The Color Of The Soul (The Penbrook Diaries) (24 page)

Cat pushed back the image of a hand-sized
baby with tiny fingers and toes. “How much is this going to cost me?”

“Can you put a price on your happiness?”

A short, bitter laugh emanated from Cat’s
throat. “I’m sure you’ve figured out a way.”

Madame Flora gave a toothless grin and
named her price. Cat balked at the ridiculous amount. “No one around here can
pay that much. What do you charge the sharecroppers’ daughters?”

“My price is my price. Some can afford
the full amount, others cannot. For those who cannot, we find a way for them to
make up the difference. You, my dear, can afford the full price.”

“Fine,” Cat grumbled. “It’s highway
robbery, but I suppose I have no other choice.” She reached into her bag and
pulled out a few bills. “Here’s half. You’ll get the rest when I’m satisfied
that I am free of my
little.
. .problem.”

1948

Rafe’s old truck rolled to a stop in
front of Buck’s rooming house. Andy frowned at the large gathering on Buck and
Lottie’s porch and yard. “I guess they’re having a party. I hope I’m not
imposing.”

Rafe laughed and killed the motor.
“Lottie always has room for one more. You
oughtta
know that by now. Come on.”

Andy turned to his newfound ally. “You’re
staying?”

He shrugged. “Like I said, always room
for one more. Even someone like me.”

Andy and Rafe made their way toward the
porch. A path formed and people stared. “You’d think they’d never seen a white
man before,” Andy said, irritation sliding through him at the rudeness of these
guests.

A chuckle rumbled in Rafe’s chest. “These
people are used to me. You’re the one they’re staring at.”

Heat warmed Andy’s neck. “Oh.”

Buck greeted them. He slapped Andy on the
back. “Good to see you back in one piece.” He gave Rafe a pointed look.
“Again.”

“No sense in bringing up bad memories.
Andy and I have made our peace and all that’s forgotten.”

“Glad to hear it. Family is family and
there ain’t no room for
fightin
’.”

Andy frowned at the statement. Was Buck getting
confused? Rafe laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. “I’m going to find
Ruthie.”

Andy turned back to Buck. “How are Lottie
and the children doing?”

“As fine as can be. Let’s go find Lottie.
She been
wantin’ to speak with ya.”

“I’d love to catch up with her, too.”

Laughter from the kitchen reached them
before the men were even close to the room. Buck rolled his eyes. “Women.”

Rafe winked. “Happy women, Buck. I love
the sound of happy women.”

Andy thought of Lexie. How long had it
been since he’d heard the melodious ringing of her laughter? Months? Years?

As they entered the kitchen, which was
filled with a dozen women of various ages and sizes, Andy felt utterly alone.

Lottie emerged from the middle of the
group and rushed to him. Taking him by surprise she flung her arms about him
and held on. Bewildered, Andy looked over her shoulder at a grinning Buck.

“It’s okay. You can hug her back.”

Andy’s arms encircled her loosely and
gave her a cursory pat. She let him go and held him at arm’s length, beaming.
Andy was glad she’d missed him, but he felt a little unworthy of the happiness
shining from her eyes.

“Tell him, Buck,” she said, “or I’m going
to burst with the news.”

“I thought the family was wantin’ to wait
until we was all together.”

She shook her head. “I’m not waiting
another second.”

Buck released a sigh. “Woman, you as
impatient as a chile.” He draped his arm around her and drew her close to his
side.

“Tell me what?” Andy asked. “What’s going
on here?”

“Well, the reason for this
gatherin
’ an’ all is ’cause Lottie
here.
. .well, she be your little sister.”

Andy’s mind refused to take in the
information. “Can you repeat that, please?”

Lottie threw herself into his arms again.
“I’m your sister, Andy. After you showed up at Jerome’s place last night, we
figured it was time to tell you the truth.”

“I didn’t have a sister named Lottie.”

“Andy, I’m Charlotte. When I was little
everyone called me
Char
. Buck’s the one that started
calling me Lottie.” She smiled at her husband,
then
turned back to Andy. “Remember how we used to run up to Miss Penbrook’s house
and pick mulberries from her trees and then bring them back to Mama? She baked
the best pies.”

Stripped of words, Andy stared at the
woman, two years his
junior, that
he’d been closer to
than anyone in the world for the first eight years of her life. But how could
this woman, this mother of six children, be his little Char? Then it gripped
him. The reason she brought on memories of his mother. He reached out and
touched her face. The action brought quick tears to her already shining eyes.

“You look like Mama,” he whispered.

An older woman stepped forward. “I’m
Tawny. Does you remember me?”

Andy embraced his older sister. “Of
course I do.” He pulled back and grinned. “You sure were bossy.”

“Still is,” a man called from the other
side of the room.

Tawny scowled. “That’s my man, Charley.
And don’t you pay him no mind.”

“I’m Bessie.” The woman didn’t smile,
didn’t seem glad to know him. “You was at my cabin last night. I’m married to
yo
’ brother Jerome.”

“Sorry about scaring you, ma’am.”

She gave a solemn nod. “
These is
scary times.”

“Ya already met my Ruthie.” She motioned
toward the other side of the room. Her eyes challenged him.

“
You’s
already met my Ruthie.”

Andy turned his gaze at the familiar
name. Now the woman’s animosity made sense. Andy had apologized to
Rafe
, but he knew he wasn’t finished eating crow. Ruthie
stood nestled in Rafe’s protective embrace. Gathering a deep breath, Andy
closed the distance between them. “I hope you’ll forgive my behavior at the
club that night. Rafe is a good man. And it’s obvious you two love each other.
I was out of line.” He still couldn’t help but believe it would have been
better if the two had found love with their own kind, but just as
Rafe
had proven himself to the family and the entire
community, he’d proven himself to Andy.

Ruthie’s expression softened to a
beautiful smile. She gave him a quick hug. “Sure, I forgive you.” Her smile
broadened to a grin. “
Uncle
Andy.”
The room erupted in laughter.

Andy spent the next four hours getting
reacquainted with his brothers and sisters, meeting spouses, nieces, and
nephews. Even cousins. By the time he was finally beginning to get names and
family associations straight, Bessie had softened toward him. He looked around.
His family, like all families, comprised a mix of successful and unsuccessful.

One brother owned a barbeque restaurant
that was frequented by blacks and whites alike. “I
gots
a reputation for the finest barbeque in four counties.”

“Yes,” his wife said, backhanding him
lightly on the chest. “And a bigger reputation for
braggin
’
about it.”

Jerome seemed to be the poorest among
them. He still sharecropped the land owned by Miss Penbrook. He shrugged. “I’s
saved me about half o’ what it’s gonna take to buy Mama and Daddy’s land. But I
don’t know what’s gonna happen when the old lady passes on.” He turned to Andy.
“She
look
like she might hang on awhile?”

Andy’s heart went out to him, but he knew
the old lady was fading fast. No way would she live long enough for Jerome to
save up half the money it would take to buy the land their parents had
sharecropped.

“The doctor isn’t giving her much time,
I’m afraid.”

Jerome’s expression sank. “I
figgered
it was gettin’ close.”

Bessie sniffed. “Maybe she’s
plannin
’ to leave it to ya. That’d be the decent thing to
do.”

Ephraim, the oldest of
the five children, shifted on the porch.
“The only decent thing that old
woman ever did for the likes of us was
sendin
’ Andy
here away so Pappy didn’t kill him for being half white.”

The animosity in Ephraim’s tone sent a
tremor through Andy.

“Ephraim, you’ve been drinking again.”
Lottie scowled and planted her hands on her hips. “I thought you promised no
more of that. You know you can’t stop before you get dog-faced drunk. For
shame.”

Ephraim patted her shoulder. “Shame,
shame, shame. I’m a shame to the family.” He staggered toward Andy. “I’m not
the only one in the family to shame us. Our mother
laid
down with a white man and birthed a bastard. That be a lot more shameful than
drinkin
’ a little bit ever’ now and
agin
.”
He spun around toward Ruthie and Rafe. “And our own little Ruthie is
followin
’ in her
grandmammy’s
steps, ain’t she?
Layin
’
down with a white man. How long before she births a
half-white child, too?”

“Careful, Mr. Carmichael.” Rafe’s warning
tone spoke of control and under-the-surface anger. “I can’t have anyone
insulting Ruthie. Not even her uncle.” Andy could tell his brother from
experience it that tussling with
Rafe
and Ruthie
wasn’t too smart.

Buck stepped in and took Ephraim’s arm.
“Come inside with me.” His gentle tone seemed to mollify Ephraim. “I’ll pour
you a cup of Lottie’s strong, hot coffee.”

“What’re we gonna do, Buck?” Ephraim
leaned heavily on the other man. “They’re
breedin
’
the color right out of us. Before long, we
ain’t
gonna
be black no more.
We’s
gonna be as white as the old
lady.”

“Shh. No, we
ain’t
.
We’s
who God made us.
Black, white.
It don’ matter what’s on the outside. Only
what’s on the inside.”

Andy watched Buck successfully remove
Ephraim from the porch.

“I’m sorry, Andy,” Lottie whispered.

Tawny took his arm. “I was old enough to
know somethin’ was goin’ on when Mama was seein’ your pappy. It was the only
time in my childhood that I remember Mama being truly happy. She was in love.
Later, after Pappy died, she’d tell me things about how they met and that he
woulda
married her
iffen
she
wasn’t already married to Pappy. She swore he loved her, too, but she never
gave his name.”

Andy stared at his sister. “You don’t
know who my father is?”

A frown creased her brow. “No. Mama took
it to her grave.”

But she didn’t. Andy knew the name of the
man who had sired him. He knew his white half brother, too. Even Sam’s friends
seemed to know.

The choices warred within him. On one hand,
he wanted to share the name, give some sort of proof that he did in fact have a
father. But on the other hand, he knew that his mother and Miss Penbrook must
have had a reason for keeping it hidden.

Family members began leaving soon after.
Amid “nice to meet
yas
” and “Don’t be a strangers,”
Andy felt accepted by this large and loving family of his. Still, when Rafe
gave him the nod that it was time to go, he couldn’t help but feel relieved.
Fifty family members and new revelations were too overwhelming to take in such
a large dose.

Lottie came forward to say good-bye. Now
that he knew she was Char, he felt a surge of genuine brotherly love. They
embraced.

“The family never felt whole without you,
Andy.” She held him by each shoulder and smiled. “I never want to lose you
again.”

As Rafe’s truck rumbled along the road
leading to Penbrook, Andy tuned out Rafe and Ruthie’s recap of the evening. The
amazing events of the day were beginning to catch up with him and his breathing
was coming faster. He’d hated this part of his heritage for so long. He hadn’t
understood why they’d sent him away. As a member of the Riley household, he’d
learned to strive for success, not because they emphasized it, but because they
lived it in front of him. He’d grown up in a wealthy home and never lacked for
anything. Living in Georgia for the first ten years of his life, he’d never had
decent clothes and food was scarce. He’d come to believe that being white was
better than being black.
Again, not because the
Rileys
emphasized it, but because he observed the
differences.

Even though he couldn’t change his skin
color, he could control his behavior. And that’s what he’d done. Tried to blend
in as much as possible. He finally understood why his skin was so much lighter
than his brothers and sisters.

Rafe dropped him off at Miss Penbrook’s.
“I’ll be back to pick you up for church on Sunday.”

“No, thanks. That’s not necessary. I
don’t go to church.”

“You have to go this week. Clara’s
youngest boy is getting baptized. Besides, your family wants to introduce the
prodigal son.”

His grin stayed with Andy as he walked up
the steps, somehow knowing he was going to be in church come Sunday morning.

*****

Ruthie saw them first. She didn’t scream;
she couldn’t. The roadblock of vehicles forced Rafe to stop the truck.
Headlights illuminated the white robes and hoods. Ruthie slipped her fingers
into Rafe’s hand, but for the first time since they’d fallen in love, she
didn’t feel safe. Rafe would not be able to protect her this time. Tears filled
her
eyes
as he turned to her, heedless of the approach
of men on either side of the truck. He took her face in his hands and thumbed
away the tears from her cheeks. Then his lips met hers in one last kiss.