Pearl in the Mist

the wheelchair on the bottom floor.

Nina came bursting out of the kitchen and stood in the doorway with her hands on her hips, glaring at me.

'Good morning, Nina,' I said.

'What kind of 'good morning' is it? You don't eat what Nina has prepared. It be a trip to Baton Rouge and you need your strength, hear? I got hot grits. I got eggs beat just the way you like.'

'I guess I'm too nervous, Nina. Please don't be angry,' I said.

She lowered her hands from her hips and pressed her lips together as she shook her head. 'Nina don't get angry at you.' She thought a moment and then approached, taking something out of her pocket. 'I be giving you this before I forget,' she said, and handed me a dime with a hole and a string through the hole.

'What's this?'

'You wear this around your left ankle, you hear, and no bad spirits come after you. Go on, put it around your ankle,' she ordered. I glanced back at the doorway to be sure no one was looking and quickly did as she commanded. She looked relieved.

'Thank you, Nina.'

'Bad spirits always hovering around this house. Got to be vigilant,' she said, and went back into the kitchen. I wasn't one to doubt charms and talismans, superstitions and rituals. My Grandmere Catherine had been one of the bayou's most respected traiteurs, a treater who could drive away evil spirits and cure people of various ailments. She had even helped wives unable to get pregnant to get pregnant. Everyone in the bayou, including our priest, had deep respect for Grandmere. In the Cajun world from which I had come, various voodoo and other religious beliefs were often married to produce a view of the world that was more reassuring.

'I don't like this skirt,' I heard Gisselle complain as Daddy wheeled her into the dining room. 'It's too long and it feels like I have a sheet over my legs. You picked it out just because you think my legs are ugly now, didn't you?' she accused.

'It's the one you agreed to wear when we picked out your clothes last night,' I reminded her.

'Last night I just wanted to get it over with and get you out of my face,' she retorted.

'What would you like for breakfast, honey?' Daddy asked her.

'A glass of arsenic,' she replied.

He smirked. 'Gisselle, why make things harder than they have to be?'

'Because I hate being a cripple and I hate the idea of being carted up to this school where I don't know a soul,' she said. Daddy sighed and looked at me.

'Gisselle, just eat something so we can get started. Please,' I begged.

'I'm not hungry.' She pouted a moment and then wheeled herself up to the table.

'What are you having? I’ll have that too,' she told Edgar. He lifted his eyes to the ceiling and then went to the kitchen.

As soon as we'd had our breakfast, Daddy went to see about all the luggage. It took Edgar and one of the grounds workers four trips to bring down everything. Gisselle had three trunks, two cartons, three bags, and her record player. I had one suitcase. Because Gisselle insisted on taking so much, Daddy had to hire someone to follow us in the van.

As I was wheeling Gisselle out to the galerie, where we could watch the loading of the vehicles, Daphne appeared at the top of the stairway. She called to us and took a few steps down. She had her pale reddish blond hair pinned up, and she wore a red Chinese robe and slippers.

'Before you go,' she said, 'I want to warn the both of you to be on your best behavior. Just because you're going a considerable distance away, it doesn't mean you're free to act and say whatever you like. You must remember you are Dumases and what you do always reflects on the family name and reputation.'

'What are we going to do?' Gisselle moaned. 'It's just a dumb girls' school.'

'Don't be insolent, Gisselle. You two could bring disrespect to this family no matter where you go. I just want you both to know we have friends sending their children there, so we will be well informed as to your behavior, I'm sure,' she threatened.

'If you're so afraid of how we'll behave away from home, don't send us,' Gisselle retorted. Sometimes I enjoyed my spoiled twin sister—especially when she annoyed our stepmother.

Daphne pulled herself up abruptly and glared down at us with her blue eyes turning icy.

'If anything,' she said slowly, 'you both need this school, need the discipline. You've both been horribly spoiled by your father. The best thing that could happen is for you to be away from him.'

'No,' I said. 'The best thing is for us to be away from you, Mother.' I turned and pushed Gisselle toward the door.

'Remember my warnings!' she cried, but I didn't turn back. I felt my heart pounding, the tears of rage burning just under the lids of my eyes.

'Did you hear what she said?' Gisselle muttered. 'Discipline. They're sending us to a reform school. There will probably be bars on the windows and ugly matronly women slapping our hands with rulers.'

'Oh Gisselle, stop,' I said. She rattled on and on about how terrible this was all going to be, but I didn't listen. My eyes kept sweeping the street and my ears kept listening for the sound of a sports car instead. Beau had promised to be here before we left. He knew we were planning to be on our way by ten o'clock and it was already nine forty-five and he hadn't appeared.

'He's probably not going to come say goodbye to you,' Gisselle teased when she caught me looking at my watch. 'I'm sure he's decided not to waste his time. He probably already made a date to meet someone new today.