Playing by the Rules: A Novel (15 page)

Louise was sure that applied to holidays too. Now she and Charlotte had something in common because they were on the same wavelength. Coming to that conclusion, she seasoned the pot roast, peeled the potatoes, and chopped the carrots. After putting everything into the roasting pan, she put the pan into the oven and set the timer.

When Louise took her next break, she curled up on the sofa with a book that she was sure would be exciting and couldn’t wait to open.
More Joy of Sex
had arrived at the library yesterday. She had already read the prequel,
Joy of Sex
, again and again, and the timing couldn’t be more perfect. As she thumbed through the pages
looking at the pictures, the various positions made her curious about what might occur tonight.

When she finished her break, Louise began to dust and vacuum. In the process of doing domestic work, she started to think about mothers. At least she’d known her mother and had twelve years of wonderful memories of the good times they spent together on earth. Jeremiah’s was an addict and unfit altogether, and poor Medford didn’t have anything—no memories, no hugs or kisses or clue, and Louise couldn’t imagine what it would be like not having a mother at all. In that sense, she considered herself to be pretty lucky, and blessed with what little time she had with the woman who brought her into the world. Then the phone rang, interrupting her thoughts.

“Hello,” Louise answered, sounding as if she’d been awakened from a nap.

“Hey, foxy mama,” said Medford, trying his best to be cheerful.

“What’s happening?” She turned off the vacuum cleaner.

“You, girl.”

“Besides that.”

There was a pause.

“So what are you doing this evening?”

“I…uh. I… uh. I have company coming over for dinner.” Louise could have kicked herself for not sounding more confident.

“Oh?”

His voice went up, and Louise could tell he was wondering who the mystery guest could possibly be.

“Who’s stopping by?” Medford hadn’t known Louise to have dinner company other than him for the past couple of months. “Is it Elvira and Billy?”

Louise felt like she didn’t have to answer to Medford and tell
him all her business. It was her house, her food, and her time. On the other hand, she would never lie to him. “It’s Jeremiah. I invited Jeremiah over for dinner.”

“The Outsider?” He didn’t think Louise would go this far. “Oh.”

As Medford’s voice dropped, Louise also thought his heart sank too.

“Well, I guess I’ll be going now.” Medford felt he had heard enough.

“Okay,” she said, waiting for more, but it never came. “Are you alright?” Louise regretted asking that question. Medford was a grown man and could take care of himself.

“Yeah. I’m cool. Are you?”

“Yeah, I’m cool.”

“Then catch you later.” Medford hung up.

Louise stared at the phone as if there were something more to add, but there was nothing left to say.

If Medford could keep secrets, so could she. She continued to run the vacuum cleaner over the carpet and for a split second felt guilty about being stubborn, but the moment didn’t last. Medford would have to come clean with her about what he was doing in his spare time and quit playing games. Just as clean as her shag carpet was going to become in a matter of minutes.

After that burst of energy, Louise took another break. This time she stared out her bedroom window and looked at the nest that was left empty by the wood thrush that had flown south for the winter. Then she looked beyond the mulberry tree, the black tupelos, red spruce, pitch, and Virginia pines to the mountains that were her backyard. The view was truly amazing, and although she never saw what was on the other side of the sprawling rock, curiosity wasn’t enough to make her climb over. Staring at the mountains, she felt they had something in common. For one,
the natural barrier that stretched along the west would never come down, nor would the man-made one that reached across her heart.

The last snowfall of winter filled the trails of the mountains from the soaring peaks to the rolling plateaus of open fields and meadows to the lowest valleys, adding a blanket of white to the brown hardwood forest floor. Snow-covered branches dangled toward the ground and icicles sparkled on hanging jagged rocks. Shadows cast from the trees stood tall against the dotted ground for as far as the eye could see, creating a contrast of darkness against the white. There was a stillness in winter surrounding Lemon City that remained uninterrupted until spring.

Jeremiah kicked the light snow off his boots, rang the doorbell, and waited.

Louise took one last look at herself in the mirror and headed downstairs to let the dinner guest in.

He was wearing a navy-blue turtleneck sweater with black flared pants and snow boots that seemed to contradict his outfit, but were appropriate for the current weather conditions. With a big smile spread across his face when she opened the door, he seemed genuinely happy to see her. It was the first time Louise had seen him without Ruby Rose.

Louise took Jeremiah’s coat, then lit the dinner candles, and they sat down to eat. The first thing Louise noticed was his hands and how much softer and graceful they were than Medford’s, whose hands seemed large enough to wrap around a great chestnut oak. She also had to admit that it was nice to see a man who wasn’t wearing construction clothes for a change.

“So tell me about yourself,” Louise said, taking her first bite of the pot roast, happy at the way it had turned out.

“Not much to say other than what I’ve already told everyone at Christmas dinner. I’m just trying to create a new life for my sister and me.”

“Where do you plan on doing that?” asked Louise, hoping Jeremiah wouldn’t think she was being too nosey.

“The thought occurred to me to go to Plymouth, Massachusetts, to find Dick Gregory and go into business with him, if he’ll have me.”

“Oh, my goodness. I absolutely love Dick Gregory. He’s my favorite everything. Do you know him?”

“Not personally, but I really admire him—the fact that he’s a comedian, a political activist, author, anti-drug crusader, nutritionist… and let’s see, he even had the courage to run for the presidency in 1968 as a write-in candidate for the Freedom and Peace Party.”

“I know all about that—the fact that he got over a million votes, and that some folks say he probably made Humphrey lose to Nixon.”

“On the other hand, if Mr. Gregory is not interested in a business partnership with me that would combine using my healing herbs with his nutrition expertise, then Ruby Rose and I will just keep moving north.” Jeremiah had a quizzical expression on his face, then added, “You know, I never considered moving out west.”

“The Midwest is where Dick Gregory is from,” added Louise, thinking it was nice to have an intellectual conversation for a change.

“I know…from Chicago.”

“Speaking of Chicago.” Louise laughed nervously. “There’s a new sitcom on TV tonight called
Good Times
that takes place in Chicago.”

“Oh yeah? What’s it about?”

“I read it’s about a family, and I guess the parents want their kids to have a better life. I think they live in the projects or some-thing…you know, and they’re trying to get out.”

“That’s all I want, is for Ruby Rose to have a better life. At least a better childhood than I had.” He took a bite and waited until he finished chewing. “It’s not been easy getting back on my feet after Vietnam. Not that I had it together before I was drafted three years ago, at age eighteen.” Jeremiah reflected on his past. “But I dispensed medication to men who had lost limbs caused by land mines and booby traps, I treated men who were hit by mortars and gunfire, and tried to heal some emotional wounds as well.” He picked up his napkin and dabbed the sides of his mouth. “Anyway, I know it’s not proper dinner conversation, but that’s how I became interested in medicine and healing.” He cleared his throat. “The point I was making was, I hope the world will be a safer and better place for my sister when she grows up. Since the President just pulled out the troops last year, I’m sure it will be.”

Louise hadn’t given much thought to the war. Only a handful of young men from Lemon City had been drafted. As far as she knew they were distributed equally among the Army, Marines, Coast Guard, Navy, and Air Force, and were all sending letters home, except for one. He hadn’t been overseas for three months before his parents received the visit that accompanied the dreadful news. It was the first time she recalled Military Outsiders being in Lemon City, and Louise hoped that kind of Outsiders would never come to town again.

She took a sip of wine before asking her next question. “What’s going on in your life now?”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m just curious. Are there any other women in the picture besides Ruby Rose? Did you leave a girlfriend behind?”

“No. I don’t have the time for that. I’ve always been kinda solo and on the move.”

“That must be pretty lonely.”

“Sometimes it is and sometimes being alone is just right.” Jeremiah took a sip of wine. “How about you?”

“I have…uh…a friend. You’ve met him …Medford.”

“Is he your boyfriend?”

“We’ve known each other all our lives. I’d call him a
good
friend,” said Louise.

“He’s not the kind of
good
friend who would come bustin’ in here ‘cause he minded me having a candlelit dinner with you, is he?”

“No.” Louise laughed. “Don’t worry about Medford. He’s not that type of guy.”

“Then he wouldn’t mind me telling you that I find you extremely smart and fly and not necessarily in that order.”

“Jeremiah, are you flirting with me?”

“Can’t blame a brother for trying.”

Louise felt herself blush. What little she knew about Jeremiah, she liked. His independence, youth, and courage made her feel she had more in common with him than with Medford. Jeremiah didn’t have to be married or get bogged down in the detail of a commitment. He was free. Then she caught herself comparing the two men and realized that even though Jeremiah was sitting right in front of her, she was unable to get Medford out of her mind.

Louise put Stevie Wonder’s
Innervisions
album on the turntable when they finished dessert. They moved from the kitchen into the living room to relax and get more comfortable.

“Can I help you with the dishes?” Jeremiah offered.

“No. Just make yourself at home.” Louise gestured to the couch, but it seemed Jeremiah preferred to stand.

“Nice place you got here,” Jeremiah said, looking around her
apartment. “And it’s so nice to listen to music coming from stereo speakers again.”

“Thanks. Granddaddy built this house. He believes in keeping his family close.”

“I hear that. Must be comforting to be based somewhere.”

“I can’t imagine living anywhere else.”

“I mean, based in Lemon City in general,” Jeremiah clarified. “Having a home base. I never stayed any one place long enough to call home.”

“Oh, yeah. I love it here.”

“Golden Lady” wasn’t exactly a dance tune, but since Jeremiah was already standing, she extended her hand to him when it started to play and they began to move. Their bodies were slow and awkward at first trying to adjust to the beat, as it gave them the option of dancing apart to a faster tempo or getting close and dancing slow. Louise kept her distance at first, then the wine she had been drinking gave her the sudden urge to taste Jeremiah’s mouth and feel his body against hers.

The next thing Louise knew, Jeremiah opened his arms and she stepped into his embrace. The moment they touched she got an electric shock from dancing on the shag carpet, but she preferred to think the sparks were from the chemistry flying between them instead. Heat seemed to generate from his limbs when he encircled her waist, making her feel they had been pulled together by an invisible force. He stepped one of his legs between hers and as they moved slowly to the music, she felt his joy begin to grow.

“I have to be honest with you.” He looked into Louise’s eyes. “I don’t know how long I’m going to be in Lemon City.”

“I know,” said Louise, her breath growing heavy; she could feel it bounce off his skin and hit her in the face. “I’ve already thought about that.”

“I’m not sure we should do this,” he said, looking down at her.

“I don’t have a problem with no strings attached.”

“I can love you all night long, but I can’t promise more than that.”

“I’m not asking for anything.”

He kissed her, and her mouth anxiously fell into his. He lifted her dashiki over her head at the same time she wrestled his turtleneck to the floor. Unlike Medford, who smelled like cocoa butter over the smoothness of his black skin, Jeremiah smelled of sweet aftershave that made her want to glide her nose along the nape of his neck to inhale the spicy scent even more. When Louise could no longer stand on her feet, she felt her knees buckle underneath her. The couple fell across the beanbag chair and slowly rolled onto the floor. At that moment, she knew she would miss the premiere of
Good Times
, but really didn’t care because she was going to have her own good time just the same.

Back at Nana’s house, Ruby Rose was determined not to have fun. She folded her arms across her chest and huffed a lot so Nana could see she was angry and disagreeable about being dropped off like soiled clothes at a Laundromat because Jeremiah had left her for Louise. Upon seeing the mood the girl was in, Granddaddy excused himself from the living room and went upstairs to watch TV to leave the two females to themselves. He’d had his share of being around moody women in his own family and he didn’t feel obliged to inherit an Outsider problem, despite it coming in a small package.

In an effort to make her young guest feel at home, Nana offered Ruby Rose dinner, but the girl just sat at the table and picked at her food.

When it got to the point where Nana saw she was just playing, she had another idea. She offered Ruby Rose a tour of the basement
to interest her in the fruits she had canned: the peaches, pears, and beefsteak tomatoes that would be ready for eating in the spring. Out of respect, Ruby Rose pretended to pay attention, but she couldn’t stay focused. Not only that, she couldn’t imagine eating shriveled-up food soaking in nasty liquid in a jar. Nana took Ruby Rose back upstairs, opened the drawer of her cherry-wood china closet, and showed her the Virginia Dogwood patterned quilt that she and Sadie, Theola, and Vernelle were in the process of making. Against her will, Ruby Rose gave the quilt some attention because it was pretty and she had never known anyone in person who was in the process of making one before. There were pink flowers strung together on branches on top of squares that formed the green mountain background against a pale blue border. Ruby Rose patted the quilt and ran her fingers over the soft design and knew that if she looked outside Nana Dunlap’s window in the spring, that would be exactly what she’d see—dogwoods, mountains, and a pale blue sky. Ruby Rose hoped she could stay in Lemon City long enough to wait for spring. She wasn’t interested in finding Dick Gregory in Plymouth, Massachusetts. She liked where she was living right here.