Gaither Sisters Trilogy Collection by Rita Williams-Garcia

Author:Rita Williams-Garcia
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2018-09-10T00:00:00+00:00

Sweetie and Honey

Pa came home early enough that night to have dinner with us, but he didn’t come alone. While we sat at the table and Vonetta filled in Miss Marva Hendrix on how good of a saver she was, I heard Pa in the kitchen, taking a tone with Big Ma I had never heard him use. “Get used to it, Ma,” I heard him say.

I pretended not to hear and so did Miss Marva Hendrix, but we both knew what was simmering in the kitchen besides gravy. Big Ma didn’t care for Miss Marva Hendrix too much, but Pa refused to yes her like he did when they’d had words about Cecile.

My stomach knotted and rumbled from hunger and funny feelings. I wanted Pa to win the fuss going on in the kitchen because he was my pa. I wanted Big Ma to win because she didn’t punish me for getting myself in detention. And I guess I was a little mad at Pa because he never fought for Cecile to stay.

Vonetta went on and on about all the money we were saving and how she made sure Fern and I didn’t waste our money buying candy, airmail stamps, and mooning over boys in Oakland. Then she ran to her room, brought out the jar all taped up, and shook it for all of us to hear. Even Uncle Darnell perked up when he heard the coins shaking. Then she put her mummy jar back in the room. Miss Marva Hendrix couldn’t say enough nice things about Vonetta and how she was doing a good job.

I put up with Vonetta because we were almost halfway to Madison Square Garden. In less than six weeks we’d see Jackie, Tito, and the rest of their brothers live onstage. That was worth Vonetta crowing over her job as our saver, and boy, did she crow.

Big Ma brought out the pork shoulder and burnt gravy.

Pa shooed Vonetta out of the seat next to his fiancée. He pecked Miss Marva Hendrix on the forehead, and Fern said, “Ew. Mushy and gushy.”

Big Ma said, “Let’s not have any of that mushy and gushy at the table.”

Then Pa gave Miss Marva Hendrix a real smack on the lips, and instead of being mad or sickened, I surprised myself and laughed out loud.

“A mercy, a mercy. Bless the table.”

When Miss Marva Hendrix added, “And all of us gathered here,” she didn’t know that wasn’t the blessing. Just Big Ma telling Pa to say grace. Pa said, “Amen. Let’s eat,” and that was that. Then Big Ma gave a look to Pa. The same “mark my words” look that she gave when he spared me from the whipping rod. Pa acted like he didn’t catch Big Ma’s look.

If Uncle Darnell was being his jokester self, he would have gone over to one of us and planted a big smack on our lips. But Darnell sat curled over, sniffling back snot, his lids droopy. No matter how much rest they gave him at that hospital in Honolulu, he stayed sick and sleepy.

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