Fire & Brimstone by Laurinda D. Brown

Author:Laurinda D. Brown
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Strebor Books International LLC

Gayle’s mother, Sadie, and Chris had become exceptionally close during those nine months. On Sunday afternoons, dinner at Sadie’s didn’t start until Chris had arrived. Sadie seemed to be the link to Gayle’s sometimes crude behavior since they were so much alike. She didn’t speak much about it until one Sunday afternoon when Gayle had to sing at Mt. Canaan. Chris went along this time because, with one car, it was the only way that she was going to get to eat.

“Hey, Sadie! How ya doing, Sweet Sadie?” Chris always called her that.

“Fine, baby. How’s my other daughter doing today?”

“We’re hungry,” Chris said, rubbing her stomach. “What did you cook? I hope you cooked some greens.”

Sadie responded, “It’s a surprise. I think you’ll be pleased though.” She touched Chris’ belly. “Comin’ right along, ain’t you?”

“Don’t remind me. I feel as big as a house. I can’t even wear my church shoes anymore.”

“Well, y’all leaving to go on over to the house when she finishes, right?”

“We’re going to have to. This baby can’t wait another minute to eat. We had a small lunch.” Chris laughed. “And that isn’t going to get it.”

Sadie made sure that Chris was seated comfortably at the end of the pew and handed her a program. “Is this the first time you’ve ever heard her sing?”

“Uh-huh.”

“I see. Well, I think she’ll make you proud. She has a way of getting to people with her singing. I guess that’s why she never talks much. You know, has she ever told you why we ain’t that close?”

“No, she hasn’t but, then again, there’s a lot she doesn’t tell me. She always seems to think that the whole world is against her. I do what I can for her, but it never seems to be enough.”

“Has she ever told you about her little girl?”

Chris turned and looked Sadie straight in the eyes. “What?”

“She had a baby the January before she started school, and it was a little girl. She didn’t want to have anything to do with her because she’d just gotten into this thing that y’all do and didn’t want to be bothered. She said that a baby would tie her down, so she chose to give it away.”

“Where’s the baby now?”

“She’s with that girl.”

“What girl?”

“Sheila. You know anything about her?”

“A little. Gayle has mentioned her a couple of times. She never really goes into much detail about her. I only know that she’s the sister of this guy named Roosevelt that used to like Gayle. Sadie, you know she tells me only what she wants me to know.”

“Roosevelt loved that girl, and Gayle was too stupid to see it. After the baby was born, she said that she didn’t want the baby anywhere near her, so Sheila took my only grandchild and left. Chris, I was so pissed, I mean—’scuse me, Lord—upset with her. That was my first grandchild. I think that Gayle was trying to get back at me for giving her to my sister.”

“Who? Sara? You gave her to Sara?”

Sadie grabbed Chris’ hand and squeezed it tight.

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