Julia 06 - Miss Julia's School of Beauty by Ross Ann B

Author:Ross, Ann B [Ross, Ann B]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780143036708
Google: K4NnDJp76EAC
Amazon: 014303670X
Goodreads: 668552
Publisher: Penguin
Published: 2005-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 24

With no water in the house, except what was still seeping from the kitchen ceiling, we decided to go to Sam’s house for dinner. I’d called James to let him know we were coming, and you would’ve thought I’d given him a present.

“Y’all jus’ come right on over here,” he said. “I’ll put something on what be the best dinner you ever had. You tell Miss Lillian she don’t have to lift a hand. I’m cookin’ tonight!”

And he did give us an outstanding meal, though no better than Lillian could’ve done. I didn’t tell him that, though, just complimented him and thanked him for saving us from eating at Hazel Marie’s favorite hamburger place.

Lillian, herself, was less than gracious, sullenly letting James fill some Tupperware containers to take home for Latisha’s supper. “We ought to be mopping up that water,” she told me. “It gonna rot out the flo’boards.”

She was not happy with the way matters stood, and James’s antics didn’t help. I walked into Sam’s kitchen and caught him jiving around her, chanting, “Po’ Miss Lillian ain’t got no kitchen. Can’t do no cookin’, ’thout no kitchen.”

Lillian was so mad she didn’t see me, and I’m not sure it would’ve mattered if she had. She picked up a long wooden spoon and waved it at him. “How you like tryin’ to cook with yo’ head rollin’ down Main Street? You sorry thing you, git off from me an’ stay off.”

I cleared my throat, and they backed away, both looking a little shamefaced. James, though, was full of himself and couldn’t stop smiling. I wished Lillian good night, assured her that we’d soon have the water back on, and sent her off, only slightly mollified.

“Lord, Hazel Marie,” I said, as we entered our damp house a little while later. “I don’t think I can take another catastrophe. If it’s not a broken water line, it’s James and Lillian at each other. I hope I can stand up under it all.”

“I just hope our beds’re dry, that’s all I hope.”

Even though Lillian had mopped the stairs and the kitchen before we’d gone to dinner, water had continued to seep down and collect in the corners. Hazel Marie and I delayed our bedtime to swab up the puddles and wipe down the walls.

“Careful on the stairs, Hazel Marie,” I said, as she went up to bed. “They may be slick.”

By the time I’d locked up and gotten to my room, I was almost too tired to prepare for bed. I glanced at the clock, noting that it was not as late as it felt, but wondered why Sam had not called back as he’d told Miss Wiggins he would.

I slid off my shoes and started rolling down my hose, almost tripping myself, getting to the phone when it rang.

Expecting Sam and ready to unburden this latest disaster onto him, I eagerly answered it. Instead of Sam’s warm voice, though, I heard a deeper, more rhythmic one.

“Good evening, madam. Aaron Kincaid calling for Mr.

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