Chapter 34

TODAY’S FRIDAY. The Sweetgrass Soiree is tonight. It’s been a busy day already for folks up here in heaven. Everybody’s excited and getting ready. We ain’t exactly sure if we can stop Henrietta’s hoodoo, but it sure sounds like it might be fun anyway. Not a-one of us been to a party like this before with powerful people like mayors and senators, no sir. And none of us been guests to a fancy place like Hibernian Hall neither.

Auntie Leona’s making a big fuss over what she’s gonna wear. She says it’ll be like some kind o’ Mardy Graw party she used to go to back in New Orleans. Well, I don’t know much about that, but I’ll just bet she’s getting too dressed up.

“Auntie, what in tar-nation is that?” I ask her. She got red feathers sticking up out the top of her head and a bright red shiny gown to go right along with it. “We got names for a woman what looks like that, Leona,” I say, smiling at her. She wiggles her hips and winks at me.

“Oh, now, you’re just jealous,” she says. “But don’t worry, I got one for you too, baby.”

“Ain’t like nobody’s gonna see us anyway, Leona,” I say. “We’re dead, ’member?”

“I know, I know, but can’t a body have fun?”

“I reckon.” She puts me in a little yella and black striped dress with no sleeves a’tall. When she zips it up my back, my bosoms try and pop out the top. “Leona,” I say, “I look just like a big ol’ bumble bee. And a pretty loose one, at that.”

“You look just like a sexy tigress, Essie Mae. Jim’s gonna love it, mark my words. Here. Put this on too.” She hands me little mask made of yella feathers that straps ’round my head and covers my face up. It has two little holes for my eyes. I put it on to be a good sport and peek at myself in the mirror. I tell you this, I can’t even recognize myself. This can’t be me. Not only is my body like a teenager, I’m all covered in feathers and shiny stuff. Lord have mercy on us all.

“I s’pose this is fine,” I tell her, as she crosses her arms and looks me up and down. She makes a long whistling noise. “That’s enough, Leona. I’ll be goin’ on home now.”

I wear my dress back to the house and when Jim sees me, I think his eyes might pop out his head. “Essie Mae? That you?” he asks me, coming up real slow. He pulls the feather mask off my eyes and smoothes down my hair.

“You know it’s me, Jim. Now don’t make fun.”

“Oh, I ain’t makin’ fun, Essie Mae. You look real nice.”

“You think?”

“I think,” he says, taking my hand and pulling me down the hallway. “But I bet you look even better out of it.”

I wonder how come I never knew big ol’ fat bumblebees have so much fun.

It’s been a couple hours. Daddy Jim and I showered, and we’re sitting on the front porch in our rocking chairs. We’re drinking coffee—mine’s black, and his has sugar and cream just like always—and we’re looking down on Earth to Charleston. Things down there’s busy today too. This is what we seen so far.

Henrietta come on over to EJ’s house and Cassie was still in the crib, so she went on back and asked Felicia if she could get her up for the day. She said that’d be all right.

Henrietta walked into the nursery real slow and heard some humming. Cassie was a-laying there, kicking her feet and looked up at her, smiling.

“Hey baby,” said Henrietta, throwing her arms out. “Your grandmama’s here.”

Cassie stood up real quick and pulled her pink blanket ‘round her shoulders like a shawl. “Jacket,” she tried to say from behind her pacifier. In my day, we never used them things.

Cassie’s hair was standing up this way and that so Henrietta walked her on into the bathroom and grabbed a comb. She tried to work it through a couple times before the baby had a fit. Then she set Cassie down and took the comb to her own hair, staring at herself in the mirror. She studied the lines ’round her eyes, but thought she looked pretty good anyway and blew herself a kiss. She sure was in a good mood, but I ain’t sure that was such a good thing, knowing she got hoodoo up her sleeves.

“Felicia,” said Henrietta. “You got somebody to watch the baby tonight?”

“Yes, I do. Mrs. Simmons next door’s going to watch her. Cassie just adores her.”

“That’s good. You know what you’re going to wear?”

“Yep. It’s not much, but I think it’ll do. You all ready, Henrietta? You excited about tonight? There’s gonna be tons of people there—everybody in town practically. Oooh, I can’t wait.”

“It sure will be something.” Henrietta followed Cassie into the kitchen and put back the papers she took off the table. “EJ, you need me to take care of anything for the party tonight?” she asked him real sweet.

“No, Mama. I think Jeffrey’s got everything under control.”

“We’ll just see about that,” she whispered under her breath. “All right then, I’m going back home. I have some things I need to do. See you two later!”

She turned ’round, started humming, and flitted out the front door like a butterfly dancing on a honeysuckle vine. Lord have mercy, we gonna have our work cut out for us tonight. Leona’s promised to stay real close on her, so at least she can’t pull nothing we don’t know about.

Things ain’t so happy over at the Lowes’ household today. Jeffrey woke up to an empty bed again. He got up to call for Victor, thinking he was on the couch, but he weren’t even home. He finally rolled on in ’bout six thirty. Jeffrey was waiting for him in the living room, setting right next to that pretty love basket I made for him. I reckon it’s pretty if nothing else.

“Well, good morning,” he said. His arms and legs was crossed, and that right foot o’ his just kept a-jiggling and shaking up and down. “Well?”

Victor didn’t answer him. He just walked on past him to the bathroom like he weren’t even there. Jeffrey up and followed him, but the door shut right ’fore he could get there.

“Victor! Tell me what’s going on. It’s somebody else, isn’t it? I wasn’t born yesterday, you know. You’re seeing somebody, now who is it?” Jeffrey pounded his fists on the door, and when he heard the shower come on he slid down it, quiet and still.

“Victor, why?” he whispered to nobody. “Why are you doing this? Today was going to be such a big day . . .” Jeffrey stayed there on the floor, propped up against the bathroom door and when it finally opened twenty minutes later, he fell back.

“I sorry,” Victor said, real quiet. He leaned down to touch his shoulder, but Jeffrey got up without a word and walked on out the front door.

Over at Susanne Maybree’s house, things was kinda strange too.

“Susanne, who was over here this morning?” Clarice Maybree was sitting at the breakfast table and peeked out from behind the newspaper.

“Nobody, Mother.”

“Susanne? I’m not stupid. My bedroom’s right next to yours, you know. Come on, tell your old mama. At least one of us is having some fun. Is he somebody special?”

“Mother, it’s none of your business. And nothing happened. Trust me. Come on, let’s just have breakfast. You want cheese on your eggs?”

Clarice just sat there saying nothing. She watched Susanne cooking in her white fuzzy robe and pink feather slippers.

“Is it somebody I know?” asked Clarice, shifting in her seat and grabbing her juice glass.

“If I tell you, will you leave it alone already?”

“I promise.”

“Yes, Mother. It’s somebody you know.”

“Oh, goodie! Is he going to be at the party tonight?”

“Mother! You promised.”

“I know, I know. I just want you to meet somebody nice. That’s all.”

“Ugh! All right, Mother. Yes. Yes, he’ll be there tonight. But no, I’m not interested in him. Now here, eat your eggs, I’ve got to start getting ready. I have to be over there real early to get set up.”

Clarice watched her walk down the hallway and out o’ sight, then stabbed into her eggs and stared on out the window, chewing like a chipmunk. She finished her eggs and then went a million miles away, ’membering Susanne’s daddy who run off on her when Susanne was twelve years old.

“Daddy, go on and get the door, would you?” I’m a little nervous and excited ’bout tonight, so I figured I’d weave a little. I’m sitting over here in front o’ the fireplace and making a real cute basket. Just a little one, though, ’cause my fingers ain’t fat no more and I can sew just as small and tight as I want these days.

“Well now, look who it is. Hey, Mama. Hey, Daddy.”

“Bonjour, ma petite fille,” says Daddy.

“Bonjour, Daddy. Boy, ain’t you bein’ fancy today.”

“Oh, ’e so ’cited. Been talkin’ French at me aw day long—but I ain complainin’ none.” Mama winks at me, then smiles over toward Daddy. It’s a real strange thing seeing your mama and daddy the same age you is. They’s all young again, too, just like when they was first married. They still act like Mama and Daddy though. They was always real sweet to each other and frisky too, sometimes.

“I ain know what ta do wid yo faddah while us bidin’ time, so I figguh I bring’m on ober yah.”

“Well, come sit down here with me, Mama. Let’s weave a little. Jim, can’t you boys go on outside and do some manly stuff—fishin’ or huntin’ or whatever it is you men folk do?” I wink at him, and they wave as they leave.

“Here, Mama. Take this nail bone. I’ll get me another one.” I walk in the kitchen and head for my stash o’ spoon handles—a never-ending supply just in case I need ’em. Then I go back and sit down on the sofa. “You got you some grass already, Mama?”

“Yes, baby.”

We been weaving for a while, just a-humming and not saying too much when Mama pipes up. “You talk ta Jedus ’bout Henrietta?”

“No, not really, Mama.”

“Well, why not? Ain you t’ink us need aw de hep us can git t’night? Jedus wanna hear ‘bout eb’ryt’ing.”

“Oh, Mama. You know it just like I do. Jesus already knows what we’re up to. He knows we’re gonna need His help.”

“But did you ax Him, Essie Mae? ‘E may know eb’ryt’ing, but ’E want you ta ax Him anyhow.”

Mama’s been up here a whole lot longer than I have. She knows Jesus better than I do, I reckon.

“I’ll talk to Him, Mama. You’re right—as usual.” I smile at her, and we get back to weaving. After while, somebody ’bout bangs the front door down.

“Essie Mae! Open up, it’s me!”

I open the door and see Auntie Leona’s face. It’s a nasty shade o’ green.

“Oh, Lord have mercy, she’s conjurin’ up loas!” She runs ’round the room with her arms waving up in the air. “Oh, Lord Jesus, help us, she’s conjurin’ up spirits.”

“Whoa, slow down, Leona,” says Mama, patting the seat next to her on the sofa. “Calm down an’ sit down, Leona. Us cain’t figguh a word you sayin’.”

Leona sits down and draws in a deep breath.

“I was just down there with Henrietta. She’s gonna do everythin’ in her power to ruin that sweetgrass party and make Mister Jeffrey look bad as she can. She’s tryin’ to ruin his good name ’cause she’s all eat-up with bein’ jealous. Lord have mercy, she gonna wreck everythin’ EJ’s been workin’ so hard for! And what’s worse, she’s plannin’ on callin’ up spirits—voodoo spirits that walk on the Earth.”

Mama and I just look at each other with blank faces.

“See, I used to call on ’em back in N’awlins for help—’specially if I was plannin’ somethin’ bad.” She looks up at the ceiling. “Forgive me, Jesus.”

“Da’s a long time ago, Leona,” says Mama. “Now go on.”

“See, these spirits or loas, they sure do got minds of their own. You never quite know what they gonna pull.”

“Well, do you know who she’s conjurin’ up?” I ask her, putting my hand on her arm.

“Oh, yeah. Do I ever. There’s two of ’em. Let’s see, the spirit of beauty’s gonna be there. I reckon Henrietta’s hopin’ to get a lot of attention ’stead of Jeffrey. Anyway, her name is Erzulie, and she’s pretty as they come, and powerful. Got all the charms of a woman too—likes to flirt and carry on.”

“Well now, she don’t sound so bad, Leona,” I say. “We can handle the likes o’ her, I reckon.”

“Oh, you think so?” says Leona. “Better hold on to your men folk if you know what’s good for you. I sure have seen her cause some trouble in my day.”

My stomach sinks a little, and Mama looks like hers is sinking too. Gonna have to have me a talk with Jim, I reckon, ’though I’ve never had no trouble with him before.

“Okay, well you know ’bout Erzulie but here’s the worst one. Not sure what to do about him—he’s a loose cannon, he is. His name is Ogoun, and he’s the spirit of fire.”

“Ah-goon, the spirit of fire,” I say under my breath.

“He drinks a lot so he’s pretty unpredictable—likes to set things on fire just for fun. Oh, he’s dangerous, that one.”

Mama stands up and walks over to the window. After a minute of quiet she says, “Gals, us got da work cut out fa us t’night. Leona, go on out an’ tell eb’ry’body ta keep dey eyes open fa dey spirits us gwine see t’night. Essie Mae, you ’membah what us talk about? Us need Him mo’ den eber now. Go run out an’ find Jedus. Make sho ’E gwine be wid us dey t’night.”

“We best be gettin’ ready then.” I set down my basket and smooth out my skirt. My stomach jumps a little when I think about slipping on my bumble bee dress again. “Go get Daddy and y’all hurry on home. We’ll meet out in the field again in an hour, hear?”

Mama and Leona scurry on out. Jim comes back in smelling like dead fish.

“Been fishin’, Jim? Go on and get your shower now.” When he walks on by me, he tries to plant a kiss on me but I squeal. “Come on Jim, not now! Time’s a-wastin’, sugar, and you smell just like a skunk!”

“Maybe I need somebody to give me a good cleanin’, Mama.”

“You sly ol’ dog, Jim. I got to get ready. Now go on, shoo!”

I can hear the water running now, thank goodness, ’cause I need to slip my dress on and then go find Jesus right quick.