Good to Me (16 page)

Emmitt sighed. Remembering all that he’d gone through with Charity only slowed him down. He rehearsed one of the things he
used to hear her say all of the time,
My past is not my present
. With that thought, he speeded himself up and walked into the hospital. He saw a
GET WELL SOON
balloon in the window of the gift shop and decided that he wanted to get something to cheer up his mother. He raced into
the gift shop and asked for one of the Mylar balloons. He stood at the counter looking around the store while a petite woman
with a silver bouffant blew up the balloon with helium. He spotted a light brown, stuffed teddy bear with
GET WELL SOON
engraved on its sweater. He walked over, picked it up, and brought it to the counter.

“Will this be all for you?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Your total is $24.05. Who do you know that’s sick?”

“My mother.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. I’ll say a prayer for her.”

Emmitt took out his wallet to pay her. “Thank you, ma’am. Have a good day.”

On the way to his mother’s room, he beat himself up about the excessive time and money he spent in the shop. Then he soothed
himself thinking,
I’d rather spend money on her while she’s alive than after she is dead
.

It was obvious that he was nervous by the countless times he repositioned the bear and balloon from arm to arm. As if it might
have changed since the last time he looked, he kept checking the room number he’d scribbled on the scrap of paper. Reaching
her room, he stood at the door to brace himself. He leaned in closer to see if he could hear anything from inside. He heard
someone talking and was disappointed. He wanted to be left alone with his sick mother. He was getting ready to tap on the
door when he heard laughter on the other side.
Who could that be laughing as his mother was laying up in the hospital sick?
He gave a quick warning tap and thrust open the door.

He could’ve sworn he saw his mother laughing when he peeped into the room, but the closer he got to her bed, the worse she
appeared. Maybe it was his aunt Elisa or his granny that he’d heard laughing.

“Hey, Emmitt,” Elisa greeted. “Thank you for the bear,” she joked.

He walked past her to get closer to his mother’s bedside. “Hey, Momma.” He leaned over to kiss her. “How you feeling?” he
asked.

She clutched her chest. “I… think… I…” she said brokenly.

He put the teddy bear next to her in bed and pulled the covers that were gathered at her waist up over her shoulders. “Just
relax, Momma. I’m here to take care of you.”

He acknowledged Granny. When he turned to tie the balloon to the bedside tray, he saw his aunt shake her head at his mother.

“I know, Aunt Elisa,” he said. “I hate it when she’s sick too.”

“Hey, Mr. Wright,” Iesha greeted over the telephone. “How’re you doing?”

“I’m fine, Iesha. Is there a problem with my appointment for Thursday?”

“Oh no, sir. I’m calling to find out if you know anyone who does any good car detailing?”

“Why, yes. It’s funny that you ask. That’s what I do for a living—”

She interrupted him. “I know. That’s why I’m calling you. I would like to surprise Charity by having her car detailed. Can
you bring your things here and do it?”

“Oh yes. When are you talking?”

“I’m going to take her out for lunch Friday, if you can detail the car while we’re gone.”

“No problem, just leave her keys with me. And I’ll have it done in less than an hour.”

“Good.” She clapped her hands excitedly. She wanted to do something nice for her sister since she had a hand in introducing
her to Terrence. If Charity had not received the flowers, she would’ve never met him. “Thank you so much, Mr. Wright. I’ll
talk to you more when you get here on Thurday.”

After Iesha hung up, she made a list of all the cleaning supplies she thought she would need to get ready for the DSS inspection.
Mop, broom, smell good, sponges, Ajax, and some new dishrags
. Housekeeping was not one of her strengths. She did what she had to do to keep the living room presentable, but beyond that,
the house was what Mama Lorraine called “nasty.” If anyone could help get her house in order, it would be Mama Lorraine. Iesha
just hated that she would have to tell her that she messed up—again.

“Hey, Ma,” she spoke into the phone. “What’chu doing?… I’m at work… Yeah, she’s got a client… I need a favor
… Will you help me clean my house?… Yes…” Iesha sucked in her breath and exhaled as she spilled the news in
one breath. She shifted in her seat, doodled on her calendar, and held the phone away occasionally as Mama Lorraine cussed
her a little bit, and consoled her a little bit. “Thank you, Ma, you’re a lifesaver. Speaking of saving lives, I gave my life
to Christ yesterday… Charity did… I’m for real this time too, Momma… Thank you, Mah… I’ll be home by five-thirty
tomorrow… Okay, thanks… I love you too. Bye.”

That wasn’t too bad. Either that or I’ve messed up so many times I’m getting used to her I-told-you-so speech.
She tore up her shopping list. Mama Lorraine had told her she would bring “the good stuff” with her.

Charity hurriedly completed her documentation on her last session. She needed to leave work early today. April would be meeting
her at the mall at four o’clock so that they could find a dress for the banquet. She looked at her watch. It was 3:30. She
knew she didn’t have enough time but she wanted to stop by the church and pick up a letter that had come for her. Mrs. Johnson,
the church’s administrative assistant, called to tell her that she would hold the letter for her in the office. When Charity
asked, Johnson said it looked like a card.
Why would someone send me a card to the church
? She could not wait to find out.

She’d ignored the first two rings of the telephone, but when it rang a third time, she yelled at it. “How many times can a
phone ring? I’m trying to get outta here!” She picked it up on the fourth ring.

“Hello?… Hello, Emmitt…” She shuffled her feet like she was shouting.
Thank You, Jesus
. “Your mom’s in the hospital? I’m sorry to hear that.” She rolled her eyes.
Wonder what it is this time?
When is this man going to wake up and see how manipulative his mother is?
Charity knew Elaine all too well. Every time she felt like her relationship with her son was being jeopardized she would become
conveniently ill, and Emmitt would be right there with her, patting her like a baby. Charity thought back to all of the hospitalizations
she had witnessed.

There was the time when she and Emmitt took her out to dinner to tell her that they’d become engaged. Within an hour she was
rushed to the hospital for food poisoning. Then a few days before their wedding, she was hospitalized for high blood pressure.
When she learned that Charity was pregnant, she developed a thyroid problem. Charity would bet anything that the hospital’s
medical records department had a shelf reserved solely to house all of Elaine’s charts.

“Is she going to be okay?… A heart attack?… How long did the doctor say she would be there?”
Just what I thought, he hadn’t even talked to the doctor yet
. Charity knew what his mother’s diagnosis was, she probably just had a bad case of gas, as much as she eats. Charity thought
about it for a minute. She realized that his mother had not been hospitalized since their separation and divorce. She has
stayed out of the hospital for almost three years. Something had to be getting ready to happen for her to be there now.
I wonder if he talked to his mom about reconciling with me
. That thought brought a smile to her face.

“Does your mom need anything? Do you need anything?… I just want you to know that Zavey and I are here for you . . .
Okay… Well, keep us posted… We’ll talk to you later… I love you, bye.”

She could have slapped herself. That was not supposed to come out of her mouth. He must have been just as surprised as she
was. All he said was, “Okay.”

CHARITY WAS RUNNING BEHIND
but still anxious to pick up her mail from the church. She pulled into the parking lot as if there were a gleaming
HOT DOUGHNUTS NOW
sign at Krispy Kreme. She sprinted into the church.

“Hi, Mrs. Johnson,” she greeted.

“Hey, Minister Phillips. How’s it going?”

“All is well. How about yourself?”

“I’m good.” Mrs. Johnson turned around in her chair to access the file cabinet behind her desk. “I have your mail right here.”
She pulled out a pink envelope. “Who do you know in the Bluegrass State?”

Charity raised her eyebrows. “Kentucky?” She looked at the return address on the card. “I don’t know anyone in Kentucky. Minister
Joseph Nelson?” She wanted to read it, but when she looked at her watch she decided that she needed to go. “Thanks, Mrs. Johnson.
I’ve got to go. I’m meeting Sister April at the mall.” She turned to leave. “Tell Pastor I said hello.” She sped out of the
parking lot and while waiting at every red light, she read the card and two-page letter.

She was back to sprinting after she parked her car at the mall. There was no doubt in her mind that April would be on time,
tapping her foot and looking at her watch. She walked aerobically to Group USA Warehouse, the retail store that she and April
shared as a favorite. The sight of April tapping her foot and lowering her arm after looking to see what time it was on her
watch made Charity smile.
I know my girl
.

“I was determined to be on time,” Charity greeted.

“Girl, when are you ever on time?”

“I know,” she laughed. “But at least I’m less than ten minutes late.”

They walked into the store.

“Uhhhh!” April went running. “This is you, Charity.” She tugged on a long, shimmering gold, spaghetti-strapped dress.

Charity turned her nose up at it. “You know I’m too black for that dress.”

“You’re always talking about you too black for something. If that’s the case, you need to wear something that’ll lighten you
up.”

“Lighten me up, yes. But to brighten me up to the point where I can’t be turned down, no.”

“The Bible says that you’re the light of the world.”

Charity shook her head. “Come on, Sister Word.” She pulled her by the arm and led her to another rack of dresses. “What do
you think about this?” She pulled a dress off the rack and held it up for her friend’s approval.

April looked sideways at the graceful, black, ankle-length sleeveless dress. It had a sequin design around the neck and a
front split. “It’s nice. Definitely sexy, you gone have to use your anointing oil on your left leg with a split like that.”

Charity held the dress up to her body and looked in a nearby mirror. “Do you think it’s too sexy? I don’t want to send the
wrong message.”

April laughed. “And neither do I. You’re going out with my man.”

Charity laughed too. “Let’s go to Belk’s and Dillard’s. If they don’t have anything, I’ll come back and get this one.”

“Girl, get that dress with your Size 2 behind. You look good in everything. I ain’t never seen nobody who could make a pair
of jeans with a T-shirt look classy. Get that dress.”

“No, let’s keep looking. We’ll come back.”

After an hour of going from store to store, Charity was growing frustrated. “If I try on another dress, I’m going to scream.”
She put a black dress with a silk apricot draped neck back on the rack. “I need a break.” She looked at her watch. “Let’s
go get some ice cream. I have another hour before I pick up Xavier. I think I want that first one we saw in Group USA.”

“Fine with me. Some cherry pistachio ice cream sounds good right about now. I’ll follow your lead.”

Charity knew Concord Mills Mall like the back of her hand. She led her friend through two concourses before they reached the
food court. Charity stopped April before they headed toward Baskin-Robbins. “You know how we do with ice cream, right?”

April nodded and looked Charity in the eye. “You have something you want to talk to me about?”

“Yes, it just happened and it’s going to sound really strange, but—”

April’s eyes widened. She placed her hand over her chest. “Oh my God. You gotta breakthrough in your marriage, didn’t you?”

Charity snapped her fingers. She’d forgotten to tell April about Emmitt’s phone call and the surprise that he was sending
to her. “Oh yes. I believe I’ve received restoration of my marriage, but—”

April threw both of her hands up and did a two-step shuffle. “Thank You, Jesus. Hallelujah. The prayers of the righteous availeth
much.”

Charity looked around to see if anyone was looking. She could not believe that this girl was really shouting in the middle
of the mall. Charity locked her arm in April’s and led her to a nearby table with chairs. “Girl, you are a wet wick, the smallest
spark can light your fire.” April was rocking back and forth trying to contain herself. “I know you’ve been praying for Emmitt
and me and God is truly answering your prayers. But what I want to talk to you about is this.” She retrieved the pink envelope
from her purse and gave it to her. “Find us a table closer to Baskin-Robbins and read it while I order our ice cream.”

Charity prayed as she walked to the counter. She needed divine instruction and she hoped God would use April as a mouthpiece.
She was intrigued by the contents of Minister Nelson’s letter and wanted to respond, but didn’t know if she should. She didn’t
know if she was nervous and just wanted to get back to April or if the cashier deserved the attitude she was giving her. She
knew the teen-aged employees saw her standing at the counter, but they kept talking as if their conversation were more important
than doing their jobs.

“Hel-lo?” she called to get their attention. One of her biggest pet peeves was unprofessional people.

The young girl glanced back at her male coworker as she sashayed toward Charity. “May I help you?”

You can stop chewing that gum like a cow for one thing
. “I’d like two scoops of mint chocolate chip and two scoops of cherry pistachio.” Charity dug in her purse for her wallet,
annoyed with the cashier who just stood there like she was waiting on something else. Charity forced a smile, “How much do
I owe you?”