Red Light Wives by Mary Monroe

Author:Mary Monroe [Monroe, Mary]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Fiction, African American, General, Contemporary Women, Romance
ISBN: 9780758262707
Google: O_vRsRdhiMYC
Amazon: B0085SG95O
Publisher: Dafina
Published: 2010-06-01T19:45:22+00:00

Chapter 21

MEGAN O’ROURKE

To me, San Francisco and Oakland seemed to be on two different planets. Truth is, the San Francisco Bay, which takes about eight minutes to drive across on the Bay Bridge, is all that separates the two cities. As beautiful as San Francisco is, it is no paradise when it comes to crime, but the world had come to know Oakland as an absolute hellhole. It was the last place on Earth I wanted to be on a Saturday afternoon.

“You are going to Oakland alone? Have you lost your mind?” Mom’s horrified voice rang in my ear like a siren. The telephone suddenly felt like a piece of hot coal in my hand. “What does your husband have to say about this?”

“It was Robert’s idea, Mom,” I mumbled, shifting the receiver to my other hand, hoping to find something else to distract me. The cleaning woman who came in twice a week, kept everything looking showroom organized and clean. Even the telephone in my hand smelled like Lysol.

My mother had a hearing problem and refused to wear a hearing aid. She spoke in a voice that was so loud it almost pierced my ear. I didn’t look forward to my daily conversations with her. And it wasn’t just the volume of her voice that irritated me. Her special talent was making me feel like an idiot. “I don’t know about you, Meg. All that money you spent on that therapist was a waste. Can’t you find a suitable car in San Francisco? Do you really have to go to Oakland to buy one? And a used car at that.” My mother’s voice rose even higher. “And that’s another thing, what’s the point of buying a used car? You’ll just end up paying for the previous owner’s negligence. By the time it’s over and done with, you’ll have spent the same amount of money that you would have spent on a new car. Maybe even more. And why are you going to look for a car? That’s a man’s job.” There was a triumphant tone in the way Mom sniffed.

I held the telephone away from my face for a moment, rubbing my ear as Mom’s words continued to ring.

“Robert’s boss recommended this place, Mom. I’ve already visited six dealers in San Francisco. And, I am sure that women are intelligent enough to pick out a car.”

“Don’t you dare talk to me about intelligence. Do I have to remind you that you flunked out of college?” I could hear Mom sucking her teeth and mumbling novenas under her breath. “Do you still have that can of Mace I gave you?” My mother’s gruff voice was more irritating than fingernails scraping a blackboard.

“Yes, Mom. It’s in my purse.”

“Do you know how to use it?”

“I’m sure I could figure that out if and when I ever have to use it.”

“Make sure your cellular phone is working. If I don’t hear from you by four, I’m calling the police. What’s the name of that used car place you’re going to?”

“C and L Used Cars, Mom.

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