Mattie's Call (9 page)

“Gigi, I called you over to support our sister, not berate her.”

“Josh, I'm not berating her. It's no secret Mama and Daddy didn't want her to marry him. He was too old and too experienced for her.”

“Gigi, be quiet!” Synaria and Josh said in unison. They glanced at each other and quickly looked away, sidestepping their mutual irritation for Gabrielle.

“Don't talk about me like I'm not here.”

“Someone needs to speak up for you since you haven't in—” Gabrielle held up her fingers and wriggled her shoeless toes—“thirteen years.”

“If you can't be cordial, Gigi, you need to leave. Mama's missing and we're all we have. It makes no sense for us to turn on each other.”

“Tell me, little Bro, when have we stuck up for each other?”

“I'm not having this discussion with you in front of Synaria. To answer your question, it's been a long time, but today is a good day to start.”

Synaria chomped on her turkey sandwich and enjoyed the Benson antics. For once she silently thanked her parents for being an only child. After calling Gabrielle at Joshua's request, she gaped at the beautiful but arrogant woman Alice spoke of at the library. She waltzed through the front door, barely speaking. She tossed her heavy, expensive coat to Synaria as if she were the maid. A head of healthy, bouncing curls flowed around her face; thank God a fan wasn't blowing because it was apparent Gabrielle fancied herself a superstar. Synaria held back a chuckle at the image of Gabrielle on stage like Beyoncé with a fan blowing her hair. She didn't help put the lunch spread on the table, she didn't set the plates or pour the drinks, and she belittled Alice every chance she got. No wonder Alice was so lonely; she had no refuge with her husband or her family.

“Pass me the lettuce, Sakina.”

“It's Synaria.”

“Okay, Sy-na-ri-ya,” Gabrielle elongated her name. “May I have the lettuce?”

“Sure.” Synaria passed the tray of romaine with a tight smile.

“Anyway, since I'm the oldest and have power of attorney over Mama's affairs, I'll decide the next move Alice should make. Judging by the clothes she wears, she can't afford a place of her own right now. Joshua, she can stay here with you until she gets on her feet. She doesn't need to be in an apartment. She's so weak that she'll let Beryl slide back in.”

“Gigi, Alice probably wants her own space.” Joshua considered his words. “You're welcome to stay here, Sis. I didn't mean to imply you're not wanted in my home.”

“I do want my own space. A bachelor needs to be alone. I want to keep my job at the library and find somewhere to stay.”

“Alice, you can stay at my home until you get on your feet. I have three bedrooms.”

“Thanks, Synaria.” Alice pinched off the cinnamon roll near her sandwich. “Gigi, may I stay at the house? I mean until I find something? It's only fair since it is our childhood home.”

She sipped her Mimosa again. “Since we're all here together, I wanted to let you two know I'm selling the house.”

“What?” Alice and Joshua shouted.

“What do you mean you're selling the house? It's in my name, Gigi. Daddy insisted his son, his only son, keep the house.”

Without missing a beat, she hissed, “And since it's paid for, you can deed it to me and we'll split the profits three ways. It could help with my new start.”

Synaria folded her arms, enjoying the three-ring circus.

“What new start, Gigi?” Alice asked.

“I'm getting married. Colton and I want to start fresh in our own place.”

Synaria jumped in. “Surely you don't mean Colton Bembry? Colton Bembry who recently spearheaded the Bookathon gala with his
wife
, Roselle?”

“They're divorcing soon.”

“Didn't look that way to me.”

“Why are you involved in this conversation anyway?”

“Because—”

“Forget it! I don't know why I came here in the first place. I should have stayed home.” She jumped from her seat.

Joshua stood. “Sit down, Gigi. This bickering is the reason Mama's missing and Alice is here. It has to stop.”

She huffed. Sat again. “Do you realize you sounded just like Daddy? Same tone and pitch.”

“I was thinking the same thing,” said Alice. “Those weekly family meetings in the den were good as long as we weren't in trouble. He knew how to keep us in line. I'd give anything to see both of them again. I miss them so much. The older you get, you look and act just like Daddy.”

Josh blushed at their words. “I wish I could be half the man he was.”

“With the exception of your relationship antics, you're pretty close.” Gigi pushed back her plate and addressed Synaria with, “do you mind giving us some privacy?”

Alice gripped Synaria's arm. “Don't go.”

Synaria was in no mood to deal with Gigi's venom. “I was leaving after lunch to get you a few things, remember? I looked at the tag in back of your dress. Size eight, correct?”

“Yes.”

“I'm going to pick up a few clothes from the mall and swing by later.”

She took her plate and glass in the kitchen, emptied the leftovers in the trash, and headed back to the dining room. “Thanks so much for lunch, Josh.”

He rose. “Let me get your coat and walk you out.”

Gabrielle and Alice waved to her as she exited the dining room. Josh removed her coat from the hall closet and helped her put it on.

“You mind if I step outside with you?” he whispered.

“Sure.”

He closed the door and took the lead. “I meant it when I expressed my appreciation for you bringing my sister here. She's been disconnected from us for so long I thought we'd lost her.” Synaria nodded as he spoke, waited for him to finish. “Have you ever tried getting reacquainted with someone?”

“I can't say that I have.”

“It's going to be a long road for us.”

Synaria felt the same. “I figured as much. She's like a shaking leaf at work, always looking over her shoulder or jumping at the slightest mention of her name. Beryl says nasty things to her when he drops her off, but she always denied there were problems.”

Josh clenched his fists. “I want to drive over there right now and handle him.”

“Don't. That would make you like him. Maybe this is what Alice needed to start over again. To see him with another woman.”

“Maybe you're right.” Josh never paid attention to Synaria at the library, but now, he saw her with new eyes. When she removed her coat earlier, he didn't want to gawk, but her voluptuous frame caught his attention. She was well-put together, wearing a gorgeous mauve cashmere sweater and stylish black work pants. Her black booties placed her just beneath his chin. Deep-set, brown eyes enthralled him; they danced with concern as she spoke about Alice. She placed her winter bucket hat over a perfectly highlighted short bob that accentuated her light-brown skin and moon face. Her moist, full lips were moving, but he had to snap out of the trance she'd put him in to hear her. “What was that, Synaria?”

“I said I don't want to buy anything too gaudy for Alice. She's been wearing those croaker sack dresses so long she probably wouldn't be open to anything I purchase.”

Joshua pulled his wallet from his back pocket and peeled off $200. “Take this.”

“I can't. This is my gift to Alice.”

“This is my gift to you for revamping her wardrobe. Mama hated the way she dressed and always talked about it at Grand Oak when I visited. Think of this as your stylist fee.”

She moistened her lips and slipped the money in her coat pocket. “I'll be back later. I hope I didn't disturb your family lunch.”

“You eased the tension. I'm glad you were here.”

Synaria's heartbeat quickened. “See you, Josh.”

She walked quickly to her car, erasing the distance between them and ignoring her dry mouth and rising temperature.

14

T
he siblings sat in Detective Jimmerson's cramped office. They passed the death certificate amongst themselves, weighing the finality of its words.

“Can't we give it some more time?” Joshua asked.

“It's been two months. The state was gracious in allowing so much time to lapse before issuing the death certificate. When a person is missing or presumed dead, a death certificate can be issued within days. We received a few leads about your mother, but nothing concrete came from the tips. Even the sighting of your mom in South Carolina led to a dead end.”

“So she's gone. No trace, no body,” Alice said, cradling her arms as she rocked. “I'm sure if we wait one more month, she'll turn up.”

“I can't take another month. I've lost my appetite and I can't sleep worrying about Mama,” said Gigi, placing the death certificate on the detective's desk.

“That's a shock,” Joshua muttered under his breath.

“What did you say?”

Alice stopped the impending argument. “Listen, Mama wanted us to attend Emma Jelks's service and we didn't. She wanted us to come to the Christmas pageant and we didn't. The least we can do is have a small memorial service for her. It would be fitting to have it at El Bethel since she attended the church with Ms. Emma.”

“Graveside only. I don't want to hear any solos, reflections, or people telling us we have their sympathy,” said Gigi.

“You know Mama wouldn't approve of a graveside service. Think about the folks at Grand Oak and the community. Since she left, we've had an outpouring of support from friends and strangers. I'm sure my coworkers and Alice's friends from the library would like to pay their respect.”

Gigi agreed, but without emotion. “Fine. Tell me the time and I'll be there.”

“We're planning this together, Gigi.”

“I can't.”

“Do it for Mama, Gigi,” said Alice.

She closed her eyes to process Alice's request. After a half-hearted shrug, she mumbled, “Sure.”

“I'm sorry this didn't turn out better for your family. Your mother seemed like a wonderful person,” said Detective Jimmerson.

“She was, Sir. She truly was a phenomenal mother,” said Joshua.

•  •  •

A week later, Gabrielle, Alice, and Joshua sat on El Bethel's front pew with neighbors and friends. Synaria sat next to Alice and offered Kleenex; Karen sat next to Joshua. After a little wrangling, Agatha convinced Gigi to let Zoe sing two solos. Riveted, the crowd remained seated but swayed to her soulful inflections. A soprano, her song rose to the rafters of the stately building.

“Ms. Mattie loved that song,” Karen whispered to Josh as Zoe sang, “Goin' Up Yonder.”

“She did, Karen.”

“She pretended she couldn't sing, but she had a beautiful voice.”

Joshua stared at Karen, then redirected his attention to the pastor. He'd never heard his mother sing. From the moment her service was announced in the paper, people shared stories about their mother's generosity that left them speechless. After the benediction, mourners congregated upstairs and in the annex. Earlier, Joshua looked at the tables filled with food, secretly willing them to remain intact. He feared they'd buckle under the weight of so many delicacies.

“We're receiving visitors upstairs since there's no interment,” Joshua said to Alice. She'd been distant throughout the service and he worried about his baby sister. He placed his arms around her. “Join us.”

“You two stay up here. There are people downstairs, too,” she said.

“We'll be down, soon.”

She nodded and headed downstairs. Suffocating under the guilt of her mother's death, she wanted to disappear. She waved to familiar faces from Grand Oak and the library, plastering a smile on hers. Tables and chairs were neatly placed throughout the room as people ate and chatted. She knew she should mingle amongst them, but she couldn't. She kept walking, seeking a chair to rest her weary feet.

“That's the baby girl right there,” Agatha said, as she walked past. “The other daughter and son are upstairs.”

“I'm surprised they had a service seeing as how they didn't come to see about her in the home,” said another woman Alice recognized from her mother's hall. “I still shudder at the thought of Mattie's body lying in a wooded area somewhere.”

Alice's neck whipped around, insulted by their words. She turned on her heels to address them when someone tugged her arm.

“Would you like something to eat?” asked Roxy Coleman, her parents' neighbor.

“No ma'am.”

Mrs. Coleman embraced her. “A group of us from the neighborhood are in back fixing plates and drinks. We set up the head table for you and your siblings. Are they coming down soon?”

“Yes, Ms. Roxy.” She took a deep breath, ignored Agatha and her cronies. “I don't have much of an appetite. I'm gonna take a seat until they get here.”