RUBY WAS IN THE FRONT room waiting on Mingo to take her into town to do the marketing when her youngest son Gabe came bursting into the house. She could always tell which of her children had entered the house just by the way in which they did it.
Gabe, a tall slender dark skinned version of his father had a pleasant personality, and who like his father, was intelligent, brave and focused on what he wanted out of life.
Gabe, her youngest, unlike Freddie her middle child, never for a moment, doubted that he was welcomed. So, he always entered boldly, usually by letting the door slam behind him, announcing his arrival. Never like Freddie, who eased into the house as if he’d committed some grave sin and was about to be punished.
And Rachel, …show more content…
“Mom, it’s OK. I can take you and I won’t get into any trouble.”
“Gabriel Williams where is your father?”
Exasperated, Gabe offered up the truth. “He went over to Greeley this morning. He told me not to tell you. But I don’t see what all the secrecy is about? He just went to visit that old white man from Greeley who used to visit from time to time. It’s not like he went to the local whore house or something.”
“Watch your mouth young man. I won’t have that kind of talk in my home. Now tell me about this old white man from Greeley? Your father never mentioned him.”
“Ah, OK,” answered Gabe, too afraid of his mother to keep to the lie his father had told him to tell.
“It’s that same old white man who used to come around here. He died this morning. Had a stroke, I think I heard daddy say.”
“Does this old White man have a name?” Ruby asked.
“You know the one. He gave us the new tractor when our old one conked out.” “No, I didn’t know that,” answered Ruby.
“I thought Dad told you everything.”
“So did …show more content…
Him and Dad used to talk a lot. Sometimes, they’d even argue. But the old white man kept coming back.”
“Did your father say what the old White man’s name was?”
“Anderson, I think. I know his kid’s name was Jared Jr. But we called him Jay.”
Ruby felt as though someone had punched her in the chest, really hard, knocking the breath out of her. She tried to steady herself, but her knees went weak and her ankles gave way as her heart fluttered in her chest like butterflies in the wind. Her vision faded in and out. And beads of sweat collected on her forehead. “Mom? Mom!” Gabe screamed as his mother toppled over. “Mom, what’s wrong?” “Mom,” Gabe cried as he ran over and cradled his mother’s head on his lap.
“Don’t cry, Gabe. I’m fine,” Ruby whispered. “But tell your father that I loved him. No matter what other people may say or what he thinks, because of my going, I loved him,” she said in a raspy voice. “And I will always be grateful that he chose me. But I have to go now. Jared needs me and I have to go. I owe Jared that.”
“Mom! Mom please. Please don’t go,” Gabe cried clutching his mother even tighter.
A heart attack the doctor would tell Mingo, later. Which to him made since. For he knew she had died of a broken
Gabe, a tall slender dark skinned version of his father had a pleasant personality, and who like his father, was intelligent, brave and focused on what he wanted out of life.
Gabe, her youngest, unlike Freddie her middle child, never for a moment, doubted that he was welcomed. So, he always entered boldly, usually by letting the door slam behind him, announcing his arrival. Never like Freddie, who eased into the house as if he’d committed some grave sin and was about to be punished.
And Rachel, …show more content…
“Mom, it’s OK. I can take you and I won’t get into any trouble.”
“Gabriel Williams where is your father?”
Exasperated, Gabe offered up the truth. “He went over to Greeley this morning. He told me not to tell you. But I don’t see what all the secrecy is about? He just went to visit that old white man from Greeley who used to visit from time to time. It’s not like he went to the local whore house or something.”
“Watch your mouth young man. I won’t have that kind of talk in my home. Now tell me about this old white man from Greeley? Your father never mentioned him.”
“Ah, OK,” answered Gabe, too afraid of his mother to keep to the lie his father had told him to tell.
“It’s that same old white man who used to come around here. He died this morning. Had a stroke, I think I heard daddy say.”
“Does this old White man have a name?” Ruby asked.
“You know the one. He gave us the new tractor when our old one conked out.” “No, I didn’t know that,” answered Ruby.
“I thought Dad told you everything.”
“So did …show more content…
Him and Dad used to talk a lot. Sometimes, they’d even argue. But the old white man kept coming back.”
“Did your father say what the old White man’s name was?”
“Anderson, I think. I know his kid’s name was Jared Jr. But we called him Jay.”
Ruby felt as though someone had punched her in the chest, really hard, knocking the breath out of her. She tried to steady herself, but her knees went weak and her ankles gave way as her heart fluttered in her chest like butterflies in the wind. Her vision faded in and out. And beads of sweat collected on her forehead. “Mom? Mom!” Gabe screamed as his mother toppled over. “Mom, what’s wrong?” “Mom,” Gabe cried as he ran over and cradled his mother’s head on his lap.
“Don’t cry, Gabe. I’m fine,” Ruby whispered. “But tell your father that I loved him. No matter what other people may say or what he thinks, because of my going, I loved him,” she said in a raspy voice. “And I will always be grateful that he chose me. But I have to go now. Jared needs me and I have to go. I owe Jared that.”
“Mom! Mom please. Please don’t go,” Gabe cried clutching his mother even tighter.
A heart attack the doctor would tell Mingo, later. Which to him made since. For he knew she had died of a broken