Good Woman Blues (10 page)

“Forget it,” Gabriel put in.

“Her father is a couple of years younger than
me, but we knew each other in college.”

“Good for you. I’m not going to be fixed up,”
Gabriel said.

“She works at the Lafayette Regional Airport,
is a pilot, and races horses. You two have a lot in common. Not
that I’m in favor of this matchmaking,” Charles added with force.
“I’m just saying she’s a great girl.”

“And I’m sure she’s got her share of
admirers. But don’t put me on her dance card.” Gabriel drained the
last ounce of lemonade from his glass and put it down.

“Oh? You seeing someone?” Charles’s busy
brows lifted in curiosity.

“Dad,” Gabriel warned, and narrowed his eyes
at Charles.

“I’m not being nosy, son, not at all. But I
see your point about this fix-up deal your mother is trying to
pull. If I can tell her about your girlfriend, that will satisfy
her.” Charles’s eyes twinkled with anticipation.

“She’s not my girlfriend. We’re not exactly
dating even.”

Gabriel thought of Erikka. Even with her
thick reddish brown hair pulled back and the all-business power
suit she looked good. Her full curves stirred him up until his body
felt the heat. He liked the hint of mischief beneath her smile, the
shy way she kept her face averted if he looked at her too long. She
was obviously a city fish out of water, but seemed to have gained
her footing since the day they’d first met at the flea market.
Erikka had a certain vulnerability. Seeing her at the television
station had been an un-expected pleasure, one that he wanted to
repeat. And that scared him. He’d been content to deal with
loneliness. The alternative was risking more than he had left
inside to give.

“Then what the hell are you doing with the
girl exactly?" Charles blurted out in frustration.

Gabriel watched a turtle slip from a floating
log near the bank. “I’m hoping she’ll be my accountant.”

“Huh?” Charles stared at him with his mouth
open.

“Strictly biz I’m afraid.” Gabriel shrugged
when his father shook his head slowly.

“Son, I know you’ve had a few bumps. Hell,
you’ve got more reason to climb inside a beer mug than your
brother. But this hiding from the world thing has gone way too
far.” Charles raised a hand in preparation for a lecture.

“I’m going to be just fine, Dad. Really. You
and Mama should stop worrying about me. And stop trying to fix me
up with some poor woman,” Gabriel added.

“Not me,” Charles protested. “But hanging out
in your workshop all day every day is not a social life.”

“Thanks for your concern, but I like my
social life just the way it is.” Gabriel stretched. “Quiet and
uncomplicated.”

“A lady accountant, eh? Hmm.” Charles sipped
more lemonade.

“I’ve increased sales fifteen percent in the
last year from word of mouth alone. I’m not trying to be a starving
artist, trust me,” Gabriel said. “I’ve got to get organized in more
ways than one.”

“Does she live around here?” Charles looked
out over the water.

“Loreauville. Fact is I need to hire an
employee. That means payroll taxes and more paperwork.”

“Then she must have family around here. Only
know one accountant around there, Thomas Netterville. What’s her
name?”

“Rochon. I went to that local access station
WYDC about some ads. Surprisingly, their audience demographics fit
my customer base, upper-income buyers. Lots of exiles from the city
and well-off retirees,” Gabriel said.

“Rochon, Rochon.” Charles repeated and rubbed
his chin. “I know a guy named Ed Rochon from St. Martinville.
Blue-collar from what I know of his people. He worked at that
tractor plant. She must have done good becoming a CPA.”

“Apparently. The station is going to produce
a commercial for me. Nothing fancy. Just pictures of the furniture
and a voice-over sales pitch. What do you think?” Gabriel tapped
his father on the arm.

“Sounds good.” Charles stood. “Better get
going. Your mother gets worried if I’m gone too long.”

Brian walked up behind him. “I called her.
We’re having her famous spaghetti and meat sauce.” He rubbed his
stomach and licked his Ups.”

“Son, all you seem to think about is eating
and playing computer games.” Charles looked at Brian with
affection.

“Don’t forget girls,” Gabriel put in, and
laughed when Brian blushed.

“C’mon, I’m a teenager. Food and fun are my
life.” Brian shrugged. He looked at Charles with an eager
expression. “Hey, I’ll go crank up the Yukon. You look kinda tired,
Granddaddy. You oughta let me drive.” “Maybe the last couple of
miles.” Charles patted him on the back.

“That’ll work. See you later, Uncle Gabe.”
Brian trotted off toward the vehicle.

“Bye, brat. Mama would have a fit if she
knew.” Gabriel looked at his father and crossed his arms.

“I protect Rachel from a lot of worry. She’s
a sweet woman, but she’s a bit high-strung.” Charles winked at
Gabriel and chuckled.

“Well, don’t try to pull me into your web of
little white lies. When she catches up with you.” Gabriel gave a
low whistle.

“She’ll have to catch me first,” Charles
joked. “I can still duck and weave even with a bad heart.”

Gabriel put an arm around his father’s
shoulders as they walked to the Yukon. “Listen, Dad, you’re one of
a kind. Take care of yourself, okay?”

Charles stopped and faced him. “Nobody lives
forever, Gabriel. At my age you think about the past a lot and see
the future in your children. That’s why we worry about you kids.
You understand?”

“Yes, I do.” Gabriel gazed into his father’s
eyes. “You’ve done good. Not just for your family, but for this
community.”

“Thanks, son.” His father gave him a brief
strong hug, then stepped back, eyes twinkling. “Prove how good I’ve
done and make your mother happy. Get a wife.”

“Dad,” Gabriel said, with a groan.

“You’ve been a loner for too many years. A
good woman can heal a lot of scars, Gabriel,” Charles went on in
spite of Gabriel’s objection. He held up a palm when Gabriel
started to speak. “That’s all I’m going to say on the subject.”

“Good.” They started walking again.

“I can’t speak for Rachel though. She won’t
give up until you’ve met every eligible woman in your age group
within fifty miles.” Charles laughed hard when Gabriel covered his
face with both hands.

Brian slid from behind the wheel when Charles
opened the driver’s door of the Yukon. He still held the cell phone
in his hand. “Grandma called. She wants Uncle Gabriel to come for
dinner.”

“She’s going to bring up that Natalie girl,
count on it. Wouldn’t be surprised if Natalie isn’t sitting at the
dinner table when we walk in,” Charles mumbled.

“You know something about this last-minute
call.” Gabriel squinted at him.

“Just kidding. Rachel wouldn’t go that far.
At least I don’t think so,” Charles added with a mischievous grin.
“Oh, stop giving me the evil eye. See you at six.”

“Fine, but there better not be any surprises
when I get there,” Gabriel said, and pointed a forefinger at his
father. Charles only laughed again and waved good-bye.

Gabriel watched the Yukon go down his long
driveway to the road in a cloud of dust. After taking the glasses
into his kitchen, Gabriel went to his workshop.

His grandfather had built the large weathered
bam fifty years before. With a lot of time, sweat, and hard work,
Gabriel had transformed it. He’d made the second story into a
storage area. The double doors stayed open in pleasant weather, but
he’d installed air-conditioning because of the brutal south
Louisiana summers. Gabriel enjoyed walking into the shop each time.
He loved the smell of cut wood. As he crossed the hardwood floor he
touched a chair here, a bench there. He rubbed the rough surfaces
of unfinished wood from a mill. Picking up a sheet of sandpaper, he
turned on the miniature sound system on a table against one wall.
The sounds of jazz fusion filled the room. Gabriel picked up a box
he’d made and fingered its carved surface. Holding something he’d
created was a precious gift. Peaceful and uncomplicated, he thought
as he started to rub the box with sandpaper. Two precious
commodities that he’d crossed over a lot of troubled water to
finally find. Not easy to give up even if it meant being lonely
sometimes.

Chapter 6

Darlene watched her oldest son pack up the
last of his clothing. She stood in the doorway of his bedroom with
her arms folded. “Brandon, this woman is twenty-four and has three
kids already. You’ve lost your mind.”

“At least she’s single,” he muttered, and
stuffed a T-shirt with a photo of some rap group on it.

“What did you say? I know you didn’t just—”
Darlene took a step toward him.

“Forget it, awright? Look, I’m grown, and I
know what I’m doing.” Brandon stuffed a smaller bag with his
collection of game cartridges.

“Nineteen means you’re legally an adult. It
sure doesn’t mean you know everything,” Darlene insisted. Malik
stuck his head in the door. “Need help, bro?” “You’ve got a major
science paper due,” Darlene snapped at him.

“Nah, little dude. I’m good,” Brandon said.
He swept the top of his dresser clean with one hand, the items
dropping into a large trash bag.

“Okay, I’m already gone.” Malik backed down
the hallway with both palms up at his mother’s livid expression.
“Damn.”

“Listen to that. Your little brother is
cursing.” Darlene pointed in the direction Malik had disappeared.
“You’re supposed to set an example for him.”

“Be real, Mama.” Brandon threw the large bag
over his shoulder. He picked up the other two with one hand. “I’ll
get the rest of my stuff later.”

Darlene opened her mouth to say more, and
then closed it. She could still see the little boy. Maybe that was
her problem, she mused. Malik popped out of his room to give
Brandon a quick slap on the back.

“Call me, bro.” Malik darted a glance at his
mother then stepped into his room again.

“Brandon, wait,” Darlene called out as she
followed him through the kitchen.

He turned with a stony, defiant face. “Mama,
I’m not changing my mind.”

“I know.” Darlene let her arms fall to her
sides. “I just don’t want you to waste any time. The years go by so
fast, and before you know it’s twenty years later. Make the right
choices, baby.”

“I keep telling you LaTrice and me got plans.
You wanna be in my life, you gotta accept her.” Brian lifted his
chin as he stared at Darlene.

“Fine. It’s your life, and you have to make
your own mistakes. I can’t live for you.” Darlene felt a knot of
anger and frustration in her stomach. Brandon had his father’s
obstinate streak.

“Now you got it. I gotta make my own
decisions. I’m an adult, and you need to recognize it,” Brandon
said.

Darlene could hear that woman’s voice in his
words. “Oh, so you run from your mama’s house to have her take care
of you? You don’t have a job. She’s a cashier at Walmart.”

“LaTrice just got promoted to section
manager,” Brandon replied heatedly.

“That’s a fancy title for somebody who stocks
shelves, Brandon,” Darlene yelled. “Look, I’m sorry. But—”

“I’m through talking to you,” he shouted
back.

Erikka came through the back door into the
kitchen. She walked between them. “Y’all calm down.”

Darlene and Brandon both took a step away
from each other like two boxers separated by the referee. Darlene
didn’t know who she wanted to strangle first, LaTrice or Brandon.
She decided on Brandon first.

“I’m out.” Brandon did not look at Darlene as
he started to leave.

“You sure?” Erikka put a hand on his arm.

“Been sure. See y’all later.” He pushed
through the storm door. Seconds later came the rattling rumble of
his ’92 Cavalier as he started it up. The car made what sounded
like coughing sounds.

“Hear that? The damn thing won’t last another
month. Let’s see LaTrice spend three hundred dollars fixing it like
I did.” Darlene sniffed. She angrily snatched a paper towel from
the nearby dispenser and wiped away tears.

“Brandon is going to be twenty in two
months,” Erikka said gently. She poured water into the
coffeemaker.

“So? He’s still about a minute from the days
of having baby powder on his behind. Twenty is still a kid,”
Darlene argued and sniffed again.

“You didn’t feel that way when you were
twenty,”

Erikka countered. She put two scoops of dark
roast coffee into a filter.

“Which is why I’m trying to save him the
trouble.” Darlene tossed the soggy paper towel into the trash can
and sat down hard at the table. “I made dinosaur-sized mistakes.”
“But they were yours to make. Hmm, let me guess what Grandmaman
Lillie said to you back then. That you were too young and didn’t
have a lick of sense.” Erikka turned on the coffeepot.

“No. She said I was as dumb as the day the
doctor pulled me out and slapped me on the ass,” Darlene replied.
She rubbed her forehead. “I didn’t listen to her any more than
Brandon listens to me.”

“It’s the circle of life,” Erikka
quipped.

Malik came in. “I’m going over to Shedrick’s.
His mama said I could have dinner with them.”

“I want to see that paper.” Darlene held out
a hand. “Aw, man. Why do I have to pay for Brandon messing with
some old lady?” Malik wore a harassed frown.

“This is about you. So don’t even try to play
me. The paper, or you go nowhere.” Darlene glared at him.

“Aw, man,” Malik repeated under his breath.
His expensive sport shoes clumped heavily back down the hall toward
his room.

“Lord, why didn’t you send me girls?” Darlene
looked up at the ceiling.

“Girls who get pregnant and bring the baby
home to you? Honey, this older woman thang might be a blessing in
disguise,” Erikka said with a laugh. She stopped when Darlene gave
her a cutting look. “At least she has a job.” “And three mouths to
feed already. It will take her about one week to realize she’s just
taken on another child,” Darlene said.