Lost Daughters by Mary Monroe

Author:Mary Monroe [Monroe, Mary]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Contemporary Women, Contemporary, Fiction, African American, General, General Fiction
ISBN: 9780758274724
Google: LWtSngEACAAJ
Amazon: 0758274726
Publisher: Kensington
Published: 2013-05-15T22:07:32.007000+00:00

CHAPTER 35

MAUREEN HAD NOTICED HOW QUIET AND AGITATED VIRGIL APPEARED to be toward the end of the evening. She knew he had been under the weather lately, but he’d been sick before and she’d never seen him look so pitiful. She also knew that he still had flashbacks related to his ordeal in Vietnam. He didn’t like to talk about that experience, so it was rarely discussed. She assumed that that was the reason for his gloomy demeanor.

But Jay was a different story. Each time Maureen saw him now, he looked a little worse. The dark circles around his eyes made him look like a panda. The lines on his face, which had barely been noticeable before, now looked like they had been carved into his skin with a blade. A few times tonight he had spoken and moved like a robot. After he had nibbled on a short rib and swallowed a few sips of the tea that Loretta had made, he ignored everything else on the table—except the wine. It was the only thing that he and Virgil consumed more than anybody else.

Virgil was still not feeling well, so he wanted to get home and take a long bath, swallow some aspirin, and drink a huge hot toddy. He hugged Maureen and Loretta, nodded at Mel, and shook hands with Jay and wished him well. Then Virgil practically pushed Corrine out the front door.

After Jay had finished his fourth glass of wine, he was so tipsy it was a struggle for him to get up from the couch. He moved like a man twice his age. With an involuntary burp and a weak smile, he turned to Maureen and thanked her for inviting him to dinner, made a few comments to Mel and Loretta, and then prepared to leave.

Jay had come to Maureen’s apartment in a cab. It was a good thing he had done that. He had been so distraught and distracted lately that he didn’t feel safe driving his own car anyway. A look of relief had slid across his face when Maureen insisted on driving him home. She silently prayed that Mel would not offer to go with her, but a prayer wasn’t even necessary for that. As soon as Mel heard her offer to drive Jay home, he announced that he had some last-minute prints to develop and promptly excused himself. By the time Maureen had collected her purse and car keys, Mel had already disappeared from the room as swiftly as a thief.

Loretta got up off the couch and walked Jay and Maureen to the door. “It was nice meetin’ you, Mr. Jay. I hope you get over that kidnappin’ thing real soon,” she said, shaking her head and giving Jay a pitiful look. “I’m surprised you haven’t had a complete nervous breakdown by now.”

Jay chuckled. “I think I’ll be just fine, Loretta. Good luck with your future modeling assignments. If I don’t talk to you before your prom, have fun. I’ll attend your graduation if I can.

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