Rush

by Lisa Patton

  Mrs. Woodcock reaches out to stop a member weaving through the crowd. ADB Greek letters are painted in blue on her cheeks. “Selma, have you met Cali Watkins?”

  The girl smiles when she sees me, claps her hands together. “Not yet. Hey, Cali, I’m Selma James. This year’s president.” Then she stretches out her arms and pulls me in tightly.

  “Thank you so much for the bid,” I tell her, once she lets go. “I’m really happy.”

  “Are you kidding? We’re the happy ones. Cali, let me take this opportunity to tell you how much we all love you here.”

  “I can feel that. I intend to do great things for our sorority. I promise you’ll never regret your decision.”

  “Phhh.” Air escapes her lips. “None of us have a doubt about that.”

  Someone sneaks up from behind and puts a cheek next to mine. “Tired of meeting people yet?” It’s Sarah. I love how she’s keeping a watchful eye out for me.

  I whip around, look at her like she’s crazy. “Hardly.”

  “Speaking of meeting people,” Mrs. Dyson says, “has anyone seen Lilith Whitmoah?”

  I notice Ellie’s mom and Selma exchange looks.

  “No, ma’am,” Selma says matter-of-factly. “I haven’t seen her.” Then she asks Mrs. Woodcock if she can speak with her privately. The two of them hurry inside the House.

  Sarah puts a hand on Ellie’s shoulder and one on mine. “Y’all have gifts inside.”

  “Gifts?” Ellie and I look at each other and grin. Who would send me gifts? I wonder. This day is getting better by the minute.

  Sarah’s arms reach around both of our shoulders. “Let’s go take a peek. Then we’ll get your faces painted.”

  As the three of us turn to leave, Mrs. Dyson takes Ellie by the hand. “I want to see your elegant dorm room, dahlin’. Before I head back.”

  “I’d love for you to see it, Mimi, but can Mom take you? I don’t want to leave right now.”

  “I’ll take you, Eleanor,” Mr. Woodcock says before turning to Ellie. “Your mom won’t want to miss a minute of this, either.”

  Ellie gets pulled away before we make it to the front door. Sarah and I keep moving, though, and when we step inside the House I am awestruck. Although I was here for Rush, all the members were crammed inside and I couldn’t appreciate the decor. Now, standing here with my mouth open, I’m sure it’s the most beautiful house I’ve ever been in.

  I don’t remember it from before, but the crystal chandelier hanging in the foyer is enormous, and it seems like it’s beckoning all who come to call. A round table sits underneath with a massive display of white roses. A grand staircase twists and turns to another floor. The ceilings must be twelve feet tall, and the furniture looks like it’s been staged for a photograph. My eyes travel all over the walls then stop at the composites in the foyer. Will my picture actually be on the one for this year? I feel like pinching myself.

  Sarah can tell I’m speechless because my eyes are the size of baseballs and I’m turning a slow circle. “Pretty awesome, huh?” she says.

  “It’s … it’s magnificent.”

  There’s a dining room off to the side with enough formal tables to seat hundreds of girls at the same time. Sarah takes me by the hand. “Let me show you around.”

  First, we walk through the dining room, straight back to what’s known as the study lounge. Today it looks like anything but. Hundreds of baskets and floral arrangements are taking up every centimeter of space. Sarah tiptoes through a sea of blue and clear cellophane until she finds a medium-size basket tied at the top with a bow. “Looks like this one’s for you.” She steps back carefully and hands it to me.

  “This is crazy. I never expected this.” After untying the bow, I dig in right away, finding all kinds of Alpha Delt novelties: a beach towel, a coffee mug, a sweatband, a picture frame, even an adorable stuffed orca. “Who would send this to me?”

  “Read the card,” Sarah says.

  I place the basket down and open the small envelope.

  TO DARLING CALI

  WITH LOVE, WILDA & HAYNES WOODCOCK

  With a hand over my heart, I try to take this all in. “It’s from Ellie’s parents. I can’t believe how nice they are.” While I’m rifling through the basket she hands me two more. One from a few Alpha Delts I don’t even know and the other from her. Both are jammed with more Alpha Delt trinkets, T-shirts, and game-day buttons. I can see them inside the cellophane.

  “Tell you what. Save these for later,” Sarah says. “Everyone just takes their baskets home when they leave. Besides, you have one more surprise.”

  She guides me down the hall, back to the foyer, and leads me to what she calls the Receiving Room. The first thing I notice is a black baby grand piano, which I can’t wait to get my hands on. Then I notice a tall grandfather clock behind it. The room has elegant furniture with floral draperies, fine artwork on the walls, and a lovely oriental rug. In the corner are two formal chairs … I gasp. Mamaw and Papaw are seated in those chairs and Mamaw is holding a vase of long-stemmed white roses. Just the sight of them brings mist to my eyes and I stretch my arms their way. “Who told y’all?”

  They both stand and we hold on to one another. I do not want to let them go.

  “This lady right here,” Papaw says, moving over to Sarah. He nudges her playfully into his side.

  When I look at her, she’s grinning. I give her a playful push. “You keep a good secret, Sarah Mason.”

  Mamaw hands me the roses. “We’re very proud of you, Cali.”

  “How long have y’all been here?”

  “Let’s see now.” Papaw props his chin on two fingers. “We got to town around nine this morning. Had breakfast, then took our time walking over. We’ve been here a couple-three hours, I believe.”

  “And we spent a good deal of the time talking with the nicest lady.” Mamaw glances over her shoulder. “She was here a few minutes ago. Pearl. Pearl Johnson. She’s the housekeeper here.”

  “Oh my gosh. Miss Pearl’s our everything,” Sarah says. “Don’t you love her?”

  “We certainly do,” Mamaw says. “She’s worried about her aunt, though. Apparently she’s sick today.”

  “Miss Ophelia’s sick?” Sarah looks genuinely concerned.

  Papaw nods. “Pearl told us she had some kind of stomach issue. She seemed mighty upset about it. But I could tell she was happy for the distraction.” He pats me on the back. “She’s looking forward to meeting you, Cali baby.”

  Annie Laurie’s mom peeks inside the room. I wave at her and smile. There’s no doubt she sees me, but she plays like she doesn’t and never waves back. She’s still within earshot when Papaw calls to her. “Excuse me, ma’am. Ma’am.”

  Mrs. Whitmore stops, turns around slowly.

  He stretches an arm across my back, squeezes my shoulder. “See? We were right. Our Cali is an Alpha Delta Beta.”

  At first it seems Mrs. Whitmore doesn’t want to acknowledge my grandfather. A long, awkward second stretches into five until at last, she puts a hand over her mouth. “I must have made a mistake.” She squints one eye, then shoots me a hard smile. “Welcome to Alpha Delt, California. You are a very lucky girl.”

  FORTY-SIX

  MISS PEARL

  Around one o’clock I heard the screams. I looked out the front window and there they were—the new crop of Alpha Delts—running down Sorority Row like bears after honey, crying and laughing at the same time. In a matter of minutes every inch of the lawn was covered with hundreds of people and all things Alpha Delt. Between the costumes and the balloons, the painted faces and snowcones, it looked like a carnival.

  Normally I like to go outside, join in on the festivities, but today my mind is stuck on Aunt Fee. One minute I’m worried sick, the next I’m so mad at her I can’t see straight. It’s one thing to be stubborn, but it’s something altogether different to be dumb. And that’s what I’m calling her this morning. Plain dumb.

  All I keep thinking about is why sh
e hasn’t told me what’s going on with her. I would have made sure she had seen a good doctor a long time ago—health insurance or not. Lots of our girls have doctors for parents. Surely one of them would have been happy to see her. I’d have carried her anywhere in the state she wanted to go.

  My other concern—my conversation with Miss Lilith—well, that has had to take a back seat.

  On my way up from the basement, I see Trudy sneaking down the hall toward the present room, so I go on and scoop her up before she gets herself in trouble again. On Bid Day, Mama Carla always stands at the front door, welcoming our new members. I have a feeling she must have left her apartment door cracked open by mistake.

  When I walk up with Trudy in my arm I give Mama Carla a wink, put her back in the apartment, then close the door. It’s only when I turn around that I notice whom it is Mama Carla’s talking with. I had only met him once, on move-in day, and I don’t like him.

  “Have you ever met Sarah’s dad, John Mason?” Miss Carla asks.

  What I’d like to do is bite his head off, but instead I smile politely. “Yes, I have. How are you, Mr. Mason?”

  “Very well, thank you.”

  “I sure am proud of Sarah. Gamma Chi is not an easy job.”

  “You’re right about that,” he responds with a chuckle. “I talked with her yesterday. One girl in her group was cut from Rush completely.”

  “I don’t find many reasons to be glad I’ve got some years on me, but that’s one of them,” Mama Carla says. “I don’t miss those days. Girls getting cut from Rush. That just bothers me. If I could change the whole darn system I would.”

  “Good luck with that,” he says. “Where were you in school?”

  “Millsaps. I was a KD, but sorority life was nothing like it is here. Trust me.”

  John Mason leans closer to the two of us. “In my day, guys didn’t get cut from Rush. We’d just send the nerds over to the Farmhouse frat at State.”

  I suppose he thinks he’s funny. He’s chuckling with a hand covering his belly. But neither Mama Carla nor I laugh back. It was a rude thing to say. I turn to leave, but that man reaches out to stop me. “Did you go to college, Pearl?”

  I turn back around. There’s nothing upbeat about my tone when I answer. “I attended Ole Miss for a short while. I’m planning on finishing at Rust soon as I can.”

  “Rust College in Holly Springs. I pass right by there on my way from Memphis to Birmingham.” He shifts his weight from one foot to the other, slides his hands in his pockets. “My company has locations in both. I’ve been making that drive twice a month now for years.”

  Exactly what does he think interests me about that?

  “The only good thing about it is I get to see Sarah more often.” As coincidence would have it, here comes that baby now, walking up from behind with a new member. “Speak of the devil,” Mr. John says to her.

  “Hi, Dad.” She sounds annoyed. “When did you get here?”

  “About fifteen minutes ago.”

  “Are you alone?” Uh-oh. Sarah’s wondering if his young girlfriend has tagged along. She’s talked with me about her so many times I feel like I know the girl.

  “I am.” After an awkward pause he ogles a new pledge standing next to Sarah. “Who’s this pretty girl with you?”

  Sarah rolls her eyes. “Cali Watkins. One of our new members.”

  Cali Watkins? So this is the young lady Miss Lilith lied about. Told her sweet grandparents she wasn’t getting an Alpha Delt bid. That woman has stooped to an all-time low. I shudder to think what she’ll do next.

  “Hi, Mr. Mason,” Cali says. “Your daughter is an angel.”

  “Well, I think so.” Mr. John’s eyes travel all the way down to Cali’s toes. “Alpha Delt needs a pretty redhead around here.”

  With a bashful smile Cali mutters, “Thank you.”

  Sarah makes a quarter turn. “And this is Mama Carla. Our fabulous housemother.”

  “Hello, Cali. It’s great to meet you.”

  “You, too. Should I call you Mama Carla?” Cali asks, hesitantly.

  “You better.”

  Sarah scoots over and throws her arms around me. “Last but not least, this is Miss Pearl. She’s our everything.”

  “Welcome to the family, Cali. We’ll take good care of you.” I reach out and snuggle her into my other side. She’s a little-bitty thing. Redheaded with freckles and pretty blue eyes. I already want to protect her. From Miss Lilith, I mean.

  Cali starts to say something, but Sarah interrupts. “Miss Pearl is, like, our in-house therapist. She always has great advice. You can tell her anything.”

  “No appointment necessary,” I say.

  Cali’s eyes sparkle with an inner glow.

  “You two will get along famously. I just know it.” Sarah’s smile fades as she turns to her father. “I’ve got a bunch to do today, Dad.” She steps toward the door. “You coming, Cali?” Sarah’s anger is not something she intends to hide. I’ve counseled her through many an hour of her pain. And I must say I can’t blame her. She’ll have to forgive him sooner or later. But it can’t come until she’s ready.

  “I know when I’m not wanted.” He smiles bitterly at the rest of us, then moves on out the front door without a goodbye.

  “Well. I think I’ll check to see how dinner’s going,” Mama Carla says, flashing a horrified look in my direction. “I’m looking forward to knowing you, Cali. See y’all a little later.”

  Sarah bristles. “Sorry. He makes me furious.”

  “No worries,” Cali says. “I totally get it.”

  “Maybe I better tell him goodbye. I’ll be right back.” She looks at Cali. “You’re in great hands.”

  After Sarah leaves, when it’s just the two of us, Cali reaches for my shoulder. “How’s your aunt? I heard she was sick.”

  “Tell you the truth, I’m not sure. But I’m praying she gets better soon. Thank you for asking, baby.”

  “My grandparents told me. They met you earlier today?” She says it like she’s not sure I’ll remember. When I give her a reassuring smile she adds, “They loved meeting you.”

  “Likewise. They’re sweet as they can be.”

  “They said the same thing about you.” Now Cali’s fingering her necklace and her little eyes are darting around the foyer. Her smile has faded. Seems like she’s worrying over something.

  “What’s wrong, baby? This is supposed to be a happy day.”

  “Oh, this is the best day of my life, but…” Seems like she’s trying to get up the nerve to tell me something, but she’s afraid.

  “If there’s something on your mind, go ahead on and tell it. Didn’t you hear Sarah say I’m the in-house therapist? You can trust me.”

  She looks down, shuffles her feet, then finally locks eyes with mine. “You know Mrs. Whitmore, right?”

  I nod, trying not to laugh. But a giggle is in my voice. “Oh, I know Mrs. Whitmore.”

  “Is she—” Now she’s zipping her cross along its chain. “Does she … ever stick her nose where it doesn’t belong?”

  I can’t keep from busting out now. “I’m afraid so. Don’t quote me—if you do I’ll swear on my mother’s grave I never said it—but my advice to you is to have as little to do with her as possible.”

  “That’s not so easy. Her daughter’s my next-door neighbor. And now my pledge sister.”

  “Uh-oh.” I nudge her with my elbow. Let her know I’m playing with her. Now I’ve made her laugh. I won’t tell her about witnessing Mrs. Whitless lie to her grandparents, but I am curious about her story. “What’s making you ask that, Cali?”

  “I have reason to believe she’s been snooping around Blue Mountain, my hometown, trying to dig up my past.”

  Lord have mercy. That woman knows no boundaries. There’s nothing she won’t do to have her way. “Well, she can’t hurt you. I know that. You’re an Alpha Delt sister now.” I reach over, pull her into my side. “Don’t you be afraid of her.”

&n
bsp; “I’m not really afraid of her … it’s a long story.”

  “Look here. We’ll talk about Mrs. Whitmore another time. You go ahead on and enjoy this day. Just remember who you are and whose you are.” I let her go, pat her on the back. “Let me get back to the kitchen. We’re shorthanded as it is. And with Aunt Fee gone … shoot.”

  “Okay. See you soon, Miss Pearl.” Cali takes a step toward the door. Then whips back around. “I guess we’ve already had our first counseling session.” Her smile tells me it won’t be our last.

  “You remember what I told you now.”

  “I’ll remember.”

  “I got your back.”

  I’ve been taking care of these white girls a long time, but there’s something special about Cali. When she smiles, it seems like she’s opening a window, giving me a glimpse inside her heart. I don’t know what’s special yet, but I’m sure I’ll find out. I always do.

  *

  After Bid Day dinner, once the kitchen is clean, and I’ve got Fee’s meal all wrapped up in a to-go container, I hurry to my closet for my pocketbook. As the evening has worn on, my anger toward her has subsided, but anxiety has taken its place. Thinking about how weak her voice sounded on the phone has me on the verge of panic. Tears have flooded my eyes and I can’t make them stop.

  I see five gifts propped up on my closet door as soon as I round the corner, two wrapped and the other three in gift bags. It’s not unusual, especially with the mamas around. I pull out my key, open the door, and flick on the light. Then I scoop up the gifts, pulling the door shut behind me. Since Aunt Fee’s expecting me, I’ll open them Tuesday. Tomorrow is my first day off in two weeks.

  Tap, tap, tap. I think someone’s knocking on the door, but with the loud music it’s hard to tell. Easing it open a crack, I peek one eye out and see it’s that sweet little Cali. She waves, and gives me a timid smile. I don’t want her to see me upset, so I pull a tissue out of the box on the shelf, wipe away my tears before opening the door. “Hello, Cali. I see you found my office.”

  “Sarah told me where it was. I just wanted to say good night and thank you again for the pep talk.”