The Gift of Family by Mary Monroe

Author:Mary Monroe [Monroe, Mary]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington
Published: 2020-06-12T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 14

It rained heavily the following Tuesday. Around three p.m., after my sixth telephone call from Eugene, and half as many from Min-jee and Genelle, Ethel entered the living room. I was lying on the couch, enjoying a cup of tea. She was holding a bucket that contained water and a sponge. She insisted on wiping down the kitchen appliances every other day.

“Why don’t you put that bucket down and sit down for a while? You’ve been up and about since you walked in the door,” I said, waving her to the love seat across from me.

“Well, for a few minutes, I guess.” She plonked down and set the bucket on the floor next to her feet.

“Ethel,” I began. “You sound and look tired. More than you did last week. It’s all right if you need to take a few days off. I can fend for myself.”

“Good gracious no, Rosemary. I agreed to stay for eight weeks every day, and that’s what I’m going to do. Unless you want me to leave after all . . .”

I sat up and set my cup on the coffee table. “We don’t want you to leave. And I still think you should seriously consider moving in with us.”

“I done thought about it and that sounds like too much for me to put on you and Eugene’s plate. It wouldn’t be so bad if it was just me. But coming with three kids, I’d feel so—”

I immediately cut Ethel off. “You don’t have to feel so anything. You didn’t ask to move in with us, I asked you. But if you don’t want to, I’d be more than happy to help you find a place. It would give me something to do so I won’t feel so useless sitting and lying around the house with you waiting on me hand and foot. And I would even take care of your moving expenses.”

Ethel’s eyes got big and her lips quivered. “Rosemary, I can’t let you do all that neither!”

“I’d like to do that and more. I will leave the invitation to move in with us on the table.” I ignored the fact that Eugene had told me to give this issue more thought. I knew that in the end he’d go along with whatever I wanted to do.

“There is another reason I don’t think us moving in here would work out. The boys wouldn’t be no trouble, but Cynthia would give y’all a run for your money. She wants to do whatever she wants, when she wants.”

“Does her behavior have anything to do with boys?”

“No. She don’t seem too interested in them yet. She’s got a problem with her attitude and wearing clothes that sends out the wrong message. Low-cut tops, tight britches, and whatnot. I done lost count of how many times I had to go see her school counselor in the last few months about something she said or done, or something she wore to school. I don’t buy her no hoochie-coochie clothes, but she always manages to borrow some from her friends.

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