Mattie's Call

by Stacy Campbell

  “How’ve you been? I’ve thought of you all these years and wondered what happened to you.”

  “I beg your pardon?”

  “I wasn’t sure whether or not it was you until I scanned the guest list and saw your name. You’re just as beautiful now as you were years ago.”

  “I have no idea who you are.”

  “You don’t know me, but I’m Christin Sweet’s grandmother. My name is Lola Roberson.”

  She stiffened at the mention of Christin’s name. It’d been so long since someone said it, she’d forgotten the pain.

  She turned to go back inside.

  Lola called out to Gabrielle’s back. “I’m not here to condemn you. If you give me a chance I can clarify a few things.”

  “I haven’t talked about her for years. I haven’t thought about it. I’ve pushed it out of my mind.”

  “I’m sure it’s painful. I want to tell you something, though.”

  Gabrielle reluctantly joined Lola on a bench past the pergola. Patrons sipped wine and carried on with their conversations. No one noticed them stroll past.

  “You look as if you’ve seen a ghost. I guess Daniel Benson meant it when he said the incident would be as far as the east is to the west.”

  Gabrielle remained silent.

  “Do you remember anything about Christin?”

  Gabrielle nodded. She hesitated, but memories of her old friend came rushing back. “I remember she was funny, smart as a whip, and I could never please her.”

  “That was my grandbaby. I only visited from New Hampshire twice a year, but I knew she was crazy about you. I never liked the way things turned out, but I’d wished someone would’ve told you the truth. Might have spared you years of heartache.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You didn’t kill Christin.”

  “No one believed me. The evidence looked that way, but I swear I didn’t do it. My own mother didn’t believe me. If Daddy hadn’t been in my corner, I…” She dropped her head.

  “Those were some troubling days after she passed. I thought I would never get my breath back. The fallout was horrible.”

  Christin’s face flowed through her mind. She pictured them in the basement of the Colonial after they’d just gotten word they’d be bunking in the same cabin at Rock Eagle. The 4-H was one of many extracurricular activities they enjoyed, and her parents spared no expense to make sure the girls had enough clothes and items for the trip. Christin’s parents couldn’t afford to buy her much; her grandmother paid her camp fee. It wasn’t until now she learned her grandmother’s name.

  “Christin’s parents had her later in life. I felt like my daughter should’ve been satisfied with her husband and her job, but she had to have a child. If you ask me, they were too old to have children anyway. Maybe I shouldn’t say too old. Cathy had some health issues and having a baby was a big risk. She changed not long after she gave birth. It takes energy to raise a child, and Cathy bit off more than she could chew.”

  “Was Ms. Cathy depressed or something?”

  “We never pinpointed the issue.”

  “Is that why Christin was at our place all the time?”

  “Probably. From what Cathy told me, your parents picked up a lot of her and Purnell’s slack. Slowly, I think Christin began to resent you for having such a good family.”

  “But we took her everywhere and shared everything with her. We did each other’s hair. She wore my clothes.”

  “It’s not the same as having your own. You had a little brother and a baby sister. You all had that nice house and hosted parties and teas. You even had the cutest boyfriend in school. Christin was sensitive to all those things.”

  “I had no idea, Mrs. Roberson.”

  “You wouldn’t have known.”

  The night of Christin’s death came rushing back. They’d headed to the dance at the pavilion from the Calloway building. Her boyfriend, Alaric James, had given her a heads-up that they needed to discuss something. Christin, possessive and clingy that night, wouldn’t let Gabrielle leave her side. She finally agreed to dance with a guy from Putnam County, but she kept her eyes on them the whole time.

  “Alaric told me she’d been making advances toward him, but I didn’t believe him. We were friends and I didn’t think she’d do that to me. He told me she’d carved their initials in a tree on the campgrounds. He’d planned to show me later that night. She followed us after we slipped away to talk.”

  Lola shook her head. “Did she say anything?”

  “We were near the water on a small cliff. I couldn’t hear everything she said because her speech was slurred, but she kept saying she was better off dead. I tried to grab her hand as she teetered close to the edge of the cliff, but she took two steps back and fell in the water. I didn’t know she couldn’t swim. We found camp counselors who pulled her from the water. They took her to the hospital, but it was too late.”

  “I wish she’d known how much we loved her.”

  “Someone started a rumor that I pushed her. My parents had to come from Savannah to pick me up. There was no press surrounding her death; it would have been bad for the campsite. Everything was hush-hush, but Ms. Cathy insisted that I had something to do with it and begged the police to charge me. I was seventeen, but she wanted me in juvenile detention until I turned eighteen. Even my mother kept asking me if I did it. If my father hadn’t stepped in and insisted I be let go, who knows where I’d be now. I had a hard time getting close to girls ever since the incident happened. One of Mama’s old friends always said women are each other’s competition; always play to win.”

  “Gabrielle, the reason Cathy backed off of you is because she found Christin’s diaries and a suicide note after her funeral. She went to Rock Eagle with no intention of coming back. She took a bunch of her mother’s pills with her; they were found in her system when we received the toxicology report. Cathy and Purnell moved out of town after Christin’s death.”

  “I assumed it was because it was hard seeing me still alive.”

  “I asked her to tell you the truth, but she chose not to.”

  During restless nights, Gabrielle awakened sweaty, visualizing Christin falling. She wondered if she’d in fact pushed her, that maybe when she advanced a few steps that she’d gotten Christin off-balance. Years of guilt and isolation began to melt away as she took Lola’s hands in hers.

  “Mrs. Roberson, you have no idea how much this means to me. This is more than a coincidence that you’re here.”

  “I moved here a week after your mother went missing. When I read the story in the paper, I said I’d find a way to reach out to you. You needed to know the truth. I almost came to her funeral, but I didn’t think that was an appropriate occasion to tell you what happened.”

  An understanding passed between them as they faced each other.

  “Gabrielle, there you are,” said Peter. His steps slowed as he noticed the women having an intimate moment.

  “I’ll be back in soon, Peter. I’m catching up with an old friend.”

  They continued to hold hands as Gabrielle sobbed lightly. The tears were needed and cleansing.

  39

  Probate’s Almost Done

  Attorney Durk flipped the note over again as he waited for the other siblings. He held it up so Joshua and Langston could read it as well.

  “Should I rip it up? I don’t want Gigi and Alice to see this,” said Joshua.

  “Be my guest. I’m sure it’s not the only one out there.”

  “Who would harass a family this way?” Langston noted the care someone took to cut out letters to craft the note. He read it aloud: “Mattie Benson is still alive. If you give me $15,000, I’ll tell you where she is.”

  “The least the person could’ve done was leave a number,” Joshua joked.

  Durk ripped the letter up and tossed it in the trash can. “You’d be amazed at the number of crazies who scour the obits in search of living relatives to extort. A high-profile story like your mo
m’s was bound to bring out a few vultures and sharks.” He added, “When she first went missing, I couldn’t keep up with the sightings people reported. A few times, calls came to my phone from a restricted number.”

  “You do know you can do a reverse lookup and find out who’s calling, right?” Langston asked Joshua the question as if everyone knew how phone systems worked. “Grandma Lorena said death always brought out family greed.”

  Joshua’s mind drifted back to their last meeting at Roastfish & Cornbread and Gigi’s reaction to Mattie’s request. She’d changed her tune since the meeting and he was proud of his sister. In a short time, he’d see how Alice felt about her inheritance. Their estrangement wearied him, and he wouldn’t leave the office without trying to make amends.

  “Durk, Gabrielle and Alice are here to see you.”

  “Send them in.”

  They stood as the sisters walked into the office. They slowed their pace at the sight of Langston.

  Unsure of their reaction, Joshua said, “I hope you don’t mind him joining us. Whatever’s left for me, I want my son to have it.”

  Gabrielle pushed Joshua out of the way. “Move so I can meet my nephew!”

  Langston didn’t have time to protest before Gabrielle swept him up in a warm hug. Alice followed suit. They looked him up and down.

  “You sure are a good-looking man! I bet you fight the ladies in Atlanta off with a stick!” Gabrielle said.

  “Two sticks!” Alice piped in.

  He blushed and offered, “I have a girlfriend, but thanks for the compliment.”

  Gabrielle touched his face and spun him around. “Just like Daddy and Joshua. We have a lifetime to catch up with you. I’m glad you came into our lives.”

  “So am I.”

  “Does Deborah know about any of this?” Gabrielle asked.

  “Not yet. I plan to tell her this weekend when we go out to dinner. I’ve been back and forth getting to know Josh, I mean, Dad behind her back.”

  “Good for you. I’m glad you’re getting to know us before something happens,” said Alice.

  Joshua took a leap of faith. “Alice, it’s good to see you.”

  Robert Crenshaw’s words danced in her mind. She’d caused the rift in her family by remaining with Beryl. Squashing bitter feelings was the only option she had.

  “It’s good to see you too, Josh.” She embraced him for a long time. “Excuse us a moment.”

  Durk chatted with Langston and Gabrielle as they walked to the lobby area.

  “I’m sorry for making things difficult between us. Mama and Daddy stayed married, so I thought if I hung in there, things would get better. I only went home to get back at him. That didn’t work, either. We were both miserable.”

  “Alice, you’re my sister. Did you think I’d stand by and let someone hurt you? When it seemed you were content in that mess of a marriage, I couldn’t take it. I’m sorry for not being more supportive. Synaria has taught me a lot about your circumstances.”

  I bet she has. Why don’t you two stop playing around and get together? “Hard to support a glutton for punishment. I’m not one hundred percent, but I’m getting there. Things won’t be healed between the two of us for a while, but I want you to know I never want to be without you in my life again.”

  “Love you, Sis. Now let’s get back in here before Gigi comes out and makes a scene.”

  “She’s calmed down a lot, but let’s not push it.”

  Gigi took stock of them as they entered the room. “I was about to come out after you.”

  “We know,” they said in union.

  Durk, proud of the siblings’ banter, liked this interaction versus the last time they’d all met. He wanted to address them before his next appointment, so he plowed forward.

  “I called you all here today with a few updates and to see how your progress is going. Your mother’s will didn’t give you all specific ways to achieve her stipulations, but I wanted to know how you’re doing with what she asked.” He eyed Gabrielle. “How are things going with you, Gigi?”

  “I’m gainfully employed. Mama didn’t say I had to be anyone’s CEO, so I’m working every day and making an honest living. No sponsors.” She winked at Alice. “Thanks to Joshua’s keen eyes and listening ears, I’m renting an apartment near the River Walk. An exec at Gulfstream had it for use as he came in and out of town. He’s relocated and doesn’t need it anymore.”

  “Joshua, how is it going with you?”

  He nodded in Langston’s direction. “I’m not proud of our reverse deception, but getting to know my son has been great. I wish I knew why he was kept a secret, but I can’t do anything about it now. I went back to work two months ago and I’m settling into the reality that Mama’s gone.”

  Everyone cast glances at Alice. She removed a letter from her purse and passed it around.

  “It’s official. I’m done with school and will be graduating in December.” Her voice dropped. “Beryl left me and the divorce will be final soon. I’m putting the house on the market and I’m looking for something smaller.” She tried to hold it together, but tears flowed. Attorney Durk passed her a box of Kleenex as Gabrielle massaged her shoulders. “I really don’t need the inheritance since receiving money in a civil suit from my former pastor.”

  Durk reclined in his oversized, leather chair. “Looks like each of you fulfilled your mother’s requests. And in a shorter amount of time than I calculated,” he added with a grin.

  “We did. Mama always said she’d be dead and buried before we all got along,” said Gabrielle.

  “You can see her again for fifteen-thousand dollars,” Langston piped in.

  Gabrielle and Alice shot him a crazy look.

  “Langston!” said Joshua. He grinned and filled his sisters in on the joke. “Some fool, or fools left a letter here saying Mama’s still alive and will tell us where she is if we give them fifteen-thousand dollars.”

  Alice’s shoulders relaxed. “Like when she first went missing and all the people called the TV stations saying they’d spotted her.”

  “Exactly.”

  Gabrielle directed her gaze at Durk. “Shall we continue? It’s my off day and I have a lunch date.”

  “Lunch date?” Alice couldn’t mask her skepticism. “What’s his name?”

  “Her name is Katisha and her son’s name is Kirby. Nanette is also joining us today. I’m hanging out with my coworkers if that’s all right with you.”

  “That sounds wonderful. I don’t think I’ve seen you with a female friend since that girl Christin moved away years ago.”

  Durk cleared his throat. “Well, the second part of this meeting is a quick update. Luckily, your parents had their affairs in order. Gabrielle entrusted me to assist her with Executor duties in case you two weren’t aware. Only a few debts needed to be paid off. I’ve submitted a final estate accounting, so probate’s almost done. The money will be split equally amongst the three of you.”

  “I thought I wasn’t getting anything,” said Gabrielle.

  “You left before I could tell you Mattie wanted to make sure you all benefited from your father’s hard work. She wanted you to know the value of an honest day’s pay and have your own money first.”

  “Durk, I can live with or without the money. Her challenge has made me grow, and I’m grateful.”

  40

  Feels Like I’m Dying

  Sharp pain radiated up and down her legs, jolting her from her dream. Mattie tried moving, but the agony rendered her helpless. Her screams filled the bedroom. She tried angling her body toward the dresser, but arthritis made it difficult to grip the mattress. If she could reach the cell phone, she’d be able to call Ursula. She needed her more than ever.

  She turned on her back to breathe. She took in short breaths, sat up, and reached for the hand-carved cane Ursula had bought her. Between tears, screams, and curses, she hobbled to the dresser and retrieved her cell phone.

  Groggy, Ursula answered on the second ring. �
��Maude, are you okay?”

  “No. Feels like I’m dying. Help me!”

  Ursula pulled the covers from her body. “Let me call an ambulance.”

  “No! Will you please come down here? I can’t go to a hospital.”

  “I’ll be right down.”

  Ursula slipped into a pair of jeans, a hoodie, and Crocs. She made her way to Mattie’s cabin and knocked on the door for what seemed like an eternity. Panic-stricken, she paced on the front porch and redialed her number.

  “Maude, I can’t help you unless you come to the door.”

  “I can’t move.”

  “I’ll have to call nine-one-one then.”

  She whimpered, “Look under the frog sitting on top of the planter and get my spare key.”

  Ursula did as instructed. She opened the door and followed her friend’s moans and screams to the bedroom. She knelt near Mattie’s body, now curled in a fetal position near the dresser.

  “It’s my legs. I’m having bad cramps. Can you rub them for me?”

  “We’re getting you to the hospital. I’m not a doctor and I wouldn’t forgive myself if something happened to you.”

  Her leg pains grew sharper as Ursula dialed 9-1-1. Ursula gave the operator Mattie’s address and sat on the floor after hanging up.

  “I’ll get you ready. Where is your coat? You have a light jacket, don’t you?”

  Mattie pointed toward the closet. The moment she’d feared for the past six months caused shakiness in her limbs. Her heart raced as Ursula rifled through her closet.

  “The pink or blue one?”

  “Pink.”

  “Do you have the ICE Blue Button on your phone?”

  “A what?”

  “It’s an app with all your medical information.”

  Mattie shook her head.

  “What about your purse? You’ll need insurance and identification. Where is it?”

  Mattie’s chest tightened. Things were moving too quickly and she grew dizzier.

  “I don’t like people rambling through my purse!”