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Authors: Katrina Parker Williams

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BOOK: Miss Carmelia Faye Lafayette

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“Grandpa, I want you to meet somebody. This is Miss Carmelia Faye Lafayette,” Buford Tee said, gently pulling Miss Carmelia in front of August.

“How do you do?” Miss Carmelia said, extending her hand to August, who shook her hand but eyed her cautiously.

“Sit down. Have some food. There’s plenty,” Miss Margaret said. “August, get another plate for Miss Carmelia.”

He stood and pulled a plate from the cabinet and passed it to Miss Carmelia.

“Thank you,” Miss Carmelia said, sitting down next to Buford Tee.

They fixed their plates of food and ate while Miss Margaret sat across from them, still cooing at the sleeping baby. August sat quietly, feeling out this woman that had caught Buford Tee’s eye.

She is a right pretty thang,
August thought.
Maybe a little too pretty. Got the boy’s head so high up in the clouds, he can’t even think straight. I hope he know what he getting hisself into. Pretty ain’t always practical.

“You know,” Miss Margaret said, leaning over to whisper in Miss Carmelia’s ear. “Buford Tee been talking ‘bout you right regular ‘round here. I couldn’t wait to meet you.”

“Miss Margaret!” Buford Tee shouted softly.

“What? It’s true,” Miss Margaret said, Miss Carmelia snickering. “He act like he don’t want you to know, but we been telling him he need to settle down. It’s time for a man his age to find a wife. A good woman to make him happy.”

“Miss Margaret. Stop. She don’t wanna hear that,” Buford Tee said.

“Oh, yes I do,” Miss Carmelia said quickly. “Tell me more.”

“Oh, no you don’t. She don’t need to get tight with you just yet. You might tell all my secrets,” Buford Tee said, taking Miss Carmelia by the hand and leading her into the parlor.

“Why you didn’t want her to talk to me?” Miss Carmelia asked, letting go of his hand and poking him lightly in the side. “You scared she gone tell me something good.”

“Well,” Buford Tee paused, his back to her. “She do know how I feel about you.”

“And how do you feel?” Miss Carmelia asked.

“How do you feel? About me?” Buford Tee asked, catching her off guard.

“I…I…I guess I like you, somewhat,” she replied, not sure if she should say anything yet.

“Somewhat?” Buford Tee said, turning to her.

“I mean, I like you,” Miss Carmelia said, growing slightly anxious.

She couldn’t lose control again. She couldn’t allow herself to fall for this man. That’s the last thing she needed. Another broken heart. One in one lifetime was enough for her.

“I…I like you too,” Buford Tee said. “I don’t know why that is so hard to say.”

“It’s hard for me too,” Miss Carmelia said, wanting to open up more, but was cautious not to. “Why’d you bring me here?”

“I always come here for breakfast,” Buford Tee replied. “Miss Margaret make some of the dangdest salmon cakes.”

“You ain’t answering my question,” Miss Carmelia said.

“I wanted you to meet my family,” Buford Tee said. “I wanted the people closest to me to meet you. I’ve told them so much about you, and I wanted them to meet you in person.”

“You did?” Miss Carmelia said, impressed by his honesty.

“Yeah,” Buford Tee replied.

“I think they are great people,” Miss Carmelia said. “But I don’t think your grandpa care for me too much.”

“Why would you say that?” Buford Tee asked.

“I read people,” Miss Carmelia said. “I can tell.”

“Naw, it ain’t nothing like that. He just gotta warm up to you,” Buford Tee said, trying to reassure himself more than Miss Carmelia.

“Uh huh,” Miss Carmelia said, a nonbeliever.

“I like you, and that’s all that matters,” Buford Tee said, kissing her deeply on the mouth.

Miss Margaret and August sat in the kitchen talking about this new woman in Buford Tee’s life. Miss Margaret liked her from the start. Any woman that got Buford Tee talking about settling down impressed her, Miss Margaret trying to marry off Buford Tee ever since she married August. And Miss Carmelia had Buford Tee wanting to settle down, have a horde of children, and grow old with her. She, however, didn’t necessarily have those same visions of her future. August believed that to be the case also.

“What you think about Buford Tee’s lady friend?” Miss Margaret asked.

“Nothing,” August replied nonchalantly.

“Nothing? You ain’t got no opinion about the chile?” she asked, not believing his words.

“Nope,” he said, sipping on his coffee.

“Alright, what’s wrong with her?” Miss Margaret asked, knowing August was holding something back.

“Did I say something’s wrong with her?” he replied.

“That sour look on your face says it all,” she said.

“I don’t trust her,” August blurted out.

“Shhh, she’ll hear you,” Miss Margaret cautioned. “Why you don’t trust her?”

“Something ‘bout her don’t set right with me,” he replied.

“Oh, you just making up things,” Miss Margaret said, looking down at Martin and rocking him softly.

“I don’t wanna see that boy hurt,” August said. “I ain’t never seen him daft like this over no woman.”

“There’s always a first time, August,” Miss Margaret said. “You just don’t wanna see him grow up.”

“He is grown,” August retorted.

“Yeah, but you ain’t let go,” she surmised.

“He’s been through so much,” he said worriedly.

“And he need a good woman to help him leave all that behind him,” Miss Margaret said.

August thought about her words. She was right. Buford Tee did have a lot he needed to deal with, and Miss Carmelia might be the one to help him do just that.

A few minutes later Buford Tee and Miss Carmelia walked into the kitchen and sat back down to continue eating their breakfast. Miss Margaret started a lively conversation with Miss Carmelia , asking her all manner of questions about Martin. Buford just watched as the two women talked, enjoying their light banter. August, however, sat motionless, examinng this woman that had Buford Tee’s interest. They talked for over an hour, and then when Miss Margaret started asking personal questions of Miss Carmelia, Buford Tee decided it was time for them to leave.

“Well, folks, we need to be getting on,” Buford Tee said, standing up.

“So soon? You just got here,” Miss Margaret said in a disappointed tone.

“Wow, how time flies,” Miss Carmelia said, not realizing they had been there that long.

“I really enjoyed this little man. Next time, bring him when he’s awake so I can spoil him a bit,” Miss Margaret said, handing Martin over to Miss Carmelia who stood up to take him.

“Thank you for the food,” Miss Carmelia said, Miss Margaret hugging her neck and then hugging Buford Tee’s neck.

“Alright, Grandpa,” Buford Tee said.

August was still quiet.

“It was nice to meet you, Mr. Jefferson,” Miss Carmelia said, extending her hand to shake his.

He shook her hand with little interest.

Miss Margaret asked quickly, “When you bringing her around again?”

Startled, Buford Tee said, “Uh, I…I’ll let you know,” and ushered Miss Carmelia to the front door, wanting to get her out of there before another awkward comment or question was raised.

Miss Margaret walked them to the door and stood outside on the porch, watching as they headed to the horse and buggy.

“I’m cooking Sunday supper tomorrow!” Miss Margaret shouted. “Bring her ‘round, Buford Tee!”

“We’ll see!” Buford Tee yelled, opening the door and allowing Miss Carmelia and Martin to get inside.

“Tomorrow!” Miss Margaret shouted again, waving goodbye.

“They gone have us married off tomorrow,” Buford Tee said, heading down the road. “Do you wanna come?”

“It take two to marry,” Miss Carmelia said. “But I’ll come.”

Buford Tee didn’t make much of her comment. He was just pleased she had agreed to come. The next day they went to August’s house for Sunday supper, August warming up to Miss Carmelia after he spent an hour trying to outwit her at Three-Card Monte, which he never could. Miss Margaret abhorred card playing, but, in particular, she abhorred it on Sunday, the Lord’s Day. Martin, however, proved a pleasant distraction for Miss Margaret, who enjoyed his liveliness and playfulness, allowing the indiscretion to go on in her house. She would just have to pray double time that evening for forgiveness for all of their sins.

Buford Tee and Miss Carmelia grew closer over the next few months. Miss Carmelia began slowly opening her heart to Buford Tee, although he was already there. He was in love with her and was just waiting patiently for her to feel the same way. August and Miss Margaret wondered when they were going to marry and questioned Buford Tee incessantly. The subject of marriage came up only once, Miss Carmelia establishing from the start that she would never marry another man. Buford Tee wasn’t a big fan of marriage either, believing no man should be beholden to another, and all marriage was, was another form of bondage.

Buford Tee had thought of asking Miss Carmelia to move in with him, but part of him liked his freedom. It wasn’t that he didn’t like Miss Carmelia. He liked her a lot. Coincidentally, Miss Carmelia was enjoying her newfound freedom and definitely didn’t want to ruin it by moving a man into her house. A man in the house would mean two mouths to feed and insatiable needs she’d have to meet. One baby was enough for her. No, sir. She did not want that ever again.

For Buford Tee and Miss Carmelia, their union worked for both of them just fine, Buford Tee living in his home and Miss Carmelia in hers. After that one time, the discussion of marriage never arose again.

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