“God does answer prayer. Dad decided to keep the boys. Praise the Lord. He still needs to work out some logistics. Felicia called me this morning and asked if Brian and I would help her and Reggie pay for Ms. Lewis, the nanny, to come back and help Daddy. He had to let her go when Lenora left.”
“That was generous of her, as well as a good suggestion,” Ruth said.
“Trust me, it was, because Felicia could have easily suggested her mother help Daddy. I don’t think Glenda and Ernest are going to be pleased with Felicia’s suggestion. She seems to be the only one with sense in that family. When you’re together with all of them, they are a trip,” Sarah went on. “That’s the God’s honest truth.”
“I know Daniel was glad that you and Naomi came to his house for moral support. Fred came by Alice’s last night, and I’m sure she’ll call or come over later to give me the juicy details.”
“Uncle Fred has been to see Daddy a couple of times. I’m glad he and Daddy are mending their relationship. I have a feeling, with Lenora out of the picture, things may settle down more normally. How was your lunch date with Mr. Reynolds?” Sarah asked.
“It went very well. I had a great time. He called me yesterday and asked if I would have dinner with him Friday, and I told him that I would. Aron seems to be such a good guy, I just couldn’t say no to him. His motives seemed so sincere and complimentary. But I’m still a little shaky about how the church would perceive my relationship with him.”
“Well, good for you,” Sarah said enthusiastically. “It’s about time you had a good time on a date. It’s been too long.”
“We had lunch at Izola’s Restaurant, and I enjoyed myself so much that I was almost late coming back to The Temple,” Ruth admitted, her face glowing with happiness.
She took a fork from a drawer and poked at the smoked meat, which was just about done. She would add the greens when she got off the phone.
“That’s good. Mr. Reynolds is all right with me. What do you like about him?” Sarah couldn’t stop herself from asking the question.
She didn’t have many happy memories of her mother and father’s marriage. When Daniel philandered, he always stayed away either Friday or Saturday night, and would return at all hours of the morning.
“What I like about Aron”—Ruth’s words seemed to stream from her mouth—“is that he’s comfortable to be with, like lying against a father’s chest as he reads you a story. And he makes me laugh. Aron has such a droll sense of humor. Most of all, he sees me as a woman, and finds me attractive. Something I haven’t felt secure about for a long time.”
If Sarah was shocked by her mother’s admission, she didn’t let on. She loved her mother dearly, and only she and Alice knew how much Ruth had suffered when Daniel left her for Lenora. Before Bishop had visited Ruth to comfort his daughter, Sarah had feared for her mother’s sanity. Then Ruth brought her brother, Ezra, home to stay with her before he died, and the bond with the siblings was reestablished, and Ezra did much to restore his sister’s self-esteem. No one was happier than Sarah and Alice when Ruth received her calling.
Sarah giggled when she thought about how shocked her father would be to learn he had competition. Sarah didn’t miss how he drilled her about her mother so many times; she knew her father missed her mother, but he was too proud or stubborn to admit it.
“Momma, I’m happy for you. I just hope you won’t let what people might say interfere with a possible relationship. Mr. Reynolds paid his debt to society, enough said,” Sarah proclaimed.
“I wish everyone were as open-minded as you are,” Ruth told her daughter.
“I think more people are than you think. Just don’t think so much, and go with the flow,” Sarah advised. “So what time do you think you’ll be over?”
“The greens are cooking. When they’re done, I’m going to get my hair done and then pick up Queen. After that, I’ll head your way,” Ruth replied.
“Brian or I can pick up Queen if you like. Saturdays are usually busy at hair salons, so who knows what time you’ll get out of there? Oh, I invited Uncle Fred to dinner. He said he may stop by,” Sarah informed Ruth. She didn’t mention that she had invited Daniel, because she assumed he didn’t plan to attend.
“That would be a big help for me if you can pick up Queen. Your inviting Fred to dinner is no problem.”
“Okay, Momma, I’ll see you later. If anything changes, I’ll let you know.”
“Thank you, Sarah. I appreciate you picking up Queen, and I’ll see you later.”
When Ruth estimated the greens were done, she took a fork and tasted them. They were perfect. She let them cool off, and then she poured them inside a bowl. She lined the top of the bowl with foil paper and put it inside a large plastic bag; then she placed the bag in the refrigerator. Afterward, she rushed from the house to the garage, heading to the hair salon. Ruth’s spirits were high; she hummed as she drove. She could hardly wait to see Naomi and meet her beau.
The weather was sunny and mild in Chicago for April. The temperature was in the high fifties, without a cloud in sight. It was one o‘clock in the afternoon, and Naomi and Montgomery were sitting in a restaurant in Oak Lawn by the window, admiring the weather while enjoying cups of espresso. Naomi had gone to a local salon for a manicure and pedicure earlier, and the couple had gone shopping afterward.
“That’s one thing I like about Edwardsville,” Naomi remarked as she set her teacup in the saucer. “The weather is much milder than it is here. I have to admit I don’t miss Chicago winters at all.”
Montgomery was perusing the Chicago Tribune newspaper, and he looked up at Naomi and said, “Huh?”
“I was just saying how nice the weather is today,” Naomi replied.
“It is. I mean, I hear you talk all the time about the Chicago winters, and how spring is nonexistent, but it doesn’t seem bad here at all.”
“Trust me, we got lucky. It will probably be snowing here next week.”
The waiter returned to the table and asked if he could get them anything else. Montgomery requested another cup of tea. The waiter returned to the table a few minutes later.
“So, do I need to be concerned about any of your relatives? Will there be anyone at dinner that could be deemed overly racist?” he asked, looking at Naomi.
Naomi’s eyes dropped to the table. She took a deep breath. “Well, one person comes to mind, my grandmother, Queen Esther.”
Montgomery’s eyebrows rose. “Queen Esther? Is that a family name?” He put two teaspoons of sugar into the cup and stirred it.
“Not really. It’s more like a Southern name. She is quite the character,” Naomi confessed as she held up her hand. “I can’t be responsible for anything that might come out of her mouth.”
“Then I have to make sure I’m on my best behavior around her, won’t I?” Montgomery said jokingly. He lifted his cup and sipped from it.
“Queen is the most complex woman I’ve ever known in my life. She’s an attractive woman, and she has always been concerned about how people perceive her and my family. Her attitude caused me a great deal of angst when I was younger. I was brought up to believe my family was perfect.” Naomi wrinkled her nose. “Everyone that is, except for my father. I have managed to accept him for who he is.”
“I know,” Montgomery murmured. “You’ve told me about your dad. I know you’ve had issues with him.”
Naomi nodded contemplatively. Issues didn’t even begin to describe her rocky relationship with Daniel.
“I just wish you had told your folks that I’m white,” Montgomery commented.
“Looking back in retrospect, I wish I had too. But it’s too late now. They’ll just have to deal with it. I’m sure everyone will be cordial. I can’t speak for Queen, though. Anything might come out of her mouth.”
“Brian and Sarah seem like good people. I enjoyed my time with them yesterday. I thought Brian was a wee bit overprotective of you, though. Your niece and nephew are wonderful kids. Brian showed me tapes
of Josh playing basketball, and I must say he has skills.”
“He takes after Brian,” Naomi said. “Brian used to play basketball in high school. He was truly a jock. Had he not injured his leg his first year of college, he might have played at the professional level.”
“It’s good he can share that love for sports with his son.”
“As far as Brian being overprotective, there is a reason for that, and I probably should have told you before today.” Naomi began fidgeting; her hands shook slightly. She clasped them together.
“What’s that?” Montgomery closed the newspaper, folded it in half, and gave Naomi his full attention. He had a neutral expression on his face.
“Do you remember commenting on how much Maggie and I look alike?” Naomi ventured. She couldn’t get her conversation with Sarah about keeping secrets from Montgomery off her mind. Naomi agreed Sarah was correct, so she decided to reveal her most painful secret with her fiancé before dinner. Another factor was Queen Esther’s senility. Naomi shuddered to think what might come out of her mouth.
Montgomery nodded and he pushed the cup and saucer away from him.
“Well, there’s a reason for that. You see, Sarah and Brian are my biological parents. Ruth and Daniel, my grandparents, raised me.” Naomi felt mortified, but also a sense of relief at the same time.
Montgomery’s eyes searched Naomi’s face and then fell back down to the table. He opened and closed his mouth; then he licked his lips. “I didn’t expect you to say that. I’m speechless. How did that happen?” He didn’t miss the expression of misery that coated Naomi’s face. He reached across the table and grabbed her hands.
“The usual way,” Naomi quipped, on edge. She tapped her foot nervously on the floor under the table. “Sarah and Brian have liked each other since elementary school. Then when my mom and dad started having problems, Sarah began sneaking around to meet Brian. Then she became pregnant, and at Queen’s urging, Sarah said she’d been raped. I know that situation doesn’t show my family in a good light; still, everyone is cool, and Queen, well, she’s just Queen.”
Montgomery shook his head in disbelief. “What kind of person tells a child to do something like that?”
“It’s hard to explain. She’s an older person from a different era, who was a minister’s wife, and primarily concerned about what other people thought. I don’t condone what Queen did. You have to know her, that’s all I can say. She means well, but her execution is poor sometimes. The only person who could keep her in check was her husband, Bishop, and he barely could. Sadly, he passed years ago. He was a great man.”
“That’s unbelievable. How did you feel when you found out the truth? You don’t appear to have a maternal relationship with Sarah. Is that by design?”
Naomi exhaled loudly; she felt almost giddy with relief. She had told Montgomery the truth about her parents, and he hadn’t run from the table, appalled.
“I think Sarah would like us to have one, but Ruth is the mother who raised me and took care of me. She loves me unconditionally. I think it would kill her if she had to step back and assume the role of grandmother. I’m very close to her, and I will always think of her as my mother,” Naomi said bluntly.
“That’s good, and I’m glad you told me the truth. I guess Sarah must suffer because you don’t acknowledge her as your mother?”
“She does, but that’s the way it is. We were closer when I was younger, although I was always jealous of her. She was what I considered the perfect daughter. I will always love her as my big sister. And before you ask, Joshua and Maggie don’t know about me being their biological sister. Sarah and Brian decided to wait and tell them when they get older.”
“I hope they don’t wait too long. Those types of situations have a way of blowing up in one’s face,” Montgomery murmured. He still wore a dazed expression on his face. He felt like he had been caught up in a whirlwind, and he still hadn’t met Ruth or Daniel yet. “You know this doesn’t change how I feel about you,” he reassured Naomi.
She leaned across the table and kissed Montgomery softly on the lips. “I was praying to God that it wouldn’t. I thank God every day for sending you into my life, Monty.”
“I may not have been raised a preacher’s kid, as you call it, Nay, but I think we were meant to be together. Call it karma or fate.” Montgomery’s British accent was so apparent.
“No, hon, our meeting was a blessing from God,” Naomi said softly.
The waiter walked to the table and laid the check on top of it. He told them to have a good day.
Naomi looked at the thin gold watch on her wrist. “We need to get back to the hotel, I’d like to relax before we go to Sarah’s house. I promise you this dinner will be one of those times that you won’t ever forget,” she informed her fiancé.
“That’s assuming I survive it,” he said. Montgomery reached into his pants pocket, took out his wallet, and removed an American Express card.
He helped Naomi put on her jacket and then put on his own. They walked to the cashier and Montgomery paid the check. After the bill was settled, they exited the restaurant and walked two blocks to his Jaguar.
Later on, when the couple departed for Sarah’s house, Naomi was very nervous. It felt like someone was playing tennis inside her stomach. Her legs jiggled during the drive in the car.
Montgomery looked somber; a worry line creased his forehead. He knew he was in for yet another round of familial interrogations. He hoped the rest of the family would go easy on him. Most of all, Montgomery hoped that Naomi’s mum wouldn’t be too shocked when she met him. And more than that, that she approved of him.
Chapter Eighteen
Ruth and Sarah were transporting bowls and platters of food from the kitchen to the sideboard in Sarah’s dining room. Maggie had just finished setting the table. The young girl put out the china that Sarah received as a wedding gift many years ago. She retrieved the gold silverware from the bottom of the buffet, along with crystal glasses from the cabinet. Occasionally Sarah liked preparing formal meals.Wilcox family dinners tended to run five to six hours.
The kitchen was warm, and the aromas mouthwatering. Sarah had baked a ham, along with roast chicken and stuffing. She’d also made green beans with white potatoes, and that, along with Ruth’s mixed greens, and corn on the cob were her vegetable dishes. Maggie had prepared a casserole of multicheese macaroni and cheese and baked homemade rolls. Several pitchers of iced tea and lemonade were chilling in the refrigerator. Brian had put bottles of water in the cooler on the kitchen floor.
“Nana,” Maggie said happily, “today feels like a holiday. We almost never have Sunday dinner on Saturday.” She surveyed the table, and pulled down the corner of one of the linen napkins.
“Good job, Maggie,” Ruth praised her granddaughter. “The table looks very nice.” She took off the apron covering a black pantsuit and mustard-colored blouse. She wore an onyx bracelet on her wrist, which matched her earrings.
Alice and Fred sat in the living room, entertaining Queen Esther; Brian and Joshua were in the den watching a rare Bulls Saturday basketball game.
The house was full of life, much the way it had been when Ruth lived there.
The doorbell rang. “I’ll get it,” Maggie shouted. “I bet that’s Nay and Montgomery.” Her eyes shone in anticipation of seeing Naomi. Maggie’s microbraids swung from side to side as she hurried from the room. The dark pants with a matching vest, along with a blue cotton top, were slimming on her plump figure.
“Momma, give me the apron so I can put it up,” Sarah said, holding out her hand.
Ruth gave her the apron, and Sarah placed it on a clothing hanger inside the pantry. She ran her fingers through her hair as she and Ruth strode out of the kitchen, into the living room.
Naomi and Montgomery stood in the foyer, while Brian closed and locked the door. Maggie chatted happily with the couple. Ruth looked at her daughter and Montgomery, and did a double take. She then glanced to her left at Sarah, who
wore an enigmatic smile on her face as she greeted the couple. Ruth shot Sarah a look that said, “You could have told me.” Sarah shrugged her shoulders and telegraphed back, “I’m sorry.”
Ruth regained her composure and walked over to Naomi. She put her arms around her daughter’s body, and Naomi’s arms snaked around her mother’s upper arms.
Ruth pulled away and said, “Naomi, you look simply radiant” She turned to Montgomery. “And who is this young man?”
Naomi felt reassured by Ruth’s reaction to her fiancé. She grabbed Montgomery’s hand, and he walked up to Ruth. Naomi announced, “Momma, this is my fiance, Montgomery Brooks.”
“Hello, Mrs. Wilcox. I’ve heard nothing but good things about you from Naomi.” He held out his hand and Ruth shook it. Her eyes swept over Montgomery.
“Hi, Montgomery, I wish I could say that Naomi had told me some things about you. I’m pleased to meet you,” Ruth replied.
“Naomi could have handled things better,” Montgomery agreed, nodding his head. “I just hope moving forward, we can get to know each other better.”
The family moved from the foyer into the living room. Ruth thought that Naomi never looked lovelier. The cream-colored slacks and burgundy silk blouse complemented her figure.
“Where are Queen and Aunt Alice?” Naomi asked Sarah. She and Montgomery leaned comfortably against the back of the love seat.
As if on cue, Queen Esther walked into the room, flanked by Alice and Fred. The elderly woman leaned on Fred’s arm, while walking with her mahogany cane. Her mouth curved into a smile as she spied Naomi.
She held out her arms and said, “Come here, baby girl, and give Queen a kiss.”
Naomi sprang up from the love seat and walked over to Queen. She leaned down and enveloped her tiny grandmother in her arms and planted a big kiss on Queen’s cheek.
“You look good, Naomi. Look like your momma isn’t the only one who lost weight. I think you’ve lost a few pounds too,” Queen said, admiring her granddaughter.
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