The
next morning, Gabby Baptiste made her way down the wide corridor leading from her
kitchen to the dining room. She took small steady steps as she balanced the tray
in her hands.
Gabby
was a tiny woman in her in her early sixties. She was an attractive woman with
dark brown hair was piled high on her head. A frizzle of soft graying strands
lightly highlighted her temples.
“Good
morning Camille,” Grabby said excitedly, entering the dining room as she
gripped the laden tray tightly in her hands. It rattled loudly as she placed it
on the table in front of her daughter.
The aroma
of eggs, ham, potatoes and French toast filled the air as Gabby quickly laid
them out on the dining room table.
Camille’s
smile widen. She could never stay mad at her mother, with her bright smile and
even brighter sunny yellow apron. The apron her mother was wearing was
ridiculous. It sported a huge sunflower with a happy face consisting of buttons
for eyes and orange yarn sewed on for its mouth. But she loved seeing her mom
in it. The apron brought back memories of their first sewing project. It was
sewn the year Camille was in sixth grade. It was her home economics class
project.
“Camille, when you were little I used to fill
this old teapot with milk. I’d serve you milk and cookies and let you pour,
remember?” Gabby asked smiling as she gently poured a cup of tea.
“It smells
heavenly,” Camille said as her mouth watered looking at all the good food.
Grabby
tilted her head. “I made the French toast just the way you like it, with fresh
orange juice whipped into the egg batter.”
“Gosh I
love you Mom. You made all my favorites,” Camille smiled hefting large portions
of food on to her plate.
Gabby
watched her daughter intently. Her eyes glistened over with a mother’s love.
Camille
took a bite of her French toast. “Hmmmmmm it’s so good.” She gazed quickly at her mother and nodded.
Instantly she realized her mother’s face was sad. She knew she was upset.
“What is it
mother?”
Her mother
poured herself a cup of tea and sat down next to her daughter. She took a sip
before she spoke. Her voice was strained.
“I didn’t mean to upset you. I wouldn’t know what to do if you left and
moved out,” she said sadly. “You know I wouldn’t throw out Desmond picture.”
“No wonder
you cooked all of this food,” Camille said licking syrup off of her finger.
Camille
wiped her hands on her napkin before reaching over to touch her mother’s hand.
“Mom its okay,” she said leaning over to give
her mother a hug. “I was overreacting. I should never have yelled at you like I
did. I’m so sorry.”
They hugged
for several moments.
Gabby
pulled out of her embrace first. She gazed back at her daughter. Tenderly she
brushed a strand of hair from her face. “Camille my baby I’m sorry too.”
Camille’s
face lit with happiness watching her mother smile. She turned her attention
back to her plate and took a mouth full of food.
Gabby
breathed out. Her voice shook with sadness. “I should have realized this has been an
extremely trying time for you,” a remorseful strain rose in Gabby’s voice. “I
should have realized how much Desmond meant to you.”
“Yes he did
mean a lot to me mother,” Camille said swallowing another bite. She put a smile on her face hoping to lift
her mother’s spirits. “But at least I still have you. Now it’s just you and me
against the world.”
Gabby
softly smiled. “Yes, two women against the world.” Her eyes flashed as if in
deep thought. “But we are not two women alone in the world. We have family
therefore we are rich in blood kin. Did you forget those cousins of mine?”
Camille
almost choked on her tea. She laughed out. “Oh yeah begging Cousin Tobias Baptiste, better known as give-me-some money right now you know I’m good for it,” her voice
shook with laughter. “And then there
is loan me some money and I’ll pay you back on Tuesday. Better known as Cousin Giveme’ Hudson Baptiste. But what he
really means is Tuesday in the year of never.”
Gabby
joined her daughter laughing. “You know your cousins.”
Camille
caught her breathe and sighed. She stiffened. She had almost forgotten about
her cousin Larentia Acca Baptiste. She stared into her cup.
Silence
fell.
Camille
stared off into the distance remembering her cousin. A faraway look appeared in
her eyes.
Larentia Acca
Baptiste was born with smoldering good
looks. Her
cousin Larentia thought she was a goddess. She had a face that looked like one. But she had
a heart that was cruel, evil, mean, and empty.
The moment
was awkward.
Gabby
glanced at her. The color had drained from Camille’s face. She looked at her hand. The cup in Camille’s
hand was tipping.
She reached
out her hand and wrest the cup from her grip. “Camille…..”
“Oh,”
Camille said coming out of her trance. She looked at her empty hand.
“I know
what’s occupying your mind,” Gabby said with a pause.
Camille
shoved another bite of food into her mouth. “What?”
“You’re thinking about your cousin Larentia?”
“Who?
No…..No. What I was thinking about was that I’m out of tea,” she said pouring
herself another cup.
Gabby
blinked with her thoughts. “Larentia wasn’t as lucky as you, Camille. When she
was growing up, she had it hard. A hard life can sometimes harden a child. You
had two parents who loved you.”
Camille
looked wary. She heard this story too many times to count. She thought of a diversion.
“Mother
aren’t you going to bingo?”
“Gabby face
perked up. “You…You think I should go? And leave you all alone?”
Camille
gave her an encouraging nod. “Yes. Now get out of her before you’re late for
your bingo game.”
Trying her
best not to look too excited Gabby said. “Are you sure you don’t want me to
stay with you?”
Camille’s
voice was tender. “Oh, Mom you should go and have some fun. I’ll be fine.”
Gabby
looked back at Camille taking off her apron. “Well if you are sure you will be
okay. I guess I’m going to bingo”.
Twenty
minutes later, Camille stood beside the living room window clutching the
curtain as she watched her mother’s car pull away from the curb.
Camille
closed the curtain and walked back into the dark living room and sat in her
favorite chair. She sat drinking her tea.
She turned her head glancing at the faint light coming from the hallway.
She heard faint sounds. Her mother had
left her television on again in her bedroom.
Camille sat
back in her chair contemplating whether she should get up and go and turn off
the television.
Suddenly
she thought she heard something.
She tilted
her head. Her ears strained trying to hear. The television wasn’t on anymore.
She thought she heard the sound of footsteps in the distance.
“It’s such
a beautiful day outside,” a detached wry voice said.
Her
thoughts raced. Was she hallucinating?
The
footsteps got closer.
A cold chill came out of nowhere. Then a
shiver ran down Camille’s spine.
“The living
should enjoy the sunshine. Only the dead should stay inside,” the voice said.
Camille
turned her head around. The voice she thought she’d heard off in the distance
was now coming from the sofa across from her.
Her eyes
grew wide as she watched a strange light illuminate bright into a vapor of air
that transcended into a body form.
“Nana!”
“Shut your
mouth Camille or you’ll catch flies. Don’t you know its hard work to come and
pay a visit from the other side?”
Stay
tuned…….to be continued…
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