When Everything's Said & Done (2 page)

They waved. Warren moved the small grocery sack
to the crook of his arm to free one of his hands. He waved back enthusiastically.

“Mama, why don’t you ever ask Warren and Miss Lucille to come to church like you ask Miss Nebia?” Annette said. “Miss Nebia always says no, and you don’t even ask Miss Lucille.”

“I have asked them, baby, but they choose not to come.”

“But Warren has told me he’d like to come,” An
nette protested.

“Annette, have you ever seen any white people at our church?” Cora asked.

“No.”

“Don’t you get it? Warren’s mother Lucille is white, and they don’t want white people at our church,” Cora continued.

“That’s not true, Cora,” her mother replied.

“Well, why don’t any white people come?” Cora in
sisted.

“It’s just that they don’t feel comfortable,” Brenda explained.

“How do you know?” Cora said, rolling her eyes.

“I just know,” Brenda retorted.

“But Miss Lucille feels comfortable enough living in the apartment in back of us, and we’re black,” Annette rationalized. “Plus, Warren’s father is black.”

“But that’s different,” Brenda stated matter of factly. “It’s because Warren’s father is black that she’s living be
hind us. I don’t think she’d be accepted by her own folks.”

“Just
like white people wouldn’t be accepted at Ebenezer,” Cora added as they joined a crowd of people making their way to the double doors.

Annette looked discouraged. “I don’t think it’s right. Nobody’s special in God’s eyes. Everybody’s the same. And you know people don’t think Warren is white anyway.”

“Shhh... ” Laura pressed her index finger against her lips. “Now, that’s enough of that talk. You all go find a seat inside the church.” She advised once they made it inside, “I’m supposed to help out today, so I’ll join you shortly.” Laura watched Brenda, Cora and Annette walk down front and take a seat in the second pew. Afterward, she headed toward the church offices.

Laura liked the way she felt when she was in the Lord’s house. Ebenezer was a holy place, made that much more special because of the people she had come to know: The reverend and Mrs. Parker, the deacons and the Mothers of Ebenezer, as well as the rest of the members. Laura hoped to hold a titled position in the church one day. It was a small congregation and she looked at it as her extended family.

The office door was open and Laura entered without hesitation. Service would start soon, so she made a beeline for the closet where the collection baskets were kept. Laura stepped inside the closet that was lined with shelves full of things that made church life easier. She saw the baskets stacked in a familiar corner. She reached for them as voices came through the thin clapboard walls. Laura stood still when she heard crying.

“
What are you saying?” the question was interspersed with sniffs.

“I’m simply saying. Sister Matthews, that your daugh
ter must have misunderstood Reverend Parker’s actions.” “Misunderstood?” Sister Matthews’ voice rose. “I don’t know how else she was suppose to take it. She said he put his hand on her breast, squeezed it, then tried to kiss her. ”

“Now, Sister Matthews—”

“And then when she told Reverend Parker to stop, he told her he didn’t know why she was protesting ’cause he could tell from the way she was messin’ around with some of the boys in the church that she was letting them do the same thing.”

“Now wait a minute, Sis—”

“And when she insisted he stop. Reverend got angry and told her he didn’t want her no way. She said he said, ‘Why would I mess with hamburger when I can go after steak like Cora Robinson?”

Laura nearly knocked the baskets over when she heard her fourteen-year-old daughter’s name.

“Sister Matthews, you gon’ have to calm down.” The deacon’s voice was no longer friendly. “You can’t go around making accusations like that against somebody unless you got proof.”

“My daughter’s word is my proof.”

“Well. You know you’re forcing me to say this.” There was a moment of silence. “She does have quite a reputation in the neighborhood, and some of that is your fault.”

“What?”

“I’ve heard you let her go to that tavern next door to your house.”

“Yes, she has gone over there in the daytime to get a soda when they are preparing to open for business later on, but she’s never been in Lucky’s while it was selling liquor.”

“Can you say so much for yourself?” The words were full of accusation.

“Pardon me.”

“I said, can you swear on the Bible that since you’ve been a member of Ebenezer, that you have never been over in that devil’s playhouse drinking with the rest of them folks? And we all know what goes on in them dark corners of drinking.”

“Well, I—^I...” Sister Matthews stumbled.

“Now look. Sister Matthews,” the deacon’s voice turned placating again, “I don’t want to bring up all this unpleasantness. So, let’s just forget about the whole thing, and none of you will have to be brought down front to face the congregation.”

Laura heard crying again. That was enough for her. She left the baskets where they were.

Laura was shaking when she left the church office. At first she walked slowly as if she were in a daze. But the more Laura thought about what she had overheard, the faster she went. When Laura entered the church hall Reverend Parker was taking the mic. His strong bass voice boomed above the rest of the congregation as the service opened with a hymn. “I want to be more and more like Jesus every day. So meek and lowly, so high and holy. I want to be more and more like Jesus every day.”

Laura didn’t take her eyes off of the reverend as she marched down to where her daughters sat. The closer she got the more she locked into Reverend Parker’s gaze, until finally she stood before him. In a voice loud enough for everybody to hear, Laura said, “If I ever hear that you have even tried to put your hands on one of my girls, you’re going to need God and the devil to get me off of you.” The church went as quiet as a tomb. Then Laura turned to Brenda, Annette and Cora and said, “Let’s go home.” She walked out of Ebenezer with a confused Annette, be
wildered Brenda and an impressed Cora behind her.

Nebia’s Story...

Cynthia swatted at a mosquito. “I can see myself doing something just like that if I thought some man was trying to mess with a child of mine. Preacher or not.” She huffed then added softly, “That is, if I had children.”

“I can, too,” Sheila seconded her. “Man I wish I could have seen the looks on the folks’ faces in that church.”

“Laura never set foot in that church again,” Nebia said, her voice low. “But the girls...now, that’s a different story. Annette became deeply religious and Brenda attended church regularly.” She paused. “Just last year the old Ebenezer Church building was demolished, and a new brick building went up four blocks away.”

“I don’t think she should have stopped going to church,” Erica said. “Miss Laura should have told the girl’s father and let him handle it.” A mischievous look crossed her face. “I’ve never heard of a preacher get
ting beat up in his own church before.”

“But there’s a first time for everything.” Cynthia laughed.

“In all the years that I’ve lived here—” Nebia patted her hands “—and that’s been forty-something years because I moved in right before Cora was born, I saw Steven Robinson twice. He had his own set of problems, and he was just too restless to stay around a house with a woman and three girls. I think Cora got some of her restlessness from her daddy.”

“So he left them?” Sheila asked.

“You could say that, although the truth is he was never really with them,” Nebia replied. “He was gone all the time. Steven just kinda came and went until he stopped doing that.”

“I wonder if that messed with them...the girls. You know what I mean? Mama always said we wouldn’t have had so much mouth if our father had lived to see us grown.”

Nebia pursed her lips. “I believe it affected them. Yes, I surely do. I say that because Brenda tried to become the father after he really left. Then Annette, she wanted to make everything perfect because she felt her life wasn’t. And Cora...” Nebia shook her head. “Cora wasn’t afraid of anything. Cora was a treasure chest that could come up with what everybody needed. And she was Laura’s favorite because of it. Everybody knew that.”

CHAPTER 3

“I told you if you ever messed with Annette again—” Cora walked up on the girl after school “— was going to kick your ass. So you think she’s crazy cuz she carries a Bible around and tries to change fools like you. Well, I’m gon’ show you crazy.” Cora grabbed the girl’s head at the base of her two fake afro puffs and pulled it down. Then she kneed her between her legs. The girl fell with Cora on top of her whaling away. One of the afro puffs was in her fist. A crowd gathered around them, and the only voice that seemed able to penetrate Cora’s rage was Brenda’s as she pulled at her shoulders.

“That’s enough, Cora. I said that’s enough.” Brenda wouldn’t let her go. “We better get out of here before the principal or one of the teachers comes.”

Cora got up and dropped the afro puff on the ground beside the girl. “So I guess you won’t break nobody else’s glasses,” she announced as she patted her own afro into place, pulled down her ribbed T-shirt and dusted off her elephant leg pants.

The crowd was hashing over the results of the fight
when Brenda and Cora passed by as they headed home. Annette was already there. She had gotten out of school early for a doctor’s appointment. Her eyes grew large when she saw Cora.

“How did you get that big scratch on your face? ” she asked when they walked through the door.

“She beat that girl up that broke your glasses,” Brenda replied.

“No, you didn’t!” Annette proclaimed.

“Humph! Yes, I did,” Cora said. “I held back when she said all that stuff about you and when she put that chewed-up food in your hair. But, Annette, she broke the camel’s back when she broke your glasses.”

“Cora-a! I’m fourteen years old, and I don’t need you going around beating people up for me. That’s exactly what I don’t want anyone doing. Fighting and hurting one another. ”

“Well it’s too late now cuz you can believe she’s hurt,” Brenda said, bowing her head. Then she started to laugh. “And I thought I’d die when Cora dropped her afro puff on the ground beside her. ”

“You mean her hair came off?” Annette’s eyes opened wider.

“Not only did it come off,” Brenda said in stitches, “but Cora was beating the girl with the hairpiece still in her hand.”

Annette looked at Cora. Cora looked at Annette, and they burst out laughing. The three of them laughed
until they cried. They laughed until Annette started to prance in order not to wet herself.

“Uh-oh.” Cora stopped suddenly. “Here comes Mama. How did she get off from work so early?”

“I don’t know, but you know she doesn’t want us fighting,” Brenda reminded her. “And here you are, sixteen, doing it.” She made a noise. “What are you going to tell her about that scratch on your face?”

“I don’t know, but I’ll think of something.” Cora watched through the sheers as her mother approached their sidewalk.

“You better hurry up because here she comes.” Apprehension was all over Annette’s face.

“I’m going up to Nebia’s.” Cora headed for the back door. “You all tell Mama that Nebia promised to show me some new things with her herbs.”

“Look, I’m not about to start lying to Mama,” Annette said. “I’ll tell her you’re over there but that’s all.” “Well, I guess that’s going to have to do,” Cora said as she came back and mushed her sister’s cheeks. “When it gets dark enough I’ll come to the screen door and tell Mama Nebia’s invited me to dinner. That way, by the time she really sees the scar tomorrow, Nebia and I will have it well on its way to being healed.”

Cora went out the door and squeezed through the slats that divided their porch from Nebia’s. She tapped on the screen door but didn’t wait for an answer be
fore she went inside.

“It’s me, Nebia. Where are you?”

“I’m right here.”

Cora followed Nebia’s voice to the kitchen. “What are you doing?”

Nebia kept her back turned. “I’m fixin’ up a poultice for Mrs. Winfrey down the street.”

“What’s in it?” Cora leaned in for a look.

“You tell me,” Nebia replied.

Cora studied the herbs that were piled into the cen
ter of the small linen square. Then she leaned over closer and smelled it. “I’d say garlic, burdock and goldenseal.”

“That’s right, but you missed this right here.” Nebia nudged some dark green crumbled bits of dried leaves with her index fingertip. “That’s comfrey.”

“Oh. Okay.” Cora looked behind her. “Nebia, can I break off a piece of your aloe plant, to put on this scratch?”

Nebia looked at Cora’s face for the first time. “After you put some tea tree oil on it.” She went back to the poultice. Nebia closed it then tied it with string. “You been fighting?”