. Keep it, Maude.”

  Mattie bid Ursula farewell and closed the door. Not only would she have to be on the lookout for the police, she now had to contend with Ursula. The longer the handle on the spoon with which she fed her, the better.

   25

  Father Or Daddy?

  Still reeling from his anger toward Alice, Joshua hit the road. Two days had passed since his sister chose her husband over her family. Again. He’d planned to drown his sorrow at a local bar, but he found himself on I-75, playing the scenes over in his mind. First, his mother’s death, then Alice’s return to Beryl. Surprisingly, Gabrielle seemed to be the warm spot in his life. She did honor Mattie’s request to find a job. She was so proud of her job at Target she didn’t know what to do. He offered to help her get a job at Gulfstream, but she said she wanted to ease back into the working world, get used to a routine. He didn’t expect that much from Gabrielle; it was Alice who disappointed him. He prayed she’d stand up to Beryl, but she cowered underneath the weight of being on her own. People would lop off an arm, a leg, and both ears to have her support system, yet she had spurned them again.

  He pumped the music in his SUV, accelerated his speed. If Alice wouldn’t be aggressive with a second chance, he would. He felt like a stalker scrolling through images of his son. He was a fool to leave Deborah a few nights ago without a concrete meeting plan. Langston was his son, not Ennis’s. He rehearsed his speech to Deborah over and over. He’d request Langston meet his sisters, visit Mattie’s grave, and get to know his side of the family. He had a few cousins his age, most of them in the Macon, Georgia, area, but he could arrange a meeting for them all. It would be an impromptu family reunion.

  Two-and-a-half hours later, he parked in Deborah’s driveway. Ennis wouldn’t be back for two weeks, and he’d probably drive to Snellville. For all he knew, she was there too. What am I doing? He restarted his engine, then froze when he saw movement drift by the curtain in the downstairs window. He looked at his watch. Twenty minutes was all he needed to convince her to meet Langston. The hill leading to her condo seemed steeper this time. He rang the doorbell, anticipating Deborah’s beautiful smile.

  “Hi. May I help you?” Langston asked, holding a game remote control. His eyes roamed the space behind Joshua as if he expected others to joi
n him.

  Staring at the younger version of himself, he paused.

  “Lang, who’s at the door?” a deep voice called out.

  A string of excited voices blended in with a video game. Joshua peered into the living room and saw a group of young males tapping away at game controls, shouting, and egging on the leading players. He refocused his attention on Langston.

  “I’m here to see Deborah. Is she here?”

  “Dad, there’s a man here to see Mom.”

  Joshua inhaled. He couldn’t turn back now, so he waited for his nemesis to reach the door.

  “Hi, may I—”

  Joshua glimpsed Ennis. His casual attire—sweats and an oversized hoodie—didn’t suit him. Even dressed down, Ennis Calhoun’s distinguished presence wasn’t lost on him. He understood why Deborah’s family had arranged their marriage. Still, he wasn’t leaving without speaking his mind.

  Ennis stared him up and down, unable to control the fury slowly overtaking him. He turned to Langston. “Let me chat with this old friend of ours. Get on back in there before Dallas beats you down in Fifa.”

  “As if,” joked Langston. He gave Ennis their secret handshake and went back inside.

  Ennis slammed the door and walked to the gazebo area. He paced, then turned to Joshua. “I know damned well you didn’t darken my door with your presence. How did you get this address?” His voice was a growl.

  Unaffected by Ennis’s bravado, Joshua raised his voice. “I came to see my son.”

  “You want to say that again?”

  “The last time I was here I didn’t get a chance to make arrangements with Deborah about seeing Langston.”

  Ennis rubbed the back of his neck and blew out a string of short breaths to gain control. “The last time? What do you mean the last time? You’ve been here with my wife? Are you sleeping with Deborah?”

  Joshua sneered and rankled Ennis’s nerves with, “You should ask her what’s going on.”

  Ennis pushed Joshua’s chest, knocking him back a few spaces. He advanced toward Joshua, his chin high, grinding his teeth. “Any man can father a child, but it takes a real man to be a daddy. What are you, father or daddy?” His raised his fist to punch Joshua’s face but instead, grasped his chest. He fell forward on Joshua, his shortness of breath apparent.