Deep Fried Trouble (Eugeena Patterson Mysteries)

by Tyora Moody

There she goes twisting things around. That’s not what I wanted. For your grown child to show up out of the blue and with an extra child, it didn’t seem too much to have some questions answered.

  “Don’t be going all drama queen on me, Leesa Patterson. I asked you a question. And you know this house is always open to you.”

  The last time I saw Leesa it was just before Easter. Her weight went up and down like mine. Always wearing big shirts and baggy jeans, it would’ve never occurred to me to think she was pregnant. Fooled again. Four years ago, if it wasn’t for the child complaining about stomach pain, I still wouldn’t have imagined she’d been carrying Kisha all that time.

  Somewhere along the way, my two sons must have worn me down. I missed the boat when Leesa came into this world. I was thirty-eight years old and I had the audacity to have a child fifteen years after the last one. By then, my students had grown more and more difficult each year. I was so tired, I couldn’t wait until the day I would see retirement.

  A wail started up from the little body in Leesa’s arms. She tried to move him around in her arms and rock him, but with eyes tightly shut, mouth wide open, he wailed louder.

  Porgy who had been sitting in the corner, ran under the table, and wrapped his self around my foot. Kisha reached her little arms around my waist, well at least as far as her arms could go. “Make him stop, Grandma.”

  “Let me hold him.”

  “Mama, I can handle this.”

  “I didn’t say you couldn’t. You look like you could use a break.”

  Without much coddling, Leesa held the hollering baby away from her as though he offended her and passed him to me. I cradled the baby in my arms, surprised by his small body.

  A lullaby sprang forth from my lips. One I hadn’t thought about in years. He was definitely a small little fellow, I estimated he couldn’t be more than two months old. As I hummed, sang and hummed again, Tyric’s beautiful brown eyes looked up at me in wonderment. He’d forgotten all about whatever ailed him.

  Leesa looked under the table and frowned. “Mama, isn’t that Mary’s dog?”

  “Oh no. I need to tell you.”

  “Tell me what?”

  I shifted Tyric in my arms. “I found Mary.” I checked Kisha. She seemed to be feeding Porgy something under the table. Cookies. That figured. I continued, “Someone k-i-l-l-e-d her.” I didn’t want to give my grandchild nightmares. I would have enough for both of us.

  “What? No!”

  “If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I guess I would be saying the same thing.”

  Leesa wilted in the seat like she did as a teenager. “This is all too much. I’m so tired of everything.”

  “Tired of everything?” I stared at my youngest child. What else had my baby girl gotten into now?

  Leesa keeps her eyes on the kitchen table. She quietly answers, “Just tired, that’s all.”

  Something was wrong, but I didn’t need to know tonight. At least she came home, whatever the trouble this time. She was safe with me. “Do you want something to eat?”

  “I’m fine, Mama.” Leesa stood. “Is my room still the same?”

  “Nothing has changed.”

  “I think I need to lie down for awhile.”

  It was barely eight o’ clock. She needed to lie down. Let’s see I’m about to turn sixty and she was only twenty-one. Why is she so tired? And where was she going, leaving me with these children?

  I had two mysteries, one started with death, the other with life.

  We were going to get some answers.

  Chapter 6

  Sleep held me hostage. I knew Sunday was the Lord’s day. Second Sunday, in fact. My day to usher. I couldn’t wait to enter Missionary Baptist Church, because after finding Mary the day before, I definitely needed a word from the Lord.

  A sweet, sweet spirit hovered around me. I inhaled and began my morning session with Jesus. It had taken me a long time to learn that going to church wasn’t all about what I could get from the Lord. Prayer was a time to bless the Lord. Praise Him.

  I hummed, “Oh how I love Jesus, Oh...”

  A baby howled from somewhere deep in the house. I almost called out Ralph’s name, but then I remembered he hadn’t lain in that bed in years. I sat up and rubbed my eyes. Whose baby was that? Wide awake, my brain started to assemble facts.

  Ralph, Jr. and his wife would be visiting with the twins soon. My other son, Cedric, had no grandkids yet. Neither was he married. He worried me sometime.

  A creature scrambled up the side of my bed. I jolted at seeing black button eyes. Now it all dawned on me. “Porgy, who told you to be on my bed?” I know for sure I’d put that dog in the other room.

  The discovery of Mary’s body came tumbling back into my memory. The last time I saw Mary alive was Mother’s Day weekend. I ushered that Sunday too. I couldn’t help but notice the sadness in her eyes. Who would’ve known I would never see her again?

  I still couldn’t get over that furry creature sneaking in my bed. He must’ve slept beside Mary.

  I ain’t that lonesome.

  As I pushed my feet into my bunny slippers, I remembered I needed to talk to my daughter. Her little booger interrupted my talk time with Jesus, which I really needed. Surely, I can get an explanation about my new grandchild.

  Porgy started barking.

  “Don’t you start that mess. One howling baby is all I can’t take right now.”

  “Leesa.” I grabbed my robe and wrapped it around my frame. The terry robe was old and tattered. The belt fit a tad bit better around my waist than it used to. That was encouraging since it wasn’t too long ago I couldn’t close the robe over my gut.

  It was one of the few things left that Ralph purchased for me. It was one of my favorite pieces of clothing. That man had brought me a lot of pain, but thankfully God brought Ralph to his senses. I will always be grateful for the last few years we had together before another heart attack took his life. I treasured my three children and grandchildren even more.

  “Leesa, what’s wrong? Is everything okay?” Before I traveled down the hallway good, a small body collided into me. “Kisha, what’s wrong?” The little girl had tears streaming down her face. She clung to my robe, unloosening my neatly tied belt. “Girl, you can’t hang onto me like that. You and me are going to hit this floor.” Porgy jumped up and down, circling both of us.

  Can you say catastrophe in progress?

  I pried away the tiny fingers wedged into my waist and gazed down at the tear-stained face. “Honey, what’s wrong with you? Where’s your mama?”

  “I ...I ...I don’t know...Grandma,” Kisha wailed louder.

  I reached down and picked up the distraught child. Making my way down the hall, I heard the baby screaming at the top of his little lungs.

  This didn’t feel right to me. Not at all. Maybe Leesa stepped out for a few minutes.

  I placed Kisha on the bed next to her brother. Little Tyric pumped his little legs up and down.

  “Alright, little mister. No need to have a temper tantrum.” He certainly acted like a Patterson. I picked up the crying baby. “Kisha, did your mama say where she was going?”

  No response.

  With her head hanging down, the little girl sucked on her finger and sniffled. I placed my hand on her forehead. It was warm to the touch. “Did mama say she was going to the store?”

  No answer.

  My stomach started to flutter and it wasn’t because I craved my morning baked cheese grits. Now that recipe was worth finding. I’ve had a love affair with cheese all my life. Cheese crackers, cheese doodles, cheeseburgers... well at least my new food plan wasn’t turning out to be such a tragedy.

  I rubbed my hands over Kisha’s ratty braids. We needed to do something about that hair. A good shampooing was in the works, but for now, I needed to know where my daughter took off. “Kisha, baby you feeling okay? What did mama say?”

  “Don’t know.”

  “You don’t know. Well, did you s
ee her when she left?” Now this child had to know something.

  “No.”

  I wasn’t feeling too good about this situation. Leesa had the nerve to get up and leave these children. She did say she needed to stay a few days. What was it that she said last night? I’m so tired of everything.

  Then, it dawned on me. Was she talking about her and the kids or just the kids? Now wait a minute, that girl promised me we would talk in the morning. Well, it was morning. Where was she?

  Panic started to rise up in my stomach. Sweat popped out from body. Did they have bags? Over in the corner sat a pink Dora the Explorer bookbag.

  “Kisha, you want a bubble bath?”

  Her eyes lit up. “Lots of bubbles.”

  “Yes, lots of bubbles. Show me where your clothes are. Let’s pick out an outfit.”

  Children. One minute they were crying, the next, they were running around happy as a skunk. Kisha raced ahead of me. Tyric looking around at the walls and seemed to have quieted down, now that he was being held.

  I glanced at the clock. Already ten o’clock. Where did the time go? I needed to get myself ready for church this morning. Leesa, you better get back here soon. I certainly couldn’t usher and keep up with these two today.

  When I arrived in the Leesa’s bedroom, Kisha was bent over a large blue duffel bag. I recognized the bag being on Leesa’s shoulder last night. Kisha pulled out several clothes entwined together in a ball. Either Leesa was in a hurry or never learned how to fold clothes.

  Kisha pulled out clothes that appeared to be her size, leaving others in a pile on the floor. It didn’t look like any of those clothes on the floor fit an adult.

  I walked over and reached my hand into the bag while balancing little Tyric on my hip, I searched. And searched.

  “That girl, I know she didn’t.”

  “Grandma, I didn’t do anything.”

  “Honey, I was just talking out loud.” About your sorry mama.

  I picked the bag off the floor and sat it on the bed. I decided to unpack the clothes so they wouldn’t be wrinkled to death. My hope was that she had some diapers for the little one in the diaper bag over in the corner.

  When I get my hands on that girl.

  I tell you there’s nothing like being bamboozled by your own child. I always said I was not going to be one of those grandmothers caught raising their grandkids.

  I picked up the diaper bag. There were diapers. A pacifier. Bibs.

  “Grandma, I want to wear this?”

  I glanced at a bright pair of yellow pants and a pink top. “That looks good, baby.”

  I pulled out a half a dozen diapers from the bag.

  “What in the world?”

  Were my eyes playing tricks on me?

  My daughter better get back here soon. That girl had some serious explaining to do about the contents of that diaper bag.

  Chapter 7

  I stared into the bag with a million scenarios going through my mind. The phone rang from the other room. It better be her. I transferred Tyric to my other hip, so I could grab the phone for my good ear. I’d been meaning to get my left ear checked out for weeks.

  “Leesa, where you at?”

  “Mom?”

  Oops. The deep voice on the other line was a child of mine, but not the one I needed to be talking to.

  “Junior, honey, how are you?”

  “What’s that sister of mine up to now?”

  “Calm down. Leesa came by last night with the kids?”

  Ralph Jr. remained quiet for a few seconds. “Did you say kids?”

  Oops again. Tyric seemed to be a surprise for the whole family.

  “When did she have another kid?”

  I felt faint. I did not need that, but I needed to take my medicine. “Ralph, look I need to get off the phone and get ready for church.”

  “Mom, do I need to come down there?”

  “No. You stay with your own family, mister. I don’t need your help here.”

  “If I know my sister, she’s probably up to no good.”

  “Ralph Jr.” I really didn’t need my oldest, control freak son to echo my deepest fear. “I’ll talk to you later. Say hello to Judy and the boys for me.”

  I slammed the phone down before he could get another word in. Junior meant well. He was so much like me, except he handled things with the fixit attitude that God gifted to men. I’d taken all I could take of that same attitude from Ralph, Sr. who was lying six feet under.

  “Grandma, I’m ready for my bubble bath.”

  “Okay, baby. That’s a good idea.” I placed Kisha in the tub and then undressed Tyric and bathed him at the sink. By the time I got both of the children towel-dried, I was steaming mad at my daughter.

  The doorbell interrupted the tirade going on in my mind.

  I grabbed Tyric, who at least was fully dressed and stomped down the stairs. I yanked the front door open, “Leesa, you better…”

  My facial muscles sagged, switching from anger to confusion. This was not the person I expected. “Amos, what are you doing here?” I’d been up for hours, but suddenly became aware of the gritty texture in my mouth. I hadn’t brushed my teeth, and my ratty robe was practically hanging open. I didn’t have anything to give Amos an eyeful of, but I knew I must have looked like an old hag.

  Amos cleared his throat. “Well, I thought I would check to see if you were heading to Missionary Baptist today.”

  Okay, now that made me smile.

  “I tell you what, hold this fellow?” I passed Tyric over to Amos. Both males looked wide-eyed at the exchange.

  “I don’t know anything about babies,” Amos stuttered.

  “You two will be just fine. Come on here.” I looked at the grandfather clock in the foyer. “If you could do me a favor, I promise you I will fix you the best fried chicken you’d ever had in your life.”

  Amos grinned back. “Sounds good to me.”

  “Grandma, look I dressed myself.”

  I spun around. My precious Kisha looked like a precious mess. Did stripes and polka dots even go together? That’s alright. She could get away with being cute. We were late. “Baby girl, sit here with Mr. Amos, while I get ready.”

  I bounded up the stairs with more energy than my years could handle. I’d noticed Porgy had made himself comfortable on my bed again. Whatever. I had no time to fool with a dog.

  Before I headed to the bathroom, I stopped in the guest room and grabbed the diaper bag. I shut the door and sat on the commode. With a bit of trepidation I reached inside the bag and pulled out a bundle of money wrapped with a rubber band.

  Ralph had a good life as a doctor and I have to say in my adult years I had enjoyed the comforts of being middle class. But this... I flipped the edges of the money with my fingers and whistled. Where did Leesa get all that money? This was a girl who couldn’t keep a job for more than a few months.

  My instincts were tingling. Something wasn’t right the moment Leesa showed up on my doorstep. I’d barely had time to give Mary a thought today, but the creepiness of my former friend’s body and now my daughter’s disappearing act made me nervous.

  I stuffed the bundle of bills back into the diaper bag. If I knew my daughter, she would be back for her stash. I prayed if she stole the money, that someone wouldn’t be right behind her. Even more importantly, I prayed they hadn’t caught up with her.

  God, what’s happening? My whole world had turned upside down in less than twenty-four hours. So much for the quiet, retired life.

  Chapter 8

  The inquiring-minds-want-to-know twins eyed me as I entered the church vestibule. Annie Mae and Willie Mae Brown had been staples at Missionary Baptist Church for as long as I could remember. They also ran the usher board, pastor’s aid board, missionary board and any other board where they could stick their noses.

  I could tell they were not too happy with me since I just walked through the doors without my white dress and orthopedic white shoes. Standard usher uniform. W
ith thirty minutes to get ready, I prayed protection over Leesa (from me), then I stuffed the diaper bag with the suspicious contents in the back of my closet. In the process, an old favorite brushed against my face beckoning me to pull it off the hanger. Despite all that happened in the previous twenty-four hours, I was plum pleased I could fit my hips into my pale pink suit.

  It’s amazing I still owned the suit, since so many other clothing treasures had long since been passed on to Goodwill or the Salvation Army. My body lost the battle with keeping up with a reputable dress size once I stopped being able to squeeze into a size eighteen. That was a sad day.

  With the way my day had gone so far, it would be best to pass by the twins before they commented on missing my Sunday morning duty.

  Annie Mae dashed over to me, blocking my path. She cooed at Tyric, but her one good eye checked out my attire. “Oooooh, look at the pretty baby.”

  “Whose baby, Eugeena?” Annie Mae’s identical twin Willie Mae, ambushed me on the other side. The only way I could tell the two apart, besides Annie Mae’s wandering eye, was Willie Mae’s facial features. Her face always seemed rounder and softer than her sister’s. Even her skin had an angelic glow. What a farce.

  Anyone who spent time around the twins would have found out that behind Willie Mae’s sweet face was the worst gossip. The oldest twin, by a minute, could instigate a situation into existence with as much time as it took for her to come into the world before her twin.

  It paid to be careful. So, I proceeded to act speechless. “Well I... uh.”

  “Eugeena, why would you keep a new grandbaby from us?”

  “Yeah? What’s going on?”

  Poor little Kisha peered up from behind me at the two woman. Her eyes were huge. With both sisters closing in on me, I started to feel my body perspire. I was not messing up my suit.

  “Good morning, ladies. Y’all sure looking mighty fine this morning.”

  Annie Mae and Willie Mae spun around. Both women looked like they’d been hit.

  I knew the affect Amos Jones had on me. In some ways, I’m glad he came to my rescue, but would I have to return the favor? These women could easily send Amos back into hiding in his backyard or fishing on Sunday.