4. Talitha
Talitha
“Gema!” I yelled through the house. “Are you ready to go?”
“Stop all that hollering,” she fussed. Rolling her bag into the living room, Gema pushed it over to me and grabbed ahold to the back of the couch. “I’on see why Litha wanna run up here now. Ain’t like she been trying to come.”
“Neither do I. But you gotta go. Uncle Willie Earl ‘nem waiting on you.”
“Willearl could’ve brought his ass up here. I’on got time to be hearing ya’ mama mouth. Bad enough she done let Joe Lee rent my house out to somebody I ain’t never even met.”
By the tone of her voice, one would think Gema was playing. I knew better. When I told her what my egg donor had done with her house, she was cursing up a storm. It wasn’t until I got Betty Jo on the phone did, she calm down.
Jalitha was the only person who didn’t see an issue with her having random people in my granny’s house. I told her ass if they tore anything up, her and that husband of hers that she worshipped so much better had fixed it or I would see their ass in court.
“You gon’ fuss the whole way back home or try to enjoy yourself?” I finally asked.
“I’m gon’ fuss!” she assured me.
Shaking my head, I zipped up the jacket of her jogging suit and smoothed out her edges.
The weather was fair back at home, so I had packed her a suitcase full of two-piece jogging suits.
That way if she got hot, she could take the jacket off and still be presentable.
The entire time I was getting her dressed, she was fussing.
I wholeheartedly believed had it been anybody else that was coming to pick her up, she wouldn’t have mind.
The fact that my mama went against mine and Gema wishes and rented out her house had her on Gema radar, and baby she wasn’t happy at all.
I knew for a fact she was gon’ give my mama an ear full the minute they pulled away from the house.
“One week Tali. I’m only gon’ stay for one week. By Sunday morning, you or Jessie better be on the way to pick me up.”
“Today is just Monday, Gema. What if they want you to stay longer?”
“One week Talitha,” she groused, letting me know just how serious she was.
“One week. You got all your medicine?”
“You would know. You the one packed the bag.”
“Well, I’mma do a quick sweep around your room to make sure.”
Grabbing her by the hand, I walked her over to the couch and waited for her to take a seat. I wanted to make sure she had everything she would need to make it through the next week. I had even packed her bible and a bag of candy that her ass didn’t need.
I didn’t need them depriving her of anything cause that’s exactly what my spiteful ass mama would do the minute she got her back to the country.
I had gone out and bought her a cell phone and programmed my number along with Mrs. Jessie’s so she could call us, you know in case she decided she was ready to leave earlier than expected.
I know the only reason she agreed was cause the rest of her kids wanted her to come down.
If it wasn’t for that, she wouldn’t be going anywhere with my mama and her husband.
Make no mistakes, if my Gema called me and told me to come pick her up, I was blowing the highway down to get to her.
I didn’t care what time or day it was. I would drop everything just for her.
Wrapping her phone charger up, I placed it along with her phone in her pocketbook and slung it over my shoulder. “You was gon’ leave up out of here without yo’ phone.”
“Chile, I had forgot all about that thang,” she laughed. “Ain’t like I got nobody to call anyway.”
“You got me and Mrs. Jessie. She said she didn’t mind if you called her.
She’s gonna be checking in with you anyway.
Ya’ know, to make sure you taking your medicine on schedule.
Speaking of schedule, she wrote down the time and names of the things you gotta take.
I already told Betty Jo to look out for it. ”
Frowning her face up Gema sucked her teeth. “Betty Jo ain’t gotta look out for nothing. I know what to take.”
“Ummhmm. Sure, you do.” Placing the purse down beside her, I laid on the couch and stretched out.
“You done sent me off to these strange people. What you gon’ do while I’m gone?”
Clutching my chest, I laughed, “Gema, that’s your daughter, not a stranger. And I gotta work.”
“Ain’t you should’ve been gone?”
“I’m the director which means I come and go as I please. Besides, I’ve got a doctor’s appointment at noon. I’m going in after I’m done.”
“You alright? What you need to see the doctor ‘bout?”
“Routine checkup.”
The ringing of the doorbell had Gema sucking her teeth so hard. “Lord, that girl gon’ live a long time. We was just talking ‘bout her.”
“I’on think that’s how it works.” I giggled and got up from the couch.
Unlatching the hook on the door, I unlocked it presenting my mama who stood on the porch with a scowl on her face. “Hello to you too mother.” I called to her back as she brushed pass me and into my house.
Ignoring me she rounded the couch and stood over my granny. “Mama you ‘bout ready to go?”
“I reckon.” Gema shrugged.
“Well come on. Joe Lee wanna stop and grab something to eat before getting back on the road. We tryna beat the rain.”
“Help her out to the car and I’ll get her bags.”
“Ummhmm,” she muttered.
My eyes rolled instantly. Heffa wouldn’t know a thing about being pleasant if it popped her in the mouth.
Grabbing Gema’s luggage and pocketbook, I walked out of the house behind them.
My mama’s husband spoke to Gema as soon as she walked out the door.
Me on the other hand, his ass knew not to say shit to me.
This lil’ visit would go from sugar to shit in a matter of seconds.
Gema knew it and so did I. That’s why she called my name and told me to hurry up and put her bags in the trunk.
The way I felt ‘bout Joe Lee, Gema felt the same. Hell, even Papa Joe couldn’t stand his ass, and it wasn’t for nothing.
Joe Lee was foul and everybody including my mama knew it, but she chose to keep his trifling ass around.
Crouching down by the back door, I fastened Gema seat belt and whispered in her ear. “One wrong move, you call me. If I don’t answer call, Mrs. Jessie. She knows how to get in touch with me.”
Instead of responding, Gema nodded her head. “I’m serious Bertha Mae. If at any point you feel uncomfortable, I will come get you. I don’t mind. I’m only letting you go without me cause I gotta work and I know the rest of ‘em will be around. If he says anything to you”
Gema patted me on the hand and shook her head, letting me know to drop it. She knew I was getting ready to go off on a tangent. Hell, the way my heart was pounding in my chest, I was about ready to call this whole thing off. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust my mama.
Well, I didn’t in a sense. But it was another thing to send my granny two hours away for a whole week. Especially knowing she would be under the same roof as my mama trifling ass husband.
Instead of arguing with her, I pecked her on the cheek and stood up. “I’ll call you later on today. Make sure you answer the phone.”
“I will. Love you, Tali.”
“Love you more, Gema.”
Stepping back, I closed her door and wrapped my arms around my body. My anxiety was peaking and the longer I stood there, the more my eyes filled with tears.
I was having that feeling like something bad was going to happen and I just couldn’t put your finger on it.
Yeah, that’s what I was feeling in this moment.
I didn’t want to be combative and tell my mama she couldn’t go; I mean after all, I did abruptly uproot her from her life and her home so, it wouldn’t be fair of me to do that.
But God so help me, if Gema came back to me with a single hair missing from her head, I was gon’ beat the shit out of my mama and her husband.
I stood in the same spot and watched Joe Lee pull the car out of my driveway. The whole time I stood there, I prayed to God for him to watch over my granny and bring her home safe and unharmed. Now that I’d prayed about it, I had to let it go and give it to God.
But Lord, I promise that was a hard task to do. I took a few more minutes to get myself together before spinning and heading back toward the house so I could get ready for my appointment.
* * *
“You okay?” Rossi asked the minute he stepped through my office door.
When I made it in for the day, he was away from his desk, so he didn’t see me.
Now that he had returned, it would take an act of congress to get his ass out of my office.
And normally I would dismiss him but today I welcomed the distractions.
“I’ve been better,” I sighed.
“She’s gone?”
Rolling my head to ease the tension I nodded. “Yep.”
“Everything is going to be okay Tali.”
“I know Rossi. This is the first time we’ve been apart and I’m just… Having reservations,” I revealed.
“That’s natural. If that evil witch does anything to my Gema, we gon’ be suited and booted,” he sassed, making me laugh.
Rossi knew all about my disdain for my mama and exactly how close I was to Gema.
I didn’t let anyone I didn’t know on a personal level meet my Gema but one day she and I were out having brunch and Rossi just so happened to be in the same spot.
I introduced the two of them and he had been smitten ever since.
“I can always count on you to make me feel better.”
Kicking his leg out dramatically, he sat down in one of my chairs. “Since you don’t have Gema to look after, what you say about us hanging out tonight?”
“Rossi,” I groaned. “I gotta get up early in the morning. Me and Law are supposed have a business meeting.”
Raising his eyebrow in interest, Rossi tucked his hand under his chin. “When did you start referring to him as Law?”
“When he said Mr. Harvey was too formal.” I shrugged. “Not a big deal.”
“You do know the last director was his girlfriend, right?” Rossi questioned.