Alma Mater

by Rita Mae Brown

  "Thief." Then Mignon screamed at the top of her lungs as cars passed by, "My sister is a thief!"

  "Shut up! I don't want your money, but how much have you got?" "Why?"

  "Because, you butthole, you need to buy gold posts. Otherwise your ears are going to get really infected. Wait until I get my hands on Hojo."

  "She'd like that. She goes to bed with everybody, and she has the hots for you." A devilish light danced in Mignon's hazel eyes.

  "Jesus, Mignon, are you having a hormonal surge or something? All you think about is sex."

  "Doesn't everyone?" Chris laughed.

  "Not me," Vic stubbornly replied.

  "You need a wake-up call." Chris laughed even harder now.

  "Yeah, I'll pass on the gold posts and buy you an alarm clock, with

  my, uh, twenty dollars and eighty-two cents. Wait, eighty-three." Finally Vic had to laugh, too. "Okay, we are going to Chowder's. I

  know they'll have gold posts."

  They drove to the new shopping center and parked in front of Chowder's, a nice jewelry store that had moved off Main Street.

  Zelda Chartreuse knew the Savedges. She quickly sized up the situation.

  "Not too big. I don't want to look trashy," said Mignon.

  "Don't make me laugh." Vic propped one elbow on the counter while Zelda placed a tray of earrings and posts on top of it.

  "What about these?" Mignon, displaying a sure touch, reached for the simple gold balls, small but very attractive.

  "These will run you one hundred and nine dollars. Fourteen-carat gold."

  Mignon's face fell. "Zelda, I only have twenty dollars and eighty-three cents."

  "I hate you." Vic jammed her hand in her left pocket, pulling out neatly folded-over bills. She counted them out. "Okay, Mignon. Here's fifty. I need the rest for gas and lunch this week."

  "All right, seventy dollars and eighty-three cents. Now these are sixty-two dollars." Zelda pointed out a pair of posts so tiny as to be pinheads.

  "No." Mignon fingered the gold ball earrings.

  "Honey, these silver ones are the same size. I think you're right about size. You have good taste, Mignon. You always know what looks good on you and everyone else, for that matter."

  "Zelda, if she wears the silver, her ears will get infected."

  Zelda noticed that whoever pierced Mignon's ears had put the holes in exactly the right places.

  "I've got some money," Chris announced, reaching in her shorts pocket.

  "No way." Vic grabbed her wrist. "You're the guest, and my little sister's escapade shouldn't cost you any money."

  "I could give her credit. She could pay it off," suggested Zelda. 1 know she will. Mignon's responsible."

  "Lisa Baptista's got credit all over town," Mignon said to Vic. "Not here, she doesn't," Zelda clarified.

  "Mignon, don't buy on credit. If we can't pay in full, you're going to have to wear smaller earrings."

  "Those are fly-sized." Mignon had her heart set on the ideally sized gold balls for her ears.

  "Please, take my money. I owe it to Mignon for the entertainment."

  Chris put her money in Vic's hand, and held it there with her other hand. A flash of fire shot through Vic. She stared at Chris, speechless. Mignon, observing her sister's reaction, said, "Chris, we can't take

  your money. It's not right."

  "I insist." Chris squeezed Vic's hand and then let go.

  Vic dropped the money. She'd never felt anything like that in her life; white hot married to blue cold. She knew it was sexual. She knew she'd never felt that with Charly. She didn't know what to do about it and she didn't know if Chris felt that energy, too.

  Mignon picked up the money, fifteen dollars.

  Zelda liked the Savedges. Most everyone did. "Mignon, let's put these in your ears before it's too late and it hurts." She bent down and pulled out a bottle of alcohol from under the counter. "Chris, you keep your money. I don't want you girls telling anyone about this discount. It's our secret."

  "Zelda . . . ," Vic's voice trailed off.

  "Your father's been good to me. Now, let's do this." Zelda carefully wiped the back of the earring. She pulled a pair of tiny scissors from a

  drawer, snipping the wax threads. "Did you perform this operation?" she asked Vic.

  "No. Hojo."

  "Did a good job. That girl keeps me in business." She laughed. "Loves jewelry."

  "She doesn't make enough money to buy your stuff," Mignon said. She winced when she tried to put the earrings in.

  "Helps if you use a mirror, honey." Zelda placed a two-sided mirror before her. "Just do it fast and get it over with and then keep twirling those earrings. Put alcohol on the front and back without taking them out. In a week you ought to be fine. You look like a fast healer."

  "Mignon, you don't know anything about Hojo's finances. You're the one without money, not her."

  Zelda admired Mignon. "You look pretty as a picture."

  "You don't have to go that far," Vic said, having somewhat recovered from the lightning strike in her body.

  As they drove back to pick up Jinx, Vic told Chris that her father drew up the incorporation papers for people, wills, whatever they needed. He'd often help people who couldn't pay very much.

  "Dad puts people first, money second."

  "That's a wonderful quality." Chris turned around, her blonde hair shining in the light. "They do look good on you, Mignon."

  Vic found herself looking at Chris. She'd look at the road and then look over at Chris. When Chris looked back at her, Vic burst out laughing. Chris laughed, too.

  By the time Vic, Chris, Mignon, and Jinx arrived back at Surry

  Crossing, R. J. had the grill heating up and the steaks marinating. Mignon thought she could slip past her, but R. J. knew her

  younger only too well. Mignon was too quiet and moving too quickly. "Mignon, come here."

  "Thought I'd fertilize your roses," Mignon replied, but observing her mother's stare, trudged over to her.

  "Oh, Mignon."

  F

  ortified by her Lucky Strike, R. J. recovered to check on the steaks. Bad enough that Mignon pierced her ears, far worse that she did it behind her back.

  Frank wouldn't be home for supper. Since it was the Ladies' Championship at the club, he and Randy Goswell, Arnold Burgess, and Ted Baptista all took off to play at a new course near Norfolk. The boys would whoop it up.

  A chastised Mignon wore her posts since Vic convinced their mother that it would be worse to remove them. The deed was done, why risk infection? Logically, she pointed out that when Mignon would turn sixteen she'd go poke two more holes in her ears. Vic reminded R. J. that Mignon made A's in school, didn't drink or smoke, and so far hadn't behaved badly with the opposite sex. Drugs weren't even mentioned. R. J. puffed on a cigarette as her elder finished her appeal.

  "All right. I'm outnumbered." She drew in a breath, the tip of her cigarette a red period to her sentence. "Honey, you have a good head on your shoulders."

  They both laughed as R. J. patted Vic's broad shoulder and then lightly shoved her in the direction of the dock where Jinx and Chris were watching the boats.

  "Mom, why so many plates?" Mignon called from the patio.

  "Regina and Lisa are joining us."

  "What about Teddy and Boo?" These were Jinx's brothers, one older than Mignon, one younger.

  "They're helping to officiate at the club."

  "Cool." Mignon had a crush on Teddy, a senior at her high school, and she wasn't about to betray it.

  "Does Jinx know her mother's coming?" Mignon carried out condiments.

  "No, and since when are you so full of questions? It's rude to ask so many questions, Mignon. You know better."

  "Yes, ma'am." She paused. "But aren't you glad I have an inquiring mind?"

  R. J. shook her head and then shot over to the grill. Piper, when Mignon's back was turned, had grabbed a steak off the pile by standing on her hind legs and then had
fled at top speed.

  "Damn her." R. J. shook her head. She shaded her eyes, watching the three college girls sitting on the dock, the low sun drenching them in gold. To be young, she thought to herself.

  R. J., not a bitter woman, endured her disappointments with equanimity. She loved Frank despite his failings, but the financial strain wore on her nerves. Sometimes, she felt old on the inside, old and tired.

  Vic and Jinx flanked Chris, all of them dipping their feet into the river, the sun shining in their faces.

  "Nah." Jinx shook her head.

  "Why not?" Chris inhaled the heavy river scent.

  "Because American men are too frightened of women in the first place. They'll never give one political power," Jinx concluded.

  "Go, Piper!" Vic had just seen the dog steal the steak.

  They all laughed.

  "You haven't said a word." Chris elbowed Vic.

  "About politics" —Vic shrugged— "I'm not very interested."

  "She'll do whatever Charly tells her." Jinx knew this would provoke Vic.

  "Bullshit." Jinx's barb found its mark.

  "He'll run for office after a pro-football career."

  Vic checked her watch. "Jesus, I forgot to listen to the game." She shrugged. "Oh, well."

  "You certainly have a laid-back attitude about him," Chris said, her tone implying no judgment.

  "Because Vic is so drop-dead gorgeous she can have any man she wants." Jinx sighed, wishing she were that beautiful. "Charly's a big man on campus." She used the old phrase, a light mocking tone in her voice. "But Vic is bigger in her way."

  "Jinx, you're so full of it." Vic hated being singled out for her looks. After all, she hadn't earned them.

  "Well, I guess she could seduce just about anybody," Chris said. Chris flipped water over on Vic with her foot.

  Heat, sweltering, uncontrollable heat, flickered through Vic's body. She stared deep into Chris's eyes. Chris winked devilishly at Vic, who smiled and then turned away.

  Raised in a judgmental family, Chris had survived by nourishing her spirit of rebellion. She didn't know what she was looking for until she met Vic. Then a piece of her private puzzle fell into place. She knew she wanted to be in Vic's presence.

  "We'd better read every word of the sports section tomorrow so you can pretend you listened to the game." Jinx waved, recognizing friends going by in a small sailboat.

  "I'm not going to lie to him. I forgot." Vic saw the occupants of the boat waving, so she waved back. She changed the subject. "Wonder if Aunt Bunny will win the tournament?"

  "She has to be pretty good to win it more than once." Chris squinted at the sun's reflection off the water.

  "Aunt Bunny is good. She probably could have been a professional, but she married Uncle Don and when she was young the circuit wasn't so organized, I guess."

  "Must have been a bitch," Jinx remarked.

  "You take life as you find it," Vic echoed the Savedge creed.

  "You think?" Chris's eyebrows shot upward. It occurred to her this was diametrically opposed to her own worldview.

  "I do."

  "What about changing things for the better?" Chris asked.

  "You do what you can, but at some point you have to accept fate," Vic replied.

  "I am not talking about fate," Jinx said. "We sat up last night and talked about fate, and then Vic made me eat chocolate cake. I'll never lose weight."

  "Jinx." Vic laughed.

  "You did," Jinx teased her.

  "You know" —Vic turned to face Chris again, which made both of their stomachs flutter— "there we were in bed and suddenly we hear a little voice, 'I'm lonesome. I'm locked in the fridge. Save me, save me, Jinx.' So, of course we had to do what we could."

  "Now you sound like your father." Jinx lifted her feet out of the river. "I once asked Mr. Savedge how he stopped that column of German tanks and he just said, 'I did what I could.' Did you know he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, which is the medal just below the Congressional Medal of Honor?"

  "Jinx, she doesn't want to hear all this." Vic wondered if she could have done what her father did. She wanted to be brave like Frank if life tested her harshly.

  "People confused the Distinguished Service Cross with the Distinguished Service Medal, which is kind of a desk-job medal." Jinx took a breath. "My dad, a looey in Korea, told me. Mr. Savedge doesn't talk about it, but the men know, I mean men who fought. They . . . I think they're different from men who haven't seen combat. Men truly respect Vic's father even if he does lose money pretty regularly."

  "Jinx."

  Jinx realized she shouldn't have been talking out of school. "Sorry." Vic simply said, "Dad isn't too good with money."

  "Mine is, and he's a cold bastard," Chris said this without rancor, a statement of fact, no more, no less.

  "Mine's good at it—money, I mean—but he's the excitable type. Everyone tells me I take after him, and I'm not sure it's a compliment," Jinx said.

  "It is. Your dad's electric." Vic smiled.

  "Mother's a piece of work." As if on cue, Regina Baptista pulled up with Lisa.

  56R I T AMAEBROWN

  "Surprise." Vic giggled.

  "Goddammit!" Jinx stood up. "I'll be right back."

  As she walked away, Vic and Chris laughed, then lapsed into si-

  lence looking at the river, each feeling the nearness of the other. Chris finally said, "You have a wonderful family."

  "Thank you. I'm glad you could meet everyone, even the Monster." "She's a riot."

  "Good, you can have her." Vic thought she'd melt.

  "They're waving us up there." Chris swept her feet out of the water and stood up in one easy motion. She reached down for Vic who allowed the blonde woman to pull her up. For a second, Chris held on to Vic's hand.

  "You're stronger than I thought you would be."

  "Probably not as strong as you. Your mother said you were a brute." Chris let go of Vic's hand.

  By the time they reached the patio, Regina was regaling R. J. with the vicissitudes of motherhood. "I'm telling you, Orgy, is there such a thing as ovarian recall? Can I give them back? And Lisa, don't you think for one moment that you can get your ears pierced!"

  A

  car horn in the distance, five short toots, made Piper bark. The bug lamps gave off a citronella scent, which the bugs respected within six inches of the flame. Beyond that range they bit the

  bloody crap out of everyone.

  Regina and Lisa had gone home after a wrangle with Jinx, who refused to accompany them.

  R. J., stretched out on a chaise longue, smoking her last Lucky of the.evening. She swore it was her last. Mignon twirled her new gold posts. Vic, Chris, and Jinx sat around R. J.

  The tooting, closer now, was "shave and a haircut, two bits." "Bunny's won." R. J. laughed.

  Within five minutes, Bunny screeched to a halt, leaping out of her car. "Yes!" As she skipped over she held aloft her silver cup. "I retired the trophy. Three years in a row. I knew I could do it."

  R. J. got up and gave her a big hug. "A victory drink?"

  "I'll fix it." Vic kissed her aunt on the cheek, then she walked inside, returning with a gin ricky in a frosted glass.

  "Actually, 1 wasn't sure I'd pull it off this year." Bunny, now seated at the end of her sister's longue, reached up for the drink. ''Babs Rendell gave me a run for it. But by the sixteenth hole, I knew I had it if I could make par on the next two. She blew up on fifteen. Tricky, that fifteen." She gratefully sipped her gin ricky. "Humid tonight."

  "Indeed." R. J. stretched out her long legs. "Mignon, give your Aunt Bunny your chair, please."

  "Thank you." Bunny froze before dropping her rear in the chair. "What have you done!"

  "Pierced my ears." Mignon acted nonchalant.

  "Orgy!"

  "I didn't let her do it."

  "Who's the culprit?" Bunny finally sat down, placing her silver cup on the table beside her.

  "I am." Mignon pl
opped on Vic's chaise longue. "I made Hojo do it."

  "I will wring that girl's neck," Bunny fumed. "How could she do a