by JB Bonds
McGhee’s house was exactly like ours. The only differences were the furniture and possessions. We could see the front room and kitchen area weren’t as jam packed as our place. There were still boxes lining the living room and nothing hanging on the walls. From the wonderful aroma coming out of the kitchen, it was obvious someone was a fabulous cook. About that time, another woman, who we presumed was Ida, came into the kitchen. She was an exact replica of McGhee, only a little taller. She had a beautiful, wide smile and the same dark sparkling eyes. Ida wore her hair very, very short and it framed an almost perfectly round, sweet face. Both Ida and McGhee were round and brown as berries. I would guess they were in their 70s.
“Ladies, this is my sister Ida.”
“Are we taking a break, McGhee? Why didn’t you give a shout out? I’m more than ready to get off my feet and give my back a rest. Hello, ladies. I’m Ida, lovely to meet you.”
“I’m Joanie and this is my sister, Roz. We live a few houses down from you toward the pool.”
“Lord, Almighty, I have to say it certainly is nice to meet someone who lives here. We’re not only new to Rainbow’s End; we’re new to the Keys and to Florida as well,” Ida said as she sat in a kitchen chair.
“We inherited this house from an old gentleman we worked for back in North Carolina. Ida and I thought we’d be living in Raleigh, North Carolina till the end of our days. Goes to show you, life can make some sudden changes, and you better be ready to take new opportunities when they come knocking. Sit down. Has McGhee offered you something to drink?”
Roz and I sat down with Ida while McGhee poured our tea. “You two are going to love living in Rainbow’s End. Roz and I will be sure to let you know about activities as they come up, and you’re more than welcome to join us. The residents here are truly awesome. You’ll want to meet Lois Nuttinger. She lives diagonally across from you, and then there’s Tutti Norton. She lives on the other side of the street, and closer to the pool. We live only a couple doors down, this side of the street, and have new neighbors right beside us. They are Virgil and Flo Hammond.”
“I’ll never remember all those names, but give me time. Me and McGhee love visiting with our neighbors. Not having family close by is so strange for us. Two of my grandsons left last night after they got the truck unloaded. We couldn’t have made this move without them. They placed the furniture where we wanted it, but couldn’t stay any longer. They had to get back to school,” Ida said.
“I didn’t see a car or golf cart in your carport. Do you plan to get one?” I asked.
“Oh Lordy, no, neither me or Ida can drive anything, except maybe somebody a little crazy!!” McGhee said as she leaned back and laughed.
“I know in this day and time it’s hard to believe there are actually people who can’t drive, but the opportunity never came around for me and McGhee to ever learn. We rode the bus to work every day, and our employer, Mr. Whiteside, was always kind enough to see that we got to any appointments we might have. After our children grew up, got jobs, and started driving, they took us everywhere. The last thing we needed was the expense of an automobile. So here we are today, kind of stranded, in a way. But we knew before we moved into Rainbow that a van was available at the Office most days to take residents shopping.”
“Yes, there’s a van and a bus at the front entrance that runs on the half hour, but learning to drive a golf cart is a good idea and about the best way to start learning to drive. It’s one of the easiest things in the world to learn. Would you girls like to learn? We have a four-seater; we could teach you to drive. That’s about the only transportation you might need here in Rainbow. Roz and I make runs to the grocery store several times a week in Lara, our car. We’ll give you a call to see if you want to go along so you won’t have to depend on that van or bus,” I said.
“That would be wonderful! But, are you serious? You think me and McGhee could learn to drive a golf cart?”
“Absolutely. Sometimes Herb Bennett, he owns the Country Store, has used golf carts for sale. When residents leave, they don’t always need their carts anymore and want to sell them, but we’ll worry about that later,” I said.
“I can’t tell you how much this means to us. We’ve been pretty stressed out about this move, but knew we had to take the opportunity to have a place of our own. Mr. Whiteside, our benefactor, was very generous in leaving us some cash to live on for the rest of our lives as well,” Ida said.
“Mr. Whiteside sounds like he was a very wonderful employer,” Roz said.
“We worked in his home for over fifty years. He was plant manager for a big tobacco factory in town. Mrs. Whiteside died about ten years ago and Mr. Whiteside was never the same. They were married for over sixty years. He was just a lost soul after she passed. Ida and I never left his side. I guess since they never had any children, they decided me and Ida might like this vacation house, and he was right. The Whitesides’ home was auctioned off, and except for a few pieces of furniture he gave us before he passed, everything in the house was sold, too. All the money they got for his estate, except for what he gave me and Ida, was given to charity. Ida and me knew that house inside and out. We’d been taking care of it so long, we felt like it was ours.”
“McGhee and me rented a little bungalow on the other side of town. We’d been living together since both our husbands died, and all the children had moved away. Going to the Whiteside’s’ house every day was a pure pleasure, and we kept it shining! But, I have to say, I don’t miss all the work it took to keep that place looking the way it did. Mr. Whiteside was always appreciative of all we did for him, but learning he’d left this place and some retirement funds to us was a total shock. We knew he depended on us, but we didn’t realize just how much we’d meant to him. We both miss Mr. Whiteside terribly.”
“How about your family?” Roz asked.
“Like McGhee said, we lost our husbands years ago. We have six children and seven grandchildren between us, and they’re all over the United States doing their own things. Those grandsons that helped move us go to Morehouse College in Georgia. They belong to my oldest boy, Ernest, who works in Atlanta for the Coca-Cola Company. He’s been working there for twenty-five years now, and has a really good job as a manager for one of the bottling lines. When our kids heard we were moving to Florida, they couldn’t believe it. Even though they’re spread all over, Raleigh will be “home” for all of our kids, and they thought me and McGhee would be there forever. Guess we surprised them! They’ll come see us, I have no doubt of that, but we sure miss Raleigh.”
The four of us shared life stories while sipping cinnamon spiced tea and eating a couple brownies. We left them to their unpacking and invited them to the non-denominational church in Rainbow for tomorrow morning’s service. Ida and McGhee seemed very relieved to find out there was actually a church in the community.
“Please come to see us anytime. We’re in and out, but always welcome visitors,” Roz said.
“You sisters are so precious and a godsend. You’ve given me hope that this was the right move after all,” Ida said.
“Thanks for the brownies. What’s in these brownies that gives them that little extra kick?” McGhee asked as she walked us to the door.
“That would be crème de menthe. It’s a secret ingredient we’ve been using for years in our brownies,” Roz said.
“Well, it works for me! I have a great idea. How would you two like to join us for dinner sometime next week?”
“Good heavens, do you think you’ll be ready to cook dinner so soon?” Roz asked.
“We don’t expect to get this house in order for weeks. That doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun in the meantime,” Ida said.
“That sounds wonderful. Roz and I are going to the grocery store tomorrow after church. Would you two like to come along?”
“We do need to get to a grocery store, that’s for sure. The roast is about the
end of the groceries we brought with us. Anyway, my soul feels like it needs some attention, too. Church and the grocery store sounds like a perfect Sunday to me. How about dinner here Thursday evening at 6:00 p.m.?” Ida said.
“That sounds great. What can we bring?” I asked.
“How about another pan of those brownies?” McGhee said as Ida shook her head up and down in agreement.
Chapter 9
The Effects of the Elixir
Late afternoon that same day, Roz asked, “Do you feel like a little spin around Rainbow?”
“Sure, what do you have in mind?”
“I was thinking it might be interesting to talk to a few of Virgil’s customers to see what they think of the elixir. All this has gotten my curiosity piqued.”
“I can see it has. Why don’t we swing by Burton’s to see how he’s doing on the elixir and then go to the Country Store? We’re bound to see someone else who’s taking it.”
Rainbow is always a beehive of activity on the weekends, even more so than during the week. Saturday afternoons prove to be the time most residents like to get things done in their yards, do some extra bicycling, or walking. We turned onto Tropic Breeze to check on Burton, and knew right away things were hopping at his RV. Wrapped around his mailbox was a tiny leopard skin Spandex skirt. His backpack was propped against the front door, and disco music was blaring from inside.
“Do you think we should take the skirt in to him?” Roz asked.
“Peel that thing off the mailbox and let’s go find out how it ended up there.”
We were just about up to the RV door when Burton came outside. He looked fabulous, as usual. From his attire, he was probably going to the Recreation Center to work out on the treadmill. Olivia Newton-John would be proud of this outfit: hot pink leggings with matching shorts and tank top, and his hair was tied up in a purple bandana.
“Good afternoon, girls! You missed one fantastic evening last night. I didn’t get home until the wee hours of the morning. Roz, where did you find my skirt?”
“Wrapped around your mailbox,” Roz said with a straight face.
“Oh my. I’m not exactly positive how it got there. Embarrassing…”
“We don’t want the details, just so you had a good time, and are feeling good today about last night,” I said.
“My evening was spectacular. Those reggae fellows were a hoot. We closed the Hog’s Breath down, and then went over to a little bar called Undercover. We were there until the band decided they were done for the night and brought me home. That’s where things get a little foggy. Not to worry, I’m revved up today and ready to burn off some of those calories I consumed last night.”
“How long have you been using Caliente?” Roz asked.
“Let’s see, I got my bottle when I was at your place for our exfoliating party, so only about a week.”
“And you can tell a difference already in how you feel?” I asked.
“Unbelievably so. You two know I’ve always had more energy than the normal person, but this has put my metabolism into overdrive. I got Caliente for my complexion and hair, which if you’ll notice looks fabulous, and now I’ve realized my energy is out of the roof! It must be the combination of the honey and this berry that jumpstarts everything.”
“Don’t you think $100 a bottle is a little steep?” Roz asked.
“That did kind of surprise me, and I told myself I would buy this one bottle and see how things went. Well, let me tell you, I’m going by Virgil’s today to see if I can buy a couple more bottles before this shipment runs out. I’ve talked to several other people who are taking it, and they’re getting great results as well. How about you two ladies?”
“We’re not convinced we want to take the elixir. Roz is doing some research on the product and then we’ll decide, but I have to admit, you do look perky today, after the evening you had,” I said.
We heard Herb’s bullhorn and could see him on his three-wheel bike coming down Tropic Breeze. He was announcing our Valentine’s Day parade for Monday and bingo for Tuesday night. Burton made a beeline to the curb to flag him down. Before Herb knew what was happening, Burton had the bullhorn in his hand and was nudging him off the seat of the bike
Burton screamed through the bullhorn at the top of his voice, “Rainbow residents, listen up! Margaritas and Disco tonight, 6:00 at Burton’s place.”
Herb was trying to get the bullhorn from Burton, but Burton would have none of it. It was like his Broadway days had kicked in. In fact, he started singing his announcement to the tune of “Hello, Dolly.” Herb was beside himself, gave up the bullhorn, and walked over to me and Roz.
“What in hell has gotten into Burton?” Herb said.
“Have you heard anything about Caliente Honey, Herb?” Roz asked.
“No, what is Caliente Honey, a stripper down in Key West?”
“Good Lord, no. It’s a product the Hammonds are selling like hotcakes to the residents of Rainbow. I think Burton was their first customer,” Roz said.
“Really? And you think Burton is acting like this because of that honey stuff? I wouldn’t use Burton as an example of what that product can do. You know he’s always upbeat, noisy, and full of fun, but I do have to admit he does seem a little more over the top today.”
Burton had gotten on the three-wheeler and was peddling for all he was worth toward the end of his street, singing his party announcement. The last we saw him, he was headed around the corner with Herb hot on his trail.
“Roz, let’s take a spin around Rainbow,” I said.
“That’s a good idea. Let’s go by the Country Store.”
When we got to the store, all was very quiet. Bonnie was in the back stocking shelves when she heard us come in.
“Hello, ladies. How are you two doing?” Bonnie asked.
“We’re good. It seems pretty quiet around here for a Saturday,” Roz said.
“I was thinking the same thing. I don’t know where everyone has gotten to. I usually have a few people coming in to talk, if nothing else. What can I do for you two?”
“Do you have any red balloons? We haven’t decorated our golf cart for Monday’s parade and we need about a dozen of them,” Roz said, looking around the store.
“I have a big bag of balloons on the back shelf. Help yourself.”
After purchasing the balloons, we started for home. When we came around the corner to turn down our street, we could tell where everyone was. They were at the pool. Golf carts were parked along the street because the parking area by the cabana was full. Bicycles were leaning on anything that would hold them. Roz and I looked at each other and went past our house, across the bridge, and straight for the pool.
As we got closer we could hear music blaring, much louder than when we did our aqua aerobics. We could also hear a lot of excited voices, laughter, and general merriment coming from the pool area. We left our cart down the street and walked back to the pool. When we entered the pool gate, we couldn’t believe our eyes. There had to be over fifty people having a party. Some were in the pool playing chicken. How those ladies got up on the backs of the guys, I do not know, but there they were. A fairly large group was doing the shag under the overhang of the cabana, and a couple of ladies were doing the electric slide. Everyone seemed a little manic. They couldn’t go from one activity to another fast enough. Morty saw us and came shuffling over. He was covered in welts, which I felt sure came from an allergic reaction to Lois’s cats, but he seemed totally unbothered by them.
“Girls! You’re missing the best dang party this place has ever seen! Put your suits on and shake a tail feather!!” Morty yelled.
“Morty, we didn’t know there was a party at the pool today,” Roz shouted over the music blaring from the speakers.
“Neither did any of us. It just happened.”
Morty turned a complete circle to the beat
of “Jungle Love,” arms waving in the air.
“Morty, you look a little burned. It’s hot out here. Why don’t you go sit for a bit under the cabana?” I suggested.
“Joanie, Joanie, time’s a wastin’. A little heat ain’t gonna kill ya!”
And Morty was off to a group of ladies playing poker at one of the umbrella tables. Roz and I had to scamper out of the way of a “hot, hot, hot Conga Line.” Whoa, Baby! People genuinely seemed to be having the time of their lives, and the one common denominator we could see in this group was they were all good customers of the Hammonds. We had seen almost every one of these people at their door over the past few days. Roz and I were not getting a good feeling about Caliente Honey.
Not. At. All.
Chapter 10
Hung Out to Dry
Sunday morning found the two of us trying to pull ourselves together to get to church. We had stayed up pretty late, well, late for us, talking about what was happening in Rainbow’s End. We both had anxiety over what we’d seen yesterday, but who on earth could we talk to? And what would we say? Have you noticed all the happy, fun-loving people lately? Have you seen them dancing and racing their golf carts, in general, living it up? What’s wrong with that? And to mention Burton’s actions yesterday wouldn’t raise an eyebrow. That was just Burton. Maybe we were jumping to conclusions.
We had spent about two hours decorating our golf cart for Monday’s Valentine’s Day Parade. At 4:00 p.m. sharp, Herb would start the parade on his three-wheeler with its PA system blaring, inviting everyone to join in. Everyone would fall in behind him with their decorated conveyance and around Rainbow we would go. This was a lot of fun and gave everyone a sense of real community. If the people who were at the pool yesterday joined in tomorrow’s parade, this could be one interesting event, especially if they took their dose this morning.
“Roz, are you ready? We need to get to Ida and McGhee’s.”
