Family Reunion (11 page)

"Shut up boy! I'm talking-…"

"Don't tell him to shut up like that!" Lena shot, aghast. "The least you could try and understand is that he is still a young boy and as such, he will make mistakes.”

“
However, you as a man, I would expect to have the decency to guide him correctly, encouraging him to grow and mature without battling you for a word in!" Lena argued crossly.

Rory looked up at his mother stunned. He had never seen the small spark of fire she'd just displayed, especially on his behalf.

"He ain't my boy! Ain't my job to teach him." Rollo returned resentfully.

"Even so, he doesn't deserve this from you. Now please, let him finish what he's started." She implored him softly. Rollo gave a tired exhale, not at all impressed with Rory’s sudden about face but for Miss Lena he would do it. Rory decided the best thing to do where Rollo was concerned was to come honest and clean, or else anything he said would no doubt be in vain.

"Go ahead boy! Finish what you started."

Rory swallowed. "What I have to tell you both is kind'a hard ... would you come sit here at the table? And I'll tell you all you want to know, just give me a chance and let me finish. Everything I tell you is the honest to God truth. Will you listen?" He asked sincerely. Lena walked to the table and pulled out a chair at the head of the table for Rollo before Rory, she took the one across the table from her son.

With a sigh and obvious disinterest, Rollo slowly approached the table and sat in the chair offered to him. He looked at Lena and shook his head.

"Please Rollo, give him a chance."

Rory took a deep breath to steady his nerves, then looked from his
mother to Rollo and started at the top. "Last year, a little after school started back, some boys from my school, that I at times keep company with - well, it was after school let out, as a matter of fact, the time we argued-…" He stated towards Lena. "…-and I left and went to join them, they wanted-...(He took a deep breath)-...they were talking about - finding a girl to - to lie down with." He swallowed deeply, feeling his face redden with embarrassment to admit such a thing before his mother. Lena blushed dropping her head unable for the moment to meet his gaze. Rollo sat up straight, narrowing his eyes, suspicious about where this was going.

Rory was hesitating and he coaxed him on. "We waitin' boy."

Lena settled herself giving him her full attention, with a nod of her head she was ready for him to continue. As she gazed at her son, she had no idea that he was actually at an age of promiscuity. Where had the little boy he once was gone so fast?

"Well ... after we talked a little, they said there was a place where we could go to get - well, you know. I didn't know where they were talking about going, they asked me to come along and I saw no reason not to, because I never went before. Anyway, I went. It just so happened they were going where I asked you to take me, to South end."

Rollo's eyes bucked with understanding as he sat forward with a menacing look on his face. He was well aware of what went on at South end to little unsuspecting girls who were being raped by God only knew who and now, he also knew. Just two months previously, a twelve year old died giving birth to some white man's baby, or boy's baby. The child lived but the girl bled to death.

"
You
- sorry lil'red ass - bastard!" He shouted in fury and lunged for Rory's throat before he could say anything more. Knocking the table sideways and his chair to the floor, he jumped him.

"Wait!" Rory yelled throwing his hands up to defend himself.

The impact of Rollo's size and weight sent them both flying backwards. Rory was still seated in his chair, which crashed back against the wall, his head striking it as well on the way to the floor with Rollo shouting foul curses at him, throttling him.

Lena leapt from her chair screaming, both were on the other side of the table from her wrestling on the floor as Rollo choked and hit Rory's head against the wall and floor.

"Rollo! Stop it! Let him go! Let him go-o-o… Rollo!! He’s my son! Stop it!! Do you hear me!!" She screamed pulling on him from behind, punching his back and yanking on his hair.

He wasn't listening nor did he stop. Rory was turning red and
scuffling trying to pull Rollo's fingers from around his throat.

Sandra was awakened and Sheldon startled by the screaming and racket and ran into the kitchen.

"Rollo nooo! You’re killing him!! Let – him – go-o-o-o!!!”

Sheldon ran to break his hold on the youth but couldn't as Rollo grit out in fury. "You sorry stinkin' bastard! Your mama should'a let yo'ass die the day you was born! You slime boy!! Stinkin’ white trash slime!!!”

Lena turned around and with all the strength she had, kicked back with the knobby heal of her foot, aiming straight for Rollo's testicles. Her heal landed with a resounding thud, hitting the target directly, he immediately let go, howling and gritting his teeth in agony, seeing stars as a complete whiteness flashed before his eyes. Rolling away from Rory and falling to his back, Lena attacked him grabbing a knife from the table.

"I’ll kill you … not my son!! You fucking bastard – how dare you touch my son!!! I'll kill you! Don’t you – ever - I will cut your worthless heart out!!!" She raged, screaming, shaking with his hair in her grip, the knife to his throat blowing hard, seeing herself slice deep from ear to ear.

Sheldon was shaking and scared but he fought to pull her back as she threatened to cut Rollo…sobbing hysterically.

"Let me go!! Do you hear me?! I should fucking kill you, you bastard!!! You don’t touch my son – not him you don’t!!!" The whites of Rollo's eyes showed how afraid he was that she would indeed cut him. Sandra had run to Rory, while Sheldon pulled Lena back, his eyes on the knife she held, afraid himself as she sobbed glaring at Rollo. He pushed himself back away from her, distancing himself as he held his privates, afraid he was about to meet his maker. Gnashing his teeth he lay helpless to defend himself as Sheldon sought to calm Lena down.

"Madam…please…you must calm yourself…please!"

Lena couldn’t stop shaking, sobbing, she yanked herself away from Sheldon and ran to her son.

Sandra had helped him from the floor.

Lena ignored the tears falling from her eyes, urgently seeking the welfare of her son, her last child – Manny’s son. "Rory! Oh my God, Rory!" She cried as Sheldon picked up a chair where Lena then placed her semi conscious son. She stroked his hair back from his forehead, with her palm beneath his chin as he breathed in deeply; she suddenly turned from him to Rollo, venting her full fury upon him.

"Who do you think you are?!! You have no right to touch my son!!
No right!! Not you, or any of bastard, black or otherwise had ever dare touch him! Do you hear me?!!" She ground out.

Sheldon, Sandra and Rory were shocked by her show of anger. Not ever had any of them seen her in such a loss of control, this show of wild aggression was a state that was far from what they knew of her.

"Ohhh .... bu - but...Miss Lena - you.... you don't - you don't understand." Rollo struggled to get out, panting in agony.

"No! Rollo you're wrong ...I didn't ...I didn't do what you think... I didn't..." Rory shook his head between swallows trying to explain himself.

Lena's angry eyes shot from one to the other needing to understand what had just happened.

"Miss Lena … your boy … he.... been rapin' rapin' lil' negro girls."

Lena and Sandra both sucked in alarmed and looked to Rory, who vigorously shook his head in denial. "No! That's not true! I didn't! I would never, not ever do such a thing! You've got to believe me! Please... I wouldn't ever…please!" He begged his mother, sobbing himself now. "He wouldn't let me finish ... please ... let me finish!"

"You lyin' - boy!" Rollo gasped as he finally pulled himself against the wall for support. "Lil' girls …been gettin' – raped. One die - few months ago. She – she bleed t'death ... having some white baby." He bit out. Lena stared at him a moment and looked back at her son.

Rory shook his head, his flooded eyes set and held to his mother’s. "Please ... I didn't! I beg you…I beg you… let me finish." He implored in a rasping whisper, for once needing her to believe in him.

This was Manny’s son, his blood flowed through his veins, the blood of Royal Sun,
‘No!’
Her mind immediately rejected the entire idea. Lena looked back at Rollo and said confidently. "No, you're wrong Rollo. My son would not do such a thing. With all that he has done, that is one thing I will never believe him capable of, it is not in him to do such a thing, I will not believe that." She turned back to Rory. "Finish what you started telling us. The truth son, this time – you will not be interrupted."

Rory took another steady breath, and began where he had left off. Sandra stood with her eyes on Rollo, seeing him in a different light. She never really thought of him as being prejudice, but then, she never really gave him much thought at all except when she needed him to take her about. Unsure of where this would lead, she directed her attention to listening to Rory.

"...when they grabbed her, I didn't quite know what to do but I knew I couldn't let them go through with it. I won't go into what I said to stop them but I did! Really I did, she was just a little girl! I couldn't believe it.”

“
Well I threatened them, said I'd tell the whole school. It worked ... but ...I wasn't sure for how long ... so ever since then, I've been going back there, just to check up on her, to make sure it doesn’t happen again. She's real nice, her names Mailon and today, since it was my first day at my new job, I knew I wasn't gonna make it to work on time, plus see to her. That's why I asked you for the coach… but I was late anyway, 'cause Rollo got mad and wouldn't take me. That's the truth, honest to God it is. If I were doing what he said I was doing, you think I'd be stupid enough to ask him to take me there?"

Lena felt her heart swell with so much pride it brought tears to her eyes.
'Oh my God! How in heavens name could I have ever denied him my love? He’s my son, Manny’s son!'

"That night that I came back late, and I asked you what I did, remember, what I ask you? We argued and I said some things I shouldn't have…remember? Well, she – and what they were going to do to her, made me think…that's what happened to you." He finished with a shrug, looking down from her to the floor.

Lena remembered it, she couldn't forget it, it had been the turning point for her. She was hesitant and not sure how he would react, no doubt he would pull away from her but she gently grasped his head and hugged him to her breast anyway.

Out of all the things to expect, Rory had not expected her to actually hug him. It caught him so off guard he didn't move at first.

She had never hugged him before. The gesture made a strange and uncomfortable feeling wash over him, it embarrassed him. Lena knew not to go too far and pulled back before he pulled from her. She stroked his hair from his brow lovingly and said softly. "I am so very proud of you. You have no idea how much so. No matter how late I am in saying it ...I must. I'm sorry I failed to show you how much I love you. But I do Rory, God is my witness I do, I love you."

Rory felt his face burn with embarrassment, feeling a lump rise in his throat, unable to face or deal with such raw feelings; he rose and quickly cut his way through the other servants standing in the door and left the room. Lena swallowed the lump in her throat as she closed her eyes.

Rory took the stairs three at a time, feeling tears sting his eyes.
'She said she loves me ... Why!? Now what do I do, God I don't know what to do.'

Lena stood as she was a moment longer, as slowly she looked up at Sheldon, and then at Sandra. Taking a deep breath, Lena apologized, "I'm sorry about all of this…really I am. Thank you Sheldon, it's over now and I'll be okay. You can all go back to bed now."

She said to Sandra and then the others standing in the door, they all turned
and left. Sandra and Sheldon were the last to go.

Lena then turned to Rollo, who was now picking himself carefully from the floor to a chair. He leaned against the table looking towards the floor. Not sure what to do or say in the face of things turning as they did.

"Rollo." She called his name carefully. Slowly he looked up. Their eyes met and held. "I want you to listen to me, to what I say." She began so softly he couldn't help but stare in wonder at her manner, seeing her differently for the first time.

"Because you need to pay close attention, you need not respond, it won't be necessary. Don't interrupt me ...I am not Rory. You know Rollo, I am well aware that it eats you alive to no end that I, a Negro woman, gave birth to a white man's child. The very idea that a white man even touch a Negro woman, I am certain angers you to no end. I am also aware that you care for me a great deal. No doubt you wish with all your heart and soul that Rory did not exist. Unfortunately for you, he does exist because a white man made him so. Furthermore Rollo, you need to know, that same white man, loved me, and I in turn, loved him, with all of my heart and soul. Still to this day, I love that man...Rory's father. What you did to him today could have very well cost you your life. You see because he, my son…is all I have left, of
that
man. If you ever – ever muster the nerve to do what you did today,
again
…God help you.”