by Faith
“Tamar, you need to tell us what you know,” Jezebel fussed.
“I know Damien sat at his kitchen table making a pipe bomb. I know Mama said make sure it’s when they are all there because she doesn’t want any survivors. Anything else, Lilith Jr?”
“Why didn’t you say this earlier?”
“I told you multiple times to warn them. Don’t put this on me,” Tamar snapped.
“We are two hours away from Greensboro, Tamar. Plus, we still don’t know when she’s going to strike,” Jezebel told them.
“If you two would quit fussing, all we have to do is look at the church calendar. It’s on the website, see when the next big function is, and she’ll probably strike then,” Delilah said.
“Oh, now you want to come back to life?” Jezebel joked.
“I’m just saying, y’all are wasting a lot of unnecessary time with all of this back and forth. Mama is not even here and she still is pulling the strings.”
“Alright, I’m about to call now.” Jezebel called Mud’s phone and it went straight to voicemail. She tried a few more times and the same thing. “He must be sending me to voicemail. How is he gonna send me to voicemail and I’m carrying his baby?” Tamar and Delilah looked at each other before walking out of the room.
________
The entire church was in an uproar. The extra security that was added since the shooting came in handy. They rushed the stage and escorted the stranger out while he screamed, “This is my church!” over and over again.
Madear shouted, “Who in the hell left the gate open?” All eyes turned to Mama Eloise, who had turned ten shades lighter.
She grabbed her chest, and screamed, “Sweet baby Jesus,” before passing out.
She woke up in the church’s infirmary surrounded by her family and Madear. They had cleared the church and were the only ones left.
“Mama, are you ok?” Elisea helped sit her up.
“Yes, I’m fine.” Mama Eloise saw the worried look on their faces.
“Mama, who is that person?” Lizzie had tears in her eyes.
“Baby, I don’t know.”
“I mean, where did he come from? And, why now?” Lizzie was visibly upset.
“Look, Lizzie, I don’t know what to tell you. I haven’t seen this person before in my life.”
“Eloise, you need to tell these kids the truth about Lilith,” Madear butted in. Mama Eloise gave her a look. “Don’t give me that look, this lady has issues, so just tell them everything.”
“Mama, what is Madear talking about?” Junior didn’t like the sound of that, not one bit.
“Just get me home and I will explain everything I know, but I just want to go home.” Junior and Eddie helped Mama Eloise up so that they could leave.
Elisea drove Mama Eloise’s car home and they rode in complete silence. Both of their minds raced a mile a minute. It seemed as if it took forever to get home. Mama Eloise dreaded having the conversation with her kids.
They all pulled up right behind each other. Mama Eloise entered the house first. She kicked of her shoes and sat down on the couch. The kids took seats in the living room. Mud was the last to arrive because he was at home enjoying his baby, but he got an earful.
“Somebody fix me a drink,” Mama Eloise demanded.
Edem and Ruthie went into the kitchen. Ruthie got a Pepsi out of the refrigerator and Edem stopped her. “Nah, baby, she said a drink.” Edem opened up the freezer door and pulled out a bottle of Red Berry Cîroc.
Ruthie moved close to him. “Ya mama drinks?” she whispered.
Edem chuckled a little by the look on her face. “Yeah, baby, she does sometimes.” Edem got a crystal goblet from the cabinet and poured his mother a drink. Ruthie followed him back into the living room and handed his mother the goblet.
Mama Eloise took a nice, long sip. “Aaah,” She smacked her lips before speaking. “Look, I don’t know a lot, I just know what I know. It did not hit me until recently that Lilith Harlot is Lily, the woman that your daddy slept with all those years ago when we first got married. I told you what I did to him, but I left out what I did to her. I whooped that ass. Lord, forgive me, but there is no other way to say it. I was young a baby myself, pregnant with my first baby, and I find out this woman who I knew was aware of me was sleeping with my husband? Yeah, I went off. I went off bad, I beat that thing, you hear me? Well, when I was stomping her, she said then that she was pregnant, but I thought she was saying that so I would stop, but I didn’t. I kept beating her, and I beat her until I got tired. That was the last time that I saw her. We heard she had left town, run off with some man, I think and that was that. When I realized who she was, I confronted her. She basically feels like I stole her life and she could have made your daddy love her. Well, you know me, so we had words and she attempted to hit me. I got a hold of that wrist and I twisted that thing I heard it crack. I thought she would have gotten the message, but I don’t know, and that’s all I know.” Mama Eloise took a long swig of her drink.
“He’s not my brother, he doesn’t look anything like us. Mmm-mmm.” Elisea shook her head.
“Well, what’s done is done. If he is our brother, we’ll deal with it,” Edem said.
“The way he disrespected the family, the church, and Mama? I don’t give a damn who he is!”
“Junior, watch your mouth!” Mama Eloise scolded.
“Mama, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to curse, but I am angry. And, he talking about this is his church? Nigga, please! Who are you?” Junior fussed.
“I’m with Junior, Ma, he could have handled it differently,” Eddie added.
“I’m disgusted about the entire thing.” Lizzie cried.
“Shut up, Lizzie, this is not about you, this is about Mama.” Elisea took her irritation out on Lizzie.
“Hey, hey, I’m not having none of that up in here,” Mama Eloise fussed. “Your sister is entitled to her feelings, as are each of you.”
“So, what do we do now?” Eddie asked.
“Well, first we need a blood test. I’ll do it and take it from there. There is no sense in getting riled up over a hoax. We know firsthand how these people are, Mama,” Edem said.
“You’re right, son, you are absolutely right.” Mama Eloise looked over at Mud, who was unusually quiet. “Mud? You ok, baby?”
Mud rubbed his forehead. “I’m just listening to everything, that’s all.”
“I just feel like this dude, whoever he is, is tarnishing Daddy’s legacy.” Lizzie continued to cry.
“Lizzie, look around this room.” She obeyed her mother and looked around the room. “You’re looking at you father’s legacy. Don’t even worry about that, even if he is your half-brother, don’t worry about none of that.” Mama Eloise tried her best to keep up a good front, but she felt herself breaking, so she got up to leave. “Y’all I am exhausted, so I’m going to take a hot bubble bath and call it a night. I’ll see y’all in the morning, God willing.” Everyone said good night and watched her disappear up the stairs.
“Lizzie, you got to get it together,” Elisea told her.
“Me? Are you serious?” Lizzie was offended.
“Yes, Daddy is dead and Mama is still alive, and you’re worried about his freaking legacy? Are you serious?”
“I care about Mama just as much as anybody else, Elisea.”
“Y’all chill out,” Junior interrupted. “This nut stood up in front of the church and said Mama tried to kill him, that’s what I care about, him throwing dirt on Mama’s good name.”
“You need to remember that he’s probably messed up in the head growing up with that woman. All we can do is pray that he is not a part of this family, and he can go on with his life.” Edem tried to put things into perspective.
“Edem is right, now let’s just go home and calm our nerves because nothing is going to get resolved until we know the truth,” Eddie chimed in.
“Right, and I will talk to the head of security tonight and get his information, because w
e don’t even know his name, and I will set up a meeting with him for tomorrow,” Edem told them.
“I’m going, too,” Junior said. “I’m the oldest and I’m going, too.”
“Are you going to stay calm, Junior?” Edem asked.
“It doesn’t matter! I said I’m going! You don’t run this family, Edem. I’m the oldest, not you!” Junior shouted.
“Who cares if you’re the oldest? And, ain’t nobody trying to run this family but you,” Edem shot back.
Junior walked up on Edem. “So, what you want to do?” Edem clinched his jaw, but didn’t blink.
Eddie jumped between them. “Chill! Everybody go home, this is going too far.”
“I agree, come on, Junior.” Lacey pulled on him, dragging him to the door.
Eddie waited until after Junior and Lacey had pulled off before making Edem go home. Mud still sat unusually silent. “Mud, where’s your head at?”
“Oh, I’m going, too. I want to see what this joker looks like.”
“I guess all four of us are going, then.” Eddie and Mud continued their conversation as they left out.
Chapter 23
The Blanks brothers met at Applebee’s to have their meeting with Poe Prince. They were already seated when he arrived. They watched him closely as he spoke to the greeter and she pointed to their table. When he reached the table, Junior pointed for him to have a seat.
“Great, I see everyone is here. Can I get you guys something to drink?” the waitress asked in a super excited voice. Everyone placed his or her drink order. “Ok, I’ll be right back.”
“She’s chipper, isn’t she?” Poe said.
Junior cleared his throat before speaking. “Is Poe your real name?”
He chuckled. “Yes, it is. My mother read a lot of Edgar Allen Poe when she was pregnant with me.”
“Oh, ok. Well, I’m Junior, that’s Mud, that’s Eddie, and that’s Edem.” Junior pointed his brothers out.
“Yeah, I know who you are. I know all about you.”
“Well, we don’t know nothing about you,” Mud told him.
“Here’s your drinks, fellas.” The waitress placed their drinks in front of them. “Are you ready to order or do you need more time?”
“Umm, give us some more time. We’ve been busy talking and haven’t even opened up the menu.” Junior tried his best to act casual. He wanted to say, ‘Hell no, we don’t want no damn food sitting here with Edgar Allen Poe’s love child.’ The guy seriously crept him out.
“Oh, okay, take your time.” The waitress skipped off.
“I’m sure you all have a lot of questions for me.”
“We do. For starters, why the big scene last night? You could have contacted our offices and we could have met up just like this,” Junior asked.
“You’re absolutely right. I got caught up and, for that, I apologize, but when Lilith called me upset, saying that she had been attacked again by your family and her wrist was broken, I became enraged.”
“Attacked? We never attacked her.”
“Then, how did she break her wrist?” Poe cocked his head to the side, waiting for a response.
“No one at this table touched your mother, so I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Junior looked at his brothers for them to jump in at any time.
“Look, let’s cut to the chase, you were brought up thinking you were our brother, correct?” Mud took over. He didn’t have much patience for all of the other talk.
“Correct.”
“So, was my father in your life at all?” Mud continued.
“No, he was not.” Poe straightened in chair as if he was uncomfortable.
“My father wouldn’t have done that, he was big on taking care of his responsibility,” Mud added.
“I’m well aware that he didn’t know I existed. Lilith told me she never told him.”
“And, did she tell you why?”
“She said it was for my safety.”
“Your safety?” Junior interjected.
“Yes, she said your mother tried to make her miscarry me by stomping her in the stomach, so she ran away and hid to have me. I was raised by my grandmother, in Ashville, but I always knew who I was, she never hid that from me.”
“I can assure you that my mother didn’t try to kill you,” Junior told him.
“I know all too well that Lilith is something else. Although, she didn’t raise me, I did spend some time with her.”
“I’ve taken it upon myself to make us an appointment for a DNA test. Let’s take the test and we’ll take it from there.” Junior handed him the appointment card.
“That’s fine, I just want to get this over and done with.”
“We agree,” Mud said.
Poe got up. “Thank you for meeting up with me, I will go and allow you to order your food. I have some errands to run, so I’ll be on my way. I guess I will see you in a few days.”
“I’ll be there,” Junior said as they watched Poe walk out of the restaurant. He looked around the table. “Well? What did y’all think?”
“He doesn’t look like us, but he does look familiar. It’s like I’ve seen him before, but we’ll see,” Mud said.
“Yeah, I agree, he does look familiar, though. What do you think, Edem?” Eddie looked over at Edem, who had not said a word the entire time.
He got up and push his chair in. “It is what it is, I’m out.”
“You’re not going to eat, baby brugh?” Eddie asked him.
“Nah, I’m good.” Edem walked out of the Applebee’s without saying another word.
Eddie looked over at Junior. “Thanks, Junior!”
“What did I do? I didn’t say nothing to the boy.”
Eddie looked over at Mud, and then back at Junior. “Really? Were you not there last night, my dude?”
Junior waved Eddie off. “Eh! It’s not that serious.”
“Maybe not for you, but as you can see, he’s upset.”
“He’ll be aight. He’s needs to man up instead of pouting like a little girl,” Junior complained.
“You know what Junior, you are a jerk. You were the one hollering about I’m the oldest, I’m the oldest. Who cares if you’re the oldest? Don’t you think we all know you’re the oldest? You want to be the man, then act like it!” Mud couldn’t hold his tongue any longer. “I watched you last night having a pissing contest with our baby brother. Edem doesn’t act like he’s running the family, but guess what? He does! You, my dude, need to apologize to him because he hasn’t done anything to you for you to step to him.”
“I’m not trying to hear none of that, Mud. The boy is feeling himself because he’s finally getting him some, and he wrote a book. Just because he’s everybody’s favorite, it doesn’t mean I have to bow down.”
Mud shook his head at the nonsense leaving from his brother’s mouth. “Looks like you’re the one that needs to grow up.” Mud got up to leave.
“Come on, Mud, chill out.” Eddie tried to make peace.
“Nah, let him leave.” Junior was fed up with his brothers.
“Junior, shut up!”
“Nah, it’s all good. He can dish it out, but he can’t take it. I’ll call you later, Eddie,” Mud said, walking off.
Eddie sighed and stared at Junior. “What? Forget them! You want to leave, too? You can go, too!” Junior didn’t care at the moment.
“It’s not even worth the fight.” Eddie threw his napkin down on the table and walked off.
Junior waved the waitress over. “I’m ready to order.”
________
The past week had been rough for the Blanks family. Elisea and Lizzie weren’t really speaking, Edem wasn’t talking to Junior, Mud and Eddie had become fed up with Junior’s behavior, and they were still waiting on the results from the blood test with Poe. The only one that showed up for the test was Junior. After talking with Poe, he still was creeped out by him. Mama Eloise had, had enough of the foolishness with her family, called each one of them, and went c
ompletely off with two words, “Fix it!”
Edem was in his home office working on church business when Junior knocked on his opened door. He looked up from his laptop and said motioned for him to enter.
“Hey.” Junior was a little nervous, not knowing how Edem would respond. “Ruthie let me in.”
“What’s up?” Edem closed his laptop in order to give his brother his full attention.
“I just wanted to say that I was sorry.”
Edem nodded his head. “I’m sorry, too.”
“I was just so angry with this Poe dude popping up out of nowhere, and I turned my anger on you instead of looking at myself.”
“Yourself?”
“Yeah, I mean, look at my life. Daddy made one mistake as teenager and look what’s happening now. Look at all my dirt, my kids may be in this exact same situation someday.” Junior rubbed his face. “I don’t know, man, I guess it all just hit a little too close to home.”
“I understand.”
“So, it would be my pleasure if you would allow me to throw you a book signing at the church this Saturday. Edem, I really am proud of you. I know what I said, but those were my own issues I was dealing with, you know, blah, blah, blah.”
“Blah, blah, blah?” Edem chuckled.
“We men, I don’t know how to express myself.
“I know, Junior, we good.” Edem got up, walked around his desk, and gave his brother a hug.
“Yeah, y’all better hug it out,” Ruthie said, watching from the doorway. “I have got to say something, y’all do not seem to know how blessed y’all are to have each other. I don’t have anybody; y’all have each other. Stop taking each other for granted, you’re brothers and believe it, a lot all y’all act alike. You have the same mannerisms. All four of y’all rub your faces when you’re thinking or are getting irritated. Where one of you is weak, the other one is usually strong. Now, I’m pregnant and I want to have a happy pregnancy, and this past week, Edem, you have been tense and that is not you. Junior, you seem tortured, just love each other through all of this, sheesh.”
Edem and Junior shared a confused look. “Ummmm, baby, we made up already.”