Chapter Three
As Lenora sat back on the couch, her body melted into the cushions. She really wanted to go to bed and rest her pounding head on her pillow. Instead, she listened to the phone as it rang in her ear. Finally, she heard a greeting on the other side.
Lenora sat up, “Hello, Candace. I’m so sorry to bother you.”
Candace responded, “Hello, Lenora. I’m glad to hear your voice. I wanted to talk to you earlier today after the funeral, but you and Reverend Freeman had so many people around you.”
“It’s been a crazy day, and I’m happy to get a chance to talk to you now. Not to be rude, but have you seen Keith?” The text on her phone had rattled Lenora. She didn’t know if someone was threatening her family or not. The Freemans were well-loved members of their church and community. Still, Lenora was deeply concerned that she had not seen her eldest son in the past few hours, even if he was a college sophomore.
Candace and Lenora had grown as friends the past two years since Candace’s oldest daughter, Rachel, had been dating Keith. The young couple both earned basketball scholarships to UNC and were a popular couple on campus as well.
Lenora continued, “I just don’t know where he would have disappeared to after the funeral, but I hoped he would be with Rachel.”
“Well, no worries. He and Rachel just left awhile ago. I think he probably just needed to be around someone special.”
Lenora breathed a sigh of relief. “I can understand. It’s just that his father was looking for him. You know this image we have of being a family unit.”
Candace said, “I know. We want to hold our children close, especially when there are hard times like a death in the family. When my friend, Pamela, was murdered a few years ago, we were all still struggling with Frank’s death. My relationship with Rachel had broken down so much. Believe me, I wasn’t prepared, nor did I realize, Rachel was trying to deal with grief in her own way.”
“I remember you telling me young adults grieve differently.” Lenora also needed to remind herself her son was only nineteen. They had some battles with him as a teenager, but he had grown into a responsible young man. Since getting the basketball scholarship, Keith had been excelling in his grades.
Lenora knew Rachel was partly responsible for keeping Keith on the straight and narrow. She couldn’t have asked for a better girlfriend for her oldest son.
Candace interrupted her thoughts. “As soon as he drops Rachel off, I will make sure Keith calls you. Young people don’t seem to remember the importance of giving their parents a call.”
“I know. They can talk to everyone else, but can’t seem to remember to check in. It’s okay. I just wanted to know where he was before I lie down.”
“I’m happy you reached out. Lenora, I’m here if you want to talk. Speaking of talking, I have been so busy at the salon I need to catch up with you on the wedding plans. I know you are going to kill me for not deciding on the cake yet.”
Lenora laughed. Candace would be marrying her fiancé, Darnell Jackson, in approximately one month. “Girl, you know Chef Langston is going to throw a fit. He likes at least two to three months to prepare a wedding cake, but don’t worry, he will still work with us. The most important next step is for all the bridesmaids and you to come to the boutique for your final dress fittings.”
“All right, get us in order. You know Mondays are my days off from Crown of Beauty Salon. If I can round up all the girls, can you fit us in?”
“Sounds like a plan. Angel Roberts is a part of the wedding party, right?” Lenora inquired.
Candace responded, “Yes, she is, but she has already gotten some great footage of me and Darnell. She contracted another videographer to film the ceremony and reception. I told her she was going to be in this wedding so no standing behind the camera for her.”
“Good, maybe she and Wes will actually set a wedding date soon.” Lenora and Candace had both been needling their young friend about her yearlong engagement.
The two women said good-bye. Lenora hung up the phone. For a brief moment she had forgotten her headache. Her passion for planning weddings always brightened her day.
The one regret Lenora would never admit to anyone was not having her own large beautiful wedding. Lenora looked over at her wedding photo taken over twenty years ago. Jonathan was dressed in a simple black suit, and she wore a simple off-the-shoulder white dress. Her wedding photo brought Lenora joy, but represented the biggest sin she had ever committed against her mother-in-law, Eliza.
Four weeks before their wedding day at Victory Gospel Church, Lenora was prepared to give her engagement ring back to Jonathan. Jonathan suggested they forget all the wedding plans and go to city hall to get married. Lenora’s mother and Papa Jeremiah were hurt, but both parents eventually forgave them.
Not Eliza. To this day, Eliza felt like it was Lenora’s idea to spite her and leave her out of her only son’s wedding. For some reason, Eliza couldn’t get it through her head that Jonathan had grown tired of his own mother meddling in his love life.
Lenora sighed, and once again, she dialed her son’s cell number. This time the phone went straight to voice mail. Lenora left what had to be her third message. “Keith, I know you are with Rachel. Just call when you get a chance. I love you.” As she pressed the button to end the call, Lenora heard a voice behind her. The grating voice sent Lenora’s temples throbbing again.
“You always let that boy have his way. He should be home grieving his grandfather, not out Lord’s knows where.”
It was best not to get into it with the older woman right now. She is supposed to be grieving. Lenora watched as her mother-in-law shuffled into the living room on her cane. She waited until Eliza sat down in the chair that the boys jokingly called Queen Eliza’s chair. It was a French antique chair that Lenora had found a few years before. She had the rest of the set of chairs at Lenora’s Bridal Boutique. She still wasn’t sure how she got talked into bringing the beautiful, but odd green chair into her living room.
Lenora made an effort to smile through her pain. “How are you feeling, Mother Eliza?”
When Lenora had first met Eliza, she was a bundle of energy. Now, in her midsixties, Eliza was still active, but a weight gain in the past few years hadn’t been good for her knees.
Eliza wrinkled her face and smacked her lips. “I could use some water. I’m so thirsty today.”
“Sure!” Small talk was not their thing, so Lenora went to the kitchen. She grabbed a glass from the cabinet and opened the fridge. As she poured water from the pitcher in the fridge, she noticed her hands were shaking. She set the pitcher back on the refrigerator shelf and closed the door. What had she eaten today? The headache was an annoyance, but now she was starting to feel discomfort in her stomach. Lenora grabbed the counter and took a few deep, cleansing breaths. When the wave of nausea subsided, she headed back into the living room.
As she handed the glass of water to Eliza, Lenora was grateful to see Jonathan walk into the living room.
Jonathan eyed her and asked, “Are you feeling better, Lenora?”
“No, I haven’t had a chance to lie down yet.”
Eliza piped up, “She is still looking for that boy.”
Lenora closed her eyes and continued to concentrate on her breathing.
Jonathan frowned. “Keith hasn’t shown up yet?”
Lenora responded without looking at her husband. “He’s with Rachel.”
“Good. He probably needed to be around a friend.”
The phone rang. Lenora started toward the phone, but since Jonathan was closer, he picked up the cordless receiver first.
He said, “Yes, this is Pastor Freeman.”
Lenora concentrated on her husband’s face. Her entire body felt as if it wanted to explode with nervousness.
He glanced over at her. “Yes, I’m his father.”
Lenora placed her hands to her stomach as she watched an emotion register on her husband’s face she’d rarely seen. Fear. She heard Eliza suck in a breath.
Before Jonathan could place the phone down, Lenora went over to him and grabbed his arm. “Who was that?”
Jonathan took in a deep breath, and then hesitated as if he was trying to figure out what to say.
Lenora shook his arm. “Jonathan, what’s wrong? Tell me.”
He focused on her face. “Keith and Rachel have been in an accident. We need to get to the hospital.”
Lenora’s body trembled as if someone had opened a window and pushed cold arctic air into the room. Her eyes watered as she thought about the strange text message she had received earlier.