Buryin' Daddy by Nicholas Teresa;
Author:Nicholas, Teresa;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: University Press of Mississippi
Published: 2011-08-15T00:00:00+00:00
Sixteen
A broad-faced, middle-aged man came right over to greet Mama, who didnât say a word; she just nodded and let Debbie do the talking. My sister asked this vice president if we could speak in his office, and after we were seated, if he could advise us about the status of Daddyâs accounts. I was convinced we were making fools of ourselves, until he said he would print out the up-to-the-minute balances. After he left, it was my turn to tap my feet.
âHold them legs still, youngâun,â Mama told me. âI feel higher ân cat hairs, and youâre shakinâ the whole place down.â Then she drew a piece of Juicy Fruit out of her pocketbook and began to chew.
âDaddy couldnât have saved a lot more on his salary,â I said.
âTreesa, Iâll lay you a dollar to a dingbat he had money in this here bank.â She turned to Gerry. âYouâre thinkinâ this family donât got all its noodles cooked, ainât you?â
âNot at all,â he replied, giving us the benefit of the doubt.
When the vice president returned, he was smiling and waving a piece of paper. âHere are the figures for checking and savings,â he announced.
We stared at the total. Finally Mama said, âWell, really.â
Debbie asked if Mama had check-writing privileges, something weâd forgotten about at Delta National. But the vice president said no, the accounts were in Daddyâs name only.
âThat money ainât mine,â Mama said flatly.
âMama, it will be,â Debbie answered, not stopping to explain.
We stumbled out of the bank, across Main Street, and into the Oldsmobile. Debbie pulled a notepad and pen from her handbag and started computing. Altogether, she announced, Daddy was worth nearly six figures. Then she returned the pen and pad to the bag and shut the clasp with a snap.
âWow,â I said. âWow.â
After that stroke of insight, no one said anything. Gerry drove the car in the gutter, the way Daddy used to, at five miles an hour. We passed the courthouse, St. Maryâs rectory, and the First Methodist and Presbyterian churches, staring out the windows as if weâd never seen these places before. We passed the fancy Victorians on Grand AvenueâDr. Moorheadâs, behind its wrought-iron fence; the Clarksâ, with its wraparound porch; the Ericksonsâ, with its stained-glass windows.
Then I realized something surprising: I wasnât angry that Daddy had hoarded money while he made us live like paupers. I wasnât angry that heâd kept it a secret. What I felt was reliefâMama would be taken care of. And I thought of what Mama had said to me, that I didnât know my daddy. Just where had he gotten all that money, on his salary? Finally I asked, âMama, what do you think?â
âWhat do I think?â she repeated. âAbout what?â
âAbout everything. Where did he get the money?â
âI donât know,â she said, still looking out her window. We were passing Kingâs Daughters Hospital. âExcept that he pinched everâ penny he could. He was good at it.â
I asked, âDo you think he stole from Great-Uncle Dan?â
She twisted in her seat to face me.
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