"Barbara called the hospital to speak to Nate and told him that Zola was at her home sleeping and she didn’t know anything about Janet. ‘That is your job to tell her,’ said Barbara.
“Sometime in the late evening, Zola woke up and my brother and I were sitting on the bed. Nate was sitting in the chair. The doctor had given him a sedative, for he was about to go out of his mind,” said Lola.
"‘Where is Janet?’ asked Zola.
Toto, with a loving voice, responded, ‘With God.’
"Zola looked at my father and us children and started yelling, ‘No! No! No! Not my baby!’
“My mother’s crying was out of control, so they sent us in the next room to be with Cousin Barbara,” said Lola.
"‘Zola, you know I love you. We will get through these hard days so that we can live on and enjoy our children. But I need you to tell me the truth. I might not forgive you today but I will in the future,’ said Nate.
"‘Nate, I went out of the county to get an abortion. I didn’t want any more children. Three are enough. I left them with a reliable babysitter. I don’t understand why our home caught fire and burned down,’ said Zola.
"Zola saw Nate’s face turn beet-red and he looked like fire was coming out of his head. At this moment, he was his father’s son. He even looked like Redd. Zola realized that nothing would ever be the same.
"Zola fell back into the bed, thinking to herself, ‘I have lost Janet and now I have lost Nate. What is left for me in this world? My parents are gone and now my family.’
"With tears dropping from his chin, Nate stood up over Zola, stating the following, ‘I have loved you from the day I saw you. I have watched you coming and going out with single girlfriends. As long as you came home to me at night, it was okay. But this is unacceptable. As of this moment, we will be husband and wife but nothing will ever be the same. One last thing, was this my baby?’
"With her eyes closed, Zola responded, ‘Yes.’
“Nick moved Nate and his family into his boathouse on the river. He understood the whole situation from all sides. He felt that the calming waves of the water would help Zola recover from her sorrows faster. A nurse was hired to take care of her because she had a nervous breakdown after finding out that the cause of the fire was her fault. According to the fire chief, the iron was left on, sitting flat down on the board,” said Lola.
"After a few months, Mom got up from her bed and said to the nurse that she was no longer needed. ‘I will take care of my husband and children.’
"My father had a new home rebuilt right on the same spot of the original home. We continued to live with my Uncle Nick until the new home was ready. He made us enjoy living with him.
“Uncle Nick was always the most honest of all my relatives. He worked hard while in law school and graduated. He was number one in his class. He was also president of his senior undergraduate class at Harvard. As a small child, I wanted to be honest and a good civic-minded resident of Louisiana. But that never happened. Our home was rebuilt and we moved back home to Vinton,” said Lola.
“My father allowed my mother’s cousins to run the liquor store while my mother and father hung out at the racetrack. They were at home at the track and appeared to have forgotten about Janet. This racetrack had secret areas inside that were known only to special people. My mother and father were considered special people. Mom was a good flirt, so she decided to ask their friend about the owner if she could open up a gentlemen’s room for very special clients,” said Lola.
"‘If you allow me to run the room, it will enhance your other activities such as your secret poker room and the after hour’s liquor sales. I have lots of experience because I was in charge of this business in Harrisonville for many years. In Harrisonville, it was called the Gentlemen’s Basement,’ said Zola.
"Without much thought, Lenny, the owner, said, ‘Sounds good to me. I will set up the business but after it is making a profit, you will have to pay all the expenses and give me sixty-five percent of all profit from all sources. This will be your business and your responsibility for activities, legal and questionable.’
"‘It will not take me long to start making a profit. We have friends in New Orleans that will deliver the liquor well below wholesale prices. My husband and I will bring in our associates from Harrisonville and New Orleans who are the top professional in this line of business,’ said Zola.
"The racetrack became a full service operation. Live racing, poker room, after-hours speakeasy, and prostitutes for clients that wanted to have a good time were provided by Nate and Zola.
“The racetrack owner was known to be a crook. During a big purse race, the management would fix the race so that a 75 to 1 horse would win over much better horses. This way, the owner and his friends would have a big payday,” said Lola.
“Lola, next week I will be receiving from the prosecutor’s office all his discovery information. He will want our information too. But I have to be careful not to give away our defense. I believe we are halfway home. Because of personal reasons, I will be stepping down as your attorney after we finish with your story. I will be assisting the new attorney. I have talked it over with my boss and he feels that I should step down. You will not be going to jail. I guarantee the verdict will be one that will be in your favor,” said Ted.
Lola looked at Ted and for the first time she could see love in his eyes. ‘Who is this Ted?’ Lola thought to herself. ‘He is my lawyer. He is tall and handsome. Maybe I should interview him. No, I will wait until the trial is over. He might think I am trying to hit on him. We have a good relationship and I do not want to destroy it by acting like a classless bitch,’ Lola thought to herself.
“Okay, Lola, tell me about the business, and did anything spectacular happen to them while working at the track?” asked Ted.
“Yes, my mother kept getting pregnant every twelve months,” said Lola.
“Well, I thought the twins were her only children,” responded Ted.
"We are her only living children. She ended up having six full-term babies. After delivery, they would live a few hours or for a few days and die before coming home. Her first dead baby had a big knock on his head. It was a boy and she named him Henry. She said she hit herself on the end of a table at the track. But I witnessed her and my father fighting. She hit him in the head with a tire iron and was running away from him and tripped.
"This took place at home and an ambulance was called and the police came too. Mama told them that he was drunk and fell down the steps. Papa seconded the lie.
"She always started the arguments. Most of the time it was because she would overhear Papa making a pass at a woman. His favorite line was: ‘You look so good, and in fact you look like an angel that just fell from heaven.’ That was all she needed to hear and she would get off on him. Fire would be coming from her eyes. Her favorite statement was: ‘I have had babies for you and you son-of-a-bitch trying to give everything away to another woman. You old fart.’
"The next baby had an enlarged heart, mainly because of Mama’s poor diet which included drinking and smoking. This baby lasted a full day. It was a boy and he was named James. The next baby, she was a girl, her name Susan, and Mama had to have a Cesarean Section because the cord was wrapped around the baby’s neck. The baby died and Mama was depressed for a long time but she continued to work at the track.
"She appeared to get pregnant every twelve months. Papa would question whether he was the father. That would set her off. She would start drinking and when she was nasty drunk, she would just go right up to him with whatever was in her hands and start hitting him. Papa would never fight back. But he did try to protect himself. Every time she would hit him, it was on his head. She would call the ambulance and tell the police some made-up story and he would go along with it.
"It was about two years before she had the forth baby. This baby was born with a skin over its face and suffocated. It was a boy and only lived a few minutes after birth. His name was John. The fifth
baby was a girl and she was turned upside down and Mama had to have a second Cesarean Section. She died the next day because her weak heart could not handle the trauma.
“The last baby was born dead. It was a boy, and she named him Enough Harrison. Mama had gained a little weight but still had sex appeal. I was about eleven years old and stayed home from school because I was sick. Papa was at the track and Mama stayed home with me. I was in the bed and one of Papa’s friends from the track stopped by. His name was John. He was my father’s best friend. I could hear them talking in the kitchen but they did not see or hear me. As I was listening, it was obvious that they were lovers. Mama was trying to figure out how to get rid of Papa,” said Lola.
"John looked at her and said, ‘Just hit him in the head with a baseball bat and tell the cops it was self-defense.’
"Mama said, ‘Oh no, I could never kill him. He is the father of my children. He has loved me even with all my bad habits. We have been through a lot of ups and downs. I will just divorce him.’
“So that was the plan. As John was driving home, his breaks on his truck froze as he was trying to turn the corner leading up to his street. His truck struck a pole and he was killed instantly. He died that day and so did Mama’s heart,” said Lola.
“Instead of being depressed, she decided to get back into action with her cooking, singing, dancing, and piano-playing at the special room at the track,” said Lola.
"‘Nate, I am going to purchase a baby grand piano for the bar area at the track, set up a New Orleans’ style restaurant, and have live music on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday afternoons. It will be called Zola’s Lounge,’ said Zola.
"‘Maybe Toto can play the piano, sing, and dance with you on Sunday afternoons. He loves music and is very talented in many areas. Just like his mother,’ said Nate.
“Toto’s real name was Kevin but he was given this nickname by my mother because he loved dancing on his toes when he heard music. Therefore, she named him Toto. Plus, she loved the name because she said it sounded like a name for a gangster. She was right. The name was perfect, and he became a gangster,” said Lola.
"‘As the owner of the track, Zola, I am very pleased with your innovations which will increase our numbers for the poker room and at the same time provide an extra incentive for customers to come often,’ responded Hank.
“Mama worked day and night getting the restaurant set up. She ordered the piano and got local talent to play for her on the weekends. Toto was featured on Sunday afternoons. We were eleven and a half years old when we were both introduced to the world of criminal activity. Toto was in the entertainment part and I worked in the kitchen. We both were tall and looked older than our age. We loved the business. We both wanted to learn everything about running the business. At the time, we did not know it was mostly illegal,” said Lola.
"Opening night came and the people were pouring in. The room held two hundred and fifty people and the line was all the way out to the racetrack area. It now cost $5.00 just to get inside. Mama did two shows per night and only one show on Sunday afternoons. People waited at the door. If someone left, then someone could come in. That is how packed it was.
"Mama would open up with Blueberry Hill and the room would go wild. After she was singing and playing, Scooby Johnson, a local, would keep them going with saxophone, jazz, in New Orleans style. Even though I was young, I helped keep the food flowing. Mama would come in the kitchen when she could to check on things. At 2:00 a.m., the Zola’s Lounge was closed and the special people were allowed to stay. After 2:00 a.m., the after-hour bar would be opened alone with Gentlemen’s Basement.
“Behind the bar, they sold Cuban cigars that were smuggled in from Cuba. Also, any type of dope could be purchased. Clients had an ID number. Without your number, you could not purchase any cigars or drugs,” said Lola.
“Toto was featured for Sunday afternoons; he was the afternoon sensation. It cost $6.00 to get in on Sunday for the show. Toto would come out on stage in his white tux with tails. He was good-looking and had brown skin. He was tall and looked much older than he was. As soon as he walked out, the room burst into a thunder of clapping. The band would play a song that he could tap dance to and he just took off like Sammy Davis Jr. Next, he went to the piano and would hit a few notes and then start playing and singing rock-and-roll songs that the crowd in the room loved. That was Toto, the great entertainer,” said Lola.
“Everything was going wonderful. Mama and Papa were getting along better and she was not beating on him anymore. Papa was a big gambler and had lost large amounts of money betting on the horse and playing poker. He did not tell Mama because she would have been furious. Therefore, he decided to go to the tax office and buy up homes that were up for tax sale. These homes would become rental homes. Good money was coming from the business. Their forty percent of the profit made them very rich. Zola did not allow Papa to handle any of this money. She knew that he had become a gambler and did not want their money to be used for gambling. She was thinking ahead for their children’s future education which included college and beyond,” said Lola.
"Papa took the money he had left from his inheritance and invested into real estate. He became the main buyer at the tax sales. In fact, sometimes he was the only buyer. He became the go-to person for rental homes in and around town. His waterfront properties were very popular. He turned them into condos.
“In some circles, he was a hated man. His business practices were very rough and questionable in many situations. I was with Papa when a man came up to him and said, ‘Fuck you, Nate. You took my brother’s home. One day, you will get yours taken.’ Papa just looked at him and said, ‘I hope your taxes are paid up, because your home will be next.’ I just put my head down in shame,” said Lola.
“When clients received credit in order to play poker and were behind in paying off their debts, Papa would hire collectors to go get their money. I had heard stories about my grandfather, Redd, and his criminal mind and activities. It was becoming obvious that my father was more like his father than Nick. But when it came to Zola, she was as gentle as a kitty cat. Papa would tell the collectors not to come back empty-handed. ‘If they want to settle out with me, I will meet with them.’ In most cases, the clients knew it was either the money or their life. Papa had a solution to that problem. They would have to make him beneficiary to any insurance policy and prove that payments were being made. Or if it was a large sum of money, they were required to sign over their deed to transfer their homes to him. He did not care if the client was male or female, blind, cripple, or crazy. He wanted his money. At the end, he got paid,” said Lola.
"‘Nate, soon we will have enough money saved that we can send our two bright children to any university in the States. Just like you and Nick. Toto and Lola both wanted to get a degree in business and I told them not to stop there to go for their MBAs. I want them to work and earn an honest living. This life is all we know. Maybe if our parents had kept us away from this life, things might have been different, but it is what it is. We cannot go back. It is too late for us,’ said Zola.
“Zola and Nate understood that paying taxes at all levels was important and they hired the best accountant to handle their business. He paid all their taxes on time and they trusted him completely. Mama decided that she wanted a bigger home by the river and did not want a mortgage. She had planned to pay with cash. They planned to rent out our old home. The home on the river was priced at $1.1 million. It was beautiful. Just close your eyes and anything you could dream of was in this home. Mama wrote a check for the deposit which was twenty percent of the selling price. After a few weeks, the bank notified them that their check bounced, and my parents were horrified,” said Lola.
"‘Nate, there must be a mistake. Did you spend all our money?’ asked Zola.
"‘No, I never touched any of it. I have enough in my saving to buy your dream home. I will call Gary, our accountant, and see what happened to the money. Gary will have the answer.’
> "‘Gary does not manage my money. I do it myself. Remember, I do have a degree in business,’ said Nate.
"Zola was extremely upset; she had worked hard for her money by not going on big, expensive vacations. She did not want to wait for the next day. That night, she went to Gary’s home to talk to him about the bad check. She knocked on the door several times real hard. No one answered and it appeared that they had left. All the furniture was gone. She turned the door handle and it opened. As she walked in, she knew he had stolen all of their money.
“The next day, Mama went to the bank and there was only $100.00 in the account. Gary had forged her signature on several checks over a three-month period until he wiped out the account. Gary skipped town with his family,” said Lola.
"‘Nate, we cannot let him get away with our money. We will have to hunt him down and get our money back. My parents had a private eye which was very good. I will call him and ask him to take our case. When he finds him, he will get it back or he will never live to spend it,’ said Zola.
“The next day, Mama called Bruce and gave him all the details.”‘Bruce, he took $1.9 million from my account. I want every penny back. If he has it in the bank, take him to the bank and get it. Return him to his home, tie up him and his wife, and burn their home down with them in it. Do not harm their children. Do it when the kids are at school. If you need to, wait until the time is right. But get the job done. Your payday will be $100,000.00. I know I can depend on you. My parents believed in you, and you are the best,’ said Zola.
“That night, Mama poured herself a big glass of whisky on the rocks and sat in the family room in the dark. When Papa came home, he saw Mama sitting in the dark with her drink. At that moment, he could see her mother’s personality in Zola. The fun-loving young girl he met years ago was gone. All that was left was an almost thirty-five-year-old woman who was out to get even with her thief,” said Lola.
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