The Widow Of Magnolia Lane

Part 12

"Boy oh boy, that food Mrs. Pritchard had in there sho' did smell good.  Issa' shame we had to leave cause yo' mamma and Maria was acting a fool".  Leroy shook his head and flared his nostrils as he thought about the promised scent of eggs and bacon.  "Do she always have her people cook like that?"  he turned to Natalie.  

"I don't know daddy.  I've never had breakfast with Victoria".  Natalie heard her father speak to her but she wasn't listening.  Her thoughts burned and twisted like an endless tornado, spinning through her heart and tearing down her sense of well being.  

You know it's a shame what happened in that house.  A damn shame.  Do you remember anything from last night baby?"  Leroy looked at his daughter with concern.

"No daddy.  I don't know".  Natalie steadied her gaze, unable to look at her father and choked back tears.

She looked out the car window at the gray clouds.  The clouds had gathered together in groups like an angry crowd, ferociously spewing rain, and belting the car with each drop.  She saw a flash of lightning turn the dark sky into sudden daylight.  She heard the thunder, distant, but near.  Years ago, she would have shuddered at its fury.  Today she understood its angst.

"You don't know? What do you know Natalie?"  Eva sneered from the front passenger seat.  

"You don't know what happened to your husband, even though you were in the same house with him.  You lived with the man, knew his friends and family, and you still don't know who could have killed him.  For a woman who had the world at her feet, you sure as hell don't know shit.  You cannot be that dumb.  And don't think I didn't notice that bruise on your face".  Eva crossed her arms and glared at the sky outside.

"Damn it, Eva.  Now hold up.  Hold up.  You done said enough today.  Don't talk to my daughter that way!"  Leroy sat up in the seat eyeballing the back of Eva's head.

"Well one thing is for certain and two things are for sure, she's stupid just like you.  And she is definitely your child".  Eva pursed her lips in defiance.

Natalie felt the sting of Eva's words pierce her flesh like small arrows.  She wanted to tell her to shut up.  She wanted to argue back with the cantankerous woman but she was drained.  The murder, the blood, and the fight over Mrs. Pritchard's house proved to be too much for her.  She didn't have enough strength, mentally, to defend herself, let alone muster the wit to argue back with her mother.

"Don't you dare talk to my mother like that grandma.  She has been through enough".  Olive sped up the car as they got closer to Eva's home.  

"Once again, I'm the bad guy.  I'm just telling the truth".  Eva threw her hands in the air.

"You are not telling the truth and my baby don't need to hear that mess right now".  Leroy gave Natalie a quick rub on her shoulder.

"And then you send my grandson with that damn heffa Maria.  He shoulda' rode with us.  What, he too good to come with me and your daddy?  Eva looked back at Natalie.  Natalie ignored her.   "Fine don't say nothing.  But I tell you what, if you leave him there long enough, she'll steal him and get a check for him like she did yall".

"Eva...Shut the Fuck Up! You ain't making no sense right now.  How she gonna steal the boy?  That's crazy.  Crazy, I tell you.  Leroy bit his lip and restrained his tongue.

Without uttering a word, Natalie quietly stared at the boarded row houses plastered with rain until they reached Saratoga Street.

Olive pulled up to the house so quickly, she almost ran over the curb.  She looked over at Eva, through gritted teeth.  "Bye, grandma". 

 Eva looked at Olive surprisingly. "I thought we were taking your mother to the police station?" 

"I got a ride for her.  She good".  Olive looked in the rearview mirror and winked at her mother.

"Welp...You heard the girl Eva.  She good. Let's get out of this rain".  Leroy kissed Natalie on the cheek and patted Olive on the head.  Natalie and Olive watched Leroy and Eva exit the car and run in the house out of the rain.

"Here mama put this shirt on over your pajamas".  Olive tossed a shirt in the back of the car to her mother.

"Olive.  You are so strong and beautiful ".  Natalie gave her daughter a weak smile.  Admiring her for standing up to Eva.

"I get it from you mama.  You just don't realize it yet".  Olive smiled back at her mother.

"Who's picking me up?"  Natalie changed her shirt.

"It's a surprise".  Olive began to text on her cell phone. 

 Shortly after, a black Corolla pulled up behind Olive's car.  A figure in a bright yellow raincoat with a matching umbrella ran swiftly to the driver's side door.  Olive rolled down the window.  Natalie peered at the figure and a large smile encaptured her face.

"Brant!" Oh my God!" she opened the car door, ignoring the pouring rain, and ran into his arms.

"What's up bitch!" He hugged her closely while still holding the umbrella securely.  

"I got her Olive".  He walked her back to his car as Olive drove off.

Drenched from the rainwater, Natalie hugged Brant again inside the car.  Despite the humidity and rain, Brant's hair was perfectly coiffed.  His eyelashes were mink and his eyebrows were so perfect, they looked as though they had been airbrushed by God.  He was the prettiest man Natalie had ever seen.  He reached in a gold make-up bag and grabbed a sparkly lip gloss.

He looked at Natalie's face and frowned.  

"Natty Bug... I am so sorry about Joseph.  I watched the news and saw what happened.  I called Olive as soon as I could".  He brushed a wet curl from her face and began to apply the sparkly lip gloss to her lips.

"I love you bitch but you look like hell right now.  You are too beautiful to be sad".  He looked down at her T-shirt and pajama pants.   "And for the love of Coco Chanel, what are you wearing?" he clutched at the invisible pearls around his neck.

"Mrs.Pritchard and Olive gave me these clothes to wear".  She tugged on the shirt's fabric.

Brant sucked through his teeth.  He waited for a green light and pulled over at the nearest gas station.

"What time are you supposed to be at the police station?"  He reached in the back of his car and grabbed a bag.  He looked at her red and gray pajama bottoms, shook his head,  and pulled out a red cardigan from an ensemble of clothes.

"I was supposed to be there 2 hours ago". Natalie sighed.  "How have you been Brant?  Its been, what? 6 years since I saw you?" Natalie fastened the cardigan over her damp T-shirt.

"It's been forever.  But we are not going to talk about me".  Brant glanced at Natalie's ensemble and gave it a look of approval.  "We are going to catch up later but for right now, I need to get you to the police station".  He made a U-turn out of the gas station and headed towards the highway.

"Are you still dating?..... Oh, what's his name?  Jared. That's it. Jared! Are yall still talking?" Natalie turned the radio down.  It felt good to talk about something other than Joseph.

"Jared? Oh God no.  It has been awhile.  I had to let him go Nattybug, he was a mamma's boy.  He was spending way too much money on her.  I'm selfish.  I don't like to share.  I needed all those coins to myself".  The two laughed.

"Forget about me, how have YOU been?  Brant grabbed her hand.  

You've changed.  I mean you are still you but it's like, you've lost your fire".  What happened in that house, Natalie?  What did he do to you?" Brant swerved around a stalled car on the beltway and made an exit.  Natalie began to cry.

"I've been through a lot Brant".  She smudged the lip gloss near the corner of her mouth.  

"You know what sis?  It doesn't matter.  You are here now, with me.  We can get through this".  He pulled up in front of the precinct.