Shame on It All

by Zane

  A tear fell. Harmony knew there were hundreds more to come. She would never have a thirtieth birthday. She only prayed she made it until the family reunion in early September.

  “That sounds great!” Harmony hesitated, trying to pull herself together. “Thanks, Momma. Thanks for everything you and Daddy have ever done for me.”

  “You’re more than welcome, precious.”

  “Good-bye, Momma.”

  “One last thing, Sweetie,” Rachelle interjected before Harmony could hit the speaker button and cut her off.

  “Yes?” Harmony hoped she would get off sometime that day because she did have a lot of work to do. She also had an appointment with her attorney.

  “Make sure you and Bryce are ready to get your tails whipped in some bid whist.”

  Harmony smirked. “Hmm, I don’t know about all that. Bryce and I have a track record to defend.”

  “You mean, a cheating track record,” Rachelle snapped back. “Don’t think you two are fooling Lucky and I for one minute. We’re going to put a hurting on you this year, though.”

  Harmony smiled and it felt good. She didn’t have a comment about the cheating because it was all true. She and Bryce had been cheating people at bid whist and spades since their prepuberty years.

  “Darn!” Rachelle smacked her lips. Harmony could hear her shuffling around.

  “What’s wrong, Momma?”

  “Nothing. I just spilled my jar full of iced tea.”

  “Jar? Momma, you’re getting more countrified by the day. You sound like Grandma. I guess a rocker on the porch and dentures are next.”

  “Well, one day soon I am going to be a doting grandma. Hint, hint!”

  They both laughed.

  “Let me let you go, Baby. I know you’re a busy businesswoman now. All I have to do is watch Jenny Jones and Jerry Springer and keep up with my soaps and your daddy.”

  Harmony giggled. “Good luck on keeping up with Daddy.”

  “Hmm, that’s easy. He can’t get but so far on that tractor of his and I make it a point to hold the keys to his truck. None of these southern California hoochies are getting their hands on my man.”

  Harmony fell out laughing. “Hoochies and playas? You’ve been learning a lot from watching talk shows, haven’t you? You go, gurl!”

  “You’re a mess, Harmony!”

  Harmony glanced down at her watch. “Momma, I hate to cut you off, but I really do have to run.”

  “Okay, Baby. I understand.” There was a brief pause. Rachelle always hated to let her babies off the phone. “Take care and always remember that we love you.”

  “I love you, Momma. Please give Daddy a hug for me.”

  “Bye.”

  “Bye, Momma.”

  Harmony hit the disconnect button and then swiveled around to face the skyline. It was time for her to make some final decisions and preparations because soon she was really going home. Her permanent home.

  “You’re not hungry, Harmony?” Zachary put his fork down on his plate and intertwined his fingers. “I thought chicken with cashew nuts was one of your favorites.”

  “It is.” Harmony moved the food around her plate with a fork. “Thanks for stopping by Hunan’s on your way home. It’s just that I had a long day and I also ate a heavy lunch.”

  “Business lunch or lunch with Fatima?”

  “Business related, sort of.” Harmony looked down at the table because she couldn’t bare to face Zachary. “I met with my attorney today.”

  Zachary picked his fork back up and took a bite, waiting for Harmony to tell him why she’d met with her attorney, but all he got was silence.

  “What did you discuss with your attorney?”

  “My will.” Harmony took a sip of her Coke and gulped hard, having trouble getting it to go down.

  “That’s just great,” Zachary stated sarcastically, dropping his fork back down on his plate. “So, we’re just supposed to sit around here and wait for you to die?”

  “Everyone dies, Zachary!”

  Silence.

  “Zachary, I need to discuss some things with you because I don’t think I have much time left.”

  He stared at her with his bottom lip trembling, obviously trying to hold back the tears. “It’s like you’ve given up, Harmony! We can fight this!”

  She stared at him, searching for a way to make him understand that it was the way things had to be.

  “Baby, pretending that this isn’t happening won’t make it go away,” she pleaded.

  He banged his fist down on the table, causing the dishes to clatter and his glass to tumble over.

  “I understand that, but don’t you realize that watching you die is killing me, too?”

  Harmony got up and went in the kitchen to get a rag to wipe off the table. When she came back into the dining room, Zachary was gone. She heard his car door slam.

  She debated about going after him but decided against it. This was exactly the type of situation she was trying to avoid. Maybe she was wrong for intruding back into his life. It may have been better for them to stay apart and for him to never know about her illness until after her death.

  She wiped off the table and cleared away the dishes. As she stood by the sink, rinsing the dishes and putting them in the dishwasher, she made a promise to herself. She wouldn’t subject her parents, Bryce, Lucky, or Fatima to her illness. She couldn’t. Look at what her honesty had done to Zachary.

  She would just make the best of the precious time she had remaining. Live life to the fullest while she still had a life to live.

  A couple of hours later, Zachary came home and startled Harmony by climbing into the shower with her, fully clothed.

  For a few seconds, time stood still and they looked at each other in silence.

  “Harmony, I love you. I promise to never walk out on you again.”

  “I never should’ve told you. I should’ve just—”

  He put his forefinger up to her mouth. “No, listen to me. I’m glad that you told me. I want to be here for you. Scratch that, I will be here for you. Always.”

  “I love you so much, Zachary.”

  “I love you, too, and you can talk to me about anything and everything. Always remember that.”

  They embraced and then they both wept, letting it all out and coming to terms with Harmony’s illness for once and for all.

  25

  Reunited

  Zachary watched Harmony rush around the bedroom, trying to remember everything she wanted to pack.

  “Harmony, we’re only going to North Carolina for the weekend. All you need to do is throw a few pairs of shorts and some tees into a duffel bag so we can roll out.”

  Harmony giggled, pulling open the top drawer of her dresser and selecting some bras to pack. “Zachary, do you mind if I take some underwear with me? Stop rushing me. Men are always so impatient when it comes to certain things.”

  Zachary sat on the bed and propped his back up on a pillow. He used the remote to turn on Divorce Court. Some trifling man was trying to get his wife to pay for a car that his ass was driving. She came back at him by exposing how he’d tried to bed one of her bridesmaids on their wedding day. The stupid fool didn’t deny it either. “There’s no way he’s going to win,” Zachary said.

  Harmony came out of the bathroom with an armload of toiletries. “No way who’s going to win what?”

  “Oh, just some idiot on Divorce Court.”

  “You love those court shows, don’t you?”

  “Some of them. They’re popping up right and left now and I’m not feeling all of them.”

  “The only one I watch faithfully is Judge Judy.”

  “Yeah, I love that one.” Zachary saw that Harmony was struggling to get the zipper closed on her bag and got up to assist her. “Let me do that.”

  “Thanks.”

  “So whose ingenious idea was it for us to all travel together in one minivan?” Zachary asked, not trying to mask that he didn’t like the idea.
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  “It makes sense,” Harmony responded. “Since Troy owns a dealership, it was simple for him to get a Mazda van, so why take two or three cars for no reason?”

  “Still, seven hours in a confined space with Bryce might be too much for me to handle.”

  Harmony laughed at him. “Imagine how I feel. I grew up with her.”

  “Good point.” Zachary grabbed Harmony around her waist from the rear and kissed the nape of her neck. “Poor baby.”

  “Bryce will probably be on her best behavior around Troy.”

  “Please! Troy can’t control Bryce any more than you can.”

  “Well, maybe Bryce will go to sleep or something. Better yet, you can just go to sleep, and by the time you wake up, we’ll be there. Did your parents ever use that line on you when you were a kid? Daddy wore it out on us.”

  “Yeah, they did,” Zachary admitted. “I guess I do sound like a little kid, complaining about a trip before we even pull out the driveway.”

  Harmony turned around and kissed him lovingly. “Remember that you pointed that out and I didn’t.” A horn blared from outside. “They’re here. Do you mind running downstairs and telling them I need five minutes?”

  “Okay, Baby.” Zachary walked out the room, carrying both of their bags.

  Harmony yelled after him, “Can you check all the doors and make sure everything is turned off?”

  It was a long ride to North Carolina. Despite Harmony’s hopes, Lucky and Bryce got into it no less than ten times about something trivial. Troy, Robbie, and Zachary all sat there with dead-pan expressions while Harmony took on the role of referee.

  They were all glad when they finally arrived, getting out of the van at the sisters’ grandmother’s circa 1900 brick house and stretching their arms and legs.

  Bryce had to say something stupid, as usual. “That was a tight ride. Thank goodness Colette didn’t come with us. Imagine if she’d taken off her shoes up in there. We would have all passed out from the fumes.”

  Everyone laughed except Harmony. “See, you talk trash about Colette, but the moment I say something about her, you have a problem.”

  “Whatever!”

  Bryce rolled her eyes at Harmony and they were about to get into it for the first time that day when Chester Whitfield tore out of the screen door, grinning profusely at the sight of his daughters.

  “Aw, Lawd, it’s the Supremes!” Chester yelled, running down the front steps.

  “Hey, Daddy!” Harmony squealed, just as elated to see him. She ran up to him and threw her arms around his shoulders.

  “Harmony, my baby girl!” Chester gave Harmony a huge bear hug before letting her go to shake Zachary’s hand. “Zachary, my boy.”

  “Mr. Whitfield, nice to see you,” Zachary said.

  “Of course it’s nice to see me. Look at how fine I am.”

  Chester spun around for everyone to see his physique. Bryce smacked her lips and said, “Daddy, please!”

  Chester’s eyes practically popped out of his head when he took a good look at Bryce. “Bryce! Oh my goodness! The rug is gone off your head! Wait till your momma sees you!”

  Bryce hugged him and then pulled Troy toward them by the hand. “Daddy, this is Troy.”

  “Does Troy have a last name?” Chester asked sarcastically.

  Troy reached out to shake his hand. “Troy Stanley. Nice to meet you, sir.”

  “Well, at least you’re polite. Handshake’s a little weak though.”

  Bryce slapped Chester lightly on the arm. “Daddy, quit!”

  “I hear you own a car dealership.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “What kind?” Chester asked, squinting to see the make of the van they had pulled up in.

  “Mazda.” Troy cleared his throat because he felt uncomfortable already.

  “Mazda. Hmm, what kind of flatbed trucks do they make? I need a new one, and since you’re laying up with my daughter, I reckon I should be getting one damn near free.”

  “Daddy!” Bryce exclaimed.

  Chester chortled. “All right. All right. I was just kiddin’.”

  “Whatever,” Bryce said with disdain. She walked toward the front porch with Troy in tow.

  After Bryce and Troy moved away, Chester had a clear path to his baby girl. “Aw, there she is. Come here, Malcolmenia X!”

  “Malcolmenia X?” Robbie whispered in Lucky’s ear as they made their way to her father.

  “Just a nickname. I’ll explain later.” Lucky hugged her father. “Hey, Daddy.”

  “Girl, look at you. Just as cute as ever.” Chester picked Lucky up off the ground and swung her around in the air, her legs flailing like a rag doll’s. He put her down and eyed Robbie. “And who might this be?”

  “Daddy, this is Robbie. My boyfriend.”

  Chester grabbed Robbie’s hand but refused to let it go. “Boyfriend? Does that mean you’re having sex with my daughter?”

  “I—uh, uh,” Robbie uttered, frozen in place.

  Lucky pried her father’s fingers off Robbie.

  “Daddy, stop embarrassing people,” Bryce said from a rocking chair on the porch.

  “Bryce, I haven’t even started embarrassing you yet.” Chester walked up on the porch and asked. “Troy, have you ever seen any of Bryce’s baby pictures?”

  “No, sir,” Troy replied, happy as hell that Chester hadn’t asked him about his sexual relations with Bryce.

  “Well, you’re in for a treat. Girl was nothing but forehead and ears when she was born. Looked like two open car doors on a basketball.”

  “Very funny, Daddy,” Bryce hissed.

  “I’ll make sure you get a good laugh before you leave,” Chester said, patting Troy on the shoulder.

  “Daddy, where is everybody?” Harmony asked, standing on the steps.

  “Your uncle Dawson went to go get a haircut. For what, I don’t know. It’s not like any woman would give him the time of day anyway.”

  Bryce, Harmony, and Lucky all snickered, thinking about their uncle Dawson. He was Chester’s older brother and swore he was a ladies’ man. One night he’d gotten drunk and started bragging about how he could take his dentures out and gum a woman’s pussy to death.

  “What about Momma and Grandma?” Harmony inquired, concerned that Chester was the only one who had run out to greet them upon arrival. That was unusual, to say the least.

  “They went shopping at Big Lots.”

  “That rinky-dink store is still open?” Lucky asked.

  “Unfortunately, yes. Your momma’s probably buying a bunch of stuff she’ll never be able to carry back on the plane. She still has stuff stored in the spare bedroom from two years ago that never made it back to Cali.”

  Harmony’s medication that she’d snuck into the ladies’ room of a gas station to take an hour before started to kick in and she was getting drowsy. “Well, I guess we’ll all go get checked into the hotel.”

  Chester folded his arms in front of him and sternly said, “Now you know how I feel about that nonsense.”

  “Yes, Daddy, but we’re all grown,” Bryce reminded him.

  We’ll just see about that, Chester thought to himself. “You girls go get checked in. The boys are hanging out with me.”

  “Hanging out with you doing what?” Bryce asked, disliking the thought of leaving them alone with their daddy for a second.

  “I’m taking these boys hunting!” Chester exclaimed, then chuckled.

  “Hunting!” Lucky rang out.

  “Hunting!” Troy repeated.

  “Hunting!” Robbie yelled.

  “Is there a damn echo out here? Yes, I said hunting.” Chester eyed each of the men individually. “Ya’ll not a bunch of punks, are you? I know Zachary’s not, but the verdict is still out on you other two.”

  “I’m not a punk, sir,” Troy boasted. He’d never been hunting, but he was THE MAN and wasn’t about to back down from anything.

  “Good. We’ll just see about that.” Chester went down the st
eps and started around the house. “Let’s go out back to the shed and dig out the rifles.”

  “Robbie, you don’t have to go. Daddy’s just acting silly,” Lucky said.

  “No, I’m fine.” Robbie headed down the steps to follow Zachary and Troy. “To be honest, I used to beg my father to take me hunting when I was a child and he never would. This should be fun.”

  “If you say so,” Lucky said hesitantly.

  “Relax. Everything will be fine.”

  26

  Not a Good Day for Hunting

  They were out in the middle of nowhere and couldn’t find their way back to civilization if their lives depended on it. Chester had given them all hunting gear and rifles, but didn’t load them. He didn’t want anyone clipping one off accidentally on the way there and shooting off a toe or putting a hole in his brother’s truck.

  “Zachary, when are you and Harmony tying the knot?” Chester asked jokingly. “You know I plan on being as sexy as I am right now when I become a grandfather.”

  “I’m working on it, Mr. Whitfield,” Zachary replied, hoping Harmony would do something about her health problems and stay alive long enough for him to do just that.

  Chester slapped him on the back, almost knocking the wind out of him. “After all these years, you know good and well you can call me Chester.”

  Zachary smiled. “Thanks, Chester.”

  “So, Chester, you go hunting often?” Robbie asked, sitting on a rock and loading his rifle.

  “I never said you could call me Chester. You can call me Mr. Whitfield,” Chester nastily replied.

  “I—uh, okay.” Robbie diverted his eyes back to the task at hand.

  Chester stared a hole through him and finally let him off the hook by saying, “Lighten up, son. I’m only kidding.”

  Robbie looked up at him and smiled, relieved.

  Chester glanced over at Troy, who was leaning up against a tree shaking like a leaf and trying to load his rifle to no avail.