CHAPTER 27
“Supper sho’ smell good, Miz Mayree!” Junior announced as he rushed through the front door with the twins in tow. “I smelt it all the way down the road,” he said as he dashed through the living room and into the kitchen. Mary always told the children to go to their rooms and change clothes when they arrived from school. Still, it didn’t seem to matter; they always stopped in the kitchen first.
“Yall git outta here an’ take them clothes off ‘fore you git ‘em dirty!” Mary scolded as they stood in the kitchen looking toward the stove. “An’ do yall’s school lessin befo’ yo daddy git home. Git outta here!” She said while pointing toward the kitchen entrance. The children scampered from the kitchen, giggling as they went. They knew Mary’s scolding was not meant to be mean-spirited or angry. But what they didn’t know was that their young lives were about to change forever.
When Fred arrived home that evening, he did what he always did. “ Evenin’, Miz Mayree, how yall doin’?” He asked as he stood in the kitchen and leaned into the living room.
“We doin’ jus’ fine, Fred,” Mary said as she rose from the rocking chair, smoothed out her dress from where Derek was sitting before he heard his daddy enter the back door.
She headed for the kitchen to join Fred and now Derek, who was standing patiently at his daddy’s feet.
“Yall do yo lessin, Junior?” Fred asked, still looking into the living room and rubbing Derek’s head.
“Yessah,” Junior responded while looking at his dad.
“You help yo sistas wit’ they lessin?” Fred continued before returning to the kitchen where Mary was preparing plates for the twins and Derek.
“Yessah, they did they lessin,” Junior said, returning to the puzzle he was piecing together with the twins. Fred bought puzzles for the children often. He felt it stimulated their minds.
And whenever they finished putting one together, they’d glue the pieces onto cardboard, then Fred hung it somewhere in the house.
Back in the kitchen, Fred removed his work shoes and placed them by the back door, just as he’d always done. Then he walked into the bathroom and washed his hands and face, with Derek following close behind. After washing Derek’s face and hands also, he walked into the living room where the other children were.
“Yall go wash yo hands an’ git ready fo’ supper,” Fred announced. The children scattered from the room and rushed each other to the bathroom excitedly. “Stop runnin’ in this house!“
He yelled after them before he returned to the kitchen with Derek.
Mary had prepared the twins’ plates and placed them on the table, as well as a smaller plate for Derek. Fred lifted Derek and sat him in his chair, and then he removed the empty plate from the head of the table and walked to the stove. “It sho smell good, Miz Mayree,” he said as he prepared his plate. “Everythang look real good.”
“Thank ya, Fred,” Mary responded as she stood near the kitchen door, looking out. By this time, she would be headed down the road toward home, she thought. But now this was her home and no one in that house knew it but her. She decided she would wait until after supper to tell Fred.
When Junior came into the kitchen, he prepared his plate and joined the rest of the family at the table. The twins had taken their seats at their usual places. Fred had placed his plate back on the table but he had not sat down. Then he looked at Mary curiously.
“Miz Mayree, ain‘t ya better git goin’ home now?” Fred asked as Mary continued to stand at the back door, looking out.
“Aw, Fred, I ain’t leavin’ right now,” Mary responded, trying to sound nonchalant. “I’ll tell ya ‘bout it when ya finish yo supper.”
“Then come on ‘round an’ have supper wit’ us, then,” Fred said, making room at the table for Mary. “Let me git another chair,” he said as he headed for the pantry.
“Naw, Fred,” Mary said, stopping him in his tracks. “I ain’t hungry right now, yall go ‘head an’ eat,” she said. “I’ll jus’ sit in here ‘til ya finish.” Then she walked through the kitchen and into the living room, where she sat in the rocking chair.
Mary didn’t know why she was feeling so nervous. After all, Fred had asked her to move in with them and she knew he would be happy with her decision. Still, she could hardly contain herself as she sat in that living room rocking back and forth, her hands clutching each other for dear life.
After supper, Fred took the familiar jar of cold water from the refrigerator and filled each of their glasses that had been sitting empty and untouched on the table. He never allowed the children to drink water during supper. He believed firmly that water “make ya too full an’ then ya can’t eat all yo food.” Of course, he had followed that same rule for himself since long before the children were born.
Once Derek was finished drinking from his cup, Fred removed him from his chair and cleaned his hands and face with the damp dishtowel. He told Junior and the twins to clear the table and clean the kitchen, just as they had been assigned to do since their mother passed. Then he headed for the living room to join Mary.