Making Waves (17 page)

“I sure hate it that I missed you when you came over for supper the other night, Taylor.” She grinned, and I noticed she had red lipstick smeared on her teeth. “I was beginning to think we'd never see you around here again. Thought you'd fallen off the face of the earth! How long you going to be in town?”

“I don't really know, Aunt Opal. I've got a couple of weeks free till school starts back.” He didn't look at her, but instead faced the front and watched Pleese and Sonny load the flowers up for the graveside trip.

“I thought Charlotte told her daddy that you were working this summer, waiting tables,” Opal said to Taylor.

“Yes, ma'am. I was. It was just a summer job,” he replied.

“Well, I didn't know for sure. Thought maybe you'd decided to become a waiter for a living. We haven't heard a thing from Charlotte since June.” Opal smirked. “She called Harris on Father's Day, was all. What do you hear from her?”

“Not much.” Taylor was polite to his aunt, but refused to look at her as he pretended great interest in them hauling the flowers out—there were so many. Bless his heart, I knew that he hadn't heard from his mama all summer. Opal was looking so sly I bet you anything she knew that too, and just wanted to torment him, for pure meanness. She grinned her greasy-lipstick grin at him and reached for Ellis, who was standing next to her, still looking around at all the people as they filed out of church. Opal pulled Ellis next to her and continued to look slyly at Taylor.

“Well. What did you think of your cousin Sonny up and marrying like he did?” As though Taylor gave a hoot about anything Sonny did.

But Taylor surprised me; he turned around and looked real hard at Ellis, so hard that she blushed and looked away from him.

“I tell you, Aunt Opal, I was really surprised. I thought Sonny would never settle down, become a family man, but evidently he just hadn't found the right woman. Now he has.” And he smiled at Ellis sweet as you pleased.

You could tell that really pleased Opal, who stuck out her big fat chest even farther, almost busting her dinner-pies out of the too-tight dress. But evidently Ellis was peeved about something else, because she glared at Taylor instead. I reached up and tugged on his sleeve before they had a chance to say another thing to him.

“Come on, sugar. The church is about cleared out now. Let's go.”

It was so hot at the graveside service that I thought for a minute I was going to die myself. Because of the heat, there was not as many people here as in the church, thank goodness. I shouldn't have come, because I really didn't feel good, but I loved it out here so much I couldn't stand not to. The cemetery was all the way out past the houses, at the end of the street called Cemetery Street. Lots of big, shady oaks out here, and the graves were so peaceful. However, it was really hard for me to get around in my walker because of the dry summer grass. Maudie's family plot was down in a little valley, away from the rest of the graves, over in a back corner. I hoped I was able to walk over to the Clark plot before we left because I hadn't been able to come out here all summer long.

Brother Junkin didn't do anything at the graveside service but read some scriptures and say a simple prayer over the grave. I reckon it was just too hot for anything else. I couldn't help but be relieved; Maudie wouldn't care, and I didn't much believe I could stand up another minute. Me and Taylor stood in the shade of the tent, right behind the family, but it was still awful. Soon as the preacher finished the prayer and went over to the family members to shake hands, I motioned to Taylor for us to go. It was a long climb back up that hill and to the car. Plus, I had just spotted Donnette among the crowd around the grave, and Tim was with her. I didn't see them in church; they must have been all the way in the back. So if we left now, we wouldn't have to see them or anyone else. We could go over to Maudie's and wait for Sarah Jean. I'd get Taylor to bring me back to the family plot another day. I know Papa and Rufus will understand why I haven't been able to visit them lately.

I was so glad we came to Maudie's house when we did, way things turned out, and that we stayed on and ate supper with Sarah Jean. The Lord does work in mysterious ways. I know that Jesus led us there, because I almost decided not to go by the time Taylor managed to get me into the car, I felt so bad. But I knew Maudie would be disappointed in me for not keeping Sarah Jean company, so I made myself go. I thank the Lord, for Taylor's sake, that I did.

I almost turned around again and changed my mind about staying when we got to Maudie's house. The house was so still and so quiet. It was a big old house like mine, with a porch all the way around it where me and Maudie used to sit and visit. But it sure looked sad and empty when we got there.

Me and Taylor went into the house like Sarah Jean said for us to do—to wait for her till she got there. So we went to the kitchen. I told Taylor to sit down and I'd fix us some iced tea while we waited for Sarah Jean, but he insisted on doing it himself. He made me sit at the kitchen table while he plundered around in the refrigerator and fixed me and him a glass of tea. Then we decided to take our tea and go into Maudie's sitting room. It was her favorite room, a sunny little room next to the kitchen where she sat and read all the time, day or night.

All Maudie's books were in her sitting room, and so was her rocking chair where she always sat when she read. It made me miss her again so much I almost cried when I walked in there and saw everything. I noticed that her reading glasses were folded and placed on the mantel. She never used them once she got to the nursing home—she quit reading and everything.

Taylor helped me into the rocker and folded my walker away. I sat down wearily, not having the heart to tell him that I'd rather not sit in Maudie's favorite chair. But I didn't feel like protesting right then.

As soon as he had me settled, Taylor started walking around the room, looking at everything and sniffing.

“This house smells just like an old lady. No offense, Aunt Della,” he said, grinning at me. He picked up Maudie's glasses from the mantel, inspected them, and then placed them back where they were. Then he picked up a book of Maudie's and sniffed it, for some reason. Maudie wouldn't care, though. She always loved Taylor to death. I just sat there in her chair and tried to keep from looking around too much. I was afraid I might lose control of myself again, like I did at the funeral. Oh, Maudie. It's not a pleasant feeling to bury your last friend. Not a good feeling at all.

If Sarah Jean hadn't come in at that very moment, I would have started up crying again. I don't know what on earth was wrong with me. But Sarah Jean suddenly came in the room, all friendly-like, and looking so glad to see us that it cheered me up.

Bless her heart, she looked real tired, and her hair was hanging down a bit from the way she had it pinned up so pretty in church, but other than that, she looked exactly the same as she always has.

“Miss Della! It is so good to see you here—and in Aunt Maudie's chair, too. How she'd love that.” Sarah Jean smiled at me as she grabbed me into a big hug, though she's no bigger than a minute. She smelled like tea roses as she gave me a soft kiss on the cheek.

Then she turned around to Taylor and got to him right away, telling him something even I didn't know. I could tell it really tickled him.

“So this is Samuel Taylor, all grown up now.” Sarah Jean smiled as she hugged Taylor, too. She barely came up to his shoulder. I swear she was the least little thing I'd ever seen.

“How did you know that?” Taylor asked her.

“That you're all grown up? I can see,” she teased him, poking him in the ribs, then standing back and looking him over carefully.

“No, ma'am. My name.” I knew that was what he meant.

“You didn't know that Charlotte named you after her favorite poet?” she asked him. She reached down and took her heels off, making her appear even tinier.

Taylor at first looked puzzled, then he grinned. “Well, I'll be damned! I swear I never knew that—and I never made the connection. And me an English major! I always figured I was named after one of her boyfriends, since I'm the only Clark without a family name.”

Sarah Jean looked up at him. “An English major, huh? Are you a poet, too, like your namesake?” She took off her suit jacket, then pulled her blouse out at the waist.

“Y'all will just have to excuse me, but I thought I'd have a heatstroke at that cemetery. Well, are you?”

Taylor shook his head and smiled at her. “Not really. I'm not any good, but I try my hand every now and then.”

Sarah Jean then turned to face me, seated in the chair. “God, it's hot in this house! Miss Della, can I get you a Tom Collins? I've got some already made up in the fridge.”

I didn't know what she meant; all I saw in there when I was looking for the tea, before Taylor made me sit down, was some lemonade with lots of mint and cherries in it. Maudie always raised the prettiest mint.

“No, thank you, honey. I got me a glass of tea. Maybe Taylor would like some collins.”

That like to have tickled both of them to death, for some reason. I saw Sarah Jean wink at Taylor and he grinned down at her. “Could I please, ma'am, have one—a big, tall, icy one?” he asked.

“Okay, but only if you promise to stop saying ‘ma'am' to me. I may be your mama's age, but I don't want to be reminded. You hear?” She laughed and started walking barefoot into the kitchen, Taylor following close behind.

“Okay—what do you want me to call you then?” I heard Taylor ask her as they went on into the kitchen. I heard the refrigerator door opening and then could hear both of them laughing as they got that fancy lemonade out.

For the first time in two years, I felt a ray of hope. I felt like maybe the Lord was going to let me have my Taylor back. I'd already been trying to accept that my penance for these past two years would probably be having to give him up, but now—oh, Jesus was so good to me! I sat back in Maudie's rocker and sipped my tea. I knew that Sarah Jean was going to be around a few days, until her school started back, she'd already told me. She was going to be busy packing away Maudie's things and closing down her house.

If only she and Taylor could get to be close … I almost couldn't allow myself to hope. But maybe, with her training, she could be the friend he needed. Then another thought hit me. I wasn't going to be around forever, and the main reason I've hung on lately is knowing that Taylor has no other family but me. Well, none that counts. But if only … Charlotte may be sorry as gully dirt, but she was the boy's real mother. Maybe, oh dear Lord, just maybe, Sarah Jean could be the one to bring Taylor and his mama back together, so he'd have someone after I'm gone.

Oh, dear Jesus. I could still hear them laughing and talking in the kitchen, fixing themselves some more of that lemonade. I believe it might be possible. I hope and pray that Sarah Jean will bring Charlotte back to Clarksville, and back into Taylor's life. Starting tonight, I'm going to add that to my prayer list. I'm putting it at the very top!

I never would have gotten involved with all that mess about Tim Sullivan and Taylor Dupree if it hadn't been for Glenda taking a job at the Zippy Mart just so she could be with Dinky Odom.

Now, if it'd been anybody but Glenda, I wouldn't have paid it any mind. I do consider it beneath me to involve myself in other people's affairs. But Glenda—Glenda's never been a bit of trouble to me or Mama or Daddy, not one single time in her life.

Long as I can remember, Glenda's gotten up every morning and gone to school on the bus, then come home, done her school-work and her Bible study, and gone straight on to bed. You kind of take someone like that for granted, getting to where you forget she's even around.

When Glenda graduated from high school two years ago, nothing in her life changed much. Mama's cousin Tammie helped get her a job at the daycare center where Tammie has worked for years, so Glenda now goes to work instead of school. And last year, Glenda got a boyfriend for the first time ever. Bless her heart, Glenda's no beauty; I got all the looks in the family.

So she had never gone with anyone before. But when Bobby Ray Hall came to our church as the new youth minister, he started asking Glenda to help him out with the young people's activities, like the Crusade for Jesus. She made posters and rounded folks up to host the youth choir that came all the way from Biloxi, Mississippi. Next thing you know, Bobby Ray was asking Glenda to sit by him at the church suppers, and then prayer meetings. We knew for sure they were an item when he asked her if she'd go with him to the annual tent meeting in Montevallo. Brother Clyde Willis from Birmingham was the guest evangelist, so Glenda was thrilled. 'Course it tickled Mama and Daddy, too. I took Glenda to Kmart's myself to get her a new dress for the occasion.

All the women in the church were having a fit because Glenda was officially going with Bobby Ray, because he's about the cutest thing you've ever seen. He's got jet-black hair, which he combs back so neat, and it's always slick and shiny. And he's a real sharp dresser, too. We all thought Glenda was one lucky girl, especially being as plain as she is. I've tried my best to get her to cut her hair and wear some makeup, but she flat-out refuses. I don't guess Bobby Ray cared, because they've been going steady almost a year.