Wrong Side of Forty

by Jana DeLeon

  She’d seen that shift all her life. Letitia often pretended to be one kind of person in front of others, but she was always herself when it was just her and Marina. So Marina didn’t buy for a second that Letitia said horrible things to her because her mind was slipping. The truth was, she’d always said horrible things. Not that Marina doubted Letitia was crazy. She was absolutely batshit insane. But she was cruel crazy. Not the-aliens-are-coming-to-get-me or the-dog-is-talking-to-me crazy. Marina would be the first to point out that it was getting worse with age, but the hatefulness had always been there. People in Last Chance who had known Leticia well enough to see her true colors would agree.

  As she walked down the hall to her mother’s room, she was grateful once again that Letitia had played games all her life. If the doctor had known the real woman behind the innocent smile, he would have known her problems weren’t caused by dementia. But Hallmark granny shooting at the postman was enough for him to seal her lockup warrant. Finally, Letitia’s kindly old lady ploy had gotten her the exact opposite of what it usually did.

  It was the best possible solution to a horrible situation, because as Letitia got meaner, she grew more violent. It was the violence that finally jolted Marina out of her forty-seven-year stupor and had her looking for creative solutions before her mother killed someone. The postman had been lucky she had refused to wear glasses. Otherwise, she probably wouldn’t have missed.

  She knocked on her mother’s door but there was no answer, so she inched the door open and peered inside. Her mother sat near the window, staring outside, the bars on the window a constant reminder that she could see things outside the building but she couldn’t live among them.

  “Hello,” Marina said as she stepped inside.

  Letitia flashed her a look of disgust before turning back to the window.

  “Didn’t figure I’d see you this week,” Letitia said. “Shouldn’t you be spending your time losing weight and prettying yourself up to find a new man to support you?”

  Marina held in a sigh. She should have known that news of her situation would have reached Letitia. In Last Chance, gossiping was the local pastime. Between the facility staff and visitors, word would have filtered back.

  Letitia turned as she approached and gave her a more comprehensive review. “Looks like you had some work done. Guess that’s why you haven’t been here to see me. Too little, too late, since your man already bolted.”

  “I haven’t been here because I was helping Avery get set up at college.”

  Letitia waved a hand in dismissal. “Stop coddling her. She’s old enough to take care of herself.”

  “You mean like I was in elementary school, when you checked out of being a mother?”

  Letitia flashed her a look of anger. “What the hell are you talking about? I was a great mother. It’s not my fault that you didn’t listen to anything I said. If you had, you wouldn’t be in the situation you are now. If you can’t keep a piece of shit like Harold, then there’s no hope for you.”

  Marina knew she should ignore the words. Should turn around and leave and seriously consider whether or not she ever wanted to return. There was nothing for her here. She’d known that since she was a child but for whatever reason, she’d never stopped clinging to the hope that one day her mother might act like she loved her. Then about a year ago, Letitia had gotten nasty with Avery and that was the breaking point. It was one thing for Marina to suck it up. She’d been trained to do it since childhood, but no way was she allowing Letitia’s toxic personality to damage her daughter.

  “Just like there was no hope for you holding on to my father,” Marina said.

  Letitia jerked her head back as if she’d been struck.

  “I told your father to leave, and no way was I allowing him back after he took up with Constance. Being drunk is no excuse for taking up with a whore, even when they trick you into it.”

  “Uh-huh. Except that Constance was already pregnant with Halcyon when you met my dad, which means that you took up with her man, not the other way around.”

  “I don’t have to listen to this! Nurse! Nurse!”

  Marina shook her head as a nurse hurried into the room and scanned Letitia, trying to assess what the problem was.

  “I want this bitch out of my sight,” Letitia said. “And I don’t want to see her again.”

  The nurse’s eyes widened, and she opened her mouth but apparently, couldn’t figure out what to say.

  “That’s okay,” Marina told her. “I was just leaving.”

  The nurse followed her into the hall and shut Letitia’s door behind them.

  “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Trahan,” the nurse said. “But please don’t take that personally. She doesn’t mean the things she says.”

  Marina gave her a tired smile. “Yes, she does. She’s been saying those things my entire life.”

  Before the nurse could respond, Marina walked away, wondering how far and how long her obligation to her mother extended. Sure, Letitia had said she never wanted to see Marina again, but that was another lie. Letitia absolutely wanted Marina to come back. Not because she cared at all about her daughter but because she wanted to maintain the illusion that she still had control over her. And making Marina feel bad about herself was the one thing that always seemed to make Letitia happy.

  She was in for a real surprise when she realized that the old Marina was long gone.

  And the new one didn’t give a damn what Letitia thought or said.

  She walked out of the facility and smiled, for real this time. It was as if a spine-crushing weight had been lifted from her. She’d finally done it. She’d refused to take her mother’s shit and the world hadn’t fallen apart. More importantly, she wasn’t leaving feeling worse about herself, as she usually did.

  In fact, it was exactly the opposite.

  She felt ready to conquer the world.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  The jeweler Halcyon had in mind had a small shop on the highway to New Orleans, about twenty minutes from the city limits. A friend of hers who had moved to the city after a divorce years before said he was trustworthy and would give her a good price on quality stones. Now they just had to hope that the stones in her rings were quality and the trip might actually be worth some money.

  A young, pretty saleswoman greeted them as they walked in. Halcyon explained what she needed and the saleswoman went into a back room and emerged a minute later with a small gentleman wearing a suit and thick glasses. He introduced himself as Stewart Davis, the owner of the shop, and Halcyon showed him the two rings she was interested in selling.

  He nodded and picked up the rings. “Give me some time to assess them. Look around. See if there’s anything you might be interested in for trade.”

  “Wait!” Marina grabbed his arm as he started to walk off. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her wedding ring. “This one too.”

  He took the ring and disappeared into the office.

  “Marina, no,” Halcyon said.

  “Why not? You’re trying to sell yours.”

  “But it’s been a long time.”

  “What difference does it make? I’m not going to get back together with Harold. Tomorrow, next week, next year…the ring still represents the same broken promise.”

  Halcyon’s eyes widened. “Yes, but…”

  “That’s too rational coming from me?”

  “I wasn’t going to put it that way, but yeah.”

  “I think I had an epiphany this morning when I visited Letitia.”

  “The only epiphany I’ve ever had in Letitia’s presence was that I was glad I wasn’t carrying.”

  Marina smiled. “It was something like that, but I struck back with words instead. She tried so hard to get to me and it didn’t work. I turned it around, Halcyon. It shocked her and more importantly, it made her mad. And I’ve wanted to do that for so long. The best part is, I didn’t care what she said. It meant nothing. Just the hateful ramblings of a bitter old woman.”r />
  Tears welled up in Halcyon’s eyes and Marina stared at her sister, surprised. “Are you all right?” Marina asked.

  Halcyon threw her arms around Marina and squeezed her so tightly it was slightly painful. When she released her, she sniffed and patted at the corners of her eyes to remove the tears, careful not to smear her makeup.

  “I’m just so happy for you,” Halcyon said. “I’ve wanted this for you all our lives. And I’d decided it was never going to happen.”

  Marina nodded. “This week has given me an entirely different perspective. And whether I have another ten days or thirty years on this earth, I want them to be on my terms. I’m done living my life for everyone else.”

  “Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition,” Halcyon said. “Or whatever is more applicable.”

  “At the rate I’m firing off, mouthwash?”

  Halcyon grinned. “Come on. Might as well look around. We’re not that far from Last Chance. It’s possible the ring could be here.”

  Marina nodded and motioned to the saleswoman who’d been standing back from them, probably wondering what kind of breakdown was occurring and whether or not to say something.

  “I don’t suppose you have any old rings—heirloom type stuff?” Marina asked. “We have an elderly aunt who lost a ring years ago. We keep thinking we’d like to find something similar to replace it but haven’t found anything suitable so far.”

  “We have several older pieces,” the saleswoman said. “What were you looking for?”

  “A silver twisted band and a good-sized ruby,” Marina said. “We don’t get a whole lot of detail out of her. She’s slipping, if you know what I mean.”

  The saleswoman gave them a sympathetic look. “My grandmother is that way. Awful to see, isn’t it? Come over here and see if any of these will work.”

  They followed her to a side counter and she pulled out a tray with three ruby rings on it. The stone was far too small on one, so Marina didn’t even bother to pick it up, but she spent several minutes inspecting the other two. They were both pretty but unfortunately, didn’t elicit so much as a finger twitch from her.

  Marina shook her head. “I don’t think they’ll work. I think she said the band was twisted like vines, right?” Marina looked at Halcyon.

  “That’s what I remember,” Halcyon said and looked at the saleswoman. “Thank you for showing us these.”

  “No problem,” the saleswoman said. “I hope you find something that works. Can I get you water or coffee while you wait?”

  They both shook their heads and walked over to a sitting area near a case at the front of the store. Right after they sat, the door to the shop opened and Ms. Kitty walked in. She smiled at the saleswoman who greeted her.

  “Hello, Ms. Kitty,” the saleswoman said. “I believe Mr. Davis has your piece ready. He’s doing an assessment right now so it will be a few minutes. Can I get you anything while you wait?”

  “No. Thank you.” Ms. Kitty turned and caught sight of them. “Fancy meeting you two all the way out here. But then, you can’t do better than Stewart for custom work.”

  “That’s what everyone says,” Halcyon said.

  Ms. Kitty took a seat next to them and looked at Marina. “How are you holding up, Marina? I heard about that mess with your daughter. Is she all right?”

  “She’s fine,” Marina said. “I mean, considering. I guess we’re both fine, considering.”

  “Considering your husband is a no-taste-having asshole?” Ms. Kitty asked.

  “That covers part of it,” Marina agreed.

  Ms. Kitty looked at the counter next to them and frowned. “You shopping for engagement rings? That’s some fast work.”

  “God no!” Marina said. “I think I’d rather wear handcuffs.”

  “Same thing,” Halcyon said.

  Ms. Kitty grinned. With three husbands in her rearview mirror, she and Halcyon probably shared an opinion on the term “permanent.”

  “I’m looking to sell my wedding rings,” Halcyon said. “In case Marina needs the money for Avery and things.”

  Ms. Kitty gave her an approving nod. “You’re a good woman. I know some don’t like it that you speak your mind, but I happen to admire that quality in a person.”

  “Probably because you’ve got it in spades,” Halcyon said.

  Ms. Kitty laughed. “There is that. I’m surprised you never had those rings turned into something else—a nice bracelet or something.”

  “I thought about it but never got around to doing it,” Halcyon said.

  “My daughter divorced her first husband years ago,” Ms. Kitty said. “He was a piece of work, which I knew from the beginning, but you can’t tell a nineteen-year-old a damned thing. So I bit my lip and paid for the wedding, even though I knew they wouldn’t make it until she was of legal drinking age. They didn’t. He did buy her a decent ring, though. That’s about the only thing he ever did that was worth anything.”

  “Did she have it made into something else?” Marina asked.

  “No,” Ms. Kitty said. “She stuck it in a drawer and left it, probably hoping it was all a bad dream, but then she met her current husband. He came across it shortly after they were married and asked why she still had it. She said she’d just never done anything with it but she’d go have it made into a necklace or something. Well, he got all butthurt over the idea of her walking around wearing a diamond that came from her first husband, even if it wasn’t on her ring finger. So she gave the ring to me and told me to get something for myself.”

  “And you made it into something for her, didn’t you?” Halcyon asked.

  Ms. Kitty grinned. “No. I had it made into a tie tack and gave it to him.”

  Marina and Halcyon burst out laughing and couldn’t stop, even when Stewart came to see what was going on. He took one look at them and retreated back into his cubbyhole. The saleswoman had been laughing as hard as they were, so he’d probably decided it was a woman thing and he didn’t want to know about it.

  “I want to be you when I grow up,” Halcyon said.

  Ms. Kitty shook her head. “If you want to be me, you can’t do responsible things, like grow up.”

  Ms. Kitty patted Marina’s hand. “You hang in there. Any time you need to let your hair down, you come to Ms. Kitty’s. Booze is on me. I got all kinds of things in my bar that will take your mind off your troubles.”

  She looked over at the saleswoman as she rose. “I’m going to go run a few errands and I’ll be back in about an hour.”

  “Still want to be her,” Halcyon said as Ms. Kitty walked out.

  “She is supercool,” Marina agreed.

  Stewart came out of his office and over to where they sat.

  “The gold on the bands is good quality,” he said. “And the diamonds are better than average, but none are huge. I would appraise the entire lot at about seven thousand. I can write up separate appraisals if you need them for insurance purposes.”

  “And if we wanted to sell them?” Halcyon asked.

  He shook his head. “I’m afraid I couldn’t do better than five thousand. And that’s more than you’ll get anywhere else because I’ll turn them into more up-to-date pieces. Others will have to sell them as-is and the designs are somewhat dated.”

  Halcyon looked over at Marina, who nodded. Five thousand was more than they had when they’d walked in the shop.

  “We’ll take it,” Halcyon said.

  Dottie didn’t so much as raise an eyebrow when she saw Marina and Halcyon standing at her doorstep. Halcyon might want to be Ms. Kitty someday, but Marina really hoped she could be Dottie. The regal woman never appeared to be ruffled by anything. Not in appearance or in action. It must be awesome to exist in that state of calm. Either that, or Dottie was the best actress that had ever walked the face of the earth.

  “Ladies,” Dottie said. “What a pleasant surprise. Please come in. I just made a pitcher of sweet tea and homemade chocolate chip cookies.”

  “Did you kno
w we were coming?” Halcyon asked.

  Dottie laughed. “Of course not. How could I?”

  “So you brew tea and bake cookies on the regular?” Halcyon asked.

  “I’m old and Southern,” Dottie said. “It’s what we do.”

  “That clinches it,” Halcyon said. “I’m not getting old.”

  “No one visits you except me,” Marina said. “I think you’re safe.”

  Halcyon did a fist pump. “Loophole!”

  Dottie smiled as they walked into the kitchen and gestured toward a farmhouse table in a beautiful breakfast nook with three walls of windows looking out into a garden that appeared as if it was sculptured by fairies.

  “Your garden is gorgeous!” Marina exclaimed. “Don’t tell me you do all this work yourself.”

  Dottie nodded. “I enjoy it. It relaxes me and it’s satisfying to see the result every time I step into the kitchen.”

  “Good Lord, why don’t you win the best home garden contest every year?” Marina asked. “It looks like an arboretum.”

  “I don’t enter,” Dottie said as she slid a tray of tea and cookies onto the table.

  “Why not?” Marina asked.

  Dottie frowned. “There was a thing one year. Apparently, someone took offense to my string of wins and saw fit to spray the lawn with weed killer. It took me years to get the soil right again.”

  “What the hell is wrong with people?” Halcyon asked. “It’s flowers. No one’s life has ever ended over flowers.”

  “If I had a garden like this and someone sprayed it with weed killer, their life might end,” Marina said. “Do you know who did it?”

  “Oh sure, but there’s knowing and there’s proving,” Dottie said.

  “Let me guess,” Marina said. “Serina LeDoux.”

  Dottie raised one eyebrow and Marina shook her head. Serina was Preston and Patricia’s now-deceased mother and had come in second to Dottie every year that she’d entered the competition.

  “Ding-dong, the witch is dead,” Halcyon said. “You should totally enter again. That cow Patricia isn’t going to climb over your fence to spray anything, and Preston’s wife doesn’t get out of the bottle long enough to walk a straight line, much less garden.”