by Mary Monroe
He shrugged and shook his head. “Not really. I ran into her at the gas station on my way over here, and she told me about that mess at the tent revival this evenin’. I told my girl she needs to drag that little heifer of hers into the woods by her feet and whup the dog shit out of her.”
“A lot of people feel the same way you do. But I think it’s too late for that. Whuppings didn’t faze Jade at all when she was growing up. Rhoda only whupped her a few times. But Otis didn’t hesitate to chastise her when she misbehaved, which was a waste of his time. One time I saw him lay into her with a switch like he was whupping a man. After he turned her loose, that little hussy ran out of that room laughing so hard Otis and I had to laugh too. You want a drink?”
“A beer would be nice.”
Right after I handed Pee Wee a can of Bud Light, I excused myself and ran upstairs to use the telephone in my bedroom. I wanted to make sure I didn’t say something to him about Rhoda that he didn’t need to know. I knew that he was her best male friend, but there were some things that she and I shared that nobody else on earth needed to know. If Rhoda was really serious about sending her daughter to prison, for Rhoda’s sake, I didn’t want the world to know.
“Pee Wee’s downstairs,” I told her, speaking in a low voice even though he couldn’t hear me down in the living room. “I don’t want to say anything you don’t want me to say. But, uh, did you say anything to him about what you told me you’re going to do to Jade? That, uh, thing with her luggage?”
“HELL NO!” Rhoda boomed. “Of course I didn’t tell Pee Wee what I am goin’ to do. And don’t you ever breathe a word of it to him, or anybody else! I didn’t think I needed to tell you not to.”
“Rhoda, I don’t want you to go to jail. But if this thing backfires and you get caught, you might be the one to get locked up. Have you thought about that?”
“I got it all figured out. Don’t worry.”
“That’s easier said than done. I honestly don’t think I can not worry knowing all of what I know.” I sniffed and rubbed my nose. My bedroom door was closed, but I glanced at it anyway to make sure I didn’t have an audience. The floor in my upstairs hallway was hardwood. From the landing at the top of the stairs all the way to my bedroom at the opposite end of the hall, the floor creaked when somebody walked on it, even if they tiptoed in their bare feet. I hadn’t heard anybody approaching, but I lowered my voice to a whisper anyway. “But I’ll try.”
Rhoda chuckled. I couldn’t figure out why because I didn’t think anything we had said so far was amusing.
“I’m worried about you,” I told her.
“You worry about yourself and Pee Wee. I got my shit under control. I’m goin’ to be real busy shoppin’ for clothes to take with me, and makin’ sure Lizel and Wyrita have everything under control with my child-care obligations. I don’t want to leave the children or their parents in a lurch. I might not get to see you much before I leave for Jamaica, but I’ll call you from down there as often as I can.”
“Rhoda, I can’t afford to lose you. Please be careful,” I pleaded.
“You do the same tonight.”
“What do you mean?”
“Girl, you know damn well what I mean.”
“Rhoda, if I knew, I wouldn’t be asking,” I said with a hiss.
“Look, I know you better than your own mama. I know your pussy has been itchin’ for weeks. Right now you’ve got the only man you know who can get the job done right sittin’ in your livin’ room. From what he’s been tellin’ me lately, he hasn’t been with another woman in weeks, so his dick is probably as hard as a lead pipe by now. Get you some tonight.”
When I went back downstairs, Pee Wee had unbuttoned his shirt. I was glad to see that he’d lost part of that pot belly he’d had a few months ago. He had also kicked off his shoes and propped up his feet on my coffee table. He looked right at home.
“You want something else?” I asked, meaning another beer. Pee Wee looked me up and down and smiled. “Well, since you asked ...”
I did “get some” that night. And it must have been pretty obvious, because the next morning as soon as Lillimae saw my face, she started grinning.
“Somebody got lucky last night,” she teased. “I heard that ruckus comin’ from your room. It sounded like you were tearin’ down the house. It’s about time you got some... .”
I faked a gasp. “Lillimae, I don’t know what you mean,” I said, not looking at her. I poured myself a cup of coffee and joined her at the kitchen table.
“You got some what last night, Mama?” Charlotte wanted to know, creeping into the kitchen with her backpack.
“Uh, nothing,” I mumbled, wiggling in my seat.
“Some new clothes,” Lillimae offered. “Your mama got herself some new clothes last night.”
“Is that all?” Charlotte said with a bored look on her face. “Mama, I hope you didn’t get any more of those old granny goose–looking blouses and dresses that you already have enough of.”
“Uh, you’d better hurry up and eat so you can get out there to meet your school bus. Make sure you have your lunch money and all your homework,” I said sharply. “And don’t forget, I’m going out to dinner tonight with Daddy, and your aunt Lillimae is going to be at the restaurant helping your grandmother.” Charlotte was about to grab a piece of bacon, but her hand froze in midair when she heard what I had to say next. “Do you want to go to Harrietta’s house when you get off that school bus after school?” Because I had had that talk with Harrietta about Charlotte, I was confident that Harrietta would work extra hard to make Charlotte like her. But now I’d let Charlotte decide whether or not she wanted to give Harrietta another chance.
“I’d rather go hang out at the church!” Charlotte hollered. “Mama, I don’t want to keep going to that old woman’s house. I keep telling you she’s not normal!”
“Exactly what does she do that makes you think she’s not normal?” Lillimae asked.
Charlotte dropped her head. “It don’t matter. Y’all grown folks stick together anyway.” With a slight smile on her face, she said, “Mama, if I’m good and don’t complain so much about Harrietta, can I go to the Valentine’s Day dance at my school coming up?”
“I’ll think about it,” I replied, relieved that she had directed her attention toward something more pleasant.
CHAPTER 53
I HAD VISITED HARRIETTA AT HER HOUSE A FEW TIMES SINCE MY decision not to depend on her to look after Charlotte anymore, but she had stopped coming to my house—even when I invited her. We discussed a lot of different things when we were together, but there was now some tension between us. I knew that our relationship would never be the same again.
I was surprised that she still let her daughters spend time with Charlotte in my house. She had even allowed Vivian to go to the skating rink with Charlotte the day before.
When I told Charlotte that she could attend the Valentine’s Day dance at her school a couple of weeks after the fiasco that Jade had participated in during the tent revival, she was ecstatic. But when I told her that Harrietta had volunteered to be one of the chaperones at the dance, she decided not to go. I didn’t try to change her mind. When Harrietta called me up and asked if Charlotte wanted to ride to the dance with her and Vivian, I lied and told her that Charlotte had suddenly become sick and wouldn’t be going to the dance. I don’t know if she believed me or not, but I found out the next day that Vivian had suddenly changed her mind about going to the dance too.
Harrietta called me up around eight the next morning. I had just finished cooking breakfast and was anxious to dive into the buttered grits on my plate.
“Is Vivian at your house?” Harrietta asked, sounding frantic.
I was puzzled to say the least. Harrietta was very particular about when she let her girls out of her sight. “No. Why would she be here? Especially this early in the morning. Didn’t she come home with you after the dance last night?”
“She didn’t go to the d
ance last night.”
“Oh? But she was even more excited about it than Charlotte was. Did she get sick too?” I stopped chewing on the piece of bacon that I had just speared with my fork. I didn’t feel so hungry anymore.
“When I told her that Charlotte was not going to the dance, she changed her mind. When I went to her room to wake her up for breakfast a few minutes ago, she was gone. So was her backpack, her cell phone, and a few of her clothes.”
“Hmmm. Maybe she’s with her daddy,” I offered.
“No, she’s not. That porch monkey is on a two-week cruise with his whore.”
“Oh. Well, she’s not here. I do know that she spent some time on the telephone with Charlotte yesterday evening. Hold on and I’ll run upstairs and ask her if she knows anything.”
When I entered Charlotte’s room, she was already up, which was unusual for her on a Saturday morning.
“Do you know where Vivian is?” I asked.
Charlotte was sitting on the side of her bed reading a comic book.
“Nope,” she replied, shaking her head.
“Her mother’s on the telephone. Vivian didn’t go to the dance last night either, and when Harrietta went to get her for breakfast this morning, she was not in her room.”
“Well, I don’t know where she is,” Charlotte answered with a shrug.
The thought that Vivian had run away was the next thing that entered my mind. I didn’t want to mention that to Charlotte and I didn’t mention it to Harrietta, but she brought it up as soon as I returned to the telephone.
“Oh my God! I think she’s run away!” Harrietta screamed.
“Oh no! I hope not! Have you called up her other little friends?”
“I’ve called up everybody I know. Somebody knows where she’s at, but nobody’s talking!” Harrietta choked on a sob.
“If she’s not back home within the next hour, I think you should call the police. Do you want me to come over? Do you want to send Diane and Lucy over here while you go out and look for her? Or if you want me to, I’ll go with you.”
Harrietta let out a groan. “Thanks, Annette. I’m going to make a few more calls and if I don’t have any luck, I’ll let you know.”
Charlotte entered the kitchen a few minutes later.
“Can I eat in my room?” she wanted to know, not looking at me as she fixed herself a plate.
“Charlotte, if you know where Vivian is, you’d better tell me,” I said, shaking my fork at her. “Her mother is beside herself!”
“I don’t know nothing,” she replied, still not looking at me.
“Running away from home is way out of character for a girl like Vivian,” I insisted. “Don’t you think so?”
“I guess,” Charlotte mumbled. She stumbled out of the kitchen with a plate that contained a large portion of grits, several pieces of toast, and two spoons.
I waited a few moments and then followed her, holding my breath as I tiptoed up the steps.
She had locked her bedroom door, and that was something she never did. She was taking too long to open it when I knocked, so I trotted to my room and got the key. Before I could get all the way into Charlotte’s room, I saw Vivian scrambling to get into the closet.
I called Harrietta immediately. A few minutes later, she stormed into my house clutching two switches. She didn’t whup Vivian in my presence, but I was sure that the girl was going to catch hell when she got home. And I didn’t blame Harrietta one bit for being so angry.
“How could you get involved with that girl running away like that? What is the matter with you kids?” I hollered at Charlotte as soon as Harrietta and Vivian left.
Lillimae came galloping into the living room in her housecoat.
“What in the world is all the hoopin’ and hollerin’ about?” she asked, looking from me to Charlotte.
“Vivian ran away from home last night and Charlotte was hiding her in her bedroom,” I snapped, glaring at Charlotte.
Lillimae gasped; then she began to speak in a very gentle voice. “Charlotte, honey, don’t you know better than that? You can’t let a runaway stay in this house.”
“She was going to go someplace else after today,” Charlotte whined, with a look of terror on her face. From the way she was trembling, you would have thought that I had two switches in my hand too. “I was just trying to help... .”
“Well, you’ve helped her enough, young lady. You won’t be going to that skating rink at the mall, riding your bike, or doing much of anything else for a while,” I declared. “And I don’t know what Harrietta is going to do about this, but outside of school, I don’t want you to communicate with Vivian again until I say you can. I won’t be surprised if Harrietta stops you two from associating with one another ever again!”
Harrietta didn’t return any of the calls that I placed over the next few days. I didn’t even see her or any of her kids outside their house, or anywhere else. I decided to stop leaving messages for her. I felt that if she ever wanted to communicate with me again, she would.
CHAPTER 54
IT WAS THE LAST DAY IN FEBRUARY; TWO WEEKS SINCE I’D last spoken to Harrietta. But I had seen her and her girls going in and out of their house during the last few days. Everything appeared to be all right, so I didn’t bother her. I could understand her being upset with Charlotte for hiding Vivian in her bedroom. And if I hadn’t found Vivian when I did, there was no telling what she might have done next. Just thinking about that made me mad, so I could imagine what it did to Harrietta. If and when she ever wanted to communicate with me again, I would welcome her. In the meantime, I would stay out of her business. I already had enough on my plate anyway.
I left work a few hours early that Friday to drive Rhoda to the airport in Cleveland. Jade had left for the islands the day before, and Otis was going to join them a few days later. Before Rhoda and I parted, I asked her again if she was serious about planting drugs in her daughter’s luggage.
“I wouldn’t have told you what I was goin’ to do if I didn’t mean it. I feel like I have no choice now,” Rhoda told me, sounding exasperated. I knew she was exasperated and overwhelmed. But she seemed more determined than ever to go through with her bizarre plan.
“Rhoda, you do have a choice. Jade will get locked up for a crime that she did not commit. That boy who robbed the Grab and Go committed a real crime. That’s why his mama turned him in,” I reminded. “I just wish that you’d give this thing some more thought.”
“Some more thought? You think I should give this thing some more thought? This is all I’ve been thinkin’ about since I first mentioned it to you, Annette.”
“Well, I don’t think you’ve thought about it enough. Sending your own child to jail? Do you really want to do that to her?” I was talking so fast I had to cough to keep from choking on my words. “What you’re proposing to do is a crime. I hope you realize that.”
“Annette, do me a favor and let me handle my business. Now, let me get in line so I can go get checked in.” Rhoda looked at her travel documents in her hand and groaned. She was clearly distressed and I could understand why. Going to wait for somebody to die, then attend their funeral was stressful enough. But with everything else that was going on, I was surprised that Rhoda was still able to speak in a coherent manner. I could not imagine what it would be like to set up my own child—or anybody else for that matter—to go to jail! Especially for a crime they did not commit. It was wrong any way you looked at it—ethically, morally, and legally. But in a twisted way, as a desperate mother, I could see a glimmer of logic in Rhoda’s plan. Since I had already expressed my thoughts about this insane situation to Rhoda, it was not necessary for me to say it again this late in the game. But I knew that I would again eventually.
Rhoda seemed like she was in a fever of anxiety. She kept glancing at her watch and looking around. Every time there was a loud noise, she jumped.
“Are you all right?” I asked.
She rolled her eyes and gave me a weak smile. “Of
course I’m all right.” She sucked in some air and offered me another weak smile. “Lord, I hope they can switch me to a window seat. I would not want to sit for hours on end in a middle seat if my flight was on the Concorde.” She paused, gave me a pitiful look, and glanced at her watch again. “You may not think that my daughter is committin’ any crime, but I do. Her lifestyle is a crime.” I got the feeling that Rhoda was trying to convince herself that she was doing the right thing more than she was me.
“If you feel she’s already committing crimes, don’t you feel she’ll eventually get caught and go to jail legitimately?”
“True. I’m sure she’ll eventually get caught up in some mess and get arrested anyway. But what if she’s involved in somethin’ like a shootout with the cops, or some of those thugs who have a grudge against those snakes she’s workin’ for? What if she overdoses on drugs? What if she gets involved in somethin’ she can’t get out of? Now I’m through talkin’ about this.” Rhoda patted her hair, which was in a ponytail. “Any of my gray roots showin’? I didn’t have time to make it to the beauty shop.”
“I don’t see any,” I answered. “You look fine.”
Rhoda didn’t want to continue the conversation, and in a way I was glad. Her sending Jade to jail was one thing that I wished she had not told me about. I couldn’t stop thinking about it now. And when we parted in front of the entrance to her flight’s departing gate, she hugged me like she was hugging me for the last time.
I didn’t sleep much that night. All I could think about was Rhoda’s plan going awry, and her going to jail, and me losing the best female friend I ever had.
I kept myself as busy as possible for the next few days. That Friday, on my way home from work, I ran into Wyrita at the Grab and Go. I was two people behind her in the express checkout line. When I got outside, she was waiting on me, leaning on the hood of my car. She had already dropped her purchases into her car, two vehicles over from mine, so I knew she meant business. She was not about to let me get away unscathed. Wyrita would have made a good spider. She was the kind of woman who could spin an imaginary web and get you caught up in it before you knew what was going on. I felt like a trapped fly.