27
The nerve of that Shar Gracey,” Nettie said to no one in particular as she walked into her house and threw her purse on the sofa.
Her mother came out of the kitchen carrying a bowl of mashed potatoes. “What’s got you in an uproar now?”
“That Shar Gracey,” Nettie yelled through the house again.
“Come on in here and help me get the dinner on the table and you can tell me and your daddy all about it,” Nettie’s mama said.
Nettie followed her mother into the kitchen, put the green beans in a bowl, and took them to the table, while her mother brought the roast and bread rolls. They all sat down at the dining room table, and then Raymond said, “I heard you screaming about Shar Gracey when you came in the house. What’s got you so upset with that young lady?”
“I don’t mean to be uncharitable, Daddy. It’s just that Landon and I have worked so hard on this home ownership project, with very little help from anyone else.”
Her father interrupted her, “I offered to help Pastor Landon with a fund-raiser. I know you think we have endless money and I should just write Pastor Landon a check. But the truth of the matter is, I’ve had to spend almost all of our savings on my latest election. My opponent has acquired financial backing from a few of my enemies who want to see me out of public office.”
“I’m not blaming you, Daddy.” Nettie patted her father’s hand as it lay on top of the table. “But I thought you came up with an awfully good idea about the fund-raiser. And Landon asked Shar if she would help us raise money for our housing project, and she flatly refused to help.”
“Isn’t that something,” Loraine said while fixing her husband’s plate and sitting it down in front of him.
“Sounds like little miss Shar done traveled the world and got too big for her britches,” Raymond said.
Loraine handed Nettie her plate and then sat down with her own. Nettie said, “Well anyway, now we’re going to have to come up with another fund-raiser, even after Pastor Landon told that girl that chicken dinners ain’t making us no money.”
Loraine pointed a finger at her daughter. “Nettie Johnson, what have I told you about using ‘ain’t’ in this house?”
“I’m sorry, Mama. I’m just so mad about the whole situation that I can barely think straight. But oh well, I guess we’ll just keep on selling dinners and hope for the best.”
Raymond said grace over the food, and then while they were eating, he said, “I think you had it right the first time. Chicken dinners ain’t making no money. And they won’t help your daddy with this upcoming election.”
“How would the choir fund-raiser help you win the State Representative seat?” Loraine asked her husband.
“Well,” Raymond rested his back against the high-backed chair and used a toothpick to get a piece of roast beef that lodged between his teeth. “The way I see it is if I’m the one printing the flyers and helping promote this event, my name ought to go on those flyers somewhere. That way the good people in our district will be able to see that I’m a man of the people, willing to lend a hand when needed.”
“That would be wonderful, Daddy, except for one thing. Without Shar we won’t be putting on that fund-raiser. I’m sure we have singers in our choir who are just as good as Shar, but none of us have toured with Thomas Dorsey,” Nettie said.
“And that’s exactly why Shar Gracey is going to rejoin the choir at United Worship Center whether she likes it or not.”
Nettie put her fork down and stared at her father. She had a lot of respect for him, but if Landon—the same man Shar had been trading letter with—couldn’t get her to do it, she seriously doubted that her father would have much luck. “She ran out of church, all fired mad because I mentioned her nightclub singing. I’m sorry if what I said to her ruined your plans.”
“You didn’t ruin nothing. I will get Shar back in that choir, I can promise you that.”
“And just how do you plan to do that?”
“Don’t you worry about it Baby-Girl. Your daddy has a few tricks up his sleeve.”
Shar didn’t work at the beauty salon on Mondays, so she got up bright and early, fixed oatmeal for her parents, and then started on the washing. Once she had that under control, Shar went back in to check on her parents.
“So how are my patients doing this afternoon? Are you two ready for some lunch?”
“Girl, you just fixed us breakfast a couple of hours ago. Hold your horses and let me do some work today,” Marlene said as she sat on the side of the bed, feet planted on the floor, but she hadn’t pushed herself off the bed yet.
Her father was lying on the right side of the bed, his head propped on a pillow as he eyed Marlene. “Your mama’s been hacking all night. She wants me to believe that she’s all right, but I’m not so sure.”
Marlene waved away his concern. “Stop all this fussing over me, Johnny. I told you that I’m going to keep my heavy housecoat on when I’m walking through this house.”
“No, no,” Johnny said while hitting the mattress with his fist. That single act seemed to drain him so much that he took several deep breaths before speaking again. “Shar, I want you to go down to that church and tell Pastor Landon that we are mighty grateful for the work them church folks did on the house. But if he could send a few more men here to put the plastic on the windows I’d make sure to pay each one of them something as soon as I can get out of this bed.”
“Oh, Daddy, please don’t make me do that.” Shar hated denying her father his simple request. Johnny Gracey didn’t like asking nobody to do nothing for him that he couldn’t do for himself. So, for him to ask Shar to get help for the windows, she knew that her father was still feeling poorly. And his concern for her mama’s health was outweighing his never-ask-nobody-for-nothing attitude.
“What’s wrong with you, girl? You belong to that church don’t you . . . been putting money in the collection plate?” Johnny stopped talking, took a deep breath as if something was hurting him, and then continued, “Pastor Landon won’t mind providing us the help we need.”
“Look at you, speaking good about a preacher,” Marlene joked, because her husband didn’t trust too many people outside of his own family.
“He’s a good man,” Johnny fired back.
“How would you know, Johnny Gracey? You don’t even go down to that church when you’ve got Sundays off and just sitting around the house waiting on me to feed you.”
Her parents fussed about one thing or another at least two or three times a week, but the love bond between them was unbreakable so Shar mostly ignored the fussing. Johnny turned back to Shar. “I want to know why you can’t do as I ask.”
With shoulders slumped, Shar sat down on the edge of the bed to be closer to her parents. She confessed, “The truth is that Landon just asked me to help out with a musical fundraiser at the church by singing in the choir. But I told him that I was too busy helping out at home to sing in the choir.” She didn’t look her parents in the eye as she finished her confession. Her eyes were on her hands as they rested in her lap.
“What has gotten into you that you suddenly don’t want anything to do with singing?” Marlene questioned.
“With you and Daddy under the weather, I’ve got a lot that needs to be done right here, Mama. I can’t be concerning myself with no choir.”
“But you love singing in that choir,” Johnny added.
Without looking up, Shar said, “Maybe I just don’t love it the same way I used to.” Shrugging her shoulders as she stood back up, she added, “I’m a grown woman now, and I think it’s high time for me to start thinking about getting married and raising a family, like Mama always talks about, rather than chasing a dream that ain’t never gon’ come true.”
“Now, Shar,” Marlene began, “You know that it is my fondest wish that I would live to see you married off and having babies. But after you left home and I read some of your letters about how so many people became overjoyed after you led one of them songs, I came to believe in your father’s dream for you. Things might not have turned out so good on the tour, but I feel it,” Marlene gripped her stomach, “way down deep in my soul. God’s got something good in store for you, chile. So, don’t be so quick to give up on your dreams. Them dreams of yours and your daddy’s is the only thing we got worth holding onto in this world.”
Tears sprang up and seeped down Shar’s face. Her mother’s words meant everything to her. As long as Shar could remember her mother had been trying to stifle any and all thoughts of singing because she wanted Shar to focus on becoming a good wife to a man who’d be able to provide her with a good living. But now her mother believed in her dream. The irony of the situation was that Shar no longer believed in it. “The songs just don’t feel the same to me no more.”
“What this world done to you, Shar? When you gon’ be ready to tell your mama so I can help you?”
Shar would never tell her mama what she did to earn the money for her care. Her mama would blame herself, and Shar couldn’t have that. She turned, heading out of her parent’s bedroom. “Let me see if I can rustle up some plastic so I can get started with putting it on the windows.”
“Shar Gracey, if you get on that ladder, I swear to God, I’m gon’ come out there and skin you alive,” Johnny said, his voice gaining strength.
“But Daddy, how you gon’ get out of that bed and chase me around this house when you can barely lift your head as it is?”
“I’ll do it. I swear I will. Even if it kills me, I promise that I’ll get you down off that ladder before you wind up killing yourself.” Johnny harrumphed.
Shar knew her daddy was stubborn enough to do just what he said. She would not be responsible for killing him. She threw up her hands. “All I’m trying to do is help around this house. If you won’t let me help with the windows then what do you want me to do?”
“I want you to go to that church and talk to Pastor Landon.”
“Daddy, I already told you why I can’t do that.”
“And another thing,” Johnny began as his eyes filled with tears. “I want you to sing in that choir. And if you do, I’ll be sitting in the front row cheering you on.”
Marlene’s mouth hung open. She swiveled around to face her husband. “I don’t believe it. In all the years we’ve been married, you ain’t never once stepped foot inside the church.”
“If Shar agrees to sing in that choir, I promise you, Marlene, I’ll go to that church for the rest of my days. I’m the reason she went on that tour, and I’m to blame for the reason she don’t want to sing no more. I just pray that God forgives me for what I done to our child.”
Everybody in the room was crying now. Shar knew how it pained her mother to go to church without her husband. So many of the saints would inquire about his whereabouts and her mama would just say, “The good Lord knows what he’s doing with my husband. So, I’m not gon’ get in the way.” How could she deny them now? Shar opened her mouth to tell her mama about what she’d done. Her daddy already knew she had been singing down at Ray’s place. But she’d made him swear he wouldn’t tell her mama.
Her mama was so proud of her, and it was clear to see that she loved her more than life itself. She didn’t want her mama thinking less of her. She also didn’t want to defy her father just because she was embarrassed to face Landon. Maybe she could go down to the church and do just as her daddy suggested without even so much as bringing up the choir. Landon was a good man and if he knew that the drafty windows was stopping Marlene from healing as well as she should be, Shar had no doubt he would help.
She was about to tell her parents her decision, when there was a knock at the front door. “I’ll get it,” Shar said as she headed toward the living room.
Mr. Cordey Turner, the landlord, and Mr. Raymond Johnson, Nettie’s daddy, was both standing on her porch at the same time. Shar was surprised to see the two men together because she had no clue that they even knew each other. She opened the door and stepped back so they could come into the house and get out of the windy cold of this late October day.
“Good day to you, gentlemen. To what do we owe for the privilege of having our state representative and our landlord come visit?”
Both men took their hats off, then Raymond said, “We’re mighty sorry to trouble you, Miss Shar, especially since your parents are ailing.”
“Who’s at the door, Shar?” Marlene hollered from the bedroom.
“It’s the landlord, Mama. And Mr. Johnson.”
Marlene got out of bed and came into the living room. “How are you doing, Mr. Turner . . . Mr. Johnson?”
“Good day to you, Marlene,” Cordey said. “We didn’t mean to get you out of bed.”
“Just tell me what you gentlemen are here for, so I can go back to resting.”
Cordey fidgeted, looked at the floor, and then said, “I’m here about the rent. I haven’t received full payment for this month, and I’m just hoping that I can collect today.”
Marlene lifted her hands wide as she tried to explain. “We don’t have it. Me and Johnny been in and out of the hospital this month, and we just barely keeping food in the house.”
“You understand my situation though, don’t you?” Cordey asked.
“I just started down at the beauty parlor last week. I’ll be able to get the rent to you sometime next month if you can just be patient with us,” Shar assured him.
“I appreciate that you would cover the payment for your parents, Shar. But I need the money today or I’ll have to evict you all.”
Shar couldn’t believe what she was hearing. The house they were staying in was barely habitable. Her mother stayed sick in here, and Mr. Turner did nothing about the draft. Now that some of the church folks came and helped them with the house he wanted to throw them out. This just wasn’t fair.
Raymond patted his chest and then cleared his throat before speaking. “The reason I came here with Mr. Turner is that I believe I can help you all out.”
“And how is that?” Marlene asked, looking at Raymond Johnson as if he was a snake in the grass worse than the one standing next to him.
“I might be able to scrape up enough money to get your rent paid. But if I can, I’ll need you all to do something for me.”
“Nothing ain’t never free when it comes to dealing with you, Raymond Johnson,” Marlene said.
“Now come on, Mrs. Marlene. I’ve never done you a bad turn. I’m here to help.” Raymond looked from Marlene to Shar. When neither woman said anything, he put his hat back on and said, “Well, don’t say I didn’t try to keep you out of the cold this winter.” He began walking toward the door.
“What’s going on in there?” Johnny asked.
“I’ll tell you about it in a minute, Johnny. Now get some rest and let me handle things for a little while.” Marlene turned back to Raymond and said, “Wait, don’t go. Just tell us what you want.”
Raymond turned back around, took his hat off again. “I just want Shar to sing in this fund-raiser that Pastor Landon and my daughter are putting together. That shouldn’t be a problem, right?”
Marlene turned to Shar. Shar looked into her mother’s eyes and saw the need in them. This house was old and rickety, but they still didn’t want to be living on the streets in the coming winter. “Shouldn’t be a problem at all, Mr. Johnson,” Shar said out loud. Inwardly she was dreading the conversation that she would now need to have with Landon and her parents. It’s just like they always say, what’s done in the dark will come out in the light. Shar only prayed that there’d be some forgiveness in the light that was about to shine down on her.