Scandalous Heroes Box Set (49 page)

Aunt Callista was her mother’s half sister. Mama hadn’t even known that she had a half sister until after her Daddy’s death. Aunt Callista and
her
mother had showed up at the funeral knowing all about Leelah and
her
mother. And to Leelah’s surprise her mother had known about them as well. There had been no love lost between that ‘other’ woman and her bastard—which is what Leelah’s mother considered them. And so even though Leelah was nearly an adult she had never been informed about the existence of another sibling.

But once she found out about her little sister—despite the fact that it meant that her daddy had cheated on her mama, Leelah instantly took to her—welcoming the existence of a sibling, though no two could look less alike. Leelah was tall with a milk chocolate complexion and hair that curled more than kinked. Callista was much shorter, pudgy and light enough that the scattering of raised moles along her face stood out like a witch’s warts. Still, she wasn’t completely unattractive, especially when she covered her thinning hair with a long wig and squeezed her uninteresting shape into a girdle which proportioned her fat to appear as if she had hips and a behind.

The two sisters were nothing alike, at least that was Vanessa’s thoughts. Aunt Callista was fake; always smiling and laughing and cracking jokes with mama but behind her back she said bad things when she thought Vanessa wasn’t in earshot. She also looked at Vanessa with contempt, snapping orders at her and forcing her to do chores that she didn’t make Jalissa do. She twisted her skin instead of whupping her and then she would brag to her mama that she didn’t believe in whuppings—but she knew how to pull hair and pinch and say hurtful things.

Vanessa found herself swallowing dryly at her mother’s revelation.

“Mama you said that I wouldn’t have to go over there anymore-“

“I know but these are special circumstances.”

Vanessa contemplated breaking the promise that she had made to herself long ago. Instead of telling mama that Aunt Callista was too strict, too distracted, no fun…she could tell her the truth; that Aunt Callista secretly hated them both and took every opportunity possible to cut her and her mother down.

But a very adult reasoning stopped her. She knew that her mother loved Callista and Jalissa Cornel and the loss of that family and friendship would hurt her mother. And if her mother was going to be hurt by aunt Callista, then it wouldn’t be orchestrated by her.

“Vanessa I want you to understand that there is a bigger picture.” She gave her daughter an earnest look. “I know I moved us out of the projects so that neither of us would never have to live there again. But what my plans are to get us so far away from this existence that nothing will ever drag us back down to the projects. Baby I work day and night so that I can get us up out of here—”

“But…I thought you liked it here, “ Vanessa said trying to bite back her distress.

“Baby, they call these townhomes but this ain’t nothing but the ghetto. We’re just paying more than those people at the bottom of the hill but we ain’t no different.” Leelah gestured around the room. “This place is not our future. You see I’ve been working long and hard and putting my money in the bank.” She smiled tiredly. “I intend to have your college fund paid for so that you can go to any college that your heart desires without worrying about money. And not just college but when you get old enough you’re going to have enough money so that you never have to struggle. I’ve also been saving for us to have our own house.”

Vanessa perked up. “Like grand mama’s house in Kentucky?”

“Yep. Except not in Kentucky.”

Vanessa grinned. She loved her grandmother’s house. Mama said that it wasn’t the country just because there was a lot of trees and grass around. She called it the suburbs and grand mamma’s house was a pretty ranch style that smelled like cinnamon and cookies. She liked the garden in the back yard where greens, tomatoes and other vegetables grew.

Vanessa hugged her mother in excitement. “When can we buy our own house mama?”

“Well we have to save up enough to make a down payment. Plus we should have enough to buy things for our house, right?”

“Right!” But secretly Vanessa thought that they already had enough nice stuff for a new house. Their stuff was a lot nicer than the floral furniture at grand mama’s, which was covered in stiff plastic.

Mama informed her that she wasn’t allowed to tell Jalissa about any of this and with the promise of a fat college fund and a house in the suburbs Vanessa swallowed her trepidation about spending her evenings with aunt Callista and hoped that it wouldn’t take mama long to get the money for them to move.

Chapter 6

Scotty took the Walnut Hills test the next morning, two brand new twenties and a crisp ten-dollar bill was folded in his sock. By the end of the day Mr. Price had the results. Even though the older man didn’t tell him, Scotty could read it on his face because he kept staring at him as if he was something interesting under a microscope. 

“Scotty can you stay after class, please.” He waited for the class to clear out and then went up to Mr. Price’s desk. “Scotty Tremont, you passed the Walnut Hills test.” Scotty nodded. “But you’re not surprised, are you?”

“I felt comfortable with my answers.” The reading was a joke but the arithmetic was harder. It covered some questions that they had never even discussed in class—but he worked it out his own way and it seemed right.

“Scotty…would it surprise you to know that you scored high enough that you qualified for the honors program?”

Scotty shrugged not sure what that was.

Mr. Price folded his hands across his desk. “The top 7
^th
graders are invited to join the honors program for their eighth and ninth grade years.”

“I’m already in the eighth grade…so…”

“So, you’ve been invited to switch schools.”

Scotty rubbed his hand through his hair, surprised. “Walnut Hills is for kids going to college, I mean…even if I don’t drop out of school at sixteen I’m never going to college.”

“Why Scotty?”

“Because it takes money, Mr. Price. And in case you haven’t noticed-“

“Stop. It does take money and there are half a million grants that you could get very easily that would give you a full ride.”

Scotty drew in a deep breath and looked at his teacher in astonishment. “You really want me to go to Walnut Hills High School? I mean…there are probably other kids that want it. I don’t want it.”

“Maybe not this second. But maybe two seconds from now you will. Maybe two years from now you will kick yourself for not taking this opportunity…this
free
opportunity.” The older man paused, staring deeply into the boy’s eyes. “Free opportunities don’t come your way often, son. I know this from experience. Some people out there wouldn’t give a shit about you. That’s why you have to give a shit about your own damn self.”

Scotty’s throat felt tight and he knew that Mr. Price was one of those people that gave a damn. However, he had no plans of leading a straight life where he slaved away at a job where he barely made enough to get by. He knew how to make big money and he was going to follow in his brother’s footsteps, and when he made enough to get a fine crib—maybe like Vanessa’s and her mother’s, then he’d move out of the ghetto.

“I see you got a plan in your head, Scotty. But it doesn’t have to be like that. And education will get you out of the ghetto! I went to Walnut Hills High School and went on to college and got a degree and with it a career and not just a job.”

Scotty shrugged. “You’re still in the ghetto.” Mr. Price looked like he was going to jump up in belt him. “When I get out of the ghetto, I’m getting out in a Cadillac!”

“Get out of here Scotty.” Mr. Price’s voice was soft. He turned his attention back to his papers and the young boy felt the sudden loss of the teacher’s eyes on him.

Scotty turned to leave, but Mr. Price didn’t stop him. So he stopped on his own. He looked at his teacher over his shoulder.

“What’s Walnut Hills like?”

~***~

When Vanessa saw her cousin at recess Jalissa hugged her in a rare show of joy.

“This is going to be like being sisters.”

Vanessa smiled despite her trepidations. “We’re already like sisters.”

Jalissa grinned and nodded and they discussed watching tonight’s episode of Good Times and then Welcome Back Kotter the next night. After school the two girls walked the short way to Jalissa’s house. She’d never had to walk to her cousin’s home from school before and the number of children heading the same route was amazing. Swarms of children played and laughed as they rushed home in order to watch Skipper Ryle on television. After a snack they would go outside to play until it was time for dinner and afterwards would head back out for a few more hours until the streetlights came on. And that was the routine day after day in the projects.

Two boys rough housing soon got into a fight where fists went flying with lightening speed. Jalissa grabbed her arm and dragged her over to watch with the crowd forming a circle around the two fighting boys.

Vanessa watched in fascination at the power of those fists flying. She’d never been in a true fight although she’d hit someone that had hit her. She wondered what would happen if someone tried to beat her up the way these boys were fighting. They were blacking each other’s eyes and noses were bleeding. And then a crossing guard approached and loudly broke up the fight, pulling the more aggressive boy off the loser.

They resumed their march home and Vanessa had to admit that this was much more exciting than driving up the hill with her mama.

When they got home aunt Callista was talking on the telephone in the kitchen and cooking something. She pulled the phone from her face briefly.

“Change your clothes and then go outside and play.” She returned to her phone conversation.

Vanessa looked at Jalissa and whispered. “I thought we were going to watch Skipper Ryle.”

Jalissa rolled her eyes. “Girl, don’t pay no attention to her.” She turned on the television, completely disobeying her mother and Vanessa followed her into the living room and sat down on the sofa with her.

Fifteen minutes later when aunt Callista was done with her phone conversation she bellowed out Jalissa’s name.

“Didn’t I tell you to change your clothes? Dinner is ready. Y’all come and eat.” She disappeared back into the kitchen and Jalissa didn’t acknowledge a word she said.

Vanessa liked Skipper Ryle just like the next kid but she didn’t want to risk pissing off aunt Callista within the first hour of her stay.

“Come on,” she whispered to Jalissa. “Your mother said its time to eat.”

“I told you not to pay any attention to her,” she said in a normal tone as if her mother wouldn’t be able to hear her even though she was just in the next room.

Vanessa sat quietly not enjoying the show at all anymore. When it was over they went upstairs to her mom’s room and changed into shorts and t-shirts. Jalissa and her mom lived in a one-bedroom apartment and aunt Callista got the one bedroom. Jalissa slept on the sofa bed and kept her clothing in her mother’s room and her toys in the coat closet. It wasn’t a bad apartment but it was obvious that aunt Callista’s taste went to the extravagant. They had a purple sofa and red curtains on the walls and a gold fur rug beneath the glass cocktail table.

Vanessa followed her cousin into the kitchen where aunt Callista was once again on the telephone, sitting in one of the kitchen chairs and smoking a cigarette with a plate in front of her that held the remnants of her eaten meal…and cigarette butts. Ugh.

Jalissa passed her a plate and while aunt Callista laughed raucously they quietly ate their meal of boiled potatoes and butter, hamburger steak with gravy and mushy canned peas. It was good, even the mushy peas as long as Vanessa hid them under the gravy and potatoes.

“Hey!” Aunt Callista called to them while covering the mouthpiece of the telephone when they made to leave after dinner. “Just because you’re over here little girl, don’t mean you’re going to leave a bunch of mess, you understand?” Vanessa’s aunt was staring at her and she opened her mouth to explain that she had no intentions of messing with or messing up anything but aunt Callista continued. “I expect you to wash your own dishes and clean up after your own self. So before you go outside get to washing.”

Jalissa blew out an annoyed voice and then turned tail and headed right out of the room! Vanessa didn’t dare disobey her aunt so she went to the sink and grabbed the dishcloth and dish soap.

“Vanessa! What in the hell are you doing?” Vanessa jumped as her aunt stood over her looking down at her incredulously. She returned to her phone conversation briefly. “Girl, I’m going to be watching this little girl and she thinks she’s going to come up in here and waste my dish soap!” She returned her attention to Vanessa. “Run some dish water, Vanessa!”

Feeling nervous tension fill her, Vanessa did as requested although it made no sense to run water in the sink just so that she could wash one plate, one fork and one cup. After placing her washed dishes in the drain board aunt Callista stared at her with a frown so Vanessa washed all of the dishes including the one in front of her aunt with its ashes and cigarette butts buried in congealed gravy. She wanted to vomit at the sight of it but her aunt, misreading the look of disgust rattled off a list of insults that she perceived had been slung at her by ‘this little girl’ to her telephone partner. After the sink was drained, the dishes dried Vanessa quickly left the kitchen before her aunt could say anything else against her.

She was trembling when she met Jalissa who was waiting for her on the front stoop of the apartment complex. She sat down next to her cousin.

“Your mother is mean.”

Callista nodded in agreement. “Forget about her. Let’s go down to my friend Cherrelle’s house. She has a Tiffany Taylor Townhouse with a pink Cadillac for her Barbies!” Vanessa nodded in agreement; anything to get away from her aunt’s loud, mean voice.