10
PUSHING UP THE SKY
“I’m looking for a Miss Rita Hayworth,” Herculeah told the woman at the desk.
Magnolia Downs had a big airy front parlor. It looked more like a Southern mansion than a place for retired people. Herculeah realized she didn’t know any retired people—the older people she knew in her neighborhood ran businesses out of their homes—Cakes by Cheri; One-Hour Dentals; her mother’s Mim Jones, Private Investigator.
Well, maybe Meat’s mother, Sears, could be considered retired. Anyway, Sears didn’t work. Herculeah took a deep breath. I’ve got to stop thinking of her as Sears or I’ll slip and call her that, she told herself.
The woman said, “I believe she just went to her Tai Chi class. That’s in the sun room—past the dining room and to your right.”
Herculeah walked down the hall and peered into the sun room. The class of men and women were lined up in two rows.
“Were you looking for someone?” the teacher asked. She was a short, cheerful woman. Her white hair looked like one of those bowl haircuts Herculeah had read about from the old days. Moms would cut their kids’ hair by putting a bowl on the kid’s head and cutting around it.
“Yes, but it can wait,” Herculeah said. “I don’t want to disturb the class.”
“Well, join us. Are you familiar with Tai Chi?”
“No, but I’ll try anything.”
“I like that attitude.”
Herculeah walked to the back of the class. She slipped off her backpack and dropped it to the floor.
“We’ll warm up with the move known as the Wind in the Willows.”
Everyone began swinging their arms, and Herculeah did, too. Tai Chi wasn’t as hard as she thought it was going to be. She had envisioned people kicking at each other. She didn’t especially want to be kicked—even by an elderly person.
“The energy originates in your feet, issues through your waist, and expresses itself in your arms.”
As Herculeah swung her arms, she looked around at the members of the Tai Chi class, trying to figure out which one was Rita Hayworth. She settled on the tall, thin woman in the front row who looked like energy was really expressing itself in her arms. Herculeah could imagine that woman standing up in Death’s Door and confronting Mathias King.
“Our next warm-up move is Pushing Up the Sky. Inhale when your hand pushes up; exhale when it comes down.”
Herculeah wished Meat were here to push up the sky with her, but he was still at the dentist’s office. She’d tried to call him after she left Death’s Door.
Before she had the sky as high as she wanted it, Herculeah found herself doing the Turtle, then the Elephant Raises His Trunk. Then on to Gathering and Storing, and Sun and Moon Hands. There was no end to the different ways you could move your body.
When the class was over, Herculeah asked the woman beside her, “Is Rita Hayworth here today?”
“Oh, yes, she’s always here.”
“Is that her on the end of the front row?”
“No, Rita Hayworth is our teacher. Gilda, this young lady is looking for you.”
The teacher came over. “I really enjoyed your class,” Herculeah said. “Thanks for letting me join you.”
“You’re most welcome.”
“I wasn’t too good on Crane Opening His Wings, but I remember Gathering and Storing and I’m going to do that at home.”
“It’s one of our most important moves. Remember to let your feet claw the earth. You want to feel rooted—like a giant tree.” She made clawing motions with her hands.
“I actually did feel sort of treelike.” Herculeah smiled. “Course I’m so tall, I often feel treelike.”
Rita Hayworth looked at her with bright eyes. “So, who are you and why did you want to see me?”
“I should have introduced myself. I’m Herculeah Jones.”
“What a lovely name. I’ve never heard it before. Is it a family name?”
“Not really. My mom doesn’t like me to tell this, but she was watching a Hercules movie in the hospital while she was waiting for me to be born. After she went in the delivery room, Mom was kidding around about naming me Hercules if I was a boy. And the nurse asked what she was going to name me if I was a girl, and out of the clear blue Mom said, ‘If it’s a girl, I’ll name her Herculeah.’ They were having fun with it and the doctor said, ‘How about Samson? I’ve never delivered a Samson before.’ He broke into a Russian song, ‘Oh, Samson-ya.’ Then when I was born and I was such a big strong baby, Herculeah seemed just right.”
“It’s a very beautiful name. And what can I do for you, Herculeah?” She gave the name such a beautiful pronunciation that it made Herculeah very glad she wasn’t Samson-ya.
“Well, I was in Death’s Door today—”
“The bookstore.”
“Yes, and Uncle Neiman was telling me that you came to a signing for Mathias King.”
“That I did.”
“And you asked him some questions that seemed to make him uneasy.”
“That they did.”
“Well, I wanted to pick your brain about that. I want you to tell me everything you know about Mathias King.”
“Even if it’s unpleasant? I do not like that man.”
“Especially if it’s unpleasant,” Herculeah answered firmly.