Red Hats (10 page)

The bed she was given was a hard cot with a dirty, brown, itchy blanket. God only knew where it had been. Alma was careful not to let it touch any bare skin. Lying there amid the smell of urine and cigarettes, Alma allowed tears to fall from her eyes. She didn’t care if the woman in the bed next to her listened as she cursed God for putting her through such pain. She felt like Job in the Bible. The prophet whom God had allowed the devil to strip of everything he knew and loved, striking him with a disease of malignant boils from head to toe just to get him to curse his God. In the end, Job proved his faith to the God he professed to love and was healed of the painful boils that afflicted him, then given back everything he had lost tenfold.

“What kind of a God and Father puts his children through all of this?” Alma cried to no one in particular.

“Amen,” the woman said as she took a long drag from her cigarette.

“Show your face, you coward! Where is the God who saved everyone else? What happened to the miracle worker?” Alma cried with eyes closed. “Are you just going to let me suffer like this? Is this what I get for believing in you? Help me! God, please help me!”

“Alma!”

Alma opened her eyes to see Sister Dee standing over
her, reaching out to help her up. She was wearing a ruby-red cloche with a matching feather jutting from its narrow brim.

Alma took her hand and stood, then collapsed into her arms.

“I’m sorry I said all those mean things to you. I’m so sorry.” She sobbed. “I didn’t mean it. I don’t know why I say the things I say sometimes.”

“It’s OK. Let’s just get you out of here. This isn’t a place for a lady,” Dee whispered.

Dee lived in
a row house she owned in the Bronx. She rented out three of the four apartments and lived in the two-bedroom on the second floor. It was nicely decorated with antiques that were pieces of art to Alma. She’d always dreamed of having Tiffany lamps and Persian rugs like these. Dee set her up in her daughter’s room.

“She never visits anyway, so I’m glad it’s finally going to good use. This old brass bed was my grandmother’s. You’ll sleep well tonight.”

“Thank you. Thank you so much.”

“You stop thanking me, OK? It’s our duty as human beings to look out for one another. It is my joy to be here for you. One day, you may have to return the favor for me,” Dee said.

“As God is my witness, I will,” Alma promised.

“You go on and take a nice hot bath. I’ll bring you one
of my gowns and robes to put on.” Alma noticed the hatbox the girls had intended for her sitting on top of a beautiful cherry-wood dresser.

“That’s yours, you know,” Dee said as she left the room.

Alma stared at the hatbox for a moment, then dismissed the thought of trying the gift on.

Alma soaked in
the hot tub for almost an hour, thinking about all she had lost—photos of her children and grandchildren, her dishes, family jewelry, old vinyl records, birth certificates, clothing, identification, bank statements, and her priceless antique dolls. Those were just a few that came to mind. She thought about all of the running around she had to do to get her finances back in order. How would she do that with no proof of who she was?

When she climbed from the tub, Alma noticed how wrinkled her hands and feet were from soaking so long. Dee had knocked several times to check on her. The loaner gown was made from a fine silk that felt good against her skin. Dee brought Alma a warm slice of apple pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. She gave herself an injection of insulin so Alma wouldn’t have to eat it alone. It was disturbing to see how easily she took the needle, so matter-of-fact. No flinching or crying. She did it as if she were simply picking a piece of lint off her sweater. No big deal.

Alma stared at the needle as Dee placed it on the tiny square alcohol swab now next to her wedding picture.

“Here, sip on this.” Dee poured a healthy shot of expensive brandy into a crystal snifter. It warmed Alma’s insides right away.

“This is nice,” Alma said.

Dee noticed the needle near the picture frame and moved it.

“Sorry.”

“It’s OK.”

“What a handsome couple.”

“Thank you.”

“You must miss him.”

Alma nodded.

“I know that void. I lost my husband, too. Only he didn’t die, he ran away from me. Just like my Kelly, he was always running. I was just too blind to see it. Everyone saw it but me. He joined the army right after I got pregnant, so he could travel and see the world. That’s what he said. I wanted to see it, too, so I packed up and followed him to Japan. He transferred to Germany, then San Diego, California. It wasn’t until he wanted to go to Alaska that I figured out it was me he was trying to shake.

“So I moved back to New York,” Dee continued, “and got a job as a social worker, trying to help other women with children out of wedlock.”

“What happened between you and your daughter?” Alma asked.

“Kelly blames me for chasing her father away. In her mind, it’s my fault she never had a daddy in her life. Maybe she’s right. Carl certainly didn’t want to be with me. But I still love that man. I send him e-mails and pictures of us sometimes, hoping he will see that I am his one and only true love. I swear I could give up sugar for him.”

“Why don’t you give it up for
you
?” Alma asked.

“It makes me feel loved.”

Alma reached for her picture and held the silver frame to her heart. “I took this man for granted,” Alma stated. “I never thought in a million years he would leave me like this. I wish I could have forgiven him. He hurt me so bad.”

“How?”

“He slept with my best friend. Donna and I were like sisters. I’d known her since childhood. I told her everything about Harold. She knew he was the world to me, so I trusted her around him.” Alma paused for a moment.

“What a fool I was,” she continued. Afterward, Harold blamed me for always having her around. Maybe I was naïve to let her sleep over and then leave them alone while I shopped. Hell, the food was for them. I didn’t think best friends did such things to each other. Not best friends. I just couldn’t forgive him. I wanted to, but I couldn’t. I’m bone-tired, Dee. Do you mind if I get some sleep?”

“Sure. Sweet dreams.” Dee kissed her forehead and quietly left the room.

Alma felt a heavy weight lifting off her chest after opening up to this stranger. She began to pray:
Heavenly Father,
I thank you for this day. I don’t know what you see in me that you sent this nice lady to save me out of the pit of hell, but I am grateful. Please help me to release this pain and submit to your will, not mine. I can’t do it alone, so I beg you to hold my hand and get me to the other side. I thank you in Jesus’s name. Amen.

Alma didn’t sleep well, because
anxiety kept her tossing and turning throughout the night. She got up as soon as the sun started to rise to make breakfast for her gracious hostess. She hated feeling as if she owed somebody something. It was hard to cook in a new environment not knowing where anything was, but Alma was determined to feel that she was earning her keep. She made the easiest thing she could find, which was bacon and eggs with toast, orange juice, and coffee. It wasn’t Folgers, but it would do. Dee was pleasantly surprised when she walked into the kitchen, although the smell of the bacon had pulled her from sleep.

“You didn’t have to do that, honey.”

“It’s the least I could do after you’ve taken me into your home and looked after me like this,” Alma said. She watched Dee put nutmeg on her eggs and five sugars in her coffee.

“It’s OK. I’ll drink a little green tea later to balance out my sugar,” Dee explained.

Alma looked down to see a huge, nasty blue bruise on Dee’s left foot.

“What happened to your foot?” she asked.

“Oh. I dropped a pot on it a few weeks ago. It takes a while to heal with the diabetes. It’ll be all right,” Dee told her confidently.

Alma shook her head and decided to change the subject. “Can I borrow an outfit to go downtown? I have to get my identification replaced.”

“Certainly.”

“And can I borrow a few dollars, too? I’ll pay it right back after I talk to one of my children.”

“Not to worry. I can give you twenty dollars.”

“Not give. Just loan it to me. I will have it back to you no later than tomorrow.”

“That’s fine,” Dee said. “You know, the girls will be coming over this afternoon. You’re welcome to join us for tea. I really could use some help.”

“Sure, but I have a lot to do today. I’ve got to stop by the apartment and see if there’s anything salvageable and then run all sorts of errands. I won’t be back here until the
evening. That is, if I can stay another night with you?” Alma asked.

“My house is your house. I will give you a set of keys before you leave. Don’t you go feeling like a stranger around me, OK?”

“OK.”

Alma made up her mind that she would come back and help out even if she had to endure the embarrassment of all of those Red Hats knowing her misfortune. She knew people liked to see someone down and out just to make them feel better about their own situation in life. Especially Joy—that one was sure a piece of work!

Alma spent half the morning at the insurance agency trying to collect. She had to cuss out two of the workers for insinuating that she was an arsonist. Alma threatened to burn their entire building down if they didn’t pay her claim. The manager was called to restore some order. He was very sympathetic and comforted her with a listening ear and a cup of Folgers. When she left, Alma was still angry and not a step closer to payment. Insurance was the biggest scam on the planet.

Alma tried to call Jesse, but that fool still wasn’t around. She didn’t want to call Angel for fear she would have to go back to live with the Elephant Man. Unfortunately, calling Angel was her only option.

Angel begged her mother to get on a plane and come to stay with her, but Alma passed. All she needed was some
money to get her through the transition of finding a new place to live.

Angel sent her seven hundred and fifty dollars by Western Union, and since she didn’t have identification, the password was
Nia,
easy for Alma to remember.

Alma went shopping to get a couple of outfits so she wouldn’t have to feel like a beggar. She wrote a thank you card to Dee and put in an extra fifty dollars so Dee would know she wasn’t going to freeload off her.

As a part
of her promise to God to be a better Christian, Alma agreed to help Sister Dee host a little seminar for the Red Hats. They would get together once a month with a lawyer to discuss any legal advice the sisters might need. Dee felt this would be a good opportunity for Alma to get advice regarding her insurance claim. They would serve tea and sandwiches for the ladies and a guest, which was the reason they were now in the supermarket shopping.

“Maybe we should get some pies for a little dessert afterward,” Dee said.

“I’m not that big on sweets, and I don’t think you should be, either. Let’s just get what we came here for. I’m not trying to tell you how to live your life, but I wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t speak my mind. I’m not going to help you do anything that’s bad for you. Sorry, but that’s just the way I am,” Alma stated.

“You’re right, sweets is the last thing I need. My sugar was up to six hundred last night before I finally got to sleep.”

“I don’t know what that means, but it sounds high.”

“Seventy to one hundred fifty is supposed to be normal,” Dee confided.

“Hello, ladies!”

Alma looked up to see James standing in front of her with the biggest smile she’d ever seen on a straight man. He smiled so big it made her smile, too.

“You look absolutely beautiful, Alma.”

“Thank you,” Alma said as she primped her hair, not knowing what else to do with her nervous hands.

“And so do you, Dee.”

“Don’t lie to me, James! Stevie Wonder could see who you are looking at,” Dee joked.

“I’m so sorry to hear about your misfortune,” James said to Alma. “I hope and pray that everything works out for you. If there’s anything I can do, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Thank you, but God will provide. Dee is taking great care of me right now,” Alma said.

“Dee is a wonderful woman. They don’t make them like her anymore.”

James flashed his million-dollar smile as he carried the ladies’ packages home for them. Alma felt a slight bounce in her step as she walked alongside him. She nearly bumped into several parking meters on the way, trying not to get too
close to this man who was pulling her out of her comfortable orbit.
What a strong, gentle man
, she thought, as he carried the groceries, climbing the steps with the ease of a gazelle. Dee kept nudging her behind his back, indicating how cute he was. Alma felt like a teenage girl in high school.

When James left, Alma’s heart slowed to its normal pace. She tried to be indifferent, but it was hard to pull off. Dee offered her information, knowing that Alma was too proud and private to ask for it.

“You know he lives right across the street from here. You can see his house from my window,” Dee confided.

“Really? He’s such a flirt. I’m sure he has all the women he can handle. So, what do you want me to make first?” Alma changed the subject.

“You can make the sandwiches, and I’ll put on the coffee and boil the water for tea.”

Alma’s mind was racing with images of James and her dancing together, the smell of the glove, and that smile. Damn, he had a beautiful smile. She stared out at the windows on the buildings across from her, trying to figure out which one was his.

The Red Hats
began to arrive. It took only three of them for the place to come alive with laughter and lots of chatter. By the time all twelve of the Red Hats arrived, the place was so loud you could hardly hear the doorbell ringing.
Alma was closest to it and offered to see who was on the other side.

“Hello,” said James, who was now dressed in a business suit.

“Look, I don’t think it is appropriate for you to be coming by here to pursue me,” Alma said sternly.