Have Mercy
Page 33
"Hm. Okay."
I laughed, the joy replacing the sorrow. "All you ladies need to know is that I'm back."
"I thought she said she wasn't gone," Red whispered to Albertine.
"Shut up," I groaned.
She grinned and blew me a kiss. Craft sat on the stool, staring at a piece of lettuce. He poked at it and then speared it with his fork. He examined it before popping it into his mouth. He munched away, immune to our silliness.
"I think I'm ready, Red."
"Hm. For what?"
"Another date."
Craft choked on his lettuce. He leaned forward to grab his water. Unfortunately, Albertine had reached his back, pounding on him until he said, "Okay, okay. Alright, Albertine, you're killing me."
"I've been thinking. We can continue with our Saturday evening soirees. Maybe start charging folks for attending, then Penelope and I can expand our customer base," I said. I was eager to get started with my next chapter. I was lucky enough to find two loves in my life, who said there couldn't be a third?
"What makes you think I want to be an escort?" Penelope asked, dismay on her face.
"You took to it like a duck to water," Red said.
"She's got a point," Melia quipped.
"Maybe I'll give it a go," Albertine threw in.
"What about Shelton?" Melia asked.
Albertine glanced through her lashes. A seductive smile curled her lips. "What about him?"
"Oh, if that don't beat all," Red said.
I raised my hand, shouting into the room. "No more drugs, Albertine!
"That reminds me. Julio brought me a new stash," she said, reaching into her purse.
"Julio? Wasn't the kid that got you in trouble?" I asked her.
She nodded and smiled beautifully. "Yes."
"I have nothing else to say to that."
"Good," she said, placing a bag onto the table.
"Carol. I think we better go now," Craft said, leaping from the stool.
"Don't get bent out of shape, Johnny," Red said. She picked up the bag and pressed it against her nose. "This is good shit."
"Julio owes me the best," Albertine said.
"How much did that cost?" Melia asked.
"Like I said. Julio owes me," Albertine said, snatching the bag away from Carol. She crammed the marijuana back into her purse. She looked like a perfect angel, gazing back at the Admiral.
"You poor man," I said.
"I knew what I was getting myself into when I married Carol," he said.
"Really?" Penelope asked, leaning to the side to watch his face.
His cheeks darkened. He and Red shared a look, the love evident in their gazes. "She told me that if I wanted her, I had to accept her family, too."
"Her daughter?" Albertine asked.
"No, us," Melia snapped.
I smiled at Red, acknowledging the truth. I lived a very long time believing that all of my family was lost. I had never imagined that I could or would gain another one.
Ding dong.
"Who can that be?" Red asked, glancing around the table.
Penelope shrugged and placed her napkin on the table. She walked to the front door and opened it. I heard her inhale sharply, but then a man's low voice muttered something to quiet her. She led him into the living room and returned to the kitchen.
She motioned for me to follow her, crooking her finger in my direction. She led me into the living room. "Sit," she said, pointing at the couch.
I could see blue pants and shiny black shoes. As he heard me approach, he spun around to look at me.
My heart stopped, and my feet planted themselves to the floor. "Jack?"
He rose from the couch. He stepped forward and my eyes caught on his uniform, different from any of his pictures. He seemed shy as he walked towards me. "Mercy?" he said, his voice uncertain.
It wasn't until he stood inches away from me that I realized this man wasn't Jack. He had the same dark, violet-blue eyes but with no brown spot. The hope that had built in my chest withered and died. "Who are you?" I asked.
"I'm James," he said, taking my hands into his. "I'm Jack's brother."
"You two look alike," I whispered.
"He never mentioned that we were twins?" he asked, a sad smile curling his lips.
I shook my head and mouthed, "No."
"This must be a shock. I'm sorry if you thought...."
"It's okay," I said, patting his chest. I moved to the couch and sat in the corner. I lifted my hand, inviting him to join me.
James moved around the arm and settled back onto the couch. He adjusted the coat of his uniform, his movements awkward as he avoided my glance.
"Can I get you a cup of coffee?" I asked him.
"No, ma'am. I'm not one for coffee."
I looked at him, weighing each of his features and the tone of his voice. He looked so much like Jack, but I could see differences. James was shorter and a bit heavier than Jack. His face was rounder, while Jack's cheekbones were high and sculpted. He also seemed quieter and more introverted than Jack.
He shifted on the couch, and reached into his jacket pocket. He pulled out a folded document and held it out to me.
I looked down at the paper and then back at him. He smiled and said, "From Jack."
I reached out and took the paper. He watched me as I opened the letter and read it.
"Mercy, if you are reading this, it means that I broke my promise to you. Knowing you, you didn't attend my funeral, but I'm hoping you will visit my grave. I'm rather partial to tulips. I like the blue ones. Anyway, I know money is a concern for you, and where I'm going, I won't be needing mine. So please accept what I give you as my way of apologizing for leaving you. Love, Jack."
I folded the letter as tears gathered in my eyes. Peeking at James, I dashed them away with my fingers. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay," he said, nodding. He reached into his jacket again and pulled out a long, white envelope.
He smiled as I took the envelope from him. My fingers caressed Jack's handwriting before I broke the seal. I reached inside and pulled out a check. My eyes snapped back to James, widening in shock.
"How?"
He stood. His mission was completed. He gazed down at me and said, "Jack had life insurance through the VA and we each inherited money from our grandparents."
"This belongs to you," I said, holding the check out to him.
"No, it belongs to you. He made me promise to make sure you took the money. He said that you'd probably be pissed off for a long while, so I thought I'd wait until the funeral to give it to you. I didn't see you there, so I hope you don't mind, but I asked your friends where I could find you." His gaze dropped to the floor. I felt ashamed, knowing that I not only had broken my promise to Jack, but I had also disappointed his brother.
"It was nice to finally meet Jack's Mercy," he said, pivoting away from me. He walked into the foyer and opened the front door.
I rushed across the floor, stopping at the arched entryway. "Thank you, James," I said.
He smiled at me. "He used to call you his 'two for one' but I never got the joke," he laughed. "He made me make a promise...."
"He sure did love promises."
"Yeah. He did," he agreed. "I told him that I would check on you from time to time. It was nice meeting you, Mrs. Higgins. I only regret that we couldn't have met under different circumstances." He placed his hand on the doorknob and pulled the door open. He stepped out onto the porch and tugged a blue wedge cap onto his head. He waved at me before he walked down the steps and away from the house.
I shut the door behind him. I rested my head against the door as I lifted the check to my eyes.
"Mercy?" said a voice from the kitchen doorway. Red stood there, her eyes locked on the check in my hand. The girls gathered around me as I alternated between tears and laughter.
"Is she okay?" asked Albertine.
"I think she's hysterical," Penelope whispered, her voice carrying across the foyer.
"Dios es misericordioso," she muttered, showing it to Penelope who gasped, her hand covering her mouth. Red peered over their shoulders, her face beaming with happiness.
Craft, impatient, snatched the check away from Albertine. "$500,000? Shit. She must have been one good lay. I should have had Mercy when I had the chance."
******
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The Devil's Beatin' His Wife
Release Date: 05/26/2014
Allentown, Georgia is divided. Four counties merge in the center of the small town, creating the perfect dividing line between the Whites and the Blacks. Escalating violence has widened the fissure, inflaming racial tension and residential anxiety.
Having recently returned from war, Baxter Bennett's only goal is to settle down with the woman he has loved most of his life.
Having watched the lynching of her brother, Spicey Harrell has absolutely no desire to interact with the man who could have saved him.
Trapped together, creating a heaven on earth for one and an insufferable hell for the other, these two souls will struggle to bring salvation to the wounded and forgotten residents of Allentown, Georgia.