His face tightened up. “I don’t know.”
“What you mean you don’t know? You said—”
“I know what I said! Dang! Don’t start begging—make people hate you!”
“What’s the name of the insurance company?”
“Non-yo business! Next door to YU Tripping.”
“Robert Earl, I can’t believe you won’t let me borrow at least fifty dollars!”
“Give it a day or two, it’ll sink in. A month ago I called Leonard and told him about the policy I found in Estafay’s stuff and he hooked me up with his buddy, Victor. Don’t tell nobody…”
He paused and patted Shane on the shoulder. “Go get your uncle a glass of Kool-Aid. Wash your hands and put some ice in it.” Shane ran inside the house. “Don’t tell nobody I told you, Ruth Ann. Leonard and Victor are planning to get married next year. Yours truly won’t be there.”
Shane came out of the house empty-handed. “No Kool-Aid. Some orange juice. You want that?”
“No, don’t worry about it. Victor works for an insurance company. He told me not to worry, let him handle everything. Last week I got this check.”
“You’re sharing it with Shane?”
“No, I’m not. I am making him my business partner. I owe him that much. He does have a way with animals and such.”
Ruth Ann squeezed Shane’s shoulder. “Are you sure this is what you want to do?”
“You bet, Momma!”
Robert Earl said, “We’re going to my house to teach Albert Number Two some new tricks. You wanna come watch?”
“Albert Number Two, is he a snake?”
“Yup.”
“Hope you don’t mind me asking. What tricks can a snake possibly do?”
“Wag its tail, heel, stay put, stay still, play dead, roll over with a little help. A buncha stuff. C’mon, let’s go.”
“No, y’all go ’head.”
Robert Earl and Shane returned to the truck and were halfway down the block when she yelled, “Robert Earl!”
The brake lights brightened. Ruth Ann closed the front door and crossed the grass to the street.
Robert Earl backed up and stopped. “What?”
“Can you drop me off? I’m going home.”
“Yeah. Scoot over, Shane.”
“No, I’ll ride in back.” She climbed into the truck bed and sat on the hump over the wheel.
A change was in the air. The wind blowing her hair felt good on her face. In a few weeks it would be even cooler and sunset would occur earlier. Dirt in the bed swirled up and caught in her eyes and mouth. In the sky two streaks of jet exhaust overlapped. A cross, Ruth Ann thought.
Robert Earl stopped the truck and she hesitated before getting out. “Thanks, Robert Earl. Shane, you be careful. I love you.” Shane nodded.
Robert Earl tapped the horn before driving away.
She checked the mailbox at the end of the driveway. Empty. Her Expedition was parked outside of the garage, which meant Lester had driven it. Dusty. He could have at least washed it.
At the front door she wondered whether to knock, ring the doorbell, or simply barge in. Hand trembling, she knocked softly on the screen door. No one answered. She took a deep breath and stepped in.
Lester sat in the brown La-Z-Boy by the window, his lower face hidden behind a newspaper.
She wondered if she’d walked into the wrong house. “Lester?”
The man before her had waves in his short-cropped hair, a hairstyle sported by young men.
“Lester?”
A glance at the life-sized portrait of her and Lester on the far wall confirmed she was in the right house.
The man spoke, “How are you doing, Ruth Ann?”
The voice definitely belonged to Lester. She cleared her throat and said, “I’m fine. How are you?”
Looking at her over the top of the paper: “I’m fine. I heard what happened. I’m sorry.”
“You’ll get over it. You’re a strong woman, Ruth Ann. A very strong woman.”
“No, not at all. I’m headed out in a few minutes.”
“To work?” He shook his head. “Where?”
“Not important.”
She could feel it, though didn’t see anything revealing.
“Lester, may I use the bathroom? I was riding in the back of Robert Earl’s truck and—”
“You know where it is.”
On her way there she pushed the bedroom door open. The bed was unmade, but nothing else was out of place.
Inside the bathroom she immediately checked the hamper and medicine cabinet. Nothing to indicate another woman’s presence.
“Find everything you were looking for?” Lester asked upon her return.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Nothing. I moved a few things around while you were gone.”
“Such as?” Ruth Ann snapped.
“Nothing major. A few whatnots. By the way, what brings you by?”
Ruth Ann couldn’t decide which irritated her more: the question, or the annoyed manner in which he’d said it. Not to mention his insistence on hiding behind the damn paper. She sat down on the couch.
“Nothing, really. Shirley got married today. A nice wedding. Very nice. I was just sitting round the house, you know,” addressing the floor, and she noticed in her periphery the newspaper on the end table. “I was thinking…” She looked at him… gasped and put her hand to her mouth. She saw it, or rather she didn’t see it.
The scar wasn’t there!
“What happened to your face, Lester?” She realized it was a stupid question as soon as she said it.
Lester laughed. “I had it removed. A friend told me about this doctor in Jackson, Mississippi. He’s from Europe somewhere, and he specializes in removing scars and tattoos with a laser.”
“May I touch it?” Another stupid question. Lester didn’t respond.
Silence. Uncomfortable silence. Awkward silence.
“It’s not half as hot as it was last week,” she said, for lack of anything else to say.
Lester nodded.
“Lester, you really look good. Really, you do. I don’t mean to stare—you really look good. Momma moved to Chicago with Leonard. They couldn’t make the wedding. Leonard and his partner took her on a cruise to the Bahamas. You really look good, I’m not lying. The insurance company paid Robert Earl and he plans to open the gas station he’s been harping about. He’s taking Shane in as partner. Uh… I can’t get over how good you look. Lester,
