Letting Misery Go

by Michelle Larks

  The couple traveled on 1-55, and they were about two hundred miles south of Chicago. Montgomery put on his turn signal and easily moved to the left lane masterfully, steering his sleek and powerful silver platinum Jaguar XJR. The automobile was Montgomery’s pride and joy.

  He peered at the GPS unit on the dashboard, saying, “We should be in Chicago in another three hours, give or take a few minutes.” Then he looked over at Naomi, who was engrossed in a paperback book. “Babe, how much have you told your family about me?” He flipped on the turn signal again and returned to the right lane.

  “Um,” Naomi fumbled for words, “I haven’t told them too much about you. I thought it would be easier to introduce you, and then take it from there.” Her face was flushed.

  “So who do they think I am?” Montgomery asked. “Would you hand me a bottle of water?”

  Naomi reached into a small cooler on the backseat, took out a bottle of water, twisted it open, and handed it to Montgomery. He gulped down a couple of swigs, and then put the bottle in the cup holder.

  “Monty,” Naomi said nervously as she bit her lower lip, “in all the years I’ve been at SIU, I’ve never brought a man home. So the fact that you’re with me will speak volumes to my family.”

  “I would have liked it better had your family at least known my name, and you had clarified our relationship. Honesty is the best policy, Nay.”

  “You’re right,” she admitted, sighing. “But, as I’ve told you, things are still kind of strained between me and my family, and I haven’t really shared a lot of my personal business with them. They hid secrets from me for so long.” She turned and looked out the window.

  Montgomery said tenderly, “I understand, babe. I know you’ve had issues with your parents, but that stuff happened in the past.” Montgomery was in the dark regarding the depth of Naomi’s issues. He continued speaking. “You’ve just got to let it go to make room for the future we have planned together.” He looked at her hand. “You’re not wearing my ring?” he asked disbelievingly as his lips tightened.

  “Well, um, until I have a chance to talk to everyone,” Naomi fudged, “I’d prefer to keep that between us.” She knew Montgomery wasn’t going to be happy with the way she presented him to her family. Still, she preferred to do things her way.

  “I think you’re making a mistake,” Montgomery observed, cutting his eyes over at her. “I feel like I’m a dirty secret or something.” He turned off the CD player.

  “Of course, you aren’t,” Naomi protested, leaning over and kissing Montgomery’s cheek. “I love you, but I have to do this my way. Trust me, my family will love you. This is the best way to do things; just spring it on them during the weekend.”

  “If I were your parents, I don’t think I’d appreciate you doing it that way. I have already introduced you to my mum and my sister, Elizabeth. I thought their reaction to the news was admirable. They love you.”

  Naomi rolled her eyes. “Let’s keep it real. I admit they were polite when they first met me, but it took them a while to come around to accepting me as your girlfriend. Everyone is not like that, and racial prejudice is a tad bit more prevalent in the United States.”

  “Prejudice exists everywhere, in some shape, form, or fashion. I wish you’d handled the situation differently. But my coming with you this weekend is a big step in the right direction.” He reached over and grabbed her hand with his free hand.

  “Slavery is what makes prejudice different here in the United States. There are still ramifications that I don’t think we’ll ever be able to overcome,” Naomi said.

  “Prejudice unfortunately has existed in all parts of the world. Great Britain practiced that peculiar institution, and many Irish people have no love for England,” Montgomery observed. They passed a sign that stated: Chicago 125 miles.

  “That’s true, but what’s different is that slavery took place right here on our continent, in the United States. There were more slaves in other countries than there were in England,” Naomi retorted.

  “Okay, you got me there,” Montgomery conceded. “You know you could tell your family.” Montgomery began saying, but Naomi held up a finger and pressed it across his lips.

  “No, we’ll be okay. I know what I’m doing, and everything will work out just fine,” Naomi replied.

  She picked up her book, which had fallen to the floor, and resumed reading. They would be in Chicago soon. She couldn’t help feeling a little apprehensive about what lay ahead. She knew her family, and she had no doubt that they would treat Montgomery with the utmost respect. She turned the page, and wished she could skirt the part of the trip where her family met Montgomery. If only the visit could be just like the page she had finished reading, over and done with.

  As Naomi and Montgomery were completing the last leg of their journey, Sarah was at home in a tizzy, completing the last of her household chores. Sarah decided to postpone the family meeting one week so that Naomi could attend. Sarah, with Glenda’s help, had been holding down the fort at Daniel’s house. The meeting was scheduled for five o’clock that evening at Daniel’s home. Sarah had decided to keep the meal simple for Naomi and Montgomery. Her menu consisted of a pasta salad, macaroni and cheese, baked beans and green beans, rotisserie and fried chicken, with corn bread and rolls. Maggie had baked cupcakes and brownies. She planned to take leftovers to Daniel’s house.

  Sarah’s kitchen had a homespun feel to it. The tiled flooring was rust, while the walls were painted an apricot, contrasting with white appliances. Amber-and-white curtains hung at the window over the sink. The cabinets were a brown wood, and there was a matching table with six chairs.

  The back door opened and Brian walked into the house, carrying bags of soft drinks. “Hmm, it smells good in here,” he said, putting the bags on the counter. Then he took off his jacket and laid it on the back of one of the kitchen chairs. He walked to the refrigerator and began putting two-liter bottles of Pepsi, 7UP, and fruit drinks inside it.

  Sarah looked around the kitchen. “I hope I haven’t forgotten anything,” she murmured. “I feel like I’ve forgotten something, but I don’t know what it is.”

  “You always say that,” Brian noted, chuckling. “I’ll go back out if necessary.” He walked to the stove and peeled back the aluminum foil from the chicken. He picked up a wing, and smiled sheepishly at his wife.

  “Go ahead,” Sarah said.

  She took off the apron tied around her waist. She wore a pair of jeans, which clung to her size-twelve figure, with a red cable-knit sweater and matching red flats. Time had been good to Sarah. Though she was in her early forties, she maintained her cover girl looks. She pushed her bangs off her forehead and ran her fingers through her bobbed hair.

  “I forgot to put on jewelry. I’ll be right back.” She rushed to the bedroom and returned a few minutes later, fastening the back on an earring.

  “You look beautiful, Sarah,” Brian said appreciatively.

  Brian was handsome himself, and in his middle years. He was still trim and played basketball with his son. His hair had grayed a bit at the temples, and he sported salt-and-pepper sideburns and a thin mustache.

  “Thank you,” she said, preening. “You look pretty good yourself.”

  “Are you nervous?” Brian stood up and put the chicken bones in the garbage can, then he sat back down at the table.

  “A little,” Sarah admitted. “I never know what to expect from Naomi, and she’s bringing a friend, a man. And this is a first for her. I wonder if she’s serious about him.” She tugged nervously on her earlobe.

  “Hon, the fact that Nay is bringing a man home is a sure sign that she has feelings for him. Let’s face it, her bringing someone home was bound to happen one day. Let’s just be glad that she’s going to introduce us to him. There had to be other men over the years that she never even bothered to bring home.”

  “I guess you’re right.” Sarah sighed. She reached into the sink, removed the dish towel, and ran it over the table
and stove one more time.

  Brian walked over to his wife, took the dishrag from her hand, and put it back inside the sink. Then he put his arm around her waist. “The kitchen, like the rest of the house, looks fine.” He led her to a chair and gestured for her to sit down. He stood behind the seat, massaged her shoulders, and said, “Why don’t you relax for a moment.” His eyes darted to the apple-shaped clock hanging on the wall. “They should be here soon.”

  Sarah purred in delight from Brian’s fingers gently kneading her shoulder. Suddenly her eyes zoomed to the dining room. “Did you remember to get ice?” she asked. She put a finger on the side of her face. “Maybe we should use the good china? I don’t remember the last time I cleaned it. Lord, help me.” Sarah was nervous about Naomi’s visit and her sister bringing a male guest home.

  “Sarah, calm down. You’re overdoing it. We’re having baked beans and chicken. I don’t think that calls for the good china. This is just a casual meal. I think the Chinet paper plates are in order. We can break out the good stuff for the family dinner tomorrow.”

  “You’re right, I definitely need to calm down,” Sarah said, fanning her face. “I just want things perfect for Nay and her friend.” Then she switched gears, saying, “I wonder how Momma is doing. She’s been kind of stressed-out all week about the finance committee meeting this evening. If Nay wasn’t coming home, I’d go to the church myself and offer her moral support.”

  “I’m sure Mother Ruth is and will be fine. Between her and Brother Clarence, they will get the church finances under control. Why don’t you fix yourself a cup of tea and chill out for a minute?”

  “That’s a good idea.” Sarah nodded. She stood and walked over to the butcher-block countertop and picked up a silver kettle, filled it with water, placed the kettle on the stove, and turned on the jet.

  The couple turned as they heard the front door opening. “Oh, Lord,” Sarah said, “do you think that’s Nay and her friend already?” She twisted the end of her hair nervously.

  As they began walking toward the foyer, they heard the thump of a basketball. They stopped in their tracks, looked at each other, and said simultaneously, “That’s Joshua!”

  “I forgot he had a half day of school today.” Sarah lightly smacked her forehead.

  Their son walked into the kitchen, still palming the basketball in his hands. “What’s up?” he asked his parents.

  Joshua was a handsome young man, with his father’s height and boyish good looks. He wore his hair cut short, and his luminous smile and large doe-shaped brown eyes, in his honey-colored face, was pure Sarah. Joshua had been fending off the girls since he was twelve years old. He twirled the basketball on his finger, and then rolled it into a corner of the room. Joshua walked to the refrigerator, opened it, and pulled out a carton of orange juice. After he finished drinking the juice, he placed the glass inside the sink. Joshua closed the carton and put it back into the refrigerator. “What time will Auntie Nay be here?” he asked his mother.

  “Actually, she should be here any minute, unless she and her friend ran into heavy traffic,” Sarah answered.

  The chimed doorbell rang. The Monroe family stood paralyzed for a moment. “I guess one of us should get the door,” Sarah commented as she moved toward the doorway.

  Joshua made a beeline to the living room and was staring out the window. “Hey, it’s Auntie Nay and a man,” he said.

  Sarah felt as if someone was playing racquetball inside her stomach as she stood at the front door. She inhaled deeply, then twisted the bottom lock to the left. With a trembling smile on her face, she slowly opened the door.

  As Sarah was opening the door for Naomi and Montgomery, Ruth and Aron were being led to a cozy table at Izola’s Restaurant for their luncheon date.

  Patrons were lightly scattered throughout the restaurant, and minutes later, Ruth and Aron were seated. Shortly afterward, the waitress brought menus to the table, followed by glasses of water.

  “Are you ready to order?” she asked, smacking a piece of gum.

  “Why don’t you give us a few more minutes?” Aron glanced up at the young woman.

  “I’ll be back then.” With a lively bounce in her step, the waitress bounded away from the table.

  Ruth flipped through the pages of the menu. “I think I’ll have a bowl of clam chowder and a Caesar salad. If I eat anything heavier, I’ll become drowsy. And my big committee meeting is later on, and I need all my wits about me.” She closed the menu and placed it near the edge of the table.

  Aron closed his menu and set it on top of Ruth’s. “Monet and Marcus say the baked chicken here is great. So I’ll have that.”

  The waitress returned to the table and took their orders.

  “Good choice. They’re right. The chicken is wonderful. I come here sometimes after I leave church and pick up an order to go,” Ruth remarked. “How are Monet, Marcus, and the children doing?”

  The couple conversed about their children. Aron remarked Faith was a miniature version of her mother. Monet, and the twin boys were growing like weeds and were very mischievous like his son Duane was when he was a baby. Ruth threw back her head and laughed when she heard that. Aron went on to say that his other son, Derek, and his girlfriend, Elise, were getting married in the fall. He told Ruth that Derek would be in touch with her soon about performing the ceremony. He added the family was pleased by the news because everyone assumed his twin sons were confirmed bachelors and wouldn’t ever marry. Ruth told Aron how her daughter, Naomi, was coming home for the weekend, and how her family was looking forward to seeing her. Aron asked if Naomi came home often.

  Ruth faltered then replied, “Not really. Naomi has dedicated her life to higher education, and will be awarded a master’s degree in accounting in May. Maggie, my granddaughter, will be graduating from eighth grade in June.”

  “I know you must be very proud of both of them,” Aron said.

  He looked up to see the waitress walking toward their table with plates of food on a tray.

  She set the entrees on the table, and asked if they needed anything else. Ruth and Aron told her they were fine.

  Ruth bowed her head and briefly blessed the food.

  “That was short and sweet,” Aron commented. He picked up his knife and fork and began cutting the chicken. He sprinkled salt on the rice and began eating.

  “My grandchildren would complain or whine when they were younger if the blessing lasted more than a few seconds. So, since then, anyone praying for the food tries to keep the blessing to a minimum. I think I’ve gotten the blessing down to a fine science.” Ruth put a dash of salt and pepper on her salad. She speared a piece of lettuce, put it in her mouth, and began to chew.

  The two continued to talk about various subjects, including Aron’s job at the church. They both decided to pass on dessert.

  Ruth said wistfully, “I love Izola’s peach cobbler, but I need to watch my weight.”

  Aron’s eyes slid over her body. He remarked, “I don’t think so. You look just fine.”

  Smiling and blushing rosily, Ruth excused herself to go to the ladies’ room. While she was gone, Aron ordered a small order of peach cobbler to go.

  Several minutes later, Ruth returned to the table as the waitress was handing Aron a small white bag and the check. He quickly scanned the tab, took a debit card out of his wallet, and presented it to the waitress. He’d added a generous tip to the total.

  They exited the building and returned to Aron’s car. He started the engine and headed back to The Temple. Once he arrived, he parked the car near the parking lot entrance and turned to Ruth. “I hope you enjoyed lunch as much as I did. I had a great time. I think there’s a vibe between me and you, Ruth Wilcox.”

  Ruth looked into Aron’s eyes and saw admiration and respect.

  “The food and the company were marvelous, Aron. Thank you very much.”

  “So I hope since you enjoyed yourself that we can do this again. Maybe, instead of lunch, I can take yo
u to dinner?” He looked at Ruth hopefully.

  Ruth hesitated before she answered. “I would like that.” She glimpsed at the clock on the dashboard. “I have got to go. I really need to start preparing for the meeting.”

  “Okay, I’ll let you go this time,” Aron teased. “How about I give you a call tomorrow, since you’ll be tied up with the meeting and then your family this evening?”

  “Sure, you have my number,” Ruth said. She picked up the flower Aron had given her earlier when they got inside the car.

  “Oh, before you go, I bought a serving of peach cobbler for you. Enjoy it, and when you analyze our lunch later, I hope you’ll think of me favorably. I have no ulterior motives, Ruth. I like you, and I’ve enjoyed your company today,” Aron said. He reached into the backseat and gave her the white bag containing the dessert.

  Ruth grinned at him. “I think we’re both too old for games. And yes, I enjoyed your company too. There’s something about you, Aron Reynolds. I’ll meditate on it later.”

  He walked her to the church entrance. Before she went inside the building, he took her hand in his and said, “I will talk to you tomorrow. I don’t have to say good luck, because I know God has the situation in control.”

  “Thank you, Aron. Keep me and the church in your prayers. The committee has a formidable task before us. Enjoy your weekend, and I’ll see you at church on Sunday.”

  Aron opened the door to the church for Ruth. As he returned to his car, there was pep in his step and he was whistling. Ruth walked to her office, and June was nowhere to be found. Ruth found a vase on a shelf in her office. She poured the remains of the bottled water she’d had earlier into the vase and inhaled the rose before she placed it inside the vase. Ruth swerved the chair from the window toward her desk. She was pleased with how the lunch date had gone and looked forward to her upcoming dinner date.