nodded. “Mouth too. I guess you…” She studied them as if they were an exam, then came to the conclusion. “I guess you belongs to my grandson. Can’t be too careful.” This time Mabel gazed at the headmistress with no shame in her thoughts. “Mamma’s baby, Daddy’s maybe, and all.”
The headmistress nodded as if she understood.
They didn’t have much to pack; all of their things had been left at home. Well, where they used to live anyway, since they would have a new home now.
Mabel drove a nice late-model gold-colored brown Mercedes with whitewall tires. They hadn’t been inside the luxury car for more than five minutes before she laid down the law.
“Now, we gonna be clear about this. Y’all ain’t ask for me, I ain’t ask for y’all. And I done raised all the kids I ’tend to raise, ya heard me?”
There was complete silence in the car.
“I asked if ya heard me? Ain’t talking to myself, girl?”
“Then why did you come get us?” Calliope challenged, not wanting to be disrespectful but wanting to know what Mabel’s real ulterior motive was.
Mabel went ham. “Why I what?” she asked, but knew good and well that although Calliope didn’t know her from a man in the moon, she better not have responded to that part of her question. “Look, Ms. Growny Pants, I can turn this damn car around and take both you asses back if that’s your way of saying thank you. That what you want?”
Mabel waited for an answer to her threat. Or promise. Calliope wasn’t sure which, but she promptly said, “No, ma’am.”
“No ma’am, what?”
This isn’t going to be easy , she thought. “No ma’am, we don’t want to go back,” Calliope said.
“We’d like to stay with you,” Compton spoke up.
“To answer yo question,” Mabel offered in return, “I came and got you because you’s family. I done helped or outright raised four damn generations of family, and neighborhood kids. More chi’ren that I can count. That’s why I moved to Florida, because I thought I was done. Then I go and get a call saying I got family that needs me. Less they gon’ spend they days in a kiddie jail.”
Mabel jumped onto 595 heading west. Calliope wondered how long she’d had this car. Mabel drove like a professional, weaving in and out of cars, like she was really in a rush, to go where Calliope had no idea. But all she was going to do was to sit back and enjoy the scenery.
“I thought about it,” Mabel continued once she’d navigated into the proper lane. “Wanted to say I could give a fuck about some damn kids that I don’t even know. But you’s family. Though it took me a few days to get here, that’s why I came. Hell, I almost ain’t come.”
Calliope wasn’t completely buying the family thing, but whatever it was, she didn’t care. Her and Compton had their freedom, and if it got too crazy, at least they had the option of running away.
“Now, look, I ain’t responsible for you and I’m not taking care of y’all. Y’all’s on your own,” she stated.
“Huh?” That part threw Calliope off. “Aren’t you going to get a check for keeping us?” she asked.
The cold eyes returned.
“Damn right,” shouted Mabel. “I’m getting a check. That’s right, me, Mabel Moon. And don’t think you gon’ get one copper penny of it either. I’ll supply the basics, but anything other than that is dead. And Compton is your responsibility. I got the roof, that’s it.”
“What about the food? They giving you food stamps?”
“You don’t get it, do you? They giving me food stamps … they are mine. Listen, I’m providing shelter and you will be able to go to the doctor if you need because I can’t do anything with the Medicaid. So y’all can have that,” Mabel added. “The nurturing is on you, ya heard me?”
Calliope, by this time, knew the drill. “Yeah,” she said. “I heard you.”
6
“Posh” … and “high saditty” … those were the words that Calliope used
The headmistress nodded as if she understood.
They didn’t have much to pack; all of their things had been left at home. Well, where they used to live anyway, since they would have a new home now.
Mabel drove a nice late-model gold-colored brown Mercedes with whitewall tires. They hadn’t been inside the luxury car for more than five minutes before she laid down the law.
“Now, we gonna be clear about this. Y’all ain’t ask for me, I ain’t ask for y’all. And I done raised all the kids I ’tend to raise, ya heard me?”
There was complete silence in the car.
“I asked if ya heard me? Ain’t talking to myself, girl?”
“Then why did you come get us?” Calliope challenged, not wanting to be disrespectful but wanting to know what Mabel’s real ulterior motive was.
Mabel went ham. “Why I what?” she asked, but knew good and well that although Calliope didn’t know her from a man in the moon, she better not have responded to that part of her question. “Look, Ms. Growny Pants, I can turn this damn car around and take both you asses back if that’s your way of saying thank you. That what you want?”
Mabel waited for an answer to her threat. Or promise. Calliope wasn’t sure which, but she promptly said, “No, ma’am.”
“No ma’am, what?”
This isn’t going to be easy , she thought. “No ma’am, we don’t want to go back,” Calliope said.
“We’d like to stay with you,” Compton spoke up.
“To answer yo question,” Mabel offered in return, “I came and got you because you’s family. I done helped or outright raised four damn generations of family, and neighborhood kids. More chi’ren that I can count. That’s why I moved to Florida, because I thought I was done. Then I go and get a call saying I got family that needs me. Less they gon’ spend they days in a kiddie jail.”
Mabel jumped onto 595 heading west. Calliope wondered how long she’d had this car. Mabel drove like a professional, weaving in and out of cars, like she was really in a rush, to go where Calliope had no idea. But all she was going to do was to sit back and enjoy the scenery.
“I thought about it,” Mabel continued once she’d navigated into the proper lane. “Wanted to say I could give a fuck about some damn kids that I don’t even know. But you’s family. Though it took me a few days to get here, that’s why I came. Hell, I almost ain’t come.”
Calliope wasn’t completely buying the family thing, but whatever it was, she didn’t care. Her and Compton had their freedom, and if it got too crazy, at least they had the option of running away.
“Now, look, I ain’t responsible for you and I’m not taking care of y’all. Y’all’s on your own,” she stated.
“Huh?” That part threw Calliope off. “Aren’t you going to get a check for keeping us?” she asked.
The cold eyes returned.
“Damn right,” shouted Mabel. “I’m getting a check. That’s right, me, Mabel Moon. And don’t think you gon’ get one copper penny of it either. I’ll supply the basics, but anything other than that is dead. And Compton is your responsibility. I got the roof, that’s it.”
“What about the food? They giving you food stamps?”
“You don’t get it, do you? They giving me food stamps … they are mine. Listen, I’m providing shelter and you will be able to go to the doctor if you need because I can’t do anything with the Medicaid. So y’all can have that,” Mabel added. “The nurturing is on you, ya heard me?”
Calliope, by this time, knew the drill. “Yeah,” she said. “I heard you.”
6
“Posh” … and “high saditty” … those were the words that Calliope used
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