had our fortunes told by a wicked-looking voodoo woman who smelled of incense and mothballs. Her palms were worn and callused, and she sipped an odd-smelling brew as she read first my palm, then Lani’s.
We laughed as we people watched, talked about Louisiana and its strange and wonderful traditions, and as the day progressed, our conversation flowed naturally. As the rust of day fell behind the promenade of street entertainers and musicians, we drove home.
It was nearing nine p.m. as I maneuvered the car through the darkened wedge of driveway toward the house. My sister’s car and another I didn’t recognize were parked wildly and irregularly next to the rows of curbing that threaded their way across the property.
“Looks like you have company.”
“Looks that way,” I said.
My headlights illuminated the upstairs windows and then the porch as I swung the car around and parked. Before I had turned off the engine, Tami came running toward me, yanking the car door open.
“What’s going on?” I asked, startled.
“It’s Mother!” she exclaimed, holding herself up by the car’s frame. “She fainted.” She panted, attempting to catch her breath.
I slammed the car door and jogged to the front steps. I leaped up them in one hurdle, then hopscotched my way up the long staircase to my mother’s bedroom. Her door was open, and a faint light spilled onto the tile flooring. My mother sat upright, supported by several pillows, a charcoal-colored satin sheet pulled up to her chest.
“What happened?” I managed to ask. “Mother?”
“She will be fine,” the man standing beside said quietly. He draped his stethoscope over the back of his neck and settled his pince-nez low on his prominent nose before scribbling a few notes onto a notepad. “I gave her something to help her sleep.” He took my arm and led me out of the room.
“I want to know what happened.”
“She just got a little overheated, that’s all.” His drawl was firm and deep. “She’ll sleep tonight, and then she will be fine in the morning. Don’t you worry,” he said comfortingly, touching his hand to mine. “She really shouldn’t be out in the heat. Gardening is better left for the cooler evening hours,” he added. “See that she sticks to that, okay?”
“Yes.” I wasn’t sure how I would go about such a thing. My mother would try to do what she had always done, just as she wanted. “Is she okay?”
He had told me she was, but something inside of me needed to hear it again.
“She’ll be fine, just remember what I said.” He turned and headed downstairs.
Tami stood quietly at my side, her eyes fixed on mine.
“Why was she gardening?” I asked.
“She was trying to get everything ready for the party. God, Kari, it was awful! I was in the kitchen with Marney, baking. I could see her from the window, pulling up weeds and stuffing them into a trash bag. I thought she might want some tea, and I turned around to grab the pitcher and pour her a glass. God!” She shivered, closing her eyes and putting her hands up to her face.
“It’s okay, sis.” I put my arm around her back and guided her into an embrace.
“I turned back around, and Mother was lying over the garbage bag with her head against the ground. I thought...”
I took a deep breath, and when Tami threw her arms around my waist. I put my hand to the back of her head and held her to me.
Chapter Five
Good morning.” Lani popped her head through the crack in the front door as she called out.
“Morning.”
“My mom wanted me to bring over this bouquet for Eleanor, with her warmest regards.” She held an arrangement of yellow roses that had been carefully stripped of their points. “How is your mother doing?”
“She’s doing better, she came down for breakfast and now she is resting.” I took the flowers from her grasp.
“Do they know what happened to her?”
“Heat exhaustion was what the doctor said.”
“Well I’m glad she’s feeling
We laughed as we people watched, talked about Louisiana and its strange and wonderful traditions, and as the day progressed, our conversation flowed naturally. As the rust of day fell behind the promenade of street entertainers and musicians, we drove home.
It was nearing nine p.m. as I maneuvered the car through the darkened wedge of driveway toward the house. My sister’s car and another I didn’t recognize were parked wildly and irregularly next to the rows of curbing that threaded their way across the property.
“Looks like you have company.”
“Looks that way,” I said.
My headlights illuminated the upstairs windows and then the porch as I swung the car around and parked. Before I had turned off the engine, Tami came running toward me, yanking the car door open.
“What’s going on?” I asked, startled.
“It’s Mother!” she exclaimed, holding herself up by the car’s frame. “She fainted.” She panted, attempting to catch her breath.
I slammed the car door and jogged to the front steps. I leaped up them in one hurdle, then hopscotched my way up the long staircase to my mother’s bedroom. Her door was open, and a faint light spilled onto the tile flooring. My mother sat upright, supported by several pillows, a charcoal-colored satin sheet pulled up to her chest.
“What happened?” I managed to ask. “Mother?”
“She will be fine,” the man standing beside said quietly. He draped his stethoscope over the back of his neck and settled his pince-nez low on his prominent nose before scribbling a few notes onto a notepad. “I gave her something to help her sleep.” He took my arm and led me out of the room.
“I want to know what happened.”
“She just got a little overheated, that’s all.” His drawl was firm and deep. “She’ll sleep tonight, and then she will be fine in the morning. Don’t you worry,” he said comfortingly, touching his hand to mine. “She really shouldn’t be out in the heat. Gardening is better left for the cooler evening hours,” he added. “See that she sticks to that, okay?”
“Yes.” I wasn’t sure how I would go about such a thing. My mother would try to do what she had always done, just as she wanted. “Is she okay?”
He had told me she was, but something inside of me needed to hear it again.
“She’ll be fine, just remember what I said.” He turned and headed downstairs.
Tami stood quietly at my side, her eyes fixed on mine.
“Why was she gardening?” I asked.
“She was trying to get everything ready for the party. God, Kari, it was awful! I was in the kitchen with Marney, baking. I could see her from the window, pulling up weeds and stuffing them into a trash bag. I thought she might want some tea, and I turned around to grab the pitcher and pour her a glass. God!” She shivered, closing her eyes and putting her hands up to her face.
“It’s okay, sis.” I put my arm around her back and guided her into an embrace.
“I turned back around, and Mother was lying over the garbage bag with her head against the ground. I thought...”
I took a deep breath, and when Tami threw her arms around my waist. I put my hand to the back of her head and held her to me.
Chapter Five
Good morning.” Lani popped her head through the crack in the front door as she called out.
“Morning.”
“My mom wanted me to bring over this bouquet for Eleanor, with her warmest regards.” She held an arrangement of yellow roses that had been carefully stripped of their points. “How is your mother doing?”
“She’s doing better, she came down for breakfast and now she is resting.” I took the flowers from her grasp.
“Do they know what happened to her?”
“Heat exhaustion was what the doctor said.”
“Well I’m glad she’s feeling
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