“Shoot, man, you can barely walk, and I’m supposed to think you can chase behind them boys. You on some bs. I think you just trying to get paid. I know Nora left plenty of money to take care of the boys.” Ernest drained the glass of cognac and stared at Daniel contemptuously. His lips curled into a sneer. Glenda looked at him warningly and shook her head.
“There isn’t anything left for me to get paid with,” Daniel admitted, agonized. “Nora took most of the money with her when she went to Nevada. At least I think that’s where the money went.” He looked down at his plate sitting before him.
The boys came running into the room and ran over to Glenda. “Grammy, we’re thirsty. Can we have something to drink?” Damon asked.
Glenda picked up a can of unopened Pepsi and began to open it.
“I don’t think they need caffeine this late in the evening,” Sarah began. “They’ll be bouncing off the walls later. I’ll get them some milk.” She stood up and walked toward the kitchen.
“I don’t see nothing wrong with them drinking some pop. That’s what they used to,” Glenda objected. “Shoot, Nora used to give it to ’em all the time. And if they momma did, then it’s okay with me.”
“Grammy,” Damon whined, “I don’t want milk. I want pop! Mommy gave us pop.” He screwed up his face.
Sarah stopped in her tracks and turned back to the living room. “Daddy, what do you think?” she asked sweetly.
“Milk it is,” he declared. Sarah continued walking into the kitchen.
“I don’t want milk!” Damon shrieked, and his brothers joined him in his outburst. They all began stomping their feet.
“Stop that noise,” Daniel ordered his sons harshly. The boys ignored him, and they kept on yelling at the top of their lungs.
“I said stop it!” Daniel banged on the top of the table. His sons stared at him wide-eyed and stopped yelling.
Glenda and Felicia leaped from their seats. Glenda hugged Damon, while Felicia did likewise to the twins.
“Do you have to be so hard on them?” Glenda railed.
“Please, I don’t want you trying to undermine my authority when I’m disciplining the boys, Glenda,” Daniel said through clenched teeth.
“I know you ain’t trying to tell me what to do.” Glenda rolled her eyes at Daniel as she patted Damon’s back.
“Yeah,” Ernest retorted, stumbling a bit as he jumped up from his chair, “don’t talk to my wife like that.” He pointed his finger at Daniel.
“I don’t think we should be acting like this in front of the children,” Sarah pleaded with the Johnsons. “We should be showing them a united front.” She turned her attention to her scowling half brothers. “Now, boys, your choices are milk or water. Which one do you want?” She put three plastic cups on the table.
The twins looked at Damon, who said, “We’ll take milk.” Sarah filled the cups with milk. The boys drained the glasses, and then began running down the hallway to the den.
Sarah called out, “No running in the house....” Her voice trailed off behind them.
With amused expressions on their faces, Naomi and Fred had watched the interaction among Daniel, the children, and his in-laws. Fred winked at his niece. Naomi bit her lip to keep from laughing aloud.
“Ernest, I’m ready to go home,” Glenda asserted. “Obviously, we aren’t needed here.” She sniffed like her feelings were hurt.
“Yeah, I’m ready to blow this joint too.” Ernest stood up and tottered before regaining his balance. “I guess you gonna have to drive home, Glen,” he told his wife, fumbling in his pocket for the car keys.
“Y’all got some food left over?” Glenda asked, shooting Daniel a surly look.
“There’s a little bit left. You’re more than welcome to it,” Sarah said amiably. “Follow me to the kitchen.”
“I’m going to the bathroom,” Ernest said as he stumbled to the powder room off the kitchen.
“I guess we’ll be leaving too. I’m sorry about the way my parents acted,” Felicia had the grace to say as she rose from her seat. “They’re just upset about Nora’s leaving, and don’t know how to express themselves. I think you’re making the right decision. If you need Reggie and me to help you in any way, just give me a call. In fact, I’m keeping Kente tomorrow night; Quita has to work. The boys are more than welcome to join us.”
“Thank you, Felicia,” Daniel remarked. “I appreciate your offer, and I may take you up on it. I’ll give you a call tomorrow morning.”
Reggie stood up too. “Take care of yourself, Daniel.” Then he headed toward the door.
Felicia told Fred it was nice seeing him again. Glenda and Ernest returned from the bathroom and kitchen; after telling the boys good-bye, the Johnson family departed.
“I don’t think that went too bad,” Daniel said, looking at his family sitting around the table.
“You think?” Naomi replied derisively. She got up from her chair and began clearing the table.
Daniel shrugged. “It could have been worse. Ernest is nothing pretty.”
“You’re right about that.” Naomi laughed. Everyone joined her, and the mood lightened in the dining room.
“Daddy, if you decide to let the boys go to Felicia’s house tomorrow, you can join us for dinner tomorrow at my house.” She held out her hand, and then pointed to Fred. “Uncle Fred, if you aren’t busy, you’re more than welcome to come too,” Sarah said.
“Naw, I couldn’t do that.” Daniel shook his head from side to side.
“I don’t see why not. It will just be the family and Aunt Alice,” Sarah informed him.
“We’ll see.” Daniel rubbed his chin thoughtfully as a lightbulb went on inside his head. “Maybe I will.”
Chapter Seventeen
While the Wilcox and Johnson families were departing from Daniel’s house, Alice and Ruth were sitting in Alice’s breakfast nook, rehashing the happenings of their day. Ruth filled Alice in about the financing meeting.
“You know, Sarah and Naomi are at Daniel’s house participating in the family meeting,” Ruth commented. “Sarah has been working on Daniel all week, trying to persuade him to keep custody of the boys.”
“I know. Fred went there too, to give Daniel moral support,” Alice replied. They had just finished the dinner Ruth had prepared. Stir-fry chicken and a baked potato for herself, and chicken soup for Alice. They were sipping on sweetened raspberry tea.
“I brought fresh strawberries for dessert, if you can keep them down. I know the medication you’re taking sometimes makes you nauseous,” Ruth said, rubbing her hands together. She stood up and removed the strawberries from the refrigerator. She put some inside a bowl, sprinkled sugar on them, and poured a little milk on them. “Do you need anything?” she asked.
“No, I’m good,” Alice replied. “You told me all about the meeting at church, but you didn’t say anything about your lunch date with Aron. What are you waiting for? Give me the gossip, girl.”
Alice’s remark caused Ruth to throw back her head and laugh. Alice sounded just like she did when the two were teenagers. Ruth put a strawberry in her mouth, chewed, and swallowed it.
“Well, it’s not too much to tell you,” Ruth said artlessly as she laid her fork on the side of the plate.
“You’ve been grinning like the cat that ate the canary since you got here. So don’t even try to insult my intelligence by saying there’s nothing to tell me,” Alice twitted her friend.
“I had a really good time, Allie. Aron is a true gentleman. He was gallant, opening and closing the car door for me, and pulling out my chair when we went inside Izola’s. The conversation was good, like it always is. I enjoyed myself,” Ruth confessed. “Listen to me, I sound like a young girl.”
“No,” Alice corrected her friend, “you sound like someone who is long overdue in meeting someone who treats you nicely.”
“It’s a bit early for you to say that.” Ruth picked up another strawberry and popped it into her mouth.
�
��Girl, please. You know you want to see that man. Who are you trying to fool?”
“You’re right.” Ruth exhaled loudly. “I’m not fooling anyone except myself. On the one hand, it feels weird, seeing and talking to another man, after being with Daniel for more than half my life. And then on the other hand, I am truly enjoying myself. Aron and I talk on the telephone almost every evening, so we’re really getting to know each other.”
“You need to discard the last piece of your emotional baggage,” Alice advised. “Take it to the Salvation Army and leave it there. Daniel moved on, and it’s time you did the same.”
“My head knows what you’re saying is right, but my heart is scared.” Ruth looked at Alice with a frightened look on her face.
Alice grinned and patted her friend’s hand. “It’s going to be all right. From what you told me, Aron sounds intriguing.”
“He is. Did I tell you he brought me a yellow rose? He said it was to cement our growing friendship.”
“He sounds like a keeper,” Alice observed. “Just what you need to help you erase that scar Daniel left on your heart. I think you should give Aron a chance, and please don’t make the mistake of comparing him to Daniel. God broke the mold when he created Daniel Wilcox Sr.”
The laughter of the women filled the air. Ruth wiped her eyes. “Thank God for that favor.”
“Amen to that. I’m really glad you’re giving Aron a chance. He can’t be any worse than those guys you’ve dated in the past.”
“He’s much better. We click on some level. We have a vibe going on.”
“That’s great, Ruth. Just give the relationship time, and, most of all, enjoy yourself, because tomorrow is not promised.”
“Is that the advice you gave yourself when you decided to see Fred?” Ruth probed.
“I didn’t really have to. Fred is good people, and I could immediately sense the change in his attitude from when we were younger.”
“Good for you. You’ve always been a strong person, much stronger than me.”
Alice threw back her head and laughed. “You’re just a late bloomer. You’re going to be fine. So, are you picking up Queen tomorrow for dinner? Do you want me to ride to the home with you?”
“Yes, to all of the above. Her doctor approved my request for an overnight stay. So she’ll spend the night with me. Oh, I forgot to mention Brother Duncan crashed the finance meeting. Calvin Layton was beside himself. He felt Brother Duncan didn’t observe the proper protocol.”
“What did Brother Duncan want?” Alice asked.
“I’m not sure,” Ruth replied thoughtfully. “He implied something to the effect that he had something to give me or tell me that could help the church’s finances.”
“What did you tell him?” Alice asked after she sipped from her cup of tea.
“June shuffled him out of the meeting so quickly that I barely had a chance to respond to what he was trying to tell me. June said she was going to set up an appointment for him to come and see me next week.”
“So, did Sarah give you the 411 on Naomi’s friend? What did she think of him?” Alice asked eagerly.
“Naomi left me a voice mail, telling me they had arrived safely in Chicago. I thought about stopping over at Sarah’s house after the meeting at church; but when I called, Brian told me they had left to go to Daniel’s house. So I don’t know anything, I’m clueless. But I guess I’ll find out tomorrow.”
“If Nay has found a good man, then I’ll tell her, like I tell you, more power to her.” Alice picked up her glass and indicated she wanted Ruth to do the same. They clinked their glasses together. “Who knows, this may be a breakout year for Nay, you, and me.”
“We’ll see,” Ruth said evasively. “I think I’m going to head home. I need to make a pot of greens for Sarah’s house tomorrow, and I want to get started on them tonight.”
“You could have brought them over, and I would have helped you pick them,” Alice said.
“That’s okay. I thought Fred might be coming over here.”
“Actually, he should be here soon. He said he was going to stop by after he left Daniel’s house. You can bring the greens over here, and we can both get the info on what happened at the big family meeting.”
“You know what, I don’t know if I even want to know what happened at Daniel’s house. I offered up a prayer for him and his family before I left church, and that’s all I feel obligated to do,” Ruth said emphatically as she stood up.
The doorbell rang.
“I’ll get that,” Ruth said. “I bet that’s Fred. I’m going to head home, and I’ll see you in the morning. I plan to leave for the North Side around noon.”
Alice protested that she didn’t have to go. Still, Ruth walked to the foyer and opened the door. She wasn’t surprised to see Fred standing before her.
“Hey, sister,” he greeted Ruth, and then gave her a hug.
“Hi, Fred. How are you doing?” she asked.
“Not bad. Are you running off so soon? You don’t have to leave on my account,” he said.
“I know, but I have some things I need to do before I go to bed tonight. Queen will be home for an overnight visit tomorrow. So I need to change the linen in my guest bedroom, along with other chores.”
“How is she doing?” Fred asked politely. He shifted his weight from one leg to the other. He was dressed casually in denim jeans and a red-and-blue Bulls sweatshirt.
“About the same. She has good days and bad,” Ruth told him.
“You have a good evening. Oh, I saw Nay at Daniel’s house. She looked really good. It’s funny how much she looks like Daniel,” Fred said.
“She always did.” Ruth nodded. “Alice!” she yelled. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Alice walked from the kitchen into the foyer. “You know that you can hang out with us if you want to,” she told Ruth.
Ruth didn’t miss the doting look the couple exchanged. Ever since Ruth knew the true nature of their relationship, Alice and Fred had looked relaxed and happier.
She shook her head. “I’m good. I have things I need to do,” she told them. “You guys be good.” She walked outside the door and across the hallway to her apartment. Alice closed her door when she heard Ruth lock her door.
Ruth walked into the kitchen, where she checked her telephone messages and flipped through the mail. She sighed heavily, trying hard not to feel jealous of Alice and Fred’s relationship. She went into her bedroom to change clothes, when her telephone rang. She turned around and snatched the phone off the nightstand and clicked it on.
“Hello,” she said. Her lips curved into a smile.
“Hello, Ruth. Did I catch you at a bad time?” Aron asked. “I know I said I wouldn’t call you tonight, but my day wouldn’t be complete without talking to you one more time.”
“Not at all,” Ruth replied. She sat on the side of the bed and removed an earring from her ear. She swung her legs onto the bed, and then talked to Aron for two hours. When they finished the conversation, Ruth had a satisfied expression on her face, and Aron had accomplished his goal. Ruth had agreed to a date with him the following Friday evening. Ruth yawned and decided to prepare the greens on early Saturday.
Ruth rose from her bed early the following morning, knelt next to it, and prayed earnestly that the day would go well for her family, and that Queen Esther would be in a coherent state of mind. She also asked the Savior to bless the finance committee to come up with ideas that wouldn’t be too painful to the church’s ministry. She put the meat into a pot to cook with the greens. Then she picked and washed the greens. Before long, the vegetable was cooking.
She dressed casually in jeans, and a royal blue T-shirt that read Crusader for Christ in gold letters. It was a relic from a fund-raiser that one of the clubs at The Temple had sponsored. Ruth walked out of her bedroom to the spare bedroom down the hall and worked out on her treadmill.
After she had showered and changed into her clothes for the day, Ruth checked her appointme
nt book. She saw that she had an appointment with her hairstylist at nine o’clock that morning, which she had forgotten about. She went into the kitchen and turned on her coffeemaker. While the java was brewing, she put a pot of water on the stove to boil.
She sat on a chair and ate a container of key lime yogurt and drank a cup of coffee. When the water began to boil, Ruth put smoked meat inside the pot. She wiped her hands on a dishrag, and took the cordless phone off the base and dialed Sarah’s number.
“Hi, Momma. How are you feeling this morning?” Sarah asked after she answered the telephone.
“Blessed to see another day. How are you feeling?” Ruth replied.
“I’m doing good. I’m looking forward to the family dinner evening. All that’s missing is DJ and his family. I talked to him and Chelsea this morning.”
“I take it they’re doing well?” Ruth inquired.
“Yes, they are. I told DJ since the weather has broken, maybe Brian, the kids, and I will drive to Atlanta to visit them for a weekend.”
“That was a nice gesture. I’m sure they will appreciate it.”
“How did the finance committee meeting go?” Sarah asked.
“We didn’t get as much accomplished as I would have liked. So we’re going to meet in another week or so, with recommendations from the committee,” Ruth admitted.
“Sometimes progress is slow. But as long as the end result is good, we just have to be patient.”
“You’re right. So what’s new with you?” Ruth asked her daughter.
Sarah scratched the side of her head. “We had a good dinner with Naomi and her friend. His name is Montgomery. I think you’re going to be surprised when you meet him.”
“Why? Is something wrong with him?” Ruth asked tensely. Her maternal instincts had kicked in, like antennae had sprouted from her head.
“No, he’s a very nice man,” Sarah reassured her mother. “I’m pretty sure you’ll like him. While Naomi and I went to Daddy’s house, Brian hung out with Montgomery, and Brian had good things to say about him after I got home.”
“That’s good. Naomi bringing home a man is a first. I can’t wait to meet him. So, did things go well at your father’s house?” Ruth couldn’t stop herself from asking.
Letting Misery Go Page 17