had rehearsed it with Angel. “Where’s my grandbaby?”
“I left her in the car,” Darryl said.
“You left her in the car? You must be stupider than you look, man,” Alma fired back. “You’re not supposed to leave a child unattended in a car!”
“The car is right there,” he said, pointing to a white SUV parked a few feet from them.
“Momma, apologize.”
Alma didn’t. She simply dropped her bags at his feet and hurried to the car to see Nia strapped safely in the car seat. Darryl shook his head and gave his wife a nasty lookas he picked up the bags and threw them into the back of the SUV. Angel stopped him before he climbed into the driver’s seat and gave him a loving hug. Alma pretended not to notice this public display of affection. Darryl caught her sneaking a peek and used it as an opportunity to slap her back by gently kissing the top of his wife’s head.
Alma did not like sleeping in the den. It hurt her back to sleep on that rock-hard mattress in the pull-out couch. And the sheets felt sandy. Plus, the noise from the fan spinning over her head kept her awake.
Darryl helped Angel rearrange the baby’s room to accommodate her, but Alma complained that the bed was too small, and it made her feel as if she was suffocating in that tiny room. The only other choice was the master bedroom, which Darryl said “Hell no” to. Angel reminded him that this was her mother and they should make the small sacrifice in her time of mourning. Darryl reluctantly gave in, but it cost Angel plenty of arguments in the middle of the night. Alma would sleep through most of them in their luxurious custom bed. She had never seen such a large bed before. It was a double king, which Darryl took up half of.
In the mornings, Alma tried to help out around the house by cooking breakfast for everyone. Angel appreciated it, but Darryl resented the strict diet Alma had put him on. She would make him only two pancakes, as opposed to the six he normally had. She said if he moved more and ate less, he might be able to do more than lie on top of his wife at night. In keeping with the spirit of moving more, Almawould leave his clothing on the floor for him to bend over and pick up, to help burn a few calories.
Darryl started to stay out late to avoid seeing Alma. He said she was mean as hell and pure evil, even in her sleep, which was the only way he would be in the house with her.
One night, he came home drunk and got into it with Angel. When Alma tried to get involved, Angel told her to back off and let them work out their own problems. Alma didn’t listen, so Darryl grabbed her by the robe and threatened to punch all her teeth out. Angel pulled his own gun on him and told him she would kill him if he didn’t let her mother go. Darryl came to his senses, broke down into tears, and walked out of the house.
“Maybe you should
go to a nursing home, Momma. At least you can make some friends there.” Angel made her mother a cup of Folgers to help steady her nerves.
“I’m a young woman. I’m not going to live in no damn nursing home,” Alma replied.
“Then why don’t you go live with Todd? He said you could stay in his guesthouse. It’s a beautiful one-bedroom and has a full kitchen, with a garden outside where you can grow your own vegetables.”
“First of all, I’m not getting on an airplane and going nowhere. Them death cylinders crash all the time! And it’s not like you can stand on the side of the road and call another when it breaks down. Look, Angel, I appreciate youopening up your home to me, but I know when my welcome’s done. I’ll head back home. It’s time.”
“You can’t go home, Momma. Let me talk to Darryl, okay? We’ll work something out,” Angel reassured her.
Alma knew her time was up. In the middle of the night, she packed her bags, called a cab, and went to the bus station. Alma could see Angel watching from her darkened bedroom window, crying. It was best to leave.
On the bus
ride
“I left her in the car,” Darryl said.
“You left her in the car? You must be stupider than you look, man,” Alma fired back. “You’re not supposed to leave a child unattended in a car!”
“The car is right there,” he said, pointing to a white SUV parked a few feet from them.
“Momma, apologize.”
Alma didn’t. She simply dropped her bags at his feet and hurried to the car to see Nia strapped safely in the car seat. Darryl shook his head and gave his wife a nasty lookas he picked up the bags and threw them into the back of the SUV. Angel stopped him before he climbed into the driver’s seat and gave him a loving hug. Alma pretended not to notice this public display of affection. Darryl caught her sneaking a peek and used it as an opportunity to slap her back by gently kissing the top of his wife’s head.
Alma did not like sleeping in the den. It hurt her back to sleep on that rock-hard mattress in the pull-out couch. And the sheets felt sandy. Plus, the noise from the fan spinning over her head kept her awake.
Darryl helped Angel rearrange the baby’s room to accommodate her, but Alma complained that the bed was too small, and it made her feel as if she was suffocating in that tiny room. The only other choice was the master bedroom, which Darryl said “Hell no” to. Angel reminded him that this was her mother and they should make the small sacrifice in her time of mourning. Darryl reluctantly gave in, but it cost Angel plenty of arguments in the middle of the night. Alma would sleep through most of them in their luxurious custom bed. She had never seen such a large bed before. It was a double king, which Darryl took up half of.
In the mornings, Alma tried to help out around the house by cooking breakfast for everyone. Angel appreciated it, but Darryl resented the strict diet Alma had put him on. She would make him only two pancakes, as opposed to the six he normally had. She said if he moved more and ate less, he might be able to do more than lie on top of his wife at night. In keeping with the spirit of moving more, Almawould leave his clothing on the floor for him to bend over and pick up, to help burn a few calories.
Darryl started to stay out late to avoid seeing Alma. He said she was mean as hell and pure evil, even in her sleep, which was the only way he would be in the house with her.
One night, he came home drunk and got into it with Angel. When Alma tried to get involved, Angel told her to back off and let them work out their own problems. Alma didn’t listen, so Darryl grabbed her by the robe and threatened to punch all her teeth out. Angel pulled his own gun on him and told him she would kill him if he didn’t let her mother go. Darryl came to his senses, broke down into tears, and walked out of the house.
“Maybe you should
go to a nursing home, Momma. At least you can make some friends there.” Angel made her mother a cup of Folgers to help steady her nerves.
“I’m a young woman. I’m not going to live in no damn nursing home,” Alma replied.
“Then why don’t you go live with Todd? He said you could stay in his guesthouse. It’s a beautiful one-bedroom and has a full kitchen, with a garden outside where you can grow your own vegetables.”
“First of all, I’m not getting on an airplane and going nowhere. Them death cylinders crash all the time! And it’s not like you can stand on the side of the road and call another when it breaks down. Look, Angel, I appreciate youopening up your home to me, but I know when my welcome’s done. I’ll head back home. It’s time.”
“You can’t go home, Momma. Let me talk to Darryl, okay? We’ll work something out,” Angel reassured her.
Alma knew her time was up. In the middle of the night, she packed her bags, called a cab, and went to the bus station. Alma could see Angel watching from her darkened bedroom window, crying. It was best to leave.
On the bus
ride
Similar Books
