“Jacob Petty, one of our dishwashers, passed on Tuesday. His family just let us know this morning and Mr. Cunningham closed the grill early so all the staff could attend the funeral today. That’s where we just came from,” Milton choked. “Me and him was real close.” He blinked hard and wiped a tear from the corner of his eye.
“It’s all right, baby. Jacob is in a better place,” Yvonne said, rubbing Milton’s shoulder. She let out a loud sigh and blinked hard to hold back her own tears. “Jacob had a heart attack.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. Me and Jacob used to work in the same cane field a few years ago. He was a good man.” I cleared my throat and tried to look as sympathetic as I could. “We got some real nice sympathy cards in aisle eight and I would offer y’all some flowers half price, but the florist man didn’t show up today like he was supposed to so—”
“We already got a card and we don’t want to spend good money on flowers so they can die too,” Yvonne said.
It was a shame to see such a sad look on her pretty face. Milton looked even worse. His eyes were red and swollen. I held up both hands, as if somebody had just pulled a gun on me. “Well, if it’s money y’all want, I can’t spare none this time.”
“We didn’t come to ask for no money,” Yvonne said in a pitiful voice.
Before I could speak again, Milton sniffled and said in a gruff tone, “We need a ride home. We missed the last bus and it’ll be a whole two hours for the next one.”
I glanced at the clock on the wall and shook my head. “It’ll be a while before I close up and y’all can’t hang around up in here unless y’all going to buy something. Mac told me to stop folks from loitering so much. We been having a lot of trouble with shoplifters.” As soon as that last word slid out of my mouth, I wished I could suck it back in. Yvonne’s jaw dropped and Milton looked like he was going to start crying some more.
“You ain’t got to worry about us because we don’t steal,” Milton said sharply.
“I’m sure y’all don’t. But I still can’t have y’all just hanging around here for the next hour or so.”
“We can go over to Mosella’s and wait until you close up,” Yvonne suggested.
I shook my head real fast. “No, that won’t work neither. See, I need to get out of here right at five so I can go out to my daddy’s house. Driving y’all home would be too far out my way.” I swallowed hard and folded my arms. “Anything else?”
“Naw. I guess we’ll be seeing you when we see you,” Milton muttered. “Have a blessed day, Odell.”
“Y’all too,” I said with a tight smile.
Chapter 33
Odell
I WAS SORRY I’D BEEN KIND OF HARSH AND ABRUPT WITH YVONNE and Milton, but they had come at a real bad time. I’d been thinking about Betty Jean all day and how she’d been badgering me lately to spend more time with her and the boys, and it was really started to bug me. But I was glad I’d taken out my frustrations on Yvonne and Milton, not Joyce. In all the years that we’d been married, she’d never seen me upset. And she never would if I could help it.
I was feeling somewhat better now and I regretted not letting them hang around so I could give them a ride home. I made a mental note to be extra nice to them the next few days. Twenty minutes after they’d left, I gave Joyce a call. The only telephone in the school was in the principal’s office, and she worked on the opposite side of the building. Whenever I called her at work, I had to wait anywhere from ten to fifteen minutes for her to come to the telephone. She must have been close by today because she came on the line five minutes later.
“Hello, baby doll.”
She gasped and I could picture the look of ecstasy on her face before she spoke. “Oh, Odell! It’s so nice to hear your voice, sweetie!”
I was amazed that after all these years, Joyce still swooned when she heard my voice. I had a feeling she’d never get used to me calling her cute names. It wasn’t even necessary anymore because she was already putty in my hands.
“I hope I didn’t pull you away from nothing too important.”
“You didn’t. I was just about to clean the blackboard, but it can wait. I’d much rather be talking to you. You still going to visit your daddy this evening?”
“Yup. I was just calling to tell you I probably won’t be back home tomorrow until around noon or later.”
“Oh?”
“Last time I was with Daddy, I told him I’d take him fishing for a couple of hours next time I came to visit. I figured we’d get up tomorrow morning, and go to Carson Lake. I hear them bluegills over there been biting up a storm lately.”
“Hmmm. You know, I’ve been thinking.”
“Thinking what?”
“It’s been a while since I saw your daddy, and enough time has passed so I’m not as mad as I was about the way Ellamae talked to me the last time I went out there with you. What time did you plan to get on the road today?”
I gulped. “Huh?” There was no way I could let Joyce tag along with me. I wasn’t going to visit Daddy. I had promised Betty Jean and the boys that I’d take them out to eat this evening and we’d take a long drive along the countryside. “Uh, baby, why don’t you come with me the next time? I was going to leave as soon as I get off the phone so I can’t wait until you get off.”
“Don’t worry about
