Chapter 8

EJ COME BY ’BOUT EIGHT O’CLOCK TO GET ME THIS MORNING, like he always do. He hollers to me while I’m getting dressed in my bedroom. “Grandmama, this sure is a nice basket you got here, but it wasn’t here yesterday—I know you didn’t stay up all night making this.”

“Oh, honey, ain’t no big thing,” I say, walking into the living room trying to zip my skirt up on the side of my hip. “I’m an old lady, EJ. Don’t need much sleep these days.”

Sure enough, I stayed up all night weaving. ’Course once it got dark, I took my basket on up in the bed and kept working with my lamp on. I ain’t never finished a basket all in one night before, but when Mister Simmons’ rooster next door got to cock-a-doodle-dooing this Monday morning, it was done.

The basket sits about two and a half foot tall and has a right nice lid to go with it—got a little ball I sewed right on top, good for lifting. Besides that, I used some pretty red bulrush in some of the rows giving it a real nice stripe all the way up. Yes sir, Mister Jeffrey sure is gonna be tickled to get this!

EJ looks at me like I’m a young’un what ate too much sugar. “I just don’t want you falling asleep on the side of the road, is all.”

“Well now, that’s a fine place to snooze,” I tell him. “No use watchin’ the cars go by. They’s gonna stop if they want to no matter if I’m awake, or if I ain’t.”

“I suppose so,” he says. “This is a real nice basket, though. You’ll probably be able to get two hundred or two fifty for it! Whatcha think?”

“Oh, no, baby. That one’s not for sale,” I say, shaking my head. EJ looks at me kinda funny.

“Grandmama, haven’t we talked about this?” he fusses. “You can’t give your baskets away for free. You’re not made of money, you know.”

I just smile at him ’cause he knows I’m gonna do what I’m gonna do anyway.

“All right then, how are you going to pay your taxes if you keep giving baskets away?”

I cut my eyes at him. “I made that one special for Mister Jeffrey down to the flower shop,” I say, my voice letting him know I can handle my own business, thank you very much. “He’s comin’ for a visit today.”

EJ softens up like butter. “You always did get attached to the kids you raised, didn’t you, Grandmama? They sure were lucky to have somebody like you, real lucky if you ask me.”

“What a nice thing to say, EJ.” I ain’t grumpy with him no more. “You gonna make your old grandmama cry is what you gonna do.” EJ come over and give me a big hug, ’cept my cheek is in his belly, seeing as he’s so tall. His granddaddy, my Jim, was tall like that too. Made me have to step up on my toes just to get me a kiss.

EJ set me up at my basket stand and I had a right quiet morning. Got to get some good sleep in, seeing as most folks ain’t looking to buy baskets first thing on a Monday morning. Jim said he’d keep watch for me and let me know if somebody was stopping, so I could rest my eyes.

I wake up when I hear a car slowing down. An older fella and his Misses pull their Cadillac over and get out to look at Miss Nancy’s stand. Then the Misses wanders over to me and spots that big ol’ basket I just made.

“How much for that one?” she asks me, her eyes getting real big. I can always tell when a body’s really interested ’cause their eyes can’t hide it a’tall.

“Oh, that’s not for sale,” I tell her, “but this one here’s a real cute basket too. You like this one?”

“Well, actually, I really like this basket,” she says, running her fingers over the coils. “The colors are perfect, and I have just the right spot for it in my dining room. Sure I can’t talk you into selling it to me?” She gives me a sugary sweet grin lining cotton candy lips.

“Sorry,” I say. “But I’ll give you a real good deal on this other one.” The Misses sighs, but then agrees with me and goes over to grab her husband who’s still standing there chit-chatting to Miss Nancy. They buy the basket from me, and then pop back in the Cadillac and pull out into traffic. I sure am hoping Mister Jeffrey drives up soon. Can’t wait to see his face when I give him his basket.

After a few minutes of wondering what’s taking him so long, I see that pretty silver truck pull on up beside me.

“Hey there!” I say, pushing up to greet him.

“Miss Essie Mae, you sure do look beautiful today. How are you doing?” Jeffrey gets out the truck just a-grinning big as he can. “I brought you something,” he says.

He pulls his arm out from behind his back and there’s the prettiest bunch of flowers I ever did see! Even prettier than the ones I held at my own wedding just a-walking down the aisle.

“For me?” I fan myself with my hand, almost blushing.

“For you, Essie Mae, ’cause you’re so special to me.” I take hold of them flowers and breathe ’em in real deep. Then I find a nice basket to set ’em in ’til I can get ’em home and stick ’em in water. Right now, I’m feeling faint and my heart’s a-fluttering. I’m ’bout close to crying as I ever been.

Walking around to the back of my stand, I tell him, “Wait here a minute.” When I come back out, I’m carrying that great big basket I made for him and Miss Maybree in my arms. Jeffrey’s eyes like to pop right out his head! He puts his hand over his heart and backs up a couple steps.

“This here’s a special basket I made just for you, Jeffrey,” I hand it to him real gentle. “See? The lid comes off and everythin’!” Feels just like Christmas, it does.

“I . . . I don’t know what to say. I can’t believe you did this for me.”

“You’re a real sweet boy,” I tell him. “Now this basket’s just for you, hear? No sellin’ it down at the flower shop.”

“I wouldn’t dare,” he says. “In fact, I’ve got just the right spot for it. I’m going to put it on a pedestal right next to the fireplace, so I can see it every day.” He runs his fingers along the stripes and lifts the lid on and off, peeking inside.

“That sounds real nice. Real nice. And who knows? Maybe somebody special’s gonna sit next to you whiles you look at it one of these days.”

“We’ll see,” Jeffrey says, grinning.

We’ll see, sure ’nough.

Jeffrey and I talk a while longer ’fore I get me some more customers stopping to take a look.

“I’d better be getting back to my shop. I’ll see you real soon though,” he says when these folks is fixing to buy a basket from me. “Thank you so much for the basket, Essie Mae. You really made my day.”

“And you made mine, Jeffrey. You sure did make mine.”