Blessings From the Father (13 page)
Read Blessings From the Father Online
Authors: Michelle Larks
Chapter Fifteen
The doorbell chimed rousing Mariah from her nap. She smiled to herself, thinking maybe Carson had forgotten something and returned. Mariah opened the door and gasped. Her stomach somersaulted. She couldn't believe who was standing on the other side of the door.
Mariah's legs felt weak. “Cassie, what are you doing here?” she asked. Her eyes scanned up and down the street. Praying no one had sighted the motley-looking woman standing at her doorway, Mariah sighed with relief to see that none of her neighbors were outdoors. Then she frowned when she saw a hooptie parked slanted in her driveway. Black waves of smoke belched from the rear of the vehicle.
“Well, daughter, aren't you going to invite me in?” Cassie turned her face, and put her finger on her left cheek.
Mariah's senses kicked in. She definitely didn't want Cassie inside the house. If she saw the surroundings, the luxury they projected, she would never leave. She would have her hand in Mariah's pocket constantly. Mariah pulled the door shut behind her.
“No, we can talk on the porch. Why don't we sit on the glider?”
Mother and daughter sat next to each other. Each studied the each other warily.
“How did you know where to find me?” Mariah turned and asked Cassie uncomfortably.
“You know me.” Cassie smiled mysteriously. She looked like a cat who had just sipped a bowl of cream. “I have my sources. A little birdie told me you came into some money, and I know you want to share it with your mommy.”
Mariah's eyes bucked. “Who told you that?” Her hand grasped the side of the glider.
“Does it really matter? I just came to get my share and then I'll be on my way,” Cassie said casually. She pulled a loose thread from the knee of her dingy black pants.
“Did Granny tell you?” Mariah asked fearfully.
“No, she didn't.” Cassie snorted. “Wild horses couldn't drag that information from Momma. We had a nice little chat today. She did tell me that you won the lottery, got a new job, and moved here.”
Mariah's body relaxed. She was grateful that Rosemary had not revealed to her mother what had really occurred. “I did come into some money, that's true. But you know how that goes. A big chunk of the money went toward taxes. So I don't have a lot left.”
Cassie's fist came down hard on the armrest on her side of the glider. It made a clanking noise and startled Mariah. Her body jerked.
Cassie reared her head back and hissed, “Girl, don't play with me. I'm not a fool. Momma got new furniture and you're living in this big, fine house. So I know you got some serious dough. I just want what's coming to me.”
“What makes you think you have anything coming?” Mariah asked snidely. “You were never a mother to me. You either treated me like crap or ignored me. If anyone has anything coming that would be Granny and not you.”
“See you always placed Momma on a pedestal. Those who are up high are always headed for a fall. You're right. I might not have been the best mother in the world, but I still gave you life and for that you owe me,” Cassie announced with a malicious gleam in her eyes.
“All those years of shooting drugs in your veins must have addled your brain. I don't owe you jack,” Mariah said coldly. She had a note of finality in her tone. “You were never a mother to me. I can't believe you had the audacity to come here today, acting like you were. In fact, I think you need to leave.” She tried to stand up but her legs were shaking too badly. Her teeth chattered and she realized that she had feared Cassie her entire life.
“Is that what they teach you in that church you go to?” Cassie shot back at Mariah. “I thought being a Christian was about being forgiving. Here you are acting and treating me like I ain't nothing. See that's what I hate about church folks: they are so hypocritical. I'm your mother, not Rosemary Green.” She thumped her chest. “Me, Cassandra Green.”
“Where were you when I needed a mother, Cassandra Green?” Mariah hissed at Cassandra. Her eyes flattened into slits. “Did you take me to school my first day? When I had my tonsils removed, did you come to the hospital? No. You didn't come to any of my graduations. You are an embarrassment to me. I've been ashamed to be your daughter my whole life. All the kids in school used to whisper behind my back about my mother, the crackhead. I'd see you sitting on the bench at the bus stop, zonked out from drugs. Spittle would run down your chin; you looked disgusting. So don't ever tell me I owe you anything. I have nothing for you, just like you gave me when I was born and then while I was growing up. So if you'll excuse me”âshe glared at Cassieâ“I have things to do.”
At that moment, as she had most of her life, Mariah felt deep-seated revulsion for the woman who had given her life. She was filled with a hot rage; her breathing was shallow. How dare Cassie come to her door with her hand out to replenish her drug supply?
“Bravo, what a performance. You need to go to Hollywood.” Cassie clapped her hands. The driver honked the horn.
Cassie stood up. “I suggest you call Momma so you two can put your heads together and come up with something to give me. I am not going to be left out of whatever is going on. I deserve something for the hell my life has been since you were born. So you two talk it over. I'll either come back here and get it from you, or from Momma. Your choice.” Cassie rose from the glider and strolled to the car.
She got inside the old white Ford Escort and blew Mariah a kiss as the driver steered the car slowly down the street.
Mariah dropped her head inside her hands. She heard someone walking up the stairs. She prayed Cassie hadn't returned. She couldn't deal with her again. She took a deep breath and looked up to see Carson walking toward her. Care and concern glimmered in his eyes.
“Mariah, are you okay?” he asked as he sat on the glider next to her. “You must have dropped your wallet in my truck. So I came back to return it. I saw you talking to that woman, and it didn't look like you were having a pleasant conversation.” Carson looked at her questioningly.
She looked at Carson with a wild look in her eyes. “That was my dear old mother, Cassie. She had the nerve to come here and try to extort money from me,” Mariah told Carson bitterly in a leaden voice. Then she looked away from him. She had never felt so humiliated in her life.
“I'm sorry. . . .” Carson's voice faltered, then gained strength. “You know what they say about inheriting money: it brings relatives and friends out of the woodwork. I guess it goes with the territory.”
“You know, if my mother had been there for me at least part of my life, I wouldn't mind helping her. But, she pretty much ignored me. As I told you my grandmother raised me. She has a lot of nerve coming here. Cassie is acting like there's a big secret that she and my grandmother know that I don't. Being around her makes me physically ill. I feel like I'm going to be sick.” Mariah stood up and rushed inside the house.
Carson sat on the glider indecisively. He wasn't sure if he should run after Mariah, or give her time to collect herself. He decided on the latter.
Finally Mariah came back outside. Carson handed Mariah her wallet. “Here you go. I know that had to be tough. Your mother looked like she's in bad shape. Maybe you can get her to agree to go to rehab.”
Mariah waved her hand dismissively. “Actually, this was one of Cassie's good days. She was coherent enough to tell me what she wanted, and that's not usually the case.” She shrugged her shoulders as she shook her head.
“Maybe you need to see a counselor and sort out your feelings. You looked really bummed out,” Carson suggested.
“I don't need to see anyone,” Mariah yelled, furious with Carson. “My mother is a heavy burden that I have to bear. And, she made some references about my grandmother that got under my skin. Cassie has also been a prime manipulator. Like a leopard she'll never change her spots.”
“You know with God, all things are possible. So never say never,” Carson said soothingly.
“That rule would apply to anyone except Cassie. She's been a thorn in my side since I was little. I never understood why she hates me. But, she does.” Warm waves of mortification colored Mariah's cheeks. “I apologize for dumping all of this negativity on you. I've had enough of my mother for one day. I also need to call my grandmother and find out why she told Cassie where I live.”
“Are you sure your grandmother told her? You don't know that for sure?” Carson tried to be the voice of reason in the volatile situation.
“Humph, how else would Cassie know to come here? To this house?” Her hand arced in the air. She looked at him skeptically. “Cassie has a way of worming information out of people. I know somehow or another, she got Granny to tell her where I live. I appreciate you bringing me my wallet. I probably wouldn't have discovered it was missing until the morning.”
“I would have brought it back to you before then,” Carson replied as he stood up. He knew he had worn out his welcome. “You have a good evening and try not to let what happened ruin your evening. We all have our crosses to bear, no one is immune. Maybe you should turn this burden over to the Lord and pray for guidance.”
“Do I really have a choice?” Mariah twisted her lips together. “I'll talk to you. Have a good evening,” she said dismissively with her arms folded across her chest.
Carson knew he could have taken her actions personally, but he knew she was shaken by her mother's actions. “You too. I meant what I said. Try not to let your mother coming here get you down.”
“I'll try to take your advice, but it's a little late for that. Cassie has had years of practice and knows what buttons to push to get under my skin.”
Carson squeezed her arm and then he departed.
Mariah walked inside the house. She went into the kitchen and turned on the hot water faucet. She filled the kettle with water to boil for tea. She picked up the telephone and scrolled through caller ID. She noted both Sonni and Rocki had called in addition to her grandmother. She pressed the message button and listened to voice mail. When she heard Rosemary's voice, her stomach lurched.
“Hi, baby, it's me, Granny. I just wanted to tell you that Cassie came over and she implied she planned to get in touch with you. She must have heard through the grapevine that you've come into money. I told her you'd won the lottery and moved to Indiana. She was upstairs in your room for a minute. She claimed she went up there to see if you had actually moved. So I wanted to warn you that she might try to get in touch with you. I hope she doesn't but at least you know. Call me when you get a chance.”
Mariah angrily pushed the delete button. Then she sighed. Carson was right. She had left a few papers on the desk in her old room and knowing Cassie as she did, Mariah was sure she'd riffled through some of the papers. “Lord, I just can't escape that woman and I live in another state,” she muttered. “Father, you have blessed me tremendously over the past months, and I am so grateful. I vowed that I would do good things with the money and share it with others.
“Right now the money seems a burden. Granny wouldn't move to Indiana with me. And my worst nightmare, Cassie, had the audacity to show up here. I can't believe she demanded I give her money. She also implied something isn't right with Granny. Lord, I try to do the right things. I tithe. I really love contributing to the Sunday School ministry. Why can't you perform a divine intervention and get Cassie out of my life? Life would be perfect except for her.
“I don't understand why I had to be born to a mother who's a drug addict. Why did I have to miss out on a real mother-daughter relationship?” She snorted bitterly. “In fact I didn't have a relationship with either of my parents. I know you said in the Word to honor your mother and father, but what if they're not worthy of honoring? What do you do then?” She exhaled loudly as she waited for the water to boil.
Mariah paced the length of the living room as she continued her pity party. The shrill whistle of the teakettle broke her out of her reverie. She opened the cabinet and took out a cup, and removed a box of orange tea, and a bag from the box. Mariah poured water into the cup, and sat at the kitchen table. She dipped the teabag inside the water until the liquid turned a bright orange color. She rose from the chair and rummaged through the pantry until she saw a box of sugar. She was grateful Sonyell had picked up groceries for her. She knew her friend had purchased the tea and sugar.
After she sat back down and drank the cup of tea, Mariah felt calmer. She resumed her talk with her Heavenly Father. “Lord, forgive me for being selfish. If Cassie's coming here was a test, then I surely failed it. I know if no one else on earth has my back, that you do. I just have to remember that when things don't go the way I think they should. There are always negatives in life. I just have to deal with them better. I have truly been blessed. Thanks to your generosity, I am in a position to help those in need as the Good Book states.
“As I count my blessings today, I have met a man who is a Christian. He appears to really like me. My best friends are moving to Hammond this upcoming weekend. So I won't be alone. I don't know what you the future holds, but I must trust and have faith that whatever happens is your will and not mine. So forgive me, Father, for being immature and folding at the first sight of trouble. Tomorrow is a new day, and I can't wait to see what blessings will come my way.”
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