On the Corner of Hope and Main

by Beverly Jenkins

  At noon everyone gathered in the chilly wind outside the Dog to check out the pumpkins entered in the contest. Some were great like the one Crystal did of a dragon, and the nice traditional jack-o’-lantern carved by Reverend Paula and Robyn. Leah’s E = mc2, was placed next to Preston’s very lopsided rendition of Saturn. Wyatt did a map of the state of Kansas, and Zoey’s had a music staff and notes. The July entry was an amazingly detailed smiling coyote seated next to a pig on a spit. Sheila took one look at it and declared, “We have a winner!” In agreement, applause, hoots, and hollers filled the air.

  That evening, the gym at the rec was filled with costumed residents who’d come to celebrate Halloween. Henry Adams had never thrown a celebration quite like it. There was music, dancing, laughter, games, and with the theme of Comics, Disney, and Superheroes, Bernadine thought it was a big hit. The gym had been thematically transformed by pumpkins, ghosts, skeletons, and ugly witches standing over cauldrons bubbling smoke from dry ice. One corner of the room resembled a graveyard with fake stones and a tree filled with spooky-eyed black cats, while fake spiderwebs hung from the ceiling. Many in the Ladies Auxiliary dressed up as Disney villainesses. She’d come as Ursula from the Little Mermaid, and with her blue body suit, white wig, and matching blue eye shadow she thought she was pretty fly. Also looking good was Roni Garland as Hela from Ragnarok. Wearing all black and sporting a black antler headpiece, she was ready to take on Thor and anyone else who got in her way. Gen sashayed in as Cruella, complete with white fake fur coat, two-toned hair, and a long cigarette holder. Any dalmatians in the area were in danger.

  Lily, as Maleficent, came over to where Bernadine stood and shouted over the voices and music, “This is wild!”

  “I know!” she said, laughing. “So much fun!”

  Marie, wearing green face paint and the black dress and hat of the Wicked Witch of the West, snarled at them and shook her broom as she passed by. Luis, decked out as T’Challa, gave them the Wakanda Forever salute. Beside him, his son, Alfonso, who looked like Harry Potter all the time, came as Harry Potter, armed with a wand. His daughter was dressed as the Easter Bunny.

  Mal strolled by in a black leather coat and the black eye patch of Nick Fury. He gave Bernadine a sexy wink and she melted like a teenager. An amused Lily shook her head. “You two are a mess.”

  Bernadine simply smiled in response and took in some of the other costumes. Gemma, who’d done most of the sewing, was dressed as Cinderella and wearing a lovely yellow ball gown. Beside her was her handsome Prince Charming, Mike Freewater decked out in a Marine dress uniform. Tamar, with her silver hair streaming down her back and wearing her silver bangles and an African print caftan, looked as she did all the time, but she told everyone she was N’Dare, the Kenyan mother of superheroine Storm. Sheila drifted over to say hello. She’d come as Nubia, Wonder Woman’s twin sister. Beside her, Barrett was dressed in a pair of jeans, a tee, and a gray hoodie.

  Confused by his attire, Bernadine asked, “You decided not to dress up?”

  “I’m Luke Cage.”

  Sheila rolled her eyes. “In other words, he decided not to dress up.”

  “Hey!” he said in mock defense.

  Bernadine and Lily laughed.

  Across the room was the apple-bobbing station. Wyatt, dressed like Iron Man, knelt beside the tub and removed his helmet. His fake Tony Stark mustache and goatee made those nearby almost fall over laughing.

  On the far side of the room, a blindfolded Devon, dressed as James Brown, complete with cape and perm, was trying to hit the suspended piñata. “I thought the theme was Comics, Movies, and Disney,” Bernadine said to Lily.

  “I know, but Devon is going to do Devon. Just like Zoey will always do Zoey.” Miss Miami had come as one of her superheroes—Beethoven. Somebody else doing their own thing was Preston. He’d come as Albert Einstein. He and Zoey appeared to have gotten their wild-looking gray wigs from the same store. Trent was Inspector Gadget. As he walked by, he playfully flashed Lily with his trench coat and she choked on her punch laughing.

  “That’s your husband,” Bernadine cracked.

  Crystal was Cat Woman, the Eartha Kitt version. Amari added to the original Batman theme by being the Frank Gorshin Riddler in a green bowler and green suit covered with purple question marks. Thad rolled in as the pope. He was dressed in a white robe and had a miter atop his braids. Tamar was not amused.

  Reverend Paula arrived as the female version of Bass Reeves, Indian Territory’s most famous Black deputy US marshal. She explained that some historians believed Reeves to have been the true life model for the Lone Ranger. In her Stetson, jeans, vest, and star, she looked ready to arrest any outlaws on the premises. Seeing her made Bernadine remember the interest Thornton Webb had in her during his visit, and she wondered if he did take the job, how that interest might play out, if at all. Robyn, in a red leather hoodie, a black tee, and jeans, carried a black sword. She explained to Bernadine and Lily that she was Alice, a teen monster fighter from one of her favorite books: A Blade So Black. Jack James strolled by as Sherlock Holmes, complete with a houndstooth coat, hat, and the signature pipe. Beside him Rocky, wearing a big Afro wig and a short rabbit fur jacket, strutted as Cleopatra Jones. Teacher Kyrie Abbott wowed the crowd as Marvel’s Sam Wilson aka the Falcon. And yes, the costume had wings.

  The Best Costume award for the young people went to Jasmine dressed as Shuri, from Black Panther. Tiffany had come as Shuri as well and was so put out by Jaz wearing the same thing, she angrily demanded her dad take her home. Gary refused. Her pouting and bad attitude did win her something though—a spot in the kitchen on trash detail for the rest of the party, courtesy of Tamar.

  Gen as Cruella and Kyrie as the Falcon tied for Best Adult costume and received rounds of applause and the gift certificates from Clark’s Grocery.

  Throughout the evening, Bernadine’s attention kept straying Mal’s way, and each time, his patched eye was waiting. The first time it happened she was embarrassed to be caught, but then gave in and let herself look her fill while he did the same. Later, when Smokey’s voice began to croon “Ooo Baby Baby,” he walked over. “Will you dance with me?”

  She nodded. As they found a spot in the middle of the floor, every eye in the place turned their way. Noticing the smiles and hearing the small smattering of applause, she said, “You’d think they’d have something better to do.”

  Holding her close, he moved them slowly to the beat. “Small-town folks. What’re you going to do.”

  What she did was ignore them and savor how nice slow dancing with him felt. Hearing Smokey singing about his mistakes made it seem as if the lyrics were speaking directly to her and Mal. Dancing with him was so nice in fact, they stayed on the floor through two more songs until BTS began to play and the young ones took over.

  “What time do you want to have dinner?” he asked escorting her back to her spot.

  “Six?”

  “Sounds good. I’m heading home. Need my beauty sleep.” He looked down and said with a sincerity she felt in her bones, “Thanks for the dance.”

  “You’re welcome. See you tomorrow.”

  As she watched him leave, Lily, who’d been dancing with Trent, walked up and said, “You two really need to tie the knot and be done, you know that, right?”

  “Get behind me, Satan, and hush.”

  “I’m just saying.”

  Bernadine rolled her eyes and watched the young people on the floor, but Lily’s words stayed with her for the rest of the evening.

  Chapter

  16

  Sunday morning, Riley was tired of Leo Brown not answering his calls or texts, so he got in his car and drove to the mansion. He wanted to know if Sheriff Dalton had spoken to him about the report he’d filed, and if Leo knew a lawyer who’d take on the lawsuit he wanted to bring against the Julys for suffering and mental anguish. Newspeople from as far away as New York City called all day Saturday asking for Riley’s reactions to Cletus’s rampage
at the ball and the defacing of his billboard. Snapping “No comment,” he’d hung up each time. That evening, after he was sure the interest from gawkers had died down, he’d driven out to the billboard to get a firsthand look. It was even worse than he’d imagined. Gone was his classic pose. Gone was his look of strength. In their place was the head of a hog that resembled an eerie cross between Cletus and himself. He had a snout, hair-tipped ears, little piggy eyes, and a grinning mouth filled with misshapen teeth. It was so hideous, he wanted to cry. He’d bet every dime he’d borrowed from Genevieve’s bank accounts that the Julys were responsible—even if he didn’t have proof. He’d gazed up at the sick joke for a few more minutes, cursing the Julys the entire time, then drove home.

  Now, as he pulled into the driveway of Brown’s mansion, Riley hoped his campaign manager had a plan for what to do about it all. The election was next week. The billboard needed to be taken down or painted over, and his vandalized campaign signs needed to be replaced. He’d tried to tell Brown six weren’t going to be enough. Had he listened they might’ve had some to use as replacements.

  Up on the porch, he rang the doorbell. When no one responded, he pushed the small ivory button again. Nothing. Pulling the screen door open, he knocked on the inside door, then knocked again, harder this time. Because that brought no results, he went around to the back of the house, hoping to look in through the solarium, but the drapes were closed. Next, he tried to pull up the garage doors to see if his car was inside. They didn’t budge, so he figured they were the fancy kind that opened with a remote. Frustrated, he took out his phone and called him, but it went to voice mail. Again. Had the man left town? If he had, surely he’d have sense enough or been decent enough to let his candidate know.

  Having run out of ideas, Riley got back in his car and drove home.

  AFTER CHURCH, BERNADINE came home to find an old, beat-up, pale blue pickup truck parked in front of her house. Wondering if the owner might be someone visiting one of her neighbors, she pulled Baby into her garage. Stepping out and seeing Big Al standing menacingly near the open garage door scared her half to death. Calming her racing heart, she asked, “Yes?”

  “Wondering if you’ve seen Leo Brown?”

  “I haven’t.”

  “I’ve been trying to catch him since leaving your office, but he’s not at home or answering his phone.”

  “I can’t help you, sorry.”

  He turned and walked away. Still shaken, she watched as he got back in the old truck and it rattled away. She didn’t know where Leo might be, but had she cheated Stillwell out of his land, she’d be trying to book passage to someplace far, far away, like Mars.

  Her second guest of the day arrived a short while later. Riley. He was looking for her ex-husband, too. “I haven’t seen him, Riley.”

  “Do you know who I can call that might know?”

  “I don’t, sorry.”

  He looked perturbed. “Okay, thanks.” And he drove off in a car that sounded a lot like Big Al’s battered old truck.

  Finding this all very curious, Bernadine again wondered where Leo might be, but she didn’t care enough about him to do more than that, so she went on with her day.

  Crystal arrived at five to drop off dinner. She was covered with snow. “Man, it’s really crazy out there.”

  The weather people were predicting a serious snowfall over the next twenty-four hours. Winter had arrived.

  It took Crystal a couple of trips to her car to bring in what she’d prepared. There were wings and green beans, red-skinned potato salad, and a tin of unbaked blueberry muffins dusted with cinnamon and sugar. “Put the muffins in the oven in about half an hour, so they’ll be hot,” she suggested as she took off her coat.

  “Will do.”

  “Hope this dinner turns out better than the last time.”

  “I’m sure it will.”

  Crystal studied her in the way only Crystal could before saying, “I’m glad you two are unpacking your issues. You’re as good for him as he is for you.”

  “You think so?”

  “I know so. You two getting back together means I don’t have to worry about you when I leave Henry Adams.”

  It was Bernadine’s turn to do the studying. “You’re leaving?”

  “Maybe. I’m applying to some schools in Cali and one in Savannah. My grades are up, and two places have asked for samples of my portfolio.”

  “That’s exciting, Crys.”

  “I know, but none of it would be happening if it weren’t for my awesome mom. Thank you so much for having my back.”

  Tears stung Bernadine’s eyes as she hugged her child. “You just needed some loving. The rest you accomplished with hard work and that God-given talent of yours.”

  Crystal held on tight. “I want you to grab some happiness too, Mom.”

  “I’m fine.”

  “I know, but think how much happiness you could add if you and the OG were living under the same roof.”

  Bernadine pulled back. “Have you been talking to Lily?”

  “About what?”

  “Mal and me.”

  “No. Why?”

  “Nothing. Just asking.” Bernadine gave her one last squeeze then kissed her cheek. “Keep me posted on the schools.”

  “You know I will.”

  They parted and Crys put on her coat. “Okay. Have a good time with your boo.”

  Bernadine chuckled. “I’ll do my best.”

  “And think about what I said about that whole one-roof thing.”

  “Yes, ma’am. Be careful driving home.”

  “I will.”

  Bernadine stood in the door and watched her back out of the driveway. The snow was falling in thick wind-whipped sheets. Once the car disappeared, Bernadine closed the door and turned on the Weather Channel to get the latest on what was shaping up to be one whopper of a first snowfall.

  The cinnamon scent of the baking muffins was wafting deliciously through the air when she opened the door to let Mal inside. Snow covered him like one of the historic mountain men. “Man. It’s bad out there. Police are telling people to stay off the roads. Lots of accidents on the highways. Main Street is like an ice rink. Had to crawl here.” He stomped the snow off his boots on her doormat.

  “Glad you made it.”

  She took his coat and hat and hung them on the knob of the closet door. Both were too wet to go inside. He’d brought a six-pack of Pepsi with him, so while he took off his boots, Bernadine put the cold cola in the fridge. She was checking the muffins when he joined her. “Smells good in here.”

  “Crys’s muffins. Blueberry with cinnamon sugar on top.”

  “She might want to consider opening a restaurant.”

  “I know.” She told him about Crystal’s art school pursuit. “I’m hoping one of the places accepts her.”

  “Same here.”

  Mal’s phone sounded. He took it from his suitcoat pocket and read the text. “It’s from Trent. He’s calling off the snow removal team for the night. Weather’s too bad. We’ll start plowing in the morning.” He put the phone away. “I don’t know, Bernadine, I may have to eat and run.”

  She stirred the green beans. “If you get stuck, you can always make it over to Trent’s and spend the night there, or use my guest room. Either way, you’ll be covered.”

  She glanced his way. Their eyes held. Her heart skipped a couple of beats. To pull herself together she placed the lid back on the pot of green beans. “I think the muffins might be ready.”

  They were, so aided by a couple of potholders, she eased the pan out of the oven and onto the counter. “Time to eat.”

  “Let me wash my hands.” Mal left her to go to the powder room and Bernadine drew in a few calming breaths. Although she hadn’t offered him a spot in her bedroom, giving him permission to spend the night sort of fell out of her mouth on its own. That they might wind up sharing a bed for the first time since their split was a possibility, but knowing him the way she did, he’d
leave that decision in her hands. Malachi July made love like it was his calling on earth, but never without the assurance of her consent.

  As always, Crystal’s meal was a hit. Every dish was flavorful and perfectly seasoned. While they ate, the weather ran in the background. They weren’t surprised to hear the storm had been upgraded to a blizzard. Fifteen inches were now expected over the next twenty-four hours. Highways were closed and the local school districts in their portion of the state announced a snow day for Monday. Outside the wind howled like an enraged beast. The lights flickered off, then came back on. A few moments later, they went out again. The house filled with early-evening darkness and silence. They waited for the power to return but when it didn’t, Mal asked, “Do you have wood?”

  “Yes. Out in the garage.”

  While he went to get the wood, she thought about Crystal alone in her loft and sent her a text. She texted back that she was at the rec with Tamar, Rocky, and the waitstaff. The rec had an emergency generator so everyone unable to leave Main Street had gathered there. Feeling better, Bernadine sent love and put her phone away.

  Mal made three trips to bring in enough wood to hopefully last until morning. He piled the first load into her living room fireplace and set it aflame.

  People on the plains weren’t new to winter power outages, so all over Henry Adams and the adjacent areas, those without fancy generators gathered their candles, lanterns, flashlights, and bottled water, then dug out extra blankets, insulated sleeping bags, heavy quilts, playing cards, and board games, to hunker down and ride out the storm.

  Bernadine turned off all the electronics to keep them from being damaged when the power returned, then she and Mal pulled the cushions off the sofa and sat in front of the fire. “You ready to get whipped in Scrabble?” he asked.