by Rhett DeVane
Beneath her boots, winter-dead grass complained with every step. Mary-Esther walked past the memorials for Whitaker, Jones, Adams, and Smith, then stood in front of a dark gray slab of granite surrounded by a marble-edged moat of pale gray chipped stones.
“Dan Davis and Tillie Davis,” she said.
As if reading their names aloud would make it count somehow.
Her parents.
The ones she had started to know through Hattie and Bobby, through pictures, family letters, Tillie’s poetry, from the stories shared by the people of Chattahoochee.
A battered black ragtop BMW convertible turned into the cemetery, trailing blue smoke. Crooked front bumper. Paint faded with dull hotspots where the clear coat finish had baked and peeled.
The car passed two rows over at a slow speed. The driver’s head rotated side to side. No doubt, someone else checking addresses for their dearly departed. Dude had his hand slung over the steering wheel. Chin held up. Proud. The auto might have been a hot little ride at one time. Now, not so much. Probably didn’t get it new, but at least he got it.
“Secondhand. Like me. A secondhand sister.” The word still tasted strange.
Mary-Esther looked back at the van, at Hattie patiently waiting in the passenger seat.
No way could she and Hattie, or Bobby, return to their childhoods for a do-over.
“If I spend all of my time back there, I won’t have room for right here.” The brisk wind chipped her words. She’d had so many epiphanies lately; she might set up a booth and shower wisdom on passersby. Let them wash that wisdom all the way down Highway 90, back to the Big Easy.
She turned her attention to the second, smaller marker. Tiny etched hearts surrounded the name, and cupid-like angel figurines stood guard at its base on either side.
“Sarah Anne Davis.” The instant Mary-Esther spoke the name, a wind gust raked her hair like icy fingers. She shivered and lowered herself to sit cross-legged amidst the marble chips covering the family plot.
Mary-Esther hunched her shoulders against the chill. She rubbed her numb hands together and cursed herself for not wearing gloves.
What could she say to a long-dead baby girl?
“You don’t know me, Sarah, but I knew your mother and your Nana.” She looked off into the purpled sky. “I’m here to tell you about them . . . and about me.”
She reached in her pocket and placed the last of Nana’s rocks in front of the gravestone.
White house paint lined her nails—a weird reverse French manicure—but the cuticles were intact, healed.
No need to pick them to shreds, trying to uncover the real Mary-Esther.
Not anymore.
THE END
Acknowledgements
Rhett wishes to thank the following people:
My family, again. For my brother Jimmy DeVane, for suggesting the whole switched-at-birth idea Good one, bro. Our sister Melody was a bit sad that the middle child from the first books died at birth. Now, she gets her own spotlight!
To Denise Fletcher and the entire Fletcher gang, my heart-family, for their continued love and support.
The city of Chattahoochee, Florida, for being such a memorable hometown. Can’t think of a better setting for a clutch of novels. My characters are fortunate to “live” there.
The Wild Women Writers critique authors—Donna Meredith, Peggy Kassees, Susan Womble, and Hannah Mahler.
Tallahassee Writers Association: a group of the most supportive fellow scribes on the planet. We have all taken turns talking each other down from the ledge. Writing is truly not a competition, more a good jog with friends.
Elizabeth Babski for her excellent graphic design.
Editor extraordinaire Gina Edwards. I’m sure I make you laugh, hon.
Adrian Fogelin for her expert advice and friendship. Also, the Fiction Among Friends retreat compatriots. Love you all!
Law enforcement expert and friend Kathy Kennedy.
Medical/nursing information expert and friend Mary Menard, RN.
My coworkers for attending book functions and listening to me either whoop or whine. What an amazing group of people!
My network of old and new friends, near and far.
My patients—bless your hearts, you have been there every step of this journey.
My readers—without you, I wouldn’t be able to have such grand fun.
And to this universe for allowing me to create. Being a writer means living with a host of characters yammering away inside my head. It is a blessing, most days.
Book club discussion points
The idea of nature versus nurture plays into the plot in several places. How does Mary-Esther’s upbringing reflect in the woman she is becoming? How would she have been different had she been raised with Hattie and Bobby on The Hill?
What both attracts and repels Mary-Esther about Chattahoochee, Jerry, and the Davis family?
In your circle of friends or community, do you have the equivalent of Elvina Houston? What role does Elvina play in the lives of the Davis family and the town?
What issues will Bobby face in his dealings with both Mary-Esther and Hattie?
Mary-Esther has close relationships with Rose Herring and LaJune Eldridge. What drives her to form such strong emotional connections with elderly women?
Mary-Esther carts a few belongings with her, notably her rock collection and Mother’s ashes. If you had to leave your home and could take limited belongings, what would you take, and why?
How do you envision Mary-Esther, Hattie, and Bobby moving forward? What problems do you foresee?
Elvina’s Best-of-Summer Casserole
“This is my favorite summer casserole. The moisture from the tomatoes and onions ooze down onto the squash layer and keep it moist. Especially good recipe for when all of the garden produce starts to come in and folks drop squash, onions, and tomatoes off at the Triple C nearly every day.”
Elvina Houston
1 ½ pounds yellow squash, washed and sliced into ¼ inch cross sections (can use ½ Zucchini)
1 tsp seasoned salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 large Vidalia onion (or other sweet white onion), sliced into thin cross sections
3 large tomatoes, sliced (no need to peel)
8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Grease a large, shallow baking dish. (I use the same one I use when I make lasagna)
Place sliced squash in a layer on the bottom.
Sprinkle with the seasoned salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Layer sliced onions over squash.
Cover onion layer with sliced tomatoes.
Cover top with shredded cheese.
Bake in a 400° oven for 15 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 375° and bake 40 minutes.
Makes six servings.
Hattie’s Best and Easiest Spinach Salad
“Everybody who knows me will tell you I don’t abide recipes that take hours or a long, picky list of ingredients. This is a light, refreshing salad. Sometimes, I substitute toasted pecans for the almonds, as we have plenty of pecans around here. I’ve also used raspberry vinaigrette dressing, though the bacon and honey flavors really add a kick.”
Hattie Davis Lewis
1 bag fresh spinach, washed and drained
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
1, 11 ounce can of mandarin oranges, drained
8 ounce package of feta cheese, crumbled
1 cup toasted, slivered almonds
½ cup dried cranberries
Toss all ingredients together. Add Hidden Valley Honey and Bacon French dressing and toss to coat.
Serve with toasted French bread.
And a glass of wine. Before, and maybe after, you toss the salad.
Mary-Esther’s Boo-Coo Bananas
“Nana taught me how to cook. When I have a proper kitchen, I can make gumbo, jambalaya, or a fantastic King Cake. For a while, I had no such luxury. A van
in some random campsite was home, and a campfire went a long way to provide comfort. So did this simple dessert I invented one lonely evening. I suppose you could bake it in an oven—probably 400° for 15 to 20 minutes.”
Mary-Esther Sloat
1 banana
1 chocolate bar
2 Tbsp. peanut butter
Heavy-duty aluminum foil
Wash outside of banana. Gently strip back one narrow section of the peel, but don’t detach from the tip end.
Using a knife, split the banana’s insides lengthwise and open slit
slightly.
Mash peanut butter into the gap with a spoon.
Stick hunks of chocolate bar into the peanut butter.
Reseal the stuffed banana with the flap of peel.
Wrap the banana in two layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil.
Place wrapped packet directly into hot coals. Leave for 10 to 15 minutes.
Carefully remove hot packet from coals with tongs. Remove outer sooty layer of foil, then use a knife to split open the inner foil liner. Remove strip of peel.
Use the rest of the peel as a natural bowl.
Eat the gooey melted layer with a spoon.
About the Author
Rhett DeVane is a true Southerner, born and raised in the muggy, bug-infested forests of the Florida panhandle. For the past thirty-plus years, Rhett has made her home in Tallahassee, located in Florida’s Big Bend area, where she splits her workdays between her two professions: dental hygienist and novelist.
Rhett is the author of five published mainstream humorous fiction novels set in her hometown of Chattahoochee, a place with “two stoplights and a mental institution on the main drag”: The Madhatter’s Guide to Chocolate, Up the Devil’s Belly, Mama’s Comfort Food, Cathead Crazy, and Suicide Supper Club. She is the coauthor of two novels: Evenings on Dark Island with Larry Rock and Accidental Ambition with Robert W. McKnight. In addition, Rhett has released two books in a series of middle grade fiction, Elsbeth and Sim and Dig Within.
Suicide Supper Club won first place in 2014 for fiction from the Florida Authors and Publishers Association. She’d wear the medal every day if it wasn’t so heavy and perhaps a bit braggity. Plus finding earrings to match, there’s that.
Rhett writes to stay balanced and reasonably happy. The way this world is today, it’s a must. “Humor lifts me. As long as I am on this side of the dirt, I will find a way to laugh, and to share that with as many people as possible.”
All of Rhett’s titles are available on Amazon and other online vendors.
Rhett DeVane's author page on Amazon
To learn more about Rhett and her writing, visit her website and blog:
Rhett’s website: www.rhettdevane.com
Rhett’s crazy Southern blog: www.southernhat-titude.blogspot.com