A Piece of Heaven (10 page)

“So, what is my fate?” I muttered. “Can I go back to my apartment?”

“I’m afraid not,” said Terry. “Until your mother gets well, you’re our responsibility. But I’d like for you to keep your summer job.”

“Really?” I cried.

Jackson reached for my hand.

“I convinced Terry that you’re too good to let go.”

I glanced around the yard. “But—but it’s all done,” I stammered hesitantly.

“Nonsense,” said Jackson. “We’ve got more to do before Brielle comes. We have to go shopping, and we need to fix that leg on the grill. I’ll keep you busy.”

“I think it’s a good idea that you stay on,” Terry added. “Your mother told us how important this job with Mr. Jackson is to you.”

“She told you that?”

“You seem surprised,” Terry remarked.

“Ma is usually so upset. I didn’t think she’d remember something like that.”

“Everything concerning you is important to her, Mahalia,” said Terry. “She just can’t show it all the time.”

“Maybe I should call her,” I said. “She’s probably still worried about me.”

Jackson, Terry, and I went into the house. I washed my hands and then used the phone. Ma answered right away, but her voice was groggy.

“It’s me, Ma.”

“Haley…Is that you?”

“Yes, Ma.”

“They told me that…you were lost.”

“I just went to Jackson’s. I’m fine. Terry found me.”

“They said you went to Queens. I told them that couldn’t be right. I gave them Jackson’s name.” She spoke so softly. It was hard to hear her.

“You sound tired, Ma.”

She sighed. “The doctor did something different. This time it’s got to work, Haley. I can’t stay here forever, you know. The insurance won’t cover it.”

Her voice faded away. I held the phone and listened to her breathing. Deep down, I was hurting. “Should I come and visit you?”

“No. Stay put. Is the place where you’re staying all right?”

“I like it okay,” I lied. “I’m going back there.”

“So, you haven’t disappeared?” Her voice drifted off again.

“Don’t fade out on me, Ma,” I pleaded. “Can I see Otis?”

“No. Your brother is too ashamed.”

“Otis doesn’t have to be ashamed in front of me.”

“I have to go, honey. I can’t talk about it.”

I let out a breath. “Bye, Ma.” Jackson took the phone away and hung it up.

“Ready to go home?” asked Terry.

“Which home?” I sighed.

“Your temporary one,” she said cheerfully. “The one with Yvonne, Maria, Angela, and Rayelle.”

I rolled my eyes. “Too many new names.”

“It’s hard,” agreed Terry.

“I’d like to come, too,” Jackson piped up. He smiled at me warmly.

“How come?” I asked.

He shrugged. “I just want to, that’s all. I’ll leave a note for my students.”

When we got back to the apartment, Angela had gone home. Rayelle was in the kitchen folding a pile of clean laundry.

“Here she is,” Terry announced, nudging me forward. “We’ve found Mahalia!”

“Hi, there,” Rayelle said. She cocked her head and gave me a look. Instead of being covered with autumn leaves, the dress she wore that day was covered with a ladybug design. “So, you ditched us this morning. How was your trip?” she teased. “Have a safe landing?”

“I guess so,” I murmured.

“Welcome back,” she said.

“This is Mr. Jackson, Rayelle,” Terry continued. “He’s Mahalia’s employer.”

Rayelle and Jackson shook hands.

A girlish voice came out of the bedroom. “Is that you, Mahaley?” Yvonne came running out of the room, with Maria sauntering behind her.

“My name is Mahalia,” I said with a laugh. “But most people call me Haley.”

“So, where did you go?” Maria asked with a pout. “Angela said you were trying to get to Queens. You should have asked me how to get to Queens. That’s where my father lives.”

“I didn’t go to Queens,” I explained. “I went to work.” I motioned to Jackson. “This is my boss.”

“I thought he was your daddy,” Yvonne said.

I shook my head. “My daddy doesn’t live around here.”

“Mine doesn’t, either,” Yvonne said softly. “Mine died.”

A pang went through my heart. “I’m sorry,” I whispered. Jackson grasped my hand.

“So, are you going to show me your room?”

“We’ll show you, too,” Maria said, leading the way. “It was our bedroom first, you know. Haley just moved in yesterday.”

I trudged into the yellow bedroom. Toys were everywhere.

“Looks like you’ve been playing this afternoon,” I said to Yvonne. She ran behind the bed where I’d slept.

“Look, Haley! Look what we found!” She held up my stuffed snake and waved it in the air.

“That’s mine!” I shrieked. “Put that down!” I ran behind my bed. The things that I’d brought in my box were scattered everywhere. “What kind of place is this?” I cried. “These things are mine! Who told you that you could bother them?”

“We were only taking a peek at them,” said Maria. “Nothing got broken.”

“You still shouldn’t have messed with my stuff,” I hissed, gathering up my books and pajamas. The sock with the earrings in it was under the bed. Jackson knelt down to help me.

“Look who’s here,” he said, picking up Monkey.

“You told me that I could take Monkey home,” I reminded him.

“I remember,” he said gently. “I’m so glad you brought Monkey with you.” He gave Monkey’s head a little stroke and placed him in the box.

“Everything okay in there?” Rayelle called out.

“We’re fine,” Jackson called back.

I snatched my box, stood up, and put it on the bed.

“We didn’t mean to upset you,” Maria said, coming up to me. “We were just curious.”

“The snake and the monkey are cute,” added Yvonne. “What are their names?”

“Snake and Monkey,” I said quietly. Maria burst into giggles and so did Yvonne.

I cracked a smile. “Not too original, huh?” I plopped down on the bed next to my box.

“What else do you have in there?” Jackson asked, taking a peek.

“This is my
Grimms’,”
I said, pointing to the fairy-tale book.

“And I see you brought the famous thesaurus, of course,” Jackson observed.

“This is where I learned the word
discomboomerated,
” I boasted, picking up the thesaurus. I swiftly turned to the index. “Hey, I can’t find it,” I murmured. I turned to the words for
upset.
Where I should have found
discomboomerated
was the word
discombobulated!

“Guess I made a mistake,” I muttered.

“What does discomboomerated mean?” asked Maria.

“It means
this
!” said Yvonne, jumping up and down and beating her chest.

“You’re right!” I cried. “And this is what discombobulated is!” I popped up off the bed and began shaking my head furiously and spinning around. Yvonne and Maria began imitating me. We bobbed our heads around like crazy chickens and spun and spun all over the room. Eventually, we all got dizzy and collapsed onto my bed. I was out of breath, and Yvonne and Maria were laughing.

“Bravo!” Jackson said, clapping his hands. “A new kind of charades! Keep it up. You guys are hysterical!” Yvonne and Maria lay there breathing hard. I heaved a sigh.

“How about if I read everybody a story out of this other book?” he suggested, picking up the
Grimms’.

“Yes, read one!” cried Yvonne, sitting up. She and Maria drew closer.

“What do you say, Haley?” Jackson asked, glancing at the table of contents. “How about that story about the clever little tailor?”

“Okay,” I said.

So Jackson read us the story of the brave little tailor and how he got “seven in one blow.” Of course, the tailor had killed seven
flies,
when they landed on his jelly sandwich, but he boasted so much that the world thought that instead of flies, he’d whipped giants. By the end of the story, the tailor did wind up getting the best of two giants and a wild boar. He became a king and a hero, not because he was so strong, but because he was so clever.

Jackson read the tailor’s part in a squeaky, high-pitched voice. He read the part of the giant in a low, booming voice. When he finished reading the story, we all clapped. “Thanks,” I said, resting my head on his shoulder. “You make it seem real when you read.”

“Read us another story!” cried Yvonne.

“I can’t,” said Jackson. “I have to go.” I walked him to the door.

“Will I see you tomorrow, Haley?”

I glanced at Rayelle.

“She’ll be there,” Rayelle promised.

Just before dinner, Terry came to pick me up. First we went to my apartment, where I got some more clothes. I also got my basketball. We were in and out pretty quickly. The apartment was desolate without Ma and Otis there. Before leaving the building, we knocked on Mrs. Brown’s door. She gave me a hug. I was surprised. She’d never shown much affection to me before.

“Nirvana and I were sorry to see that note when we got back from church,” Mrs. Brown said kindly. “Somebody telephoned to say that you ran away to Queens. We were real worried.”

“I’m okay now,” I said.

“She’s in good hands,” Terry assured her.

I waved good-bye. “Please tell Nirvana I miss her. I’ll be back.”

After we went to the apartment, Terry took me to a clinic, where I saw a doctor and had a quick physical. The doctor listened to my heart and my lungs, and while Terry and I waited, she called the clinic where Ma usually took me and checked up on my shots. By the time I got back to the boarding home, I was ready for bed, even though it was still light outside. But first I took a shower and ate dinner with Rayelle, Yvonne, and Maria. Rayelle told me that later on that evening Angela would be coming back in. I snuggled down into my new bed. Yvonne and Maria trundled in and stood next to me.

“How come you’re already in bed?” asked Maria.

“I’m tired,” I told her.

“Will you read us another story out of your
Grimms’
?” Yvonne asked nicely. I yawned and reached for the book. It opened up to “Darling Roland.”

“This is a very scary story,” I warned. “It has a severed head in it, and drops of blood that talk.”

“Ooh, guts!” cried Maria. “I like that.”

Yvonne wrinkled her nose. She didn’t look so sure.

“Don’t be scared,” I said, patting Yvonne’s arm. “It has a happy ending.”

“Who’s Roland?”

“Roland is the one who the girl in the story is waiting for,” I explained. “She runs away with him, but then they get separated. While the girl is waiting for her darling Roland, she turns into a red stone and then into a flower!”

Yvonne’s eyes got wider. “What happens then?”

“A shepherd comes along and picks the flower,” I said. “He takes it home with him.”

Yvonne snuggled up. “How come?”

“The shepherd wants to take care of the flower. Of course, the shepherd doesn’t know that the flower is a girl.”

“I think that Roland is the daddy,” said Yvonne.

“He could be her brother,” piped up Maria.

“What’s the girl’s name?” asked Yvonne.

“She doesn’t have a name,” I replied.

“Then what’s the shepherd’s name?” she whined.

“Oh, be quiet,” Maria ordered with a huff. “If you keep asking questions, we’ll never hear the story.”

I rested my eyes on the page and read from the beginning.

CHAPTER NINE

“Hi, Ma.”

“Hi, Haley.”

“How are you feeling? Better?”

“Yes.”

“A lot better?”

“A little better.”

“Will you be a lot better soon?”

“I’ll try.”

“Guess what? Brielle is coming today.”

“Who?”

“Brielle, Jackson’s daughter. I told you about her.”

“That’s nice.”

“Brielle makes movies. Maybe she’ll make one of us.”

“That’s nice.”

“You said that already, Ma.”

“So, what else is new?”

“I went to the grocery store for Jackson. He gave me the money. I went shopping for Brielle’s barbecue all by myself.”

“How did you carry the groceries?”

“In a shopping cart. Jackson stayed at home teaching.”

“Um.”

“Are you listening?”

“Um.”

“I bought hot dogs and hamburgers and veggie burgers. We don’t know if Brielle is a vegetarian. Jackson said once upon a time she was, but now she might eat meat. He doesn’t know for sure.”

“Um.”

“Are you listening? I bought chips and lots of junk food, just in case she’s a junk-food addict. Ma, did you talk to Otis?”

“He has a trial date.”

“That’s good. Can I go?”

“No. It’s too upsetting.”

“No, it isn’t. Are you going?”

“I’m not sure. Write Otis a letter, if you want to. Terry has his address.”

“Okay. Hey, Ma, can I visit you?”

“Not today.”

“When?”

“Speak to Terry first.”

“What does Terry know?” I said. “Guess what?”

“Um.”

“Did you hear me?”

“Yes.”

“I fixed the leg on Jackson’s barbecue grill. It saved him buying a new one. I just found a screw and fastened the leg right on. That’s all that the grill needed….Hey, Ma, did you pay the rent on our apartment?”

“Through the end of the month.”

“What happens after that?”

“I’ll take care of it.”

“I’m still saving my money, Ma. I didn’t pay the electricity bill, because we’re not there to use the lights. But I have a lot saved up. So I can help you.”

“We’ll talk about it when I get home .…”

“When exactly will that be?”

“When you least expect.”

“Bye, Ma. I miss you.”

“Bye, baby.”

Dear Otis,

How are you? First of all, it’s okay that you didn’t want
me to visit or even to talk to me. Ma told me that I could
write to you. I should have thought of that myself before,
but I didn’t have your address. I cannot believe that you
and Ma and I all have different addresses now. But not
for long, I hope!!!! Good luck at your trial. Ma and
Terry say that I cannot come to it. I am going to ask Jackson to take me though, no matter what! I like Terry, but
she’s extremely strict. I know that you know her, since
she is handling our case. She has probably told you (or
Ma has told you, I guess) that I am living in a group
boarding home, which is an apartment not far from
where our real apartment is. Though you probably have
received a new toothbrush at your juvenile facility, I
brought your green one with me, just in case I was coming to visit you. I forgot my own! Two girls live with me,
Yvonne and Maria. Yvonne is the youngest and is very
sweet. Maria can be bossy. But not as bossy as you! Ha,
ha! Please write back to me. I love you always.
Sincerely,

Your sister,

Haley

P.S. Although you might be ashamed of what you did,
you do not have to be ashamed of who you are.

I mailed my letter to Otis on the way to the swimming pool with Yvonne, Maria, and Angela.

“Do you think he’ll answer your letter?” Maria asked thoughtfully.

I crossed my fingers.

I wasn’t supposed to show up at Jackson’s until the afternoon, on account of Brielle’s visit. Her plane was supposed to arrive that morning. She’d have been flying from California all night long. Jackson thought that she might want to rest up before meeting me and having the barbecue. When Yvonne, Maria, and I got back to the apartment after going to the pool, I changed for Jackson’s party. Rayelle had ironed a spanking clean blouse for me that I’d brought from home. Ma had gotten the blouse for me to wear in a school chorus concert. It had white lace around the collar. I didn’t want to look formal, though, so I also wore my overalls. I couldn’t resist putting on Grandma Dora’s pearl earrings.

“Do you think they look silly?” I asked Yvonne.

She reached up and touched my face. “You look pretty, Mahaley.”

I could hardly wait to meet Brielle. I imagined that she would be even prettier than her picture and, of course, would be very intelligent, since she was already in college. I hurriedly walked to Jackson’s. The weather was perfect for a barbecue. When I got to the house, I stood outside for a minute next to the stone steps. Even though I’d been coming there practically every day for three weeks, I suddenly felt shy. I hoped that Brielle would like me.

I made my way along the side of the house and poked my head around back. The grill was in place, but nobody was there. Glancing up to the second story of the house, I saw that the blinds were down. I stepped toward the glass doors and peered in. In a chair in the corner of the room, Jackson was sitting all by himself. I tapped and he came to the door.

“Am I too early?” I asked. “Where’s Brielle?”

Jackson’s face sagged. “She didn’t make it.”

“How come?” I asked in concern. “Did she miss her airplane?”

“No,” said Jackson.

“Then where is she?” I insisted.

“Still in California,” he said, turning in to the doorway. “She called me about half an hour ago. I didn’t think to call and tell you. I’m sorry.”

“But why?”

“She just decided not to come,” he said in a quiet voice. “For six years, she’s refused to visit me. I guess that my daughter hates me, Haley.”

“How could anyone hate you?” I said softly.

He patted my arm. “Thanks for all you’ve done. Now, run along home.”

“Which home?”

“The one where you’re living,” he muttered. “Maybe you can catch the girls and go to the pool.”

“I’ve been to the pool,” I told him.

He sighed. “Please go, Haley. I wouldn’t be very good company today.”

My lip quivered. “So, that’s that?”

“I’m afraid so.”

“Maybe Brielle will catch a plane tomorrow,” I said hopefully.

“There’s no point in discussing it,” Jackson said.

“I could do some work,” I offered.

“There’s no work today,” he said. He reached into his pocket impatiently. “There’s nothing left to do.” He handed me some money. “Here, this is what I owe you.”

“But it isn’t payday,” I said hesitantly.

“Take it anyway,” said Jackson. “I’ll call you tomorrow.” He smiled weakly. “I’ll see if I can find something else to keep you busy.”

I tugged at his elbow as he turned inside. “What are you going to do now?”

“Maybe I’ll read the newspaper,” he said glumly. “I’ve cancelled my lessons. Maybe I’ll just sit and do nothing.”

He went inside and closed the door. I stared at the yard for a moment. I was so disappointed! All that work we’d done for Brielle, and at the last minute she’d decided not to come. Jackson was even more disappointed than I was. I knew that. He hadn’t seen his daughter in six whole years! He’d been counting on her visit so much. When he was going inside the house, he looked so dejected. I glanced at the double glass doors. There was no sign of him in the big room. I strolled through the yard, gazing at the stone people. I had built them for Brielle. I’d carried the stones from the pile and made the border for her. Now Brielle wasn’t coming. But Jackson
was
there. It was his house. Jackson wasn’t going anywhere.…

I had money in my pocket, and down the street there was an art supply store. One quick trip and I was back with brushes and tubes of acrylic paint of all colors. I wasn’t sure if Jackson was peeking from the window, but he never came out to bother me. I got down on my hands and knees in front of the stone border. I opened up a tube of red paint and squeezed some out onto a stone. I picked up a brush and made a tulip.

I heard the piano coming from inside the house. Jackson was playing! The music was loud! Chords came crashing down so hard, I thought that the piano might break. But after a little while, the music became softer and very sweet. I picked up the pink paint.…

I lost track of time. By the time I was done, my knees felt permanently bent from so much kneeling, but I did have a flower garden—with red tulips, pink azaleas, purple petunias, and bright orange sunflowers with deep brown centers! Along the path leading to the glass door were yellow roses with green vines. I almost painted the stone people, but the paint ran out. I was so busy painting, I hadn’t noticed that Jackson’s playing had stopped. He came outdoors and crouched down beside me.

“Look what you’ve done!” he breathed. “Mahalia, this is so beautiful!”

“Tulips, petunias, and sunflowers,” I pointed out. “The pink ones are azaleas. I know they grow on bushes, but I painted them anyway. The yellow ones leading up to the glass doors are roses. I’m not much of a painter, but I think they’re pretty good!”

He gave me a hug, and I began crying.

“Let it out, Haley,” he said. “It’s okay to cry.”

“I’m not crying for myself,” I choked. “I’m crying about you and Brielle.”

“Thank you,” he said softly. “But you also have some things to cry about.”

I began to sob and sob. It was as if something inside me had burst. I cried for Ma and I cried for Otis and I even cried for Dad. Jackson hugged me again and then stepped aside, waiting until I was ready to stop. Tears were rolling down my cheeks and crossing over my nose. Even my chin was dribbling.

Jackson went inside and got some tissues for me. He patted me on the back. “You’ve been storing that up,” he commented.

“I try not to cry too much,” I said. “Guess I figured that Ma cried enough for all of us.” I wiped my nose.

“People have different reasons for crying. We all have a right to be sad.”

“You’re pretty sad yourself, aren’t you?” I said.

He nodded. “I was really hoping that this time Brielle and I might have a breakthrough.”

“Does she really hate you?” I asked. “How can she?”

“She probably doesn’t hate me, deep down inside,” he said. “But she’s very angry.”

“Like I was angry with Ma and Otis?”

“Something like that. Only Brielle has been angry with me for a lot longer. I wasn’t a very good father. I was so busy when she was a baby. And I was such a rotten husband that her mother had to leave.” He hung his head. “I don’t know if Brielle will ever forgive me for that.”

“You never hit her mother, did you?” I asked quietly.

“No,” said Jackson. “But there are other ways to hurt people.” I glanced away. “I wanted to be a success. I had tried being an actor and then a musician. Night and day, all I thought about was making it big. When my wife and I closed the little theater that I told you about, I went on the road. I was gone for months at a time.”

“You were working hard to make money,” I piped up.

He shook his head. “I didn’t write or even call much, Haley. I even forgot Brielle’s birthday.”

“My father never remembers my birthday,” I said.

He stroked my head. “There’s no excuse for that, not from anybody. I don’t know where my mind was,” he explained. “I had a great partner in my wife. I had a sweet little girl. They were the ones who left for California, but for Brielle, it was always as if I were the one who left.”

“But you didn’t leave them,” I insisted. “You were working.”

“It was more than that,” he said firmly. “Brielle and her mother needed me, and I just couldn’t be there. I didn’t love them enough, Haley.”

I gazed into his eyes. They were filled with tears.

“Your students like you a lot,” I reminded him.

He chuckled ironically. “I guess I’m not a bad teacher. But I’m older now. I’m more patient. And I never go out on the road,” he added, glancing around the yard. “So, maybe I’ve learned my lesson. But it’s a little too late for me with Brielle.”

“Maybe someday Brielle will forgive you.”

He smiled. “Thanks, Haley. What would I do without you?”

“You’re the perfect father for me,” I pronounced.

His eyes sparkled. “You’re perfect for me, too,” he said.

“Don’t get me wrong,” I said hastily. “I know you can’t be my dad. But you’ve done so much for me. I appreciate it, that’s all.”

“I’m your friend. That’s what friends are for.”

“I just wanted to say thanks, that’s all.” I glanced away shyly.

He patted my hand. “Okay, Friend, so now that we’ve had our cry, what shall we do?”

“Have a barbecue?”

“Not today,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m just not up for it.”

“I bought an awful lot of food,” I reminded him. “I hope it doesn’t go to waste.”

Jackson sat down on the hammock. “Maybe we can have it tomorrow.”

“Have what? The food or the barbecue?”

“Both,” he said.

“Who would we invite?” I asked.

“How about some of your friends?” he suggested.

“I would like to see my friend Nirvana again,” I said with excitement. “She could bring her boyfriend, Dill. He knows how to cook hamburgers. He works in a restaurant.”

“Let’s call them up,” Jackson agreed.

“I really think I should invite Yvonne and Maria, too,” I added. “They’d like the hammock.”

“Angela would probably want to come along with them,” Jackson suggested.

“Or Rayelle, if she’s working tomorrow afternoon. Terry must come, too.”

“We certainly have enough food,” Jackson assured me. He stood up and rested his elbow on one of the stone people. “We mustn’t forget Mrs. Brown.”

“She won’t come. Her legs are always hurting her. Or at least she says that they are.”