Under the Sassafras (14 page)

Her stomach knotted even further.
“What information? Did you remember something?”

“
No. No memory. But you see that’s the problem. I have to remember. I have to know.”

“
What is it?” she asked, softening her voice. “Mansir, what could have caused you to run away? Maybe I can help.”

He searched her eyes for a while then in a low voice said,
“I’ll be right back, I have something to show you.”

She watched him as he walked to the stairs that led into the sleeping quarters.

He returned with something in his hand. But it was the grave look on his face that scared her. In that moment she wished she hadn’t come, wished she wasn’t so damn impatient.

“
Before I show you this please give me a chance to explain.” He dropped something round and smooth in her hand. But never took his eyes off her face. “I found this in that jacket MaeMae said I was wearing when you found me.”

She looked down at the ring in her palm. She tried to have a reaction, but found she was frozen, numb.

“Joelette, I don't remember anything about this ring. Honestly. I know you think I'm trying to hide something from you, but I'm not. I just wanted to have answers to all the questions.”

S
till she said nothing, but kept her eyes on the ring. Married. He was married.

He knelt in front of her.
“Look at me. I wish I could remember everything right now so we could at least know where we stand, but I can't make it happen. Believe me, I've tried.”

Joelette closed her eyes
. “It’s obvious, you have a wife, Mansir. You are married. This much you must know.”

“
Joelette, I'm trying to tell you I would have some feelings if I had a wife. I feel certain about that.” Looking back at the ring, he shook his head. “If I am married why wasn't this ring on my finger?”

She shoved the ring back into his hand
. Without a word she turned and walked away.

Joelette could hear him yelling for her to wait, but she had to get far away from him
. She drove to the edge of the swamp near the spot they had found him months ago. She gazed out at the bayou as two coots took flight.

How does one not remember that they’re married
? Mansir always was truthful and even now, she knew, deep down she knew. He didn't remember. But yet he had deceived her.

A breeze blew her hair causing a chill to creep down her neck
. She wrapped her arms across her chest as she slid to a log and sat looking at the swamp. She should have heeded her own warning, tried harder not to get attached to him.

She should have known. A man like him, what were the odds he’d be single and available, ready to walk away from whatever life he’d left behind to live on her swamp with her and her boys? She’d been a fool.

Married
.

She had long ago made up her mind she didn't need a man in her life
. When Otis died, she thought she would be able to raise her boys alone, but then Mansir came into their lives. She started to think differently, that maybe she wouldn’t have to do everything alone.

She cried until her eyes hurt,
until the tears ran out. Then she straightened her back. No more self pity. Maybe he didn't remember now, but someday he would and then what? She knew though that someday he would leave. Well, the sooner the better. 

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

MaeMae knocked on Joelette's bedroom door
. “Are you awake
Cher
?” When she didn’t hear an answer she cracked the door a little to see if Joelette was asleep. There she sat on her bed, her knees pulled to her chest, and her arms wrapped around her legs. She gazed out the window.

“
Joelette, did you hear me knock?” MaeMae approached the bed. “Are you alright?”

“
What? I'm sorry MaeMae.” She shook her head. “I didn't hear you come in. Do the boys need me?”

MaeMae sat on the bed next to Joelette, and brushed a strand of hair out of her face
. “No, the boys are fine. Tell me what's wrong,
Cher
. What happened today to make you so sad?”

Joelette couldn't stop the tears
. “This is why I didn't want to see anybody. I knew I would cry” She swiped at her tears. “I don't want to cry anymore. I’ve cried all afternoon, please, I’ll tell you everything later.” She wiped more tears away as new ones took their place.

She grabbed
MaeMae's hand. “Could you get the boys to bed tonight? I don't want them to see me like this. Please, MaeMae.”

“
Remember,
Cher
, nothing is as dark as it seems.” She hugged Joelette, and kissed her forehead. “Don't you worry. The boys will be in bed at their regular time.”

Joelette crawled under the covers
. Her head pounded, her eyes ached, and her mind spun. Who else had he left behind besides a wife?

###

It had taken everything Mansir had not to go after Joelette. But what purpose would it serve? All he could ask her for was more time, more patience. She didn’t owe him any of that.

He was married. Or at least he had been. Until he knew the whole truth, he had nothing to offer Joelette. He’d tried so hard to remember, but to no avail. He felt sure that th
e shapely blonde woman who refused to show her face held the answer, but it wasn’t enough to go on. The police were still looking for him, but still no missing persons reports for a man with his description. Why wasn’t anyone looking for him? He threw back the sheets and climbed out of bed. He stepped into his jeans and went in search of some fresh air.

T
he hurt and anger in Joelette’s eyes plagued him. He had done what he never wanted to do; he’d hurt her. But damned if he wasn’t determined to make it up to her. Someday.

###

The following afternoon T-Boy ran in after school. He hung his backpack on the hook behind the door, emptied his lunch box containers in the sink and never missed a beat.

Mansir
turned and looked at Joelette. They could occupy the same space, but there was a rift between them.

“You’re doing a wonderful
job raising your sons,” he said.

She nodded her thanks.

“Hey Mansir, want to see the new book I checked out of the library?” T-Boy asked.

Joelette watched as Mansir and T-Boy headed to the boy’s bedroom
. She missed him, so much. Even when he was here he wasn’t the same, he tried with the boys and MaeMae but with her he was withdrawn. She couldn’t blame him, she knew the situation, still her heart ached.

“
MaeMae, I'm going out for awhile. The work in the field has made me stiff and I think I need to walk a little. I won't be long.”

“
Pull me some green onions on your way back will you?” MaeMae called out the door.

Joelette waved her hand in response
. She walked to the large Sassafras tree next to the field and sat down. She remembered the first time they'd had a picnic under the tree and he'd shared his fears with her. How long had he been with them, three months, five? It seemed like he'd lived with them forever. Like he belonged.

Yet in many ways it felt
like he’d just come yesterday. That just about summed things up about Mansir, contradictions and uncertainties. She lay back on her elbows and watched the clouds roll in.

A raindrop hit her upturned face and by the time she reached the house, the drops had turned into a downpour
and she was drenched. She hurried to shower and change out of her wet clothes and maybe allow the warm water to wash away her mood.

A long rolling thunder seemed to pull everyone into the living room.
“We are in for a long wet day, I do believe.” MaeMae said as she looked at the dark clouds. “I think this would be a good day to have one of our parties.” She glanced at Joelette.

Joelette
nodded. “What do you think, boys? We haven't had one in a long time.”

“
A just because party? Really?” Ozamae asked. “Oh boy. Are you going to make some fudge and popcorn and tell us a story, MaeMae? And mom, are you going to play your fiddle? Please? T-Boy will read us a chapter from
King Arthur
. I’ll do my animal game.”

“Slow down, baby, take a breath,” Joelette said.

Ozamae danced around then stopped and looked at Mansir
. “What are you going to do for the party? That's the rule, everyone has to do something special.”

Everyone looked at Mansir, waiting for the answer
. He ruffled Ozamae’s hair. “I think I have just the thing. I'll be right back.”

Joelette glanced at Mansir when he returned with a piece of plastic over his head and boxes in hand
. A timid smile lit his face. She had so missed his smile. Without thinking she felt her lips turn up into a smile. She quickly turned her attention to the boys.

No one escaped the contagious excitement of the boys as everyone prepared for the party
. The thunder boomed and the lighting danced as the gaiety began in the secure walls of the house.

The sound of the downpour on the tin roof and the smell of fresh rain offered a backdrop for the wonderful smell of MaeMae's fudge
. When it was cooked, they ate it out of bowls with spoons while it was still warm and soft.

The smooth chocolate candy filled with walnuts melted in Joelette's mouth
. She chased the sweetness with a tall glass of cold milk. She looked at her sons' faces. Grins with teeth covered with the dark chocolate lit up their expressions. They needed this party. Joelette glanced over at Mansir.

Mansir looked up and offered another smile
. Joelette's heart skipped a beat and she looked away. “MaeMae, you always know just what this family needs. Thank you.”

“
Who doesn’t like a party, and it might even make a few of us feel better. Ozamae, is it time for your game?” MaeMae took the scraped clean bowls into the kitchen, then returned to her seat.

Ozamae stood in the center of the living room and started his instructions.

“Okay, this is how you play. I'll start first. I pretend I'm a certain animal, and you each have one question you can ask me about that animal. I can only answer yes or no. The first one to guess the animal gets to be next. Ready?”

Ozamae
had always been good at imitating animals. He was a natural. They all missed the first one. No one guessed an opossum. Even though Ozamae did everything but hang by his tail. Joelette laughed so hard, her side hurt. But T-Boy guessed the second one, an owl. The game continued and at last Mansir guessed one and it became his turn.

Mansir laid his long body on the floor and crawled up to T-Boy and raised his head, opened his eyes wide and then showed his teeth
. The boys howled. “Did a man grab a small boy and run from you up a hill?” Joelette asked, smiling in spite of herself.

“
Yes.” Mansir turned his head to face her and showed his teeth again.

“
Did a big strong man catch you on his crab line?” T-Boy asked in between bouts of laughter.

“
Yes,” said Mansir. He inched a little closer to Ozamae.

“
Are you a gator?” Ozamae squealed.

“
Yes. And a very hungry one.” He answered as he grabbed a squirming screaming Ozamae.

It felt good to laugh again
. Joelette wiped the tears of laughter away and she looked into MaeMae’s watchful eyes. Her shrewd mother-in-law wore a knowing smile.

T-Boy read his chapter next, his voice clear as he read the passage from his beloved book
. “’Yes, m'lady, as you wish’,” said the knight.” Then he looked up at Mansir, admiration shone in his eyes. “M'lady is what you call Mom sometimes. Just like Sir Lancelot.”

Neither Mansir nor Joelette looked at each other or responded to T-Boy
’s announcement.

He finished reading the chapter and closed the book
. “Whose turn is it? Yours, Mom, or Mansir’s?”

“
I would like to go last, if that is alright,” Mansir asked before Joelette could volunteer.

“
All right.” She stood and put her fiddle under her chin and poised her bow over the strings. “Any requests? But no sad slow song please, and let’s keep away from waltzes.”

“
I know. Play that swamp monster song. And let MaeMae tell the story. Please,” Ozamae begged.

“
That story keeps you up at night,
Cher
.” MaeMae pulled Ozamae into her lap.

“
Not anymore. I promise. I'm bigger now. I love that story. Please? Please?”

“
Okay, but don't you come crawling into bed with me tonight,” Joelette said, winking at her youngest son.

Joelette began to play
the eerie melody.

“
Loup Garou
is a legendary character of the swamp, half-man and half-wolf,” MaeMae started the story of the swamp monster. “Those that see him say he is a sight to behold, with large white teeth and a wolf tail, don’t you know. He loves the beautiful Charlene with all his heart, and wants to make her, his. When she tells him she loves him not, but is in love with Gaston, the fisherman, things go bad, real bad.

“
Loup Garou
promises that Charlene will never belong to another, but only to him. Charlene and Gaston plan an escape, and they take the fisherman's boat and cross the bayou to the river over to the ocean and disappear forever.
Loup Garou
is heartsick and goes mad and runs away into the swamp.” MaeMae paused and looked around at her audience. “Some say,” she said in a quieter voice. “You can hear his chilling laughter and sad sobs and moans for his lost love as he roams the swamp in the dark of the night.” Her voice grew louder. “Listen. Can you hear him?”

Joelette's bow seemed to make the fiddle cry, then moan and howl for
Loup Garou’s
Charlene. A loud gust of wind caught the tin roof and made a loud popping noise, making everyone jump. Ozamae shrieked.

“
Mansir, I think you might as well plan to sleep in your room tonight this is no weather to be on the road,” MaeMae said.

Mansir let out the breath and put his hand to his chest
. “
That
is not a good bed time story for anyone. Ozamae, you can get in bed with me if you can't sleep. That's if I don't crawl into your bed first.”

The boys laughed, and T-Boy looked Mansir over
. “I don't think you will come close to fitting in Ozamae's bed.”

“
You’d be surprised how small I can fold up.” He stood and cupped T-Boy’s face in his hand. “That’s a hard act to follow, but I think it’s my turn.” Mansir retrieved the box he had brought in earlier. “I wanted to tell all of you how thankful I am that you saved my life and how much, you all mean to me.” He took an object out of the box wrapped in a newspaper and tied with twine and handed it to Ozamae.

“
I made each of you a little something. Let's start with the youngest.”

Ozamae’s face lit up
. “Oh boy, presents. This is the best ’just because’ party ever.” Tearing the paper away revealed a well-crafted wooden box with a lid that slid away from the top. He slid back the lid and discovered the box held a dozen hand carved animals. Each meticulously detailed. “Wow, Mom look, it's One Eye Blanc.” Ozamae held up a small crane with a fish hanging out of his beak.

“
These are all so beautiful.” Joelette inspected each animal one at a time. She looked up at Mansir unable to hide her surprise. “You do beautiful work.”

“
You like them?” Mansir asked, relieved that his gift was appreciated.

“
They are the best,” Ozamae said as he flung his skinny little arms around Mansir's neck.”

“
Your turn, T-Boy.” Mansir handed him a gift about the same size.

T-Boy un-wrapped his package a little slower, another box appeared, but when he slid the top off it revealed a hand-carved chess set
. One set of chess pieces were carved in a dark colored wood the other in a light colored wood.

“
If you turn the box over, the bottom is the chess board.” Mansir said.

T-Boy ran his fingers over the chess top tracing each block of inlaid wood
. “I don't know how to play,” he said so softly that he could barely be heard.