The Road to Second Chance by Toni M. Andrews

Author:Toni M. Andrews [Andrews, Toni M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Toni Andrews

I snorted, “I guess it means, Heaven Up.”

Christopher smiled. “Oh. I get it. Like the soda. Seven-Up. Heaven-Up. Cuz Heaven's up.” He pointed to the sky as he nodded admirably. “Yeah. I get it.”

I stared at him and was certain I would laugh like a lunatic or cry like one, or both. The pink hearse, the soda pop tagline license plate, the nasty women across the street–it was too much. With sarcasm I said, “You do, Christopher? You get it, huh? I wish I did. I wish I understood this . . . this thing. Whatever it is.” I waved my arms wildly, and my voice became shrill. “For Christ's sake! It's pink!”

At that moment, the front door opened and Jacob Peter Hall, Aunt Claudia's second born son, Mama’s nephew and my cousin, emerged. "Laney Mae!" he bellowed. Dressed in jean shorts that hung to his knees, hiking boots and a T-shirt adorned with a cartoon character’s image, he leapt off the two front steps onto the walkway and, with his arms spread wide, ran toward me. I tried to back away and find something to hide behind; I even considered running around to the other side of the hearse, but there was no escape. Jake, all two hundred twenty-five-plus pounds of him, lumbered toward me. I braced myself as he rushed up and wrapped his large arms around me and lifted me off the ground. "Laney, Laney, Laney," he said, "Poor Laney Mae! I'm so sorry about your mama." Christopher grinned as he watched.

"Okay Jake," I told him. "Put me down."

But he did not seem to hear me and continued to hug me, my feet dangling, as he muttered sympathies, squeezing me tightly in a bear hug, like a rag doll, several inches off the ground.

"Jake!" I pushed my arms against his chest. "I said put me down. Now!"

He sat me down gently and when I stepped back, I was surprised and touched to see tears streaming down his face. He sobbed, "I can't believe Aunt Faye is gone! I just can't believe it. I mean, I knew it was gonna happen. We all did. But when it finally does–” he shook his head and could not continue. He brought his large hands up to his face and sobbed. I stared at him and was struck by how much older he looked even though I had seen him just a few months earlier over the Memorial Day weekend during Mama’s annual trip to lay flowers on family graves and what had turned out to be her last time home. I had always thought of Jake as young and kid-like, even though he was a year older than me. He was so energetic and so boyish. His big, round, baby face only added to his youthfulness but now, when he lowered his hands, I noticed lines around his eyes and I noticed, too, that his hairline was receding. Soon, I thought, he would probably be bald on top, just like his father, my uncle Pete, had been.

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