God Don't Make No Mistakes (22 page)

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Authors: Mary Monroe

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“She's just real, uh, creepy, that's all,” Charlotte said, hunching her shoulders and making a face.
“Charlotte, go back to bed,” I ordered, pointing toward the staircase. “Now!”
Charlotte rolled her eyes and started stomping across the floor like a mule. “You're going to be real sorry one day, Mama,” she warned.
“These kids,” Lillimae sighed, shaking her head.
“Charlotte needs a little more structure in her life. I wish she was more like Harrietta's girls,” I said in a low voice.
Muh'Dear gave me a strange look. “I ain't never seen Charlotte this fractious. Maybe you ought to get to know more about that woman, just in case.”
Just in case.
Those words rang in my ears. In spite of how I felt about Harrietta, it was at that moment that I realized I needed to be a little more concerned about Charlotte's feelings and the impact that Harrietta had on her.
Charlotte's prediction that I would be sorry one day sounded ominous and made me more than a little concerned. What if she was not being rebellious and troublesome just for the heck of it? After that thought, I decided right then and there that the best thing that I could do was keep Charlotte away from Harrietta unless I was around.
CHAPTER 42
A
S SOON AS I WAS ALONE AGAIN, I PADDED INTO THE KITCHEN
and called up Harrietta.
“It's Annette,” I began with hesitation. “Um, I've given it a lot of thought and I think it's in everybody's best interest if I don't leave my child with you anymore.”
“I see. Well, that's fine with me, Annette. After that conversation we had, I was thinking that same thing myself,” Harrietta told me, sounding relieved. “I know some kids think of me as a beast, but I can live with that,” she chuckled. “No hard feelings on my part.”
“I don't have any hard feelings either, and you and I can still be friends if you want,” I told her.
“I'm glad to hear that, Annette, because I really like you. The girls will be sorry to hear that Charlotte won't be friends with them anymore.”
“Oh no! I didn't say that she couldn't be friends with your girls. As long as your girls don't take a dislike to me, they are always welcome to come here, if you don't mind. And you can still come here too. I am trying to be fair to my child and to you. If Charlotte changes her feelings toward you ... well, we will deal with that when and if it happens. Now, you have a blessed evening, and I hope you and I can get together again soon,” I said, meaning every word.
Right after I hung up, I went upstairs, got into my nightgown, and crawled into my bed. It had been a pleasant evening. Part of it had to do with my decision to sever the relationship between Harrietta and Charlotte, not to mention the fact that I would no longer be involved with Ronald. After what had happened tonight, there was no way I was ever going to see him again.
I knew that Rhoda would get a good laugh when I told her about Ronald getting busted, and if there was anybody who probably needed a good laugh right about now, it was Rhoda.
Her husband, Otis, answered the telephone when I called a few minutes after I'd come to my room. “Haylo, Annette. It's always a treat to hear your voice,” he said, speaking so slowly his Jamaican accent didn't sound nearly as thick as it usually did. There were times when I spoke to Otis that I almost needed an interpreter. There was sadness in his voice now.
“Otis, I heard about Jade working in that nasty-ass strip club,” I said. “I'm sure she'll be all right.” I don't know why I made that last statement. My voice was weak, so I didn't sound too confident. In fact, I didn't really believe that what I had just said was true myself, so Otis probably didn't either. I didn't think that anybody working in a strip club like The Cock Pit was going to be all right. But what else could I say to make Otis feel better and have a shred of hope?
“I pray for my child. She's diggin' a dark hole. In my country, we say, ‘If you gonna dig a hole, dig it deep.' It means what you Americans mean when you say that ‘God don't make no mistakes' thing.”
“I think you mean ‘God don't like ugly,' ” I corrected. “But I like what you just said too.”
“Maybe so. But God
don't
make no mistakes. Everything happens for a reason. However, I give God thanks that my girl is finally on her own and no longer living off me and her mother's earnings. Everybody should make his or her own way in life after a certain age. We will all learn from Jade's behavior.” Otis paused. “And Pee Wee's behavior. Buh'lieve me, milady, somebody will benefit in some way. I know you realize what a good man you had with Pee Wee now that he's gone from de house. You never miss your water 'til your well runs dry, eh?”
“Yeah, that's for sure,” I mumbled. I couldn't get over the fact that everybody assumed I was missing Pee Wee. Sadly, it was true. He had been out of the house for almost a year now, and I missed him more than ever.
“Annette, let me say again that somebody will benefit from all de trials and tribulations we are dealing with now.”
“I hope so, Otis.”
“Pee Wee is a good man, you know. Sometimes we good men,
and
you good women, make mistakes. But like I said, God don't make no mistakes.” Otis liked to talk. I knew that if I didn't shut him up, he would yip yap into my ear all night.
“Otis, I have a few things that I have to get done tonight. But I just wanted to chat with Rhoda for a few minutes before I got busy,” I said quickly. “I'm glad I got the chance to chat with you, though, and I am happy to hear that you are doing all right with ... you know. The things going on in your family right now.”
The next voice I heard belonged to Rhoda.
“Annette, I'm so damn glad you called. I've been feelin' like shit all day,” she told me. “This is the first year that we didn't even put up a Christmas tree, or do any Christmas shoppin'. I am not in a holiday mood. I am so glad I have Lizel and Wyrita takin' care of all my child-care responsibilities. I can't even deal with that right now.”
This was worse than I thought. I was not in that much of a holiday mood either, but I had put up a tree, purchased a lot of gifts, and was looking forward to celebrating the last holiday in the year. Every year since I'd known Rhoda, she had celebrated each Christmas like it was her last. She bought the largest Christmas tree that she could fit into her living room, and she spent days on end decorating it with expensive ornaments. She bought elaborate gifts for everyone from her family members on down to her paperboy. And she had always gone way overboard with her child-care activities during this time of the year. Rhoda, Lizel, and Wyrita, and the young children exchanged gifts. They also decorated Rhoda's den with wreaths and a second Christmas tree, sang Christmas carols, baked cookies, made snowmen, and did all kinds of other wonderful things associated with the holiday.
The week before Christmas last year, Rhoda had produced and directed a nativity play in our neighborhood community theater. Of all people,
Jade
played the part of Mary, the blessed virgin mother of Christ! I didn't know if that was an honor to Mary or an insult.
“I can imagine how you must be feeling. But I am really sorry to hear that you and Otis are not celebrating Christmas this year. Would you like to get together for lunch, or maybe a quiet dinner and some drinks tomorrow?”
“I'd like to, but I can't. I don't like to leave the house unless I really have to. In case ... in case Jade decides to come home. I want to be here when that happens.”
“I see. I understand.”
“I've left messages on her cell phone for her to call me so we can talk, and she hasn't returned a single one. I don't like what she did to me, but I don't like what I did to her either. Even when she was a naughty little toddler, I only whupped her a few times. I've never been so violent with her before.”
“But she's never hit you before either. And she's never disrespected you the way she did that day last summer, Rhoda. She is still your child, and I know you still love her. I will support whatever you decide to do.”
Rhoda sniffed. Her prolonged silence for the next few moments frightened me. I was afraid of what she was thinking. “I'm glad to hear that. I've got an idea,” she chirped.
Uh-oh,
I thought to myself. “And what is it?” I expected to hear her say something outlandish. And she did.
“I'm goin' to go to that shithole strip club and force her to talk to me. Otis is afraid that he'll tear the place down if he goes. I'd feel better if you went with me. Pee Wee said he would go, too, but I really don't want to drag him into this. Thanks to Lizzie, Pee Wee's got enough mess on his hands.”
I didn't want to remind Rhoda that the Lizzie mess on Pee Wee's hands was also the same mess on my hands. It was better for us to deal with one mess at a time. “I'll go with you if you think it'll help. But you know how Jade feels about me. I'm probably one of the last people on the planet that she wants to see.”
“I'm sure she probably feels the same way about me these days. Maybe even worse. I won't know for sure unless I go. If I am able to get through to her and get her back on the right track before Christmas, it would be the best gift I ever got.”
“All right. Just let me know when you want to go. I'll go with you if you think it'll help.”
“Thanks.” Rhoda sniffed again. “How did dinner go with Pee Wee tonight? Have you two made much more progress?”
I took a deep breath and the following words rolled out of my mouth like dice: “Dinner was fine. But guess who we ran into on the way to the restaurant?” I didn't wait for Rhoda to respond. “Ronald was at the mall with his wife and four of their six kids.”
“Wife? Six kids? Why—why that baldheaded motherfucker! He's
married
? I thought he was divorced! Are you sure it was his wife and not that Nola woman cousin he told you was comin' to stay with him for a while?”
“Oh, it was the Nola woman all right, but she is not Ronald's cousin. Ronald introduced her to us as
his wife.
Apparently, she's been in Detroit all this time taking care of her pregnant sister. Pee Wee knew that lying jackass from the pool hall. You should have seen how nervous and uncomfortable Ronald was when Pee Wee introduced him and his family to me. All this time, I thought Ronald was divorced, or at least going through a divorce. From the looks of things, there never was a pending divorce on his end, but he knew about Pee Wee and that we were separated. I never lied or tried to hide anything from Ronald. I can't believe he never even told me that he knew my husband. I guess he didn't want me to mention the fact that he and I were dating to Pee Wee, because at some point Pee Wee would have mentioned Ronald's wife to me.”
Rhoda laughed. “Oops! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to laugh, but this is kind of funny.”
“I figured you'd get a good laugh out of this. I couldn't wait to tell you.” I laughed myself now.
“Maybe you should check up on Roscoe now. How do you know he's not married?”
“I have a key to Roscoe's house, and he never hesitates to take me home with him or out in public. I doubt very seriously if he's hiding a wife and a bunch of kids.”
“Maybe Ronald really was goin' through a divorce. And maybe later, they patched things up and he didn't want you to know because he wanted to keep seein' you.”
“It doesn't matter now.”
“I guess not. I'm just sorry you had to find out about Ronald the way you did. I think we both need some drinks. Let's get together for a few at the Red Rose tomorrow night around seven. Then ... then we can decide on when we can pay a visit to that strip joint.”
“All right,” I said with hesitation, hoping that Rhoda would change her mind after thinking it through more thoroughly. “But I hope going to that club is what you really want to do, Rhoda.”
“No, I don't want to go there. But if it's the only way that I can see my child face-to-face, and get her to talk to me, then that's what I am goin' to do.”
CHAPTER 43
I
DIDN'T LIKE TO LIE TO LILLIMAE, BUT I DIDN'T WANT HER TO
know that Rhoda and I were planning to visit that strip club. Lillimae had loose lips, and I didn't want her to blab our plans to some other big mouth and have the information reach Jade before we got to her. The last thing we needed was for Jade to hear that somebody was going to attempt an intervention on her behalf. Especially when that “somebody” was her mother and me, two women she now hated with a passion.
We had decided to go the following Saturday night. To throw people off, I had casually mentioned to a few that Rhoda and I were going to go to the latest tent revival on Franklin Street on that night.
Rhoda had wanted to go the night before, but I declined that offer right away. I had never told her about how so many unpleasant things seemed to happen to me on Fridays. But that was the main reason that I insisted we go on Saturday night.
That night arrived too soon for me, but I couldn't disappoint Rhoda and back out now.
“I sure wish I could go with you and Rhoda to the tent service tonight. I know that tent group comes and goes on a dime, so I hope we can all go again real soon,” my mother said when I told her during a telephone conversation. Rhoda was waiting for me to pick her up.
“I wish you could go with us, too, Muh'Dear. But I am sure we'll all get to enjoy some services together soon,” I replied. “And I just want to let you know that I am very happy about the way things are going between you and Lillimae.”
“Me too. She's a sweet woman.” Muh'Dear snorted the way she usually did when she was about to say something mean. I held my breath and waited. “And Lillimae is such an accommodatin' person to work with. She never complains and she is always eager to do whatever it is I need her to do. And the girl can cook up just about anything! I need to be here tonight so she can show me how to make that screamin' gumbo she served the other day,” Muh'Dear said, speaking into the phone so loud my eardrums ached. “And one more thing—you don't have to worry about cookin' nothin' for Christmas. Me and Lillimae got that one covered.”
“Oh! That's good to hear.” I sighed.
“Okay, baby. I know you and Rhoda will remember me and Frank, and Charlotte and Scary Mary in your prayers tonight, but please include Lillimae too.”
Even though Muh'Dear and Lillimae were getting along much better now, I knew that my mother had different motives than Lillimae. Even though they were now as thick as thieves, she still sputtered a few choice words about Lillimae when she got a notion to do so. For one thing, I knew that my mother would never get over the fact that Lillimae was the daughter of the woman my daddy had deserted us for. And Muh'Dear made sure I didn't forget.
“I'm surprised that that off-white gal, raised by a fully white woman, knows how to cook so good!” Muh'Dear exclaimed. “You know how them folks like to eat half-cooked vegetables and blood oozin' from their rare-cooked meat like jelly. And I ain't met a white woman or man yet who knows how to season a pot of greens properly. Every black person I know knows that you need to season greens with some smoked turkey necks, or some neck bones, or a big ham hock—any kind of meat product! Oomph! Oomph! Oomph!”
“I guess Lillimae inherited a lot of Daddy's traits,” I suggested. “I'm glad she has a real appreciation for good food.”
Muh'Dear laughed. “And that's another thing! I don't mean to criticize, but Lillimae needs to do somethin' about her weight. Every time I go in the kitchen, she is in there gnawin' on somethin'.” Muh'Dear didn't sound as harsh as she usually did.
“Muh'Dear, you don't have to keep her working for you if you don't like her,” I said.
“I ain't said nothin' about not likin' that gal! Even with that limp, stringy blond hair hangin' off her head, them blue eyes, and that flat-ass bootie of hers, she reminds me a lot of you, so she's all right by me. I'm glad I did get to know her better. But I'm just sayin' she needs to stop feedin' her face so much. Uh-oh!” Muh'Dear chuckled and began to whisper. “I think I just heard her come in! I don't want her to hear me yip yappin' about her. The poor thing. And you better not rat me out to her.” Muh'Dear laughed some more, so I didn't feel too badly about her ranting and raving about Lillimae again. “You know how dainty and sensitive white women can be. She'll bust up cryin' if you told her what I just said about her.”
“You don't have to worry about me telling Lillimae anything. Now, I don't mean to rush you off the phone, Muh'Dear, but I need to go and get ready for the revival. We want to leave early enough to be on time, in case we run into trouble with all this snow and get delayed.”
I had decided to send Charlotte to another neighbor's house. Mrs. Pickett was a widow and loved having company.
“You mean you are not making me go to Harrietta's house tonight?” Charlotte asked.
I shook my head. “As long as you don't want to go to Harrietta's house, you don't have to,” I assured her. “I had another talk with her. I told her that I don't want her to look after you anymore. You don't have to go over there at all. Happy?”
A pensive look appeared on her face. “Good. I just wish ... I just wish that her kids didn't have to live with her.”
“Well, what that woman does with her own kids is none of my business.”
“If she was doing something real bad to them, would you turn her in?”
“I don't know what you're getting at, but, yes, I would. If I had
definite
proof that Harrietta, or anybody else, was abusing kids in any way, I would contact Child Protective Services immediately. So, can you prove she is abusing her kids?”
Charlotte just stared at me and slowly shook her head. “Uh, maybe ...”
“Maybe what?”
“Nothing, I guess.”
“All right, then. When you think you can, then you let me know. For now, you go get your coat and boots on and get over to Sister Pickett's house.”

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