Saturdays at Sweeney's

by Farley, Ashley

  “What’s wrong, Mama?” Bitsy asked when they were seated side by side in the rocking chairs. “Did something bad happen?”

  Faith placed her hand on top of Bitsy’s on the arm of the chair. “Yes, sweetheart. I’m sorry to have to tell you that your father . . . that Curtis died.”

  Faith waited for her daughter’s response, but Bitsy’s expression remained impassive.

  “Am I supposed to feel sad?” she asked finally. “Because all I feel is relieved that he can no longer hurt us.”

  Faith squeezed her daughter’s hand. “You can’t control your emotions, honey. You feel what you feel. After what Curtis put us through, there’s no right or wrong way to respond to his death.”

  “I thought Mike was my father now anyway. Where is he, by the way? I want to show him this new trick I learned to do with the Frisbee.”

  “He and Snowflake are getting the grill ready to cook the steaks. He’ll be up in a minute.”

  “Steaks, yay!” She did a little booty dance in her seat. “When are we eating? I’m starving.”

  Should she be concerned at how easily Bitsy dismissed the news of her father’s death? No, Faith thought. I should be grateful. Curtis had put them through enough. And now that he was out of their lives for good, neither of them should waste another agonizing moment obsessing about him. Moses had advised, and Faith and Mike had agreed, to give Bitsy the details of her father’s death only if she asked. Faith was relieved that she didn’t.

  “In a little while, sweetheart. I have some other bad news. Lovie is in the hospital.”

  “Oh no!” Bitsy fell back in her chair. “Is she gonna be okay?”

  Faith tucked a lock of hair behind her daughter’s ear. “Not this time, honey. She’s very sick.”

  Bitsy sucked in her lower lip as tears welled in her eyes. She moved from her rocking chair to Faith’s lap and buried her head in her chest as she cried.

  Faith rested her head against the back of her chair. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I know how much you love your grandma.” She rocked her daughter until she stopped crying.

  “Is God going to punish me?” Bitsy asked, wiping her nose on Faith’s cotton blouse.

  “Why on earth would God punish you?” Faith said against her cheek.

  “Because I prayed for him to either make Lovie better or make her go away.” Her confession brought on another round of tears.

  “Hush now, sweetheart,” she whispered. “It’s only natural for you to feel that way. Your grandmother has a very bad disease. She’ll be much better off when she can be herself again in heaven.”

  Faith didn’t like to think about life after death. She’d been led to believe that all pain and suffering ended when a person died. Would her mother’s memory return to her once she passed through the pearly gates?

  “Curtis won’t hurt Lovie in heaven, will he?”

  A vision of her ex-husband’s soul burning in hell flashed before her eyes. But she didn’t want to give her daughter nightmares. “No, sweetheart. Curtis will have to repent his sins before he’s allowed in heaven.”

  Bitsy looked at her with wide eyes. “You mean he’ll be made good again?”

  Faith nodded. “Something like that.”

  The answer seemed to satisfy Bitsy, and they spent the rest of the evening like a normal family—tossing the Frisbee and playing with the dog while they cooked steaks on the grill, and discussing their summer vacation plans over dinner.

  Kathy Cook called first thing on Monday morning. “I heard about your mama. I know you’re dealing with a lot right now, and we’d love to have Bitsy stay with us until . . . well, until everything is sorted out.”

  Faith had breathed a sigh of relief. She’d been torn about leaving her daughter with a sitter. Bitsy was putting on a brave face, but Faith could tell she was upset about her grandmother. Chloe would help take her mind off her troubles. “That would help so much, Kathy, at least during the day. Mike will be here with her at night. I don’t know how to thank you.”

  “No worries, hon. You’d do the same for me.”

  #

  Faith stood against the wall outside the hospital room and eavesdropped on Sam’s one-sided conversation with their mother. She’d had similar discussions with her mother over the past few days, only hers were along the lines of asking how she would survive without her. Sam, on the other hand, offered words of gratitude for Lovie’s having been such an amazing mother.

  One of the hospice nurses had encouraged the sisters to talk to their mother. “She can’t respond to you, but she’s aware you’re here. Your presence offers her comfort.”

  Faith questioned whether this was true in her mother’s case, considering the massive stroke that had left her in a coma. But who was she to argue with a hospice worker?

  She strained to hear Sam’s voice. “You and Daddy created something special for our family, and I vow to continue to build on that foundation, for Jamie’s children and generations to come. You can die with peace of mind, Mama. You did right by us. You always supported and seldom judged. We were blessed to have you in our lives.”

  According to the hospice nurses, a dying person oftentimes needs reassurance that it’s okay to let go.

  “The police in Columbia recovered your recipe box from Curtis’s things when they cleaned out his room. Eli brought the box home to me last night, but your pimento cheese recipe isn’t in the box. If you could open your eyes for one brief second, I’d love to know your secret ingredient. No matter what I try, I just can’t get the pimento cheese right.”

  Faith shook her head at her sister’s dogged determination. Sam never stopped working. If only Faith could find such a gratifying career.

  She entered the room and set her purse down on the floor beside Sam’s chair. “Has there been any change?”

  “You missed the hospice nurse by thirty minutes,” Sam said. “I was going to call you, but I knew you were on your way. I figured I’d wait until you got here to tell you. Mom’s body is showing signs of shutting down. As you know, the doctors and nurses can’t predict how much longer it will be.”

  Faith lowered herself to the foot of her mother’s bed. “Should we call Jackie?”

  “I already did. She’s with Sean in Charleston. They’re driving in later tonight. I convinced her to go ahead and call Cooper. He’s on the way home.”

  Faith thought about Jackie’s reluctance to call Cooper home from Virginia. His internship was important to his career, and while she knew he would want to say goodbye to his grandmother, there was no point in his missing more work than necessary.

  Sam got to her feet. “I need to take care of some market business. But I’ll be back in an hour. Call me if anything changes. Do you want me to bring you some dinner?”

  Faith gestured at her purse on the floor. “Thanks, but I brought a sandwich. I don’t have much of an appetite anyway. Be careful out there. We’re supposed to get bad storms this afternoon. The sky was nearly black when I came in.”

  “I know.” Sam eyed the radar moving across the screen on the wall-mounted TV. “That’s all they’ve been talking about this afternoon. I got tired of listening to it and muted the volume.”

  Faith rose from the bed and walked her sister out into the hall. “I’m happy for you, Sammie, that everything is working out with the market. I have to admit I’m envious that you and Jackie have found careers that give your lives meaning.”

  “It’s not too late, Faith. Say the word. We’d love to have you back on board.”

  “I wish it was that simple. The seafood business doesn’t light my fire the way it lights yours.” When she realized what she’d said, she added, “Poor choice of words. Sorry.”

  Sam smiled. “The fire. Curtis. All that is in the past. I’m concentrating on the future.” She fell back against the wall. “I’m heartbroken over Mom. She’s been such an important part of our lives. I’m going to miss her something awful. Does it make me a bad person to be planning for the future at a
time like this?”

  “Not at all. I think it makes you a lucky person. It doesn’t mean you loved her any less.”

  “Hang in there, Faith. You’ll discover your passion. You just have to keep looking.”

  “I turned forty-five yesterday. I’m a little old to be finding myself.”

  “Our birthdays!” Sam said, snapping her fingers. “How did I forget our birthdays?”

  Jackie’s, Sam’s, and Faith’s birthdays fell on June first, second, and fourth respectively. Ever since they were children, they’d celebrated all three of them with one party on June third.

  “Because you’re preoccupied with more important things. Don’t feel bad, Sammie. None of us remembered. This is as good a year as any to skip the party.”

  “You’re probably right.” Sam pushed off the wall. “Happy birthday, sis.” She wrapped her arms around Faith. “You have so much to offer. Look at the way you’ve taken care of Mom with patience and kindness. Jackie and I could never have done it. You have a special way of handling people. Couple that with something that excites you and you’ll find your happiness.”

  Faith squeezed Sam tight. “That’s good advice. I’ll give it some thought.”

  Sam drew away from Faith. “Let me run this errand so I can get back. Text me if anything changes.”

  Her sister started down the hall, and Faith called after her. “By the way, Sam, it’s garlic powder.”

  Sam turned around. “What do you mean it’s garlic powder?” she asked, walking backward toward the elevator.

  “The ingredient you’re missing in your pimento cheese.”

  Sam palmed her forehead. “That’s it! I knew it was something simple.” The elevator doors opened, and she disappeared inside.

  She returned to her mother’s bedside and drew the covers up tight under Lovie’s chin. This would likely be her last hour alone with her mother. She’d spend the summer with Bitsy, going to the beach and visiting the tourist attractions in and around Charleston that she’d always wanted to see and never made the time for. But then what? What Sam had said was true to some extent. She had a soft way in dealing with certain kinds of people. She felt compelled to help those in need. Those who were sick or in trouble. Or being abused, she thought as a thousand-watt light bulb switched on inside her head.

  Faith nearly shot up out of her chair. That’s it! I’ll open a shelter for abused women. Years ago, when Curtis was at his worst, she’d tried to run away from him, but there was no safe place in Prospect for her to go. During the years that followed, she’d often reflected on that time in her life. And she’d never let herself forget how terrified she’d been. She would help women find the strength to protect themselves. So what if she knew nothing about running a safe home? She would hire a staff of professionals who did. Moses would help in that regard. And Mike would use his contacts at the hospital to help her raise funds. She would use her inheritance from Mack if need be. It was a mammoth undertaking, but one that energized rather than intimidated her.

  She felt a warm glow settle over her as she experienced for the first time the sense of purpose her sisters knew so well. She reached for her mother’s hand, feeling Lovie’s cold, clammy skin against hers. When one door closes, another door opens. She too would miss her mother terribly.

  “Sam was right, Mama. You always supported us, but you rarely judged us. You taught me how to love unconditionally. Now it’s time for me to pay it forward.”

  THIRTY

  Jamie

  What had started out as a blissful day was heading south at a rapid rate. Jamie had woken that morning with Lizbet in his arms. On the porch after work the previous night, he’d opened up to her about his grandmother dying, and she’d comforted him right into her bed. She’d held him while he cried and then made sweet, passionate love to him. They melded together perfectly as friends and lovers, giving him the hope that she was the one for him. They faced a year of separation while he finished his last semester at Carolina and she attended culinary school in New York. He was grateful they’d have the summer together. Being with Lizbet softened the blow of his grandmother dying, and he would need her emotional support in the months ahead.

  His mother had called around three thirty, suggesting that he should come home. “No one can predict when it will happen,” Sam said. “But I have a feeling you’ll be too late if you wait until tomorrow.”

  “I can’t bail on Heidi at the last minute. This party is important to her. I’ll drive home tonight afterward.”

  Rupert Maki, a top executive at Boeing, had invited everybody who was anybody in the Lowcountry to a large cocktail party to celebrate the completion of extensive renovations he’d made to his home on the Battery. Jamie remembered his Aunt Jackie grumbling about not getting the job when Maki requested a proposal from her eighteen months ago. If she saw what he’d seen of the house, she’d be glad Maki had hired a top decorator from New York. Tacky, from his perspective, best described the new furnishings—über-contemporary and ultramasculine, a playboy pad decked out in marble, suede, and leather. Miles of carpet covered the floors in streaks of pale grays that reminded Jamie of an impressionistic work of art.

  It was this carpet that was the cause of their current dilemma.

  Rupert insisted the party be held outside in his courtyard—which was more like the gardens at Magnolia Plantation than a courtyard—to avoid red wine spillage on his custom carpet. Heidi had pleaded with him to rent tents to cover his terraces, but he was convinced it wouldn’t rain. And he was a man used to getting his way. Even from Mother Nature.

  For the past half hour, Jamie had been setting up tables on the terrace with his coworker Monte while Heidi studied the darkening sky and the radar app on her phone. The phone rang in her hand and she answered it.

  “Heidi Butler.” She paused to listen. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” Another pause. “No, you’re right. You can’t work under those conditions. Thanks for letting me know.”

  “What’s wrong?” Jamie asked when she ended her call.

  “That was Jeremy. He and Russell got food poisoning from eating a bad batch of oysters for lunch. They’re at the emergency room getting fluids.” Heidi scrolled through her contacts. “I’ll never find anyone to take their place at the last minute.”

  “What about Sean?”

  She looked up from her phone. “Perfect! Get him over here. Tell him this is his chance to prove himself.”

  Jamie felt Heidi’s eyes on him as he placed the call. The call went straight to voice mail, as did his three subsequent attempts. “He’s not answering. He only lives a couple of blocks away. Do you want me to run over and get him?”

  “Yes, but hurry.” She waved him on. “I’ll try a few others while you’re gone.”

  Jamie took off running down the middle of the street. He arrived at Jackie’s house as a midnight-blue LR4 was pulling up to the curb with his cousin in the passenger seat. The window rolled down and Sean stuck out his head. “What’re you doing here, cuz? This is my friend Jeb, by the way.”

  Jamie exchanged nods with Jeb.

  “We need you to work a party tonight, dude.” Jamie opened the car door and pulled his cousin out. “We’re in a serious bind. Two of our servers called in sick with food poisoning. The location is two blocks away. We need to hurry.”

  “Why didn’t you call me?” Sean asked.

  “I tried, but I got your voice mail.”

  Sean removed his phone from his back pocket. “My phone is dead. I’ve been in the library all afternoon.” He reinserted his dead phone back in his pocket and turned to his friend. “Thanks for the ride, bro.”

  “Sure thing, man.” Jeb leaned across the passenger seat. “Oh, and Sean, I left you a little present in your backpack.”

  “Whatever, man. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Sean waved at Jeb as he started to the house.

  The hairs on Jamie’s neck stood to attention. “What’d he leave you?” he asked as he followed Sean up the front steps.<
br />
  “Who knows? Probably some porn magazine or something.” Sean eyed Jamie’s shorts and T-shirt as he unlocked the door. “Is that what you’re wearing for the party? Heidi told me to buy black pants and a white shirt.”

  “What you have on is fine for now. But bring the black pants and white shirt with you. We’ll change after we finish setting up.”

  Jamie waited in the entry hall while Sean sprinted up the stairs. He returned in less than a minute with his clothes tucked under his arm. He locked the door again, and they jogged side by side down the block. Between breaths Jamie explained the crisis with the impending line of thunderstorms and absence of tents. They found Monte loading cases of red wine into the rear of the van when they arrived back at Maki’s house.

  Heidi rushed over to them. “You’re a lifesaver, Sean. Thank you for coming on such short notice. I couldn’t find anyone else. You’ll have to do the best you can.”

  Sean nodded with more enthusiasm than Jamie had seen from his cousin all summer. “Yes, ma’am. I won’t let you down.”

  Heidi was going out on a limb hiring Sean after witnessing his behavior on Memorial Day. But that was Heidi, always willing to help the underdog.

  Her face softened for a second. “I’m sure you won’t.” She clapped her hands. “All right, listen up. I was watching the local forecast while you were gone. We have no choice but to move everything inside. Rupert will get over it.”

  “Why not set up one of the bars on the piazza?” Jamie asked, gesturing at the second-floor veranda.

  “I thought about that,” Heidi said. “But I think it’s too risky. Conditions are favorable for tornadic activity with this storm system.”

  “Maybe some of the guests will stay at home due to the storm,” Sean said.