by Damon Wayans
“So I moved back to New York,” Dee continued, “and got a job as a social worker, trying to help other women with children out of wedlock.”
“What happened between you and your daughter?” Alma asked.
“Kelly blames me for chasing her father away. In her mind, it’s my fault she never had a daddy in her life. Maybe she’s right. Carl certainly didn’t want to be with me. But I still love that man. I send him e-mails and pictures of us sometimes, hoping he will see that I am his one and only true love. I swear I could give up sugar for him.”
“Why don’t you give it up for you?” Alma asked.
“It makes me feel loved.”
Alma reached for her picture and held the silver frame to her heart. “I took this man for granted,” Alma stated. “I never thought in a million years he would leave me like this. I wish I could have forgiven him. He hurt me so bad.”
“How?”
“He slept with my best friend. Donna and I were like sisters. I’d known her since childhood. I told her everything about Harold. She knew he was the world to me, so I trusted her around him.” Alma paused for a moment.
“What a fool I was,” she continued. Afterward, Harold blamed me for always having her around. Maybe I was naïve to let her sleep over and then leave them alone while I shopped. Hell, the food was for them. I didn’t think best friends did such things to each other. Not best friends. I just couldn’t forgive him. I wanted to, but I couldn’t. I’m bone-tired, Dee. Do you mind if I get some sleep?”
“Sure. Sweet dreams.” Dee kissed her forehead and quietly left the room.
Alma felt a heavy weight lifting off her chest after opening up to this stranger. She began to pray: Heavenly Father, I thank you for this day. I don’t know what you see in me that you sent this nice lady to save me out of the pit of hell, but I am grateful. Please help me to release this pain and submit to your will, not mine. I can’t do it alone, so I beg you to hold my hand and get me to the other side. I thank you in Jesus’s name. Amen.
chapter ten
Alma didn’t sleep well, because anxiety kept her tossing and turning throughout the night. She got up as soon as the sun started to rise to make breakfast for her gracious hostess. She hated feeling as if she owed somebody something. It was hard to cook in a new environment not knowing where anything was, but Alma was determined to feel that she was earning her keep. She made the easiest thing she could find, which was bacon and eggs with toast, orange juice, and coffee. It wasn’t Folgers, but it would do. Dee was pleasantly surprised when she walked into the kitchen, although the smell of the bacon had pulled her from sleep.
“You didn’t have to do that, honey.”
“It’s the least I could do after you’ve taken me into your home and looked after me like this,” Alma said. She watched Dee put nutmeg on her eggs and five sugars in her coffee.
“It’s OK. I’ll drink a little green tea later to balance out my sugar,” Dee explained.
Alma looked down to see a huge, nasty blue bruise on Dee’s left foot.
“What happened to your foot?” she asked.
“Oh. I dropped a pot on it a few weeks ago. It takes a while to heal with the diabetes. It’ll be all right,” Dee told her confidently.
Alma shook her head and decided to change the subject. “Can I borrow an outfit to go downtown? I have to get my identification replaced.”
“Certainly.”
“And can I borrow a few dollars, too? I’ll pay it right back after I talk to one of my children.”
“Not to worry. I can give you twenty dollars.”
“Not give. Just loan it to me. I will have it back to you no later than tomorrow.”
“That’s fine,” Dee said. “You know, the girls will be coming over this afternoon. You’re welcome to join us for tea. I really could use some help.”
“Sure, but I have a lot to do today. I’ve got to stop by the apartment and see if there’s anything salvageable and then run all sorts of errands. I won’t be back here until the evening. That is, if I can stay another night with you?” Alma asked.
“My house is your house. I will give you a set of keys before you leave. Don’t you go feeling like a stranger around me, OK?”
“OK.”
Alma made up her mind that she would come back and help out even if she had to endure the embarrassment of all of those Red Hats knowing her misfortune. She knew people liked to see someone down and out just to make them feel better about their own situation in life. Especially Joy—that one was sure a piece of work!
Alma spent half the morning at the insurance agency trying to collect. She had to cuss out two of the workers for insinuating that she was an arsonist. Alma threatened to burn their entire building down if they didn’t pay her claim. The manager was called to restore some order. He was very sympathetic and comforted her with a listening ear and a cup of Folgers. When she left, Alma was still angry and not a step closer to payment. Insurance was the biggest scam on the planet.
Alma tried to call Jesse, but that fool still wasn’t around. She didn’t want to call Angel for fear she would have to go back to live with the Elephant Man. Unfortunately, calling Angel was her only option.
Angel begged her mother to get on a plane and come to stay with her, but Alma passed. All she needed was some money to get her through the transition of finding a new place to live.
Angel sent her seven hundred and fifty dollars by Western Union, and since she didn’t have identification, the password was Nia, easy for Alma to remember.
Alma went shopping to get a couple of outfits so she wouldn’t have to feel like a beggar. She wrote a thank you card to Dee and put in an extra fifty dollars so Dee would know she wasn’t going to freeload off her.
As a part of her promise to God to be a better Christian, Alma agreed to help Sister Dee host a little seminar for the Red Hats. They would get together once a month with a lawyer to discuss any legal advice the sisters might need. Dee felt this would be a good opportunity for Alma to get advice regarding her insurance claim. They would serve tea and sandwiches for the ladies and a guest, which was the reason they were now in the supermarket shopping.
“Maybe we should get some pies for a little dessert afterward,” Dee said.
“I’m not that big on sweets, and I don’t think you should be, either. Let’s just get what we came here for. I’m not trying to tell you how to live your life, but I wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t speak my mind. I’m not going to help you do anything that’s bad for you. Sorry, but that’s just the way I am,” Alma stated.
“You’re right, sweets is the last thing I need. My sugar was up to six hundred last night before I finally got to sleep.”
“I don’t know what that means, but it sounds high.”
“Seventy to one hundred fifty is supposed to be normal,” Dee confided.
“Hello, ladies!”
Alma looked up to see James standing in front of her with the biggest smile she’d ever seen on a straight man. He smiled so big it made her smile, too.
“You look absolutely beautiful, Alma.”
“Thank you,” Alma said as she primped her hair, not knowing what else to do with her nervous hands.
“And so do you, Dee.”
“Don’t lie to me, James! Stevie Wonder could see who you are looking at,” Dee joked.
“I’m so sorry to hear about your misfortune,” James said to Alma. “I hope and pray that everything works out for you. If there’s anything I can do, please don’t hesitate to ask.”
“Thank you, but God will provide. Dee is taking great care of me right now,” Alma said.
“Dee is a wonderful woman. They don’t make them like her anymore.”
James flashed his million-dollar smile as he carried the ladies’ packages home for them. Alma felt a slight bounce in her step as she walked alongside him. She nearly bumped into several parking meters on the way, trying not to get too close to this man who was pulling her out of her comfort
able orbit. What a strong, gentle man, she thought, as he carried the groceries, climbing the steps with the ease of a gazelle. Dee kept nudging her behind his back, indicating how cute he was. Alma felt like a teenage girl in high school.
When James left, Alma’s heart slowed to its normal pace. She tried to be indifferent, but it was hard to pull off. Dee offered her information, knowing that Alma was too proud and private to ask for it.
“You know he lives right across the street from here. You can see his house from my window,” Dee confided.
“Really? He’s such a flirt. I’m sure he has all the women he can handle. So, what do you want me to make first?” Alma changed the subject.
“You can make the sandwiches, and I’ll put on the coffee and boil the water for tea.”
Alma’s mind was racing with images of James and her dancing together, the smell of the glove, and that smile. Damn, he had a beautiful smile. She stared out at the windows on the buildings across from her, trying to figure out which one was his.
The Red Hats began to arrive. It took only three of them for the place to come alive with laughter and lots of chatter. By the time all twelve of the Red Hats arrived, the place was so loud you could hardly hear the doorbell ringing. Alma was closest to it and offered to see who was on the other side.
“Hello,” said James, who was now dressed in a business suit.
“Look, I don’t think it is appropriate for you to be coming by here to pursue me,” Alma said sternly.
“Neither do I,” James said as he walked past her. “I’m here for the seminar.”
“What do you mean?”
“I guess Dee didn’t tell you. I’m the lawyer. Don’t worry, I’ll pursue you some other time.”
Alma stood there with the door open, stunned silent.
Damn, I feel stupid. Maybe I should just run out this house and never come back.
“Alma, close that door and come sit down,” Dee called.
Alma sat in the back of the room and watched James field questions from the sisters. He was very knowledgeable about the law. She liked how he could solve problems in a split second. It was like watching someone solve a Rubik’s Cube. Three twists, and he had it.
Occasionally, he would look in her direction as if he wanted her to offer a problem for him to fix. She didn’t know the women well enough to open up like that, and she was really impressed with Dee for not telling these strangers her situation. When asked why she was living there, Dee would say it was “because of none ya,” meaning none of your business! Alma saw Joy trying way too hard to get the wrong kind of attention from James. He knew she wanted more than his understanding of the law and didn’t play into any of her innuendo. Classy.
The hour passed quickly as James listened, informed, and utterly charmed the Red Hats. He agreed to return at the end of the month to see how their situations turned out. They fed him sandwiches and coffee and packed him some dessert for the road. Alma wondered where the sweets came from. She had fought a hard battle at the supermarket not to buy any. She searched to see who the culprit was, so she could have a conversation with them about Dee’s condition and how they could all help her fight the sugar habit.
It made her mad to see Dee with a plate of cherry pie à la mode in her hands. It was weird to see how happy it made her to have sweets. Her eyes rolled back in her head as she took the first bite. It looked orgasmic.
As James was saying his good-byes, Dee grabbed his hand and pulled him over to Alma.
“James, I know you have to go, but I need you to talk to my girlfriend about some legal advice she needs. It’s none of my business, so I’m going to let you talk by yourselves.” Dee winked at Alma, then turned and walked away, leaving them staring at each other in an awkward silence.
“I’m sorry about earlier. I didn’t know.”
“No apology needed. It was cute.”
“Cute?”
“Yeah. So Alma, how may I be of service to you?”
“Well, you know my placed burned down, right?”
“Yes.”
“I had a renter’s insurance policy, but I’m having a hard time collecting on it.”
“I’ll be happy to represent you.”
“The thing is, I don’t have very much money to pay you. So you have to tell me up front what it is going to cost me.”
“Dinner.”
“What?”
“It’s going to cost you having dinner with me,” he said.
“That’s it?” Alma asked.
“No. I pick the time and place. Deal?” James extended his hand, and Alma shook it.
“Deal!” she exclaimed.
They matched each other’s smile.
The morning of the insurance meeting, Alma had agreed to see James for coffee to discuss the final details of her case. She also had agreed that this did not let her off the hook for dinner. As Alma sat across from James, who had stacks of telephone transcripts, building code information, and various other legal papers in front of him, she found herself suddenly at ease in his company.
He wore a different hat when he was conducting business. No flirting and no million-dollar smile. He was a great listener and wanted to soak it all up. She was embarrassed at having to explain that her husband was deceased after she’d told him she was married. James acted as if he already knew and even expressed his heartfelt sorrow for her loss.
He encouraged her to take him through the night of the fire again, step by step, and asked numerous questions. Did she hear the fire alarm? How close was she to the lighted oven? Did she make calls to the building manager and the heating company regarding the broken pipes? The fact that the building’s assistant manager had told her to use the oven caused him to write more notes on his legal pad.
James was finished. After he seemed satisfied with the answers, he told Alma he was confident that not only would she get her money, but if she was up to it, she also had a case against the building owner for not having the fire alarms up to code.
Alma stated that she only wanted what was hers. This seemed to impress James.
When they arrived at the insurance company, Alma was ready to sit through hours of questioning, but James asked her to wait in the reception area while he went into a glassed conference room with a couple of their big-shot attorneys.
Alma didn’t hear what was being said, but she noticed how quickly James was able to make the men in the room uncomfortable. He gestured toward her several times, causing the men to look in her direction. It took almost three hours for them to go through all of the documents James produced. Alma was wired from the coffee the receptionist kept bringing her and started to pace, so much so that she had to walk the stairs several times to calm the jitters. After the third journey up and down the six stories, James caught up with her on the stairwell.
“What happened?” she asked.
“They were tough. I had to play the race card, the widow card, and the we-will-sue-you card.”
“What did they say?”
“Your check will be in the mail by the end of the week.”
Alma screamed for joy, grabbed James, and gave him a big hug. He flashed that million-dollar smile, and she quickly removed her arms from around his waist.
When Alma returned to Dee’s place, she was in a terrific mood. Tears were the last thing she expected to encounter. Dee was sitting on the couch, sobbing uncontrollably. An empty pie tin and a few candy wrappers were on the floor around her.
“What’s wrong?”
“I went to see Kelly and asked her what I could do to make us better, and she said the only thing I could do for her was to die! How could she say that to her mother? What did I ever do so wrong to make her hate me like this?” Dee wept.
“I learned that children only treat you with respect if you demand it from them. She sounds as if she needs some discipline.”
“I know. Her father used to tell me to spank her, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it because we spent so much time together. I
wanted her to love me. She hates me!”
“Dee, why are you sweating so much?” Alma asked with concern.
“Maybe it’s from eating too much sugar. I don’t feel well. My head is spinning, Alma. Please stop the room from spinning.”
Dee’s eyes began to roll up, revealing the whites. Her body started to shake violently. When she spewed them both with partly digested pecan pie, Alma knew it was time to call the hospital.
“Send someone right away, and we need an ambulance.”
It took only seven minutes for the cops and ambulance to arrive. Alma made sure they moved quickly. She climbed into the ambulance and went with them to the hospital after collecting Dee’s purse with all of her personal information.
Alma was pleasantly surprised to see a few of the Red Hats had beaten them to the hospital and alerted the doctors that Dee was on her way. They were very organized, which impressed Alma. She was confident that she had gotten this same tender loving care when the Red Hats found her after her attempted suicide.
Alma said her own silent prayer as Magdalena held hands with twenty-six Red Hats and prayed loudly in the waiting area for Dee’s return to health. It was too showy for her to hold hands like that. It felt forced. After about two hours, the doctor approached the group to explain Dee’s condition.
“She’s going to be OK. We had to amputate her left foot because the gangrene was spreading up the leg.”
“You what?” Alma demanded. “Who gave you permission to do that? Did you ask her if that’s what she wanted?”
“I’m sorry, but we did what we had to do. She will recover completely,” the doctor said.
“You don’t recover completely when your left foot has been cut off against your will!” Alma shouted.