BOMAW 12-14

by Mercedes Keyes

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  Things that usually women had more of a green thumb for. The color panorama that lead you down their lane and walk up to the house made you want to stand and stare. She knew she had countless of times. He'd completely surrounded the house, with greenery and flowering hedges and flower beds. You couldn't see the barn anymore from the road, as a path led to it from the back of the house, all of that was paved with stone, flowers alongside it, then space opened up for the barn and if that weren't enough, he'd given her a white picket fence, something Sylvia had always dreamed of as a little girl. He'd knocked down all the other out buildings because he'd wanted the house to stand out on it's own, with no other distractions, and he'd been right. It didn't look like a farm house anymore, it looked like a show place; he'd made his stamp. Sylvia had a feeling, everything he did, he did to show all, who and what he was. Even Bart, could not believe the completion of the home - he too was left speechless, not believing that that particular son, held such an eye for beauty within his sinful head. The people who had driven by over and over to see her home go up, had all ended up coming to Vivian's and Jake's home, taking pictures of it, blown away by it. In truth, Sylvia thought, she was the one who should have a bed and breakfast, people would pay anything to come inside, to sleep there - to sit on her front porch on a warm breezy evening. Vivian was considering it, but in truth, there was no hurry.

  Sylvia sighed, leaving her alone - she'd landed on her feet, and landed well, who was she to keep bringing her down, reminding her of what might be; feeling bad, she reached over and squeezed her hand, "I'm sorry, I love you lil'girl - you be happy, he's worked hard to prove himself, I shouldn't be saying stuff, I just-..."

  "Love me, I get it."

  "Aaah shit, ya'll gettin' all mushy, cut that mess out, save it for the wedding, damn! Hey, tell me something, where the hell is Kathy-Ann?" Sheila asked.

  Vivian was leaning low over the table as if she might put her head down; Sylvia knew she was feeling weak; listless, standing, she walked to the refrigerator, finding cold cuts and took out a pack of sliced chicken and a jar of jalapeño peppers, passing it to her.

  "Eat on them - the peppers and the meat. I don't know what it is about peppers, but it does help cut the nausea." She advised.

  Hungry as she was, Vivian was willing to give it a try, munching, she addressed Sheila's question, "Last I heard, she was off somewhere, nobody knows where she is."

  Sylvia made a face looking at her, "How you know more about it than I do?"

  "You been busy with that house, and my girl Shanna - we talk about everything, that includes, Kathy-Ann."

  Speaking of Shanna, she tapped on the screen door, looking into the kitchen to see all three sitting around the table, "May I join the party?" She asked with a smile for greeting.

  "Girl, you know better than be asking that!" Sylvia fussed.

  "You know doggone well you don't knock here, just walk in!" Vivian scolded.

  At the table, taking a seat, she asked, "How you feeling?"

  "Trying to get something down me now." Vivian spoke up, mouth full, enjoying the peppers and cold cuts.

  "Shanna, where is your sister? Kathy-Ann?" Sheila asked.

  Comfortable in the spacious country kitchen, now that all was done, where she'd helped here and there, with everything in the house still smelling of oak or pine, she was relaxed.

  "Hmmm, where is Kathy-Ann?" She repeated Sheila's question, looking around, all of Vivian's furniture had been brought in and placed, yet she would need lots more to fill the ample home, so - some rooms were still needing things, but it was spotlessly clean; Vivian pampered and took such pride in it, it was like this house had always been waiting for her, now that she was there, she would never leave it. In fact, on one of her and Jake's "disagreements" she'd already informed him, he'd be the one to get to steppin' - because she was there to stay, explaining to him, "This - is my house - mine! I just let you sleep here and father my children; and rest when you need it." Of course, she'd been fighting back a grin while saying, but Jake wasn't fooled, he already knew - she meant it.

  "Sheila, your guess is as good as mine..." Shanna went on to answer, "... we hear from her like, every other week or so, rather, dad hears from her, she only speaks to him, not my mom..."

  "Oh shoot! That ain't good, not talkin' to mama? Mama Gert? Who did it? Kathy-Ann or Mama Gert?" She asked.

  "Sheila don't start!" Vivian shook her head, munching delicately on her rolled up cold-cuts, surprising her that it was actually staying down with aid of the jalapeños.

  "What? I'm just asking what happened! Can't I ask? Mama Gert said we was family! And as a member of this family, I'm simply inquiring about one of our family members!" She turned back Shanna, "As you were saying?"

  "All I know, is that she and mom had an argument, not that that's new - but this one, sent Kathy-Ann off somewhere, phoning home only to say she's alive - and needs some money. Derrick, dad and mom has sent her money at separate times, she parks at a Western Union and waits." Shanna shook her head, "She's such a trip, she needs to settle in somewhere, quit drifting and find work for herself."

  Sylvia didn't understand this, "Nobody's worried about her? I'm surprised Shawn isn't off somewhere looking for her, to bring her butt back. That's not like him not to charge off after one of his siblings, especially a sister." This was so unlike him to her.

  "Sylvia, believe me, Kathy-Ann can take care of herself. My sister can and will kick ass if she has to."

  "Yeah, but she still a woman, ain't like she super-girl or nobody, I can kick some ass too, but I ain't 'bout to stray off alone day after day - hell - too many crazy ass people in this world!" Sheila informed all.

  "I did it, I was fine - you just have to know where to go." Sylvia reminded them.

  "True." All agreed, with Shanna adding, "Besides that, as for crazy, I don't know how to tell you this, but my sister, Kathy-Ann - eats crazy for lunch."

  Sheila gave a shout of laughter, "Oh I like that, eats crazy for lunch - I'm gone have to borrow that from you." She grinned.

  "Even so, it still doesn't make sense that Shawn isn't going nuts over worrying about her, come on Shanna, that's what he does."

  Shanna could only smile, of course she knew why he wouldn't be going after her, had left her alone, but she was not about to tell Sylvia that. It had taken some time, but she'd prodded her mother just enough for her to finally spill the truth to her. Hearing her mother confirm the things that used to go through her mind concerning her sister and the way she was with Shawn, still shocked her to no end finding that her suspicions were true. Just thinking about it, made her face burn with embarrassment, she could only imagine what Shawn thought.

  "Trust me, he knows she's all right from, dad."

  "I guess, if you say so, like Sheila said, she's not Wonder-Woman-..."

  "I said super-girl!"

  "Well excuse the heck out'ah me, super-girl then," Sylvia grouched.

  "Quote me right, cow!"

  "Cow? Heifer!" Sylvia snipped back, "Keep it up, we gone take yo'ass out in the woods, leave you there, lost." She threatened, teasing her.

  "Hell naw, you ain't takin' my ass into no woods! Ain't a McPherson man, man enough to drag my ass into no woods! So I sho' ain't worried about ya'll pregnant, weak, skinny asses!"

  "Hey, ain't nothing skinny about my ass." Sylvia pointed out.

  "Sho'ya'rigt, cause I was thinkin', uh oh... ass gettin' wide!" Sheila taunted.

  "Sheila, I ain't tryin' to care, my man happy." She boasted, neither of them noticing Shanna's crestfallen expression.

  Making a face, she'd murmured while they nipped at each other, "Aaaah, that's terrible." said close to a moan, understanding the significance behind the woods comment.

  "Girl! They just playing! We like this all the time." Vivian explained.

  "I know, I just find that so upsetting - about the woods, knowing the reason why - you don't like the woods." She admitted.


  "Why you feeling bad? You ain't done nothin' - you ain't got nothing to do with a bunch of no'account red-necks intimidated by the black, Brown's family of the south, whose strapping young son, is catching the eye of their daughter; black and beautiful as he is, unable to bear it, they string'em up! You ain't got to wear that baby." Sheila tried to ease her - but her words only made it worse.

  Immediately Edwin Piercey came to Shanna's mind; her mother had fallen for him, to end as Sheila was saying; the thought made her uncomfortable with the image in her mind. "I know that Sheila, but it still makes me feel ashamed; please know that not all white people are like that."

  "You ain't got to tell us that! Or else we wouldn't be here!" Sheila spoke up.

  "Me married to one of your brothers." Sylvia picked up to remind her.

  "And uh, I'm here to marry the other this weekend. Yeah, we know Shanna." Turning to Sheila, "Why you always got to stir shit up?"

  "I ain't mean nothing buy it, ya'll started it, talkin' bout leavin' me in some woods."

  Shanna was bursting to tell someone about Edwin and her mother, she couldn't have held it back right then if she tried, "My mother loved a black man, that was - well - he was killed. It was - really bad."

  All three stopped and stared at her, "What?" Sylvia was the first to speak up.

  "Yeah, it's true. Look you three, we have to keep this between us, it cannot go out of this kitchen." Shanna looked from one to the other.

  "I don't know nobody but these two to tell, so it's good with me." Sheila cleared her declaration immediately.

  Shanna looked to Sylvia and Vivian, "Neither one of you, can tell my brothers this - they don't know about it - I didn't even know it, until right before your wedding, Sylvia."

  Who was nervously nibbling her thumbnail, this would be hard, 'not telling Shawn', "Oh Shanna, I don't know if I can make that promise, I mean, not tell Shawn?"

  "If you can't promise - you get to skippin' on up out'ah here! I got to hear this!" This was new news and Sheila wanted it.

  "Sheila in ain't none of our business, no way!" Sylvia argued.

  "This about family, girl! History! It's over and done with anyway." She fussed and turned to Vivian, finger pointed her way, "You gone keep the secret?"

  "Yeah, I'll keep it, I don't tell Jake - everything!" She stressed.

  "Thank you, okay? What's up with you Ms Thang? Don't tell me, you tell Shawn everything?"

  "You tell Dennis everything!" Sylvia accused her.

  "I do - not!"

  "Sheila you need to stop! Know doggone well you tell Dennis everything under the sun."

  "Well, not this! And you not gone tell Shawn either! Gone, Shanna!" Sheila had spoken.

  Sylvia smirked, shaking her head - Shanna was gazing at her waiting.

  "Okay, I won't tell, promise." Sylvia finally gave her word to Sheila's relief.

  Shanna took a deep breath to begin, "My mother, was among those who marched with King..."

  "Martin Luther King Jr.?!" Sheila blurted.

  "Yes, she was spoiled - determined to be part of something big - the civil rights movement became it and her father paid for her to travel to where the marches would be, behind King. This young black man, Edwin Piercey, was among them. My mother fell in love with him. She'd been with him, while dating my father."

  "What?!" All three exclaimed.

  "It's true, she told me all about it. She couldn't make up her mind if she wanted my father, or him, Edwin. And - she wasn't even sure..." She looked over at Sylvia, starting to have second thoughts about disclosing what she knew.

  "Go ahead..." Sheila urged her.

  "I don't know, I don't think I should be talking about this."

  "You started now, just finish, get it out your system." Sheila again.

  "She - at first - thought that - Edwin Piercey - was - well, Shawn's father."

  "WHAT?!" All three blasted again.

  "But he's not!" Shanna spoke quickly to clarify, "...he's my father's - but for a while, she hadn't been sure. Anyway, she was pregnant - and she had wanted to be with Edwin. He wanted to be with her, they never made it - because..." She looked at Sheila, "It's like you said - white folks in the South, couldn't abide with him seeing the town's, top mare. They killed him, according to mama Jojo, in an ugly way."

  "Mama Jojo?" Sylvia asked, "What does mama Jojo know about it?"

  "You're not gonna believe this Sylvia, but - Edwin Piercey, was mama Jojo's nephew. Her brother's son."

  Sylvia shot to her feet, "WHAT? Come again, mama Jojo's brother - her younger brother?" She asked.

  "I don't know - don't know if he was older or younger or what, but - it was his son."

  Sylvia could only stand with her mouth open, thinking back to when she stood in mama Jojo's hallway, looking at all the pictures on the wall. Asking who each of the persons there, was. She couldn't speak - her mind was scrambling trying to put together pieces that she couldn't get a focus on. She sat back down and only stared - trying to remember the man's name who fathered her two brothers. She remembered their was a coincidence because of all those that had the same name, 'Was it, Jacob Paul?' Sylvia wondered.

  "What Sylvia?" Shanna asked noticing her pause as if far away.

  She only shook her head, because she couldn't think straight right then, things were too much of a shock - she couldn't get her memory right to remember what she needed to. One thing was certain, it was only a matter of time before they had some of the answers, because soon as the wedding was done, Shawn was heading back to California to get mama Jojo. Her room was done, everything in it made for her. He'd spared no expense for her needs. She had a flat screen 42 inch TV of her own, her own computer - a chaise lounge, a chair that lifted her to her feet. A buzzer, intercom and emergency cord by the bed for her if she ever fell; and she had immediate access to the panic room through her bathroom. Her bed, was a queen size that folded upward for her back and legs. Her own sun deck off of a mini conservatory green house for all the plants she wanted. He'd bought her a walker, a senior citizen electric scooter so she could get around, maybe drive up to town. They'd gotten into an argument over the thing, because Sylvia had informed him, "Shawn that is a waste of money! You ain't gone ever, no way, hardly never,-..."

  "That's a double-double negative my wife, the writer-..."

  "Shawn, don't mess with me! As I was saying, you ain't gone hardly be letting her get in the thing to ride it on this road to town, no way! I know you, Shawn! If she ride it, you gone be walking along side her."

  "So I'll be walking along side her then."

  "Shawn, then put her in the car and drive her to the store!" She'd argued at him.

  "She might not want me to, she'll have this cute lil'basket here, she might wanna drive herself - I'll just tag along, make sure she's all right; she'll still have some independence."

  Sylvia blurted a laugh, "Independence huh? You pitiful! You - are - pitiful!"

  "Call me what you want, but I'm getting this for her - that's my mama Jojo; keep on fussin' I'll give her the big house, put you back over there in that bed and breakfast!" he joked, but of course, Sylvia had something to say behind that.

  "Hey, do it! I may be doing that - anyway! Get on my nerve, shoot - I still gotta home! It ain't no bed and breakfast - yet - baby!"

  "Just kidding, calm down, man, I can't believe you're jealous of my mama Jojo!"

  "Aaagh! Shawn - I am not jealous! I am merely pointing out a certain truth that I know about you! You are too protective, over protective, and so, multiply that times ten, for mama Jojo! I wouldn't be surprised if you had her fitted with a homing device in case she wondered off! Her independence? Please... not with you!"

  "A homing device?" Shawn mumbled, thinking out loud, she could see his wheels turning.

  "See! So I know doggone well, you ain't gone let her ride down this road in no buggie!"

  "I'm gettin' it!"

  "Fine, get it Shawn - but knowing her, she probably won't use it any
way. Let's face it, black folks don't think like white folks - neither are we accustomed to the freedoms of white folks. She ain't gone use it."

  Shawn scrunched up his nose, made a face and retaliated by pointing out, "You think - you know everything - don't you? Well you don't know my mama Jojo, she'll love it." And so, looking her right in the eye, as if showing her who's boss, he brought out the credit card - Sylvia had given up.

  "Earth to Sylvia, yoooo hooo." Shanna snapped her fingers near her face, snapping Sylvia out of it, she blinked looking at Shanna, surprised.

  "What were you thinking? You were miles away." Vivian asked.

  Sylvia shook her head, came to her feet - "I better get to the house, get the stuff I bought unloaded, set up."

  Shanna worried over her abrupt need to leave, "You okay Sylvia? With what I've told you?"

  "Yeah, I'm fine - I need to get home, I've been gone just about all day. In no time, we're gonna have people everywhere, I better get busy, get ready."

  Just as she was saying that, they heard a vehicle pull up. Vivian came to her feet right away, it was Paul and right behind him, on the bike he was still using of Shawn's - Jake - he was home!

  "Ohhh, my honey's home!" Vivian was all grins, heading for the door, opening it to step out on their grand style front porch that ran the entire front and down one side. Paul and Jake, both waved, disappearing from view, driving around to the back and up to the barn further back from the house.

  All the women had moved outside following Vivian; Sylvia walking down the stairs to leave, Sheila calling out, "I think I'm going with you, my kids at your house anyway. This man just get home after being on the road, I don't need to be here tonight." Sylvia smiled nodding in agreement.

  "Sheila don't be silly, you don't have to leave." Vivian tried to stop her.

  "Girl hush and worry about your man, I'm fine. Let's go Sylvia."