26. Talitha #2
“Thought you’d fucking see it my way.” Placing a hard kiss on my lips, he let my face go and held the door open for me. I guess he meant it when he said he wasn’t going to play about me either.
* * *
Because we were in such a rush to get down here, I hadn’t had the chance to reserve a hotel room. I would do that later; my first stop once we crossed into town was by my mama house.
When we pulled up and neither vehicle was parked out front, I drove to Willearl house.
When I whipped down the dirt road that led to his house, I could vaguely make out two bodies sitting on the front porch. The sun had begun to set, but to us country folk, that ain’t matter.
We would sit outside on the porch well into the night. Rolling my car to a stop, I threw it in park and got out.
“Tali, that’s you?” he asked and placed his hand over his eyes to get a good look.
“Yes sir,” I confirmed. “Uncle Willearl, you seen my Mama?”
“Her and Mama came by here earlier. When they left, she said she was going to sit by Louise house. Everything alright?”
“Yes sir, it is. I came to see Gema. I been calling her since yo’ sister snatched her up out of my house.”
“Litha said you couldn’t talk to Mama or you was gon’ go to jail.”
“She lied Willearl. I done told y’all stop listening to her so much. All she do is tell damn lies. My attorney said nowhere in the paperwork does it prevent me from being around Gema. She just can’t be at the house until the investigation is complete.”
“That got damn Litha. It don’t make no sense how evil she is,” he fussed. I couldn’t do anything but shake my head.
Willearl was standing on the porch in a pair of dusty black jeans that he had cut up to shorts, a dingy white t-shirt, and a pair of those God awful Hey Dudes. In his hand was his favorite Yeti cup that I’m almost positive was filled to the brim with some moonshine or something.
Meanwhile, Bonnie was sitting beside him in her dusty housecoat and hair all matted to her damn scalp. The sight of the two of them would’ve disgusted me had I not been fucking used to it.
“Aight Willearl. I’m bout to run by Louise and see if I can catch her over there.”
“How long ya’ gon’ be down here Tali?” he asked.
“For a couple of hours,” I lied just in case he tried to get on the phone with my mama and tell her I was staying in town. Her ass was so unpredictable, she probably would’ve packed up her and Gema shit and dipped out of town.
The second I was seated back in the car, I laid my head against the headrest.
“You okay?”
“Yeah. Sorry you gotta see all of this.” I waved my hand around the junky yard.
“It’s nothing.” Law shrugged.
He was saying that now, just wait until he saw the hotel I was planning on staying in. This small ass town didn’t have much to offer. The closest thing we had to luxury was the Home 2 Suite off the highway.
Louise stayed ten minutes from Willearl, so it took no time for me to pull up to her house. I was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief when I spotted my mama car in the driveway. Throwing my car in park, I unfastened my seat belt. “You coming in or staying out here?”
“Gema here?”
“Yeah. That’s my Mama car right there.” I nodded toward the black Mercedes in the driveway.
“Then I’m getting out.”
Reaching for the latch, I opened the door and stepped out. Law trailed behind me as I made my way up to the front door. Instead of knocking, I pushed that bitch open, cause let’s face it, we didn’t lock doors around here.
We were surrounded by family so the last thing we was worried about was somebody causing any harm.
“Tali!” Gema squealed when I walked in the door.
“Hey, my baby,” I gushed and ran over to her to. After pulling back from the hug, I checked her out from head to toe. At least they had sense enough to have her looking decent. Somebody had combed her salt and pepper hair up into a bun.
Gema had on one of those jogging suits that she loved and a fresh pair of gray and white New Balance sneakers on her feet. “They been taking good care of you?” I asked as sat down beside her on the worn sofa.
“They been doing aight,” she huffed and rolled her eyes.
“Do I need to call the law on you?” my mama rasped after stepping into the living room where we were with her hound dog following close behind her. “And who the fuck you done brought to my sister house?” she spat while looking Law up and down.
“Shut up Litha!” Gema scoffed. “Law baby, you can have a seat. I know it might not be much, but it’ll hold you.” She nodded toward the chair sitting beside us.
“You not gone stand up and give me my hug?” Law teased. Ignoring the daggers my mama was shooting at him, he walked over to Gema and helped her up from the couch. “We sure have missed you around the house,” he let her know.
“I miss y’all too.”
“Everything been good?” he asked, after helping her back down.
“Ummhmm. That one over there ain’t gave me no candy since I been here. Tali, you gon’ go to the Walmarts and get me some.”
“Yeah, Gema… I’ll get you some.” I laughed.
“That’s why her sugar been running so high now. She don’t need all that candy,” my mama hissed.
“Girl, you don’t know what fu—”
“Howard!” Law bleated. Had he not stepped in, I was getting ready to give her a piece of my mind.
“Anyway… Gema, yeah I’ll bring you some tomorrow.”
“You staying?” Gema asked, the way her eyes lit up, I could tell she was hoping I said yes.
“Yes baby. I’mma stay for a few days so I can spend some time with you. We came straight here after my meeting with my lawyer,” I said loud enough for my mama to hear me.
“I gotta go get us a room, we ain’t too long came back in town so after I’ve gotten some sleep, I’mma come pick you up and take you to get something to eat.”
“You ain’t taking her nowhere.”
Furrowing my brows, I stared at her through the slits of my eyes. “Girl.” I chuckled. “The best thing for you to do is leave me alone. I’ll be to your house as soon as I get up tomorrow.
Have my Grandma dressed, Jalitha, or I’mma give you a reason to call the law.”
Gema patted me on the hand. “Don’t do it, Tali. I’ll be ready to get picked up tomorrow. Call Betty Jo so she can be there in case she tries anything.”
“Believe me, I don’t need anybody. The judge gave me all the permission I need. She can play with me if she wants. Anyway, I gotta run by the bank and grab those papers out the safe deposit box but we will be here right after that.”
“That’s fine with me. I’ll be ready.”
“Alright baby. Have a good night. I’ll see you tomorrow.” I kissed her cheek before standing. Spinning toward my mama, I held my hand out. “Give me that phone.”
Clicking her tongue against her teeth she lied, “I’on got it. We left it at the house.”
“I want it tomorrow. You didn’t buy it nor do you pay the bill on it. You can’t control shit when it comes to something I pay.”
After Law said his goodbyes to Gema, we left out the house. The ride to town was quiet. So quiet I was starting to get uncomfortable. I knew Law wanted to say something and only refrained out of respect for me. He probably thought I would end up crying but it was actually the opposite.
I felt relieved, almost like that pressure in my chest had eased up and I could breathe better.
God was really on my mama side cause had I walked in and the outcome been different, I was whooping everybody ass that was in the house.
Now that I had put my eyes on Gema, I could finally get a good night’s rest.