Blinded by Color

Chapter 22 Nivea

"Miranda, I found some old photos of you as a baby. Come see." Miranda headed over to sit by me and look through her grandmother's old photo album. There was so much stuff in this house to go through, and I was waiting for a treasure to pop up. I was hoping all old people had hidden treasure, and when they died, someone would find it and never have to work again. So far, there was no treasure in old Mrs. Levitt's house. I kept digging through all the boxes we found in the attic and came across some more newspaper clippings. It seems Mrs. Levitt had a thing for collecting current events. I started looking at each title, and they were all for her son winning championships in football. Apparently, Miranda's uncle was a big deal back in the day. The papers covered his games and named him most likely to make it in the NFL.

"Hey Randa, did your uncle ever play in the NFL? Did he make it?" Miranda looked in my direction, and I handed her the articles. "Oh my gosh, Uncle Aaron when he was a star. This is crazy because my uncle Aaron never played football after high school. As a matter of fact, he is bald and has a huge beer belly." She started cracking up. "Could you imagine if he made it? He probably stood a chance from what I've heard, but he was too busy chasing after my aunt Toni. They married, and he never looked back at football again." I don't remember him, and I am guessing he doesn't live around here. However, I was surprised he chose a girl over a career with millions. Why not marry the girl and play football?

I continued digging through my boxes until Miranda's mom arrived and said, "Let's call it a day." My favorite part of our afternoon.

Miranda, her mom, and I walked into Francesca's for dinner. Francesca's has the best Italian food around. It smells amazing in here, and the garlic bread is to die for. They treat you to their signature wine trio and allow you to taste test the new flavors of wine they offer. I voted for a bottle of the strawberry sangria, and thankfully, the table agreed. After a few glasses and a lovely meal of fettuccine alfredo, I was ready to head to the bar. I asked Miranda and Jen if they wanted to tag along. Miranda agreed, and Jen said she needed to get some sleep but for us to have a drink for her. I never have a problem drinking for anyone else. I ordered us an Uber and we waited outside while Jen took off in her Prius.

"Miranda, can I ask you a personal question?" I think the wine gave me confidence. I was feeling extra bold.

"Yea, sure anything" I was ready like a waiting volcano.

"Are you racist?" Miranda looked stunned. She started laughing hysterically at my question.

"Wait, are you serious? Nivea, no, hahahaha, my ex-boyfriend is black, I've dated Hispanic men, Asian men, and all races in between." I had to pick my jaw up off the pavement.

"Miranda, I knew I liked you. I really did." Just then, our Uber pulled into the parking lot, and we hopped in the car.

*****

Since I chose not to open my shop on Wednesday after all the shenanigans with Kayla and her sister, I decided there was no way I could close on Thursday too. I had to come in and help my precious Mrs. Robins. She was going to be a breath of fresh air after the last couple of days. I was hoping she came alone and didn't bring Jessica. I needed a break from all of Kayla's drama. I went in the back and got her rinse ready for the shampoo bowl and brought out my rollers to set up by my station, and in she walks.

"Niv, honey, thank you for taking me. I was watching the news, and it's gonna rain, child. I need my hair extra tight and fluffy with lots of spray." I love this woman. She is always worried about her looks. Even in her eighties, the lady wants to be stunning. You gotta give her credit for not letting herself go.

"Mrs. Robins, you know I got you. Come here and have a seat."

After washing her silver curls and applying the rinse to make her color flow and dissipate any yellowing, I brought her over to my station to start rolling her hair. Mrs. Robins asked me how I was doing and what has been going on with me. This was normal conversation for a stylist and her client, but Mrs. Robins was like a grandmother to me, and I couldn't help but feel comfortable telling her all about Kayla. I needed someone to talk to, and an elderly lady seemed the perfect fit because she could give me the best advice. Older people were full of wisdom. I felt confident that Mrs. Robins wouldn't judge any of the story and look at Kay or her dad, God rest his soul, any differently.

"Well, you see, my life has been crazy, and I had to take some time off this week because of it. My best friend, you remember Kayla, right?" She nodded and laughed. Of course she knew Kayla because her mom was the talk of the town, and there wasn't a resident in Lutz that didn't know Slim or her poor daughter that had to care for her. "Well, the thing is, Mrs. Robins, I found out that Kayla's dad had an affair before she was born and had a love child with a black woman named Seven. I felt the information was too important not to share, and therefore, I told Kayla. She didn't take the news all that well, and things got a little crazy. I think she has calmed down now but still needs to come to terms with it all."

Mrs. Robins was silent, and this was unusual for her. I felt like I needed to keep talking to fill the air with words because it was almost uncomfortable. I started to think I made a mistake sharing this story with Mrs. Robins, and then she broke the silence with two words, "I know." I stared at her in my mirror, and she looked me right in the eye as we stared in silence. My jaw was wide open, and I was so confused my face was giving it all away. She cleared her throat and spoke really slow, "Nivea, sweetheart, don't go drudging up the past, especially someone else's. This town has secrets, and some secrets are best kept hidden. Kayla's father was a good man, but when her momma found out about his affair, she and her brothers made sure he paid for it. The sheriff isn't someone you want to mess with, Nivea dear. I don't want anything to happen to you. Do me a favor and stay out of that family's affairs."

This news was shocking. I wanted to ask Mrs. Robins a million questions, but I knew she was done talking. She wanted me to let it go and move on. I couldn't believe she said Kayla's mom and uncles made sure he paid for it. What did that mean? I decided I'll end this conversation here in my shop, but my investigation is just starting.