“I don’t know,” Sweet snuffled. “I really don’t.”
Bubba John knelt there, stroking Sweet’s palm with his own rough, work-weary hands.
“Baby, talk to me,” he said. “What is it?”
“I think I’m just happy, really. I missed you all so much.”
“But what?” Bubba John asked.
“I just…I don’t know,” Sweet said. “But, you’re all fine, I guess. Everyone seems fine…”
“Aw, honey, that’s just ‘cause we’re happy to see you.”
“Really?”
“Of course, really. You just wait. You’ll see. Everything’s the same. Well, not exactly the same. It’s kinda cleaner than usual, but we’re adapting. Beanie runs a tight ship, that’s for sure.”
Sweet laughed then, hard enough to pull the pillow to her stomach to reduce the pain.
“That’s good to know,” Sweet said, pulling Bubba John to her for a kiss. “I missed you.”
“Baby,” Bubba John said with utter sincerity, “you just have no idea.”
“But, look at the house! It’s spotless. How does she do it?”
“Um, she doesn’t do carpool and she doesn’t run the shop,” Bubba said. “Duh.”
“Speaking of which, how’s Dottie doing?”
Bubba John took a deep breath and prepared himself for what was quickly becoming habit, lying to his wife.
“She’s doing great! Shop’s hanging in there. Lots of camo going out, huntin’ season and all.”
That wasn’t the lie. The shop was doing well. With a pay raise to match what she lost in tips, Dottie was throwing herself into sales like nobody’s business. She was already gearing up for prom sales, which wouldn’t start until January. She found a great deal on women’s camo-wear and was making a killing on jackets for hunting season. She even ordered camouflage onesies, which sold out in a week.
Bubba John just couldn’t bring himself to tell Sweet what he was paying Dottie. Hopefully, she wouldn’t ask.
“How’s Dottie holding up? I know she can’t be happy losing the tips she always made during lunch hour.”
“Dottie’s fine,” Bubba John said. “She knows this is just temporary and she’s been closing up at five on the dot to work the supper shift.”
“Makes for a long day, though,” Sweet said.
“Dottie’s fine, Sweet. I promise.”
Bubba John wondered how long it would be before Sweet found out. He was on borrowed time and he knew it. Fortunately, the house was coming right along. Amazing what could be done in two weeks when the right amount of money was thrown at a project.
“Maybe I can get down there one day next week…”
“No!” Bubba said, more vehement than he intended to sound.
“Wow,” Sweet said.
“Oh, sorry, but the doctor said not to let you overdo it and that’s what I intend to do.”
“You do realize your reaction only makes me more determined to go, right?”
“Yep,” Bubba John grinned. “I do. Fortunately, you haven’t been clear to drive yet, so I’m the only one who can get you there. Nothing doing right now, Sister.”
Beanie returned with Daisy and Tater, who insisted on staying in the living room with their mother while Beanie finished up dinner. An hour later, they were all at the table together, minus Beanie, who took her meal out to the camper.
“Does she always do that?” Sweet wondered.
“Naw, I think she just wanted us to have some time alone. Besides, I think she and Suvi are going over to Walmart tonight. I heard her say something about it earlier.”
“That’s the cutest thing, those two together,” Sweet said. “I never would have guessed.”
“It’s a little strange, if you ask me,” Bubba said.
“How so?”
“I don’t know, nothing I can put my finger on, but they don’t seem suited somehow.”
“How are people in town taking it?”
“Okay, I guess. Suvi thinks his business is falling off, but I can’t really imagine anyone being hateful. They like to gossip, but I don’t think they’re mean-spirited people.”
Sweet shrugged. “You never know. Can I have another one of those biscuits, B-Kay? Lord, Suvi would be a fool not to marry her is all I can say. That girl can flat cook.”
“Mama,” Tater piped up, his mouth full of collard greens. “Just wait ‘til you taste her cinnamon rolls. You’re gonna die. They ain’t even out of a can or nothin’!”
“I’d be happy with canned after hospital food. It wasn’t terrible, but that’s the best I can say about it,” Sweet said.
After supper, B-Kay took the little ones for baths while T-Ray cleaned up the kitchen. It was all so orderly and peaceful that Sweet felt, once again, a little melancholy.
“They’re just on good behavior,” Bubba John said. “Trust me on this.”
By the next day, Sweet knew he was telling the truth.
26
Now That’s More Like It
“Take it off!” Bitty wailed and tugged at the shoulder of the yellow and blue princess dress Tate had pulled on over his camouflage t-shirt.
“Stop, Bitty, I’m just tryin’ it on,” Tater swatted at his sister’s hand, lifted the layers of tulle and spun several times on his heel.
“What’s goin’ on in there?” B-Kay yelled from the bathroom.
“No, no, no, no, noooo, Tater,” Bitty pulled harder. “You’re messin’ it up!”
Tate spun again, but Bitty had stepped on the skirt and there was a long ripping sound as several layers of tulle pulled away from the waistband.
Bitty screeched and T-Ray came running.
“What in the heck is going on in here?” he asked, surveying the pile of netting Bitty was gathering in both arms. Tears streamed down her face and Tate looked terrified.
“I didn’t mean to, brudder! I just tried it on…” Tate hung his head.
“Oh, for crying out loud, Tater, it’s a dress!”
“So?” Tate looked confused. “I wasn’t gonna wear it.”
“You’re wearing it now,” T-Ray said. “What happened to it?”
Tater shrugged, “I dunno. Sissy did it.”
“I did not,” Bitty wailed. “He was spinnin’ and spinnin’ and he spunned it right off.”
B-Kay appeared, her hair wet from the shower and a towel wrapped tight around her torso.
“What’sa matter Bitty-bug? Oh,” she said, spotting the damage. “Oh, no, Tater! What did you do?”
“Can’t you just watch them for one second?” T-Ray turned on his twin, his eyes narrowed and his face red with anger.
“I was taking a shower, T,” B-Kay said.
“Well, I was fixing their damn breakfast, since there was no one else around to do it. No milk either.”
“Tee,” B-Kay admonished him. “Little pitchers have big ears. Watch your mouth.”
“Oh, so now you’re my mom?”
“Oh, for crying out loud. I don’t know what has gotten into you this morning.” B-Kay deftly pulled the costume over Tate’s head and handed it to Bitty.
“Go take this to Beanie and show her what happened, baby. She’ll fix it for you.”
Bitty left the room sniffling and Tate followed dragging one shoe behind him by the laces.
“It might help if you paid just a tiny bit of attention. Notice anyone missing this morning? Dad’s truck is gone and Beanie is not in the kitchen. That would be why you and I are left to deal with all this!” T-Ray swung both arms wide for emphasis.
“Shhh! Mom’s right there.” B-Kay pointed to the wall behind her.
“So what?”
“So, she’s sleeping, you big jerk. And I’m trying to get dressed.”
“So am I!” T-Ray pointed to the fact that he was still in boxers and a t-shirt.
B-Kay sighed and shook her head. “What do you want me to do, T? I can’t do it by myself.”
“I thought Beanie was supposed to be helping.�
��
“Oh, come on. Are you clueless? She is helping. You wanna try it without her?”
T-Ray pushed past his sister to leave the room. “Never mind. You’re no help, either.”
B-Kay followed him down the hall and into the kitchen where Beanie had all three children sitting at the table eating cereal.
“Hey!” Beanie looked up from the stove, where she was stirring a big pot of grits. “Y’all hungry? I got cheese grits just about done.”
B-Kay elbowed her brother. “Thought you said there was no milk.”
“Oh, they wasn’t any milk,” Beanie said. “I had a little in the camper, so I went to get it. Your dad had some stuff to do in town, so he’s gonna bring milk and bread later.”
B-Kay gave her brother an I-told-you-so look, then turned toward Beanie. “I’d love some grits, Miss Beanie. I gotta get dressed first. We’re gonna be late if we don’t get outta here soon.”
“Mommy!” came the chorus from the little ones when Sweet entered the room and sat down carefully at the table.
“What in the world are you doin’ outta bed?” Beanie asked. “I was fixin’ your breakfast to bring to ya in your room.”
“Came to see what all the racket was about,” Sweet eyed the twins, trying to figure out why they were both in the kitchen in states of half-dress. “Y’all need to go get some clothes on. What in the world is going on this morning?”
“T-Ray is being a jerk,” B-Kay said. “That’s what’s going on.”
“Am not! I was just -”
“Go get dressed for pity’s sake!” Sweet ordered, and the twins complied.
“Tater broke my dress!” Bitty said, breaking into tears again at the memory.
“I didn’t mean toooo…” Tater protested.
“Mommy, up!” Daisy threw both hands into the air, reaching toward Sweet.
“Oh, Lord,” Beanie said. “I’m so sorry…”
“Don’t be,” Sweet said. “This is much more like it.”
27
New Arrival
LouWanda Crump huffed as she wrenched open the door to the Mayhew Café and pushed past the crowd of young men standing expectantly in front of the cash register.
“Sit anywhere ya like,” she threw over her shoulder before slumping into her usual seat at the round table. The men, divers staying at the hotel behind the café’, shuffled to the far corner of the room and sat down.
“I swear, they oughta put up a sign.” LouWanda said, miffed at having to expend the extra energy. “Sissy ain’t got time to seat anybody anyway.”
“And a very good morning to you, too, LouWanda,” Dottie could barely contain her smirk.
“What’s good about it?” LouWanda asked.
“What’s not good is the better question,” Dottie said. “You’re fixin’ to tell us anyway, so just go ahead and spit it out. What’s got your panties in a wad?”
“That’s disgusting, Dorothy. Don’t be common.”
“Well, what is it then?”
“I’ll tell ya if you’ll stop yappin’ at me. I just passed by the old chiropractor’s office on the corner and it looks like somebody’s fixin’ to set up shop, and Lord knows I don’t need any competition. I’m barely makin’ ends meet as it is.”
Randy looked up from his paper. “The gray building by the stoplight?”
“Yeah, that’s the one,” LouWanda said. “I don’t see any signs yet, but they’s a cleaning lady down there now. Saw her pullin’ a vacuum cleaner outta her Mercedes. I’d like to know how she can afford a car like that. Those people get on my nerves. Probably gettin’ food stamps on the side.”
“Black woman? Kind of tall?” Randy asked.
“Yeah, that’s her,” LouWanda said. “Dressed mighty fancy for cleanin’ if you ask me.”
“She’s not a cleaning lady, LouWanda. She’s the new owner of the building. It’s gonna be a real estate office, I think.”
“Oh, well, whatever,” LouWanda said. “Looked like a cleaning lady to me. How come you know so much about her?”
“She filed for a business license and a permit to remodel. Her name’s Gabriella Warren, and if that doesn’t ring a bell, then you obviously don’t follow the LPGA tour.”
“The what?”
“LPGA, LouWanda,” Dottie said. “I swear, sometimes you should just keep your mouth shut. Gabe Warren is a legend on the ladies pro golf circuit. I don’t think she’d take too kindly to being called a cleaning lady. Jesus.”
“Don’t take the Lord’s name, Dorothy. Besides, how was I s’posed to know that?”
“You’re not supposed to know…just like you’re not supposed to assume.”
“Well, whatever…as long as she ain’t takin’ away my business, I reckon I can rest easy enough. Second colored owner downtown. Ain’t we just movin’ on up now?”
“LouWanda!” Randy and Dottie said simultaneously.
Dottie picked up her coffee mug and stood, scooting her chair back with her knees. “And you call me common? Really, Lou, that’s just crossing the line.”
“What? What’d I say?” LouWanda gawked incredulously at Randy.
Randy shook his head and raised his newspaper to hide his face. Dottie found a small table near the wall and sat looking out the window. Mac McConnell cleared his throat and looked around the room for Sissy, hoping to snag her for more coffee.
“Well, I swear, y’all act like you ain’t never thought the same thing. Just ‘cause I up and said it out loud don’t make me any worse than y’all.”
Randy leaned forward and flicked his head in the direction of Suvi Jones. “That’s enough, LouWanda.”
Mac McConnell stood and slapped Randy on the back. “Ready to go, ol’ boy? I think we ought to stop by Ms. Warren’s office a minute. You know, make her feel welcome and all.”
Randy narrowed his eyes and searched Mac’s face for signs of sarcasm.
“No, really, I mean it. We’ve needed a real estate office in this town for years. I’d hate for someone to get the wrong idea.” Mac looked pointedly at LouWanda and headed for the door. Randy followed suit.
Across the room, Dottie Brentwood caught Suvi Jones’ eye as he stood to leave.
Dottie’s face conveyed her unspoken message – I’m sorry. Suvi shook his head and shrugged, but Dottie noticed his shoulders sagged just a bit more than she’d ever seen. He looked plain tired.
Meanwhile, LouWanda Crump fiddled with her coffee mug and wondered why everyone was angry all of a sudden. Her spirits rose a teensy bit when Eustace Falwell came in. He would change the subject to himself as soon as he sat down, and for once that would be a relief.
***
Suvi Jones left a ten-dollar bill under the lip of his plate, squared his shoulders at the familiar weight of depression, and strode out of the café with his chin just a shade higher than normal. It was a trick his mother taught him early in his life. Think tall, he told himself, though it was her voice he heard. He used to believe her constant reminder was designed to help him grow, but then he learned a little about genetics and realized he owed his tremendous stature to the father he never met. There was a book of photos that told most of the story: his mother, a cheerleader at the local high school, and his father, a basketball legend who led Mayhew High to its first state championship in the late sixties when the schools were finally integrated. The Vietnam War killed more than dreams of college careers. His parents married as soon as they could after high school, feeling the pressure to start their lives together when his father registered for the draft and pulled a ridiculously low number. Suvi was born a few days before his father died in the battle of An Lộc.
Think tall, he reminded himself again as he slid into his truck and turned the ignition. He looked up in time to see Dottie staring at him through the window of the café. He’d known Dottie for as long as he could remember. She was efficient and kind and one of the best waitresses he’d ever employed. And that was the key, he thought. She’s sorry because she works for m
e. He turned off the engine and walked back into the diner. More than a few heads turned when he went straight to Dottie’s table and sat down.
They didn’t speak at first. Dottie’s face grew pink and her hands shook. Suvi had no way of knowing that her nerves had nothing to do with fear, but were completely born of shame. She was ashamed of what LouWanda said, horrified that he had overheard.
Suvi relaxed in his chair, simultaneously aware of the tension in the room and Dottie’s discomfort. His mother had warned him of this, too. Be careful not to intimidate a white woman. It can cost you your life. He’d never felt threatened in this town, but he was careful – just in case.
Suvi spoke first.
“How’s it going at the dress shop?”
Dottie sighed and gave a brief, relieved snort of laughter.
“Couldn’t be better unless I owned the shop myself,” she said.
“I was just wondering ‘cause, you know, you just never can tell when Cherry’ll be callin’ in again…”
Dottie laughed again. “Lord, that girl. I’ll never know why you have so much patience with her, but right now I’m grateful. I got more than I can handle at the store.”
Suvi nodded. “I just wanted to tell you that there are no hard feelings. Felt like it was important to say.”
“I’m awful sorry, Suvi. I hope you know that we’re not all like that, even though it seems that way sometimes…” The words tumbled from Dottie’s mouth and, even as she said them she felt awkward and inadequate, so she stopped abruptly.
Suvi’s lips drew in with his breath. “What does that mean – ‘we’re not all like that’?”
“Well, the town – us - you know…” Dottie stuttered.
“And what, I’m not a part of this town?” Suvi asked.
“You are a hero in this town, Suvi. You know that.”
“Right, I’m in the town, but not of it. You said so yourself.”
“I most certainly did not!”
Sissy came by and refilled Dottie’s cup. “Y’all okay? It’s gettin’ a little tense over here.”
What Matters in Mayhew (The Beanie Bradsher Series Book 1) Page 15
