Mystic Park (14 page)

CHAPTER 16

“Thanks for stopping by, Sheriff.” Benita escorted Alonzo from Ms. Helen's kitchen to her front door late Monday morning.

“It's my pleasure.” Alonzo paused to collect his jacket and campaign hat from the coatrack.

Ms. Helen grunted. “I'm surprised you're all still checking on me with Benita here. It's been more than a month.”

Alonzo tossed the elderly woman a teasing grin. “Then we must be coming by for your company.”

“That's hard to believe,” Benita quipped.

Alonzo chuckled. “Have a nice day, ladies.”

“You do the same, Sheriff.” Benita held the door open for Alonzo, then locked it behind him.

Ms. Helen sniffed. “For your information, I've been told that I'm excellent company.”

Benita followed her great-aunt back into the kitchen. “The people who've told you that must be hard of hearing or immune to your sharp tongue.”

“Probably both.”

Benita grinned. She leaned against the kitchen counter and watched her great-aunt rinse the three teacups before loading them into the dishwasher. “Aunt Helen, have you given any more thought to moving into a senior living residence?”

“Why would I do that when I'm perfectly happy where I am?”

Why did her great-aunt have to make this so difficult? “You're getting older now. You shouldn't be on your own. Suppose something happened to you?”

“There are people around me who are looking out for me.”

“Aunt Helen, Doreen's put her house on the market. She won't be across the street anymore.”

“You're not very observant, are you?”

“What do you mean?”

Ms. Helen leaned back against the dishwasher and crossed her arms. “Haven't you noticed all the people who parade in and out of this house every day? What do you think they're doing?”

The front doorbell chose that moment to interrupt their conversation. Benita straightened from the counter. “Saved by the bell.”

Benita marched out of the kitchen, through the dining and living rooms, and into the foyer. She checked the peephole and spied Doctor Lana Penn on her great-aunt's doorstep.

She felt a rush of relief as she pulled open the door. “Thanks for not giving up on my great-aunt.”

“Doctor Gaston never gave up on me.” Lana crossed the threshold.

Benita relocked the door. She watched her guest hook her jacket on Ms. Helen's coatrack before leading her into the living room. She gestured toward the thick purple sofa. “Please make yourself comfortable. Can I get you anything? We have iced tea and lemonade. I think we have some pastries from Books and Bakery.”

“I'm fine. Thank you.” Lana shook her head with a smile.

“Then I'll get Aunt Helen. Excuse me.”

She found Ms. Helen poking around her kitchen cupboards. “What are you doing?”

“Making a grocery list.” The elderly lady answered without looking around. “Who was at the door?”

“It's Lana Penn. She wants to speak with you.”

Ms. Helen's sigh was long and weary. She closed the cupboard and turned to Benita. “I've been expecting her.”

So have I.
Benita followed her great-aunt back into the living room. Lana stood to greet her mentor.

Ms. Helen accepted Lana's hand. “So what do you have to say to me today that you haven't already said?” She sat primly on the sofa beside her former student, her hands folded on her lap.

Lana smiled, apparently unoffended by Ms. Helen's crankiness. “I'd hoped I wouldn't have to say anything. That I'd arrive and find that you've come to your senses.”

Benita grinned. She liked this woman. “I'm afraid the years have only made my great-aunt even more ornery.”

“Don't apologize for me.” Ms. Helen frowned at Benita.

“Aunt Helen, I wouldn't dream of it.” Benita crossed the living room to settle onto the matching purple armchair.

Ms. Helen eyed her suspiciously. “Don't you have clients to check on?”

“Not at this time.” Benita leaned against the chair's high back. “I'm waiting for a few of them to return my calls.”

Lana shifted toward the edge of the sofa, smoothing the hem of her pleated navy skirt over her knees. “Doctor Gaston, I respect that you're uncomfortable being the focus of the endowed chair celebration. However, it's not my intent to make this a flamboyant event.”

“Help me to understand why there has to be an event.” Ms. Helen sounded like an educator, looking to make a connection with a stubborn student.

Lana dropped her gaze. She was quiet and still as though collecting her thoughts. “I was a freshman, the first in my family to go to college. But I wasn't convinced a degree could do anything for me. Then a black woman walked into my chemistry one-oh-two class and introduced herself as
Doctor
Helen Gaston.”

That must have been almost twenty years ago, five years before her great-aunt had retired. Benita tried to imagine what that scene must have played like. Aunt Helen, an accomplished, highly intelligent woman in a position of authority, and Lana, a young woman in an unfamiliar environment without any role models.

“Someone like Aunt Helen must have been an alien concept for you.” Benita hadn't realized she'd voiced those thoughts until both women looked at her. Ms. Helen seemed pensive. Lana looked surprised.

“Yes, she was.” Lana turned back to Ms. Helen. “Seeing you made me realize there were a lot more options for me than I'd realized.”

“When I was a student in the fifties, there weren't many black women studying for doctorates in the sciences.” A ghost of a smile curved Ms. Helen's lips. “They didn't even keep records of us until the late seventies. I'm proud to know there are a lot more now.”

“You were a trailblazer, Aunt Helen.” That realization had never crystalized in Benita's mind before. How could someone play such a large role in your life without your knowing the impact they've had on others?

“I don't know about that,” Ms. Helen demurred. “But I do know Trinity Falls gave me the opportunity to share my love of chemistry with others.”

Benita stilled. “Trinity Falls has a way of helping a lot of people realize their dreams, even the ones they didn't know they had.”

Audra had left Los Angeles to make a life here in Trinity Falls. She seemed happier, and the songs she wrote were even stronger. Ean had left New York and returned home, where he opened a law practice to serve his community. And according to her great-aunt, Dr. Peyton Harris had found her true self here. For being a small town, Trinity Falls had a big impact on a lot of lives.

“You did more than share your love of chemistry.” Lana's statement pulled Benita from her revelations. “There were fifteen students in that chem one-oh-two class. Most of us are now practicing medicine, teaching chemistry, or doing research.”

“I know.” There was quiet pride in Ms. Helen's voice. “The others have been successful, too: bankers, advertisers. One of your former classmates is now a chef on a cruise line. He's always trying to get me to take a trip.”

Benita sat up straighter on her chair. “Aunt Helen, that's an incredible testament to your work. Why haven't you ever told us?”

“It never occurred to me.” Ms. Helen shrugged. “I'm happy if I helped to spark an interest. But their accomplishments—research, teaching, banking, advertising, medicine, cooking—that's all on them.”

“You're too modest to agree to this event in your honor, but Darius told me you're planning on writing your memoir.” Benita crossed her legs as she set her trap. “Isn't that contradictory?”

Ms. Helen shook her head. “The purpose of my memoir is to encourage women not to let others' perceptions stand in the way of achieving their dreams.”

“And that's what this event is meant to do as well.” Benita smiled as she boxed her great-aunt into a corner. “Isn't that right, Lana?”

“Yes, it is.” Lana returned her smile. “So how about it, Doctor Gaston? Will you allow us to use you as the example of the qualifications required for the endowed chemistry chair, the chair named in your honor?”

Ms. Helen's thin shoulders rose and fell on a sigh. “All right. I'll allow it.”

Lana's smile was radiant as she leaned forward to embrace her mentor.

Benita was filled with gratitude, pride, and so many other emotions she couldn't even begin to identify. This little town had opened up its doors and opportunities to so many. Was Vaughn right? Had she allowed her parents' dissatisfaction with Trinity Falls to blind her to what her hometown really had to offer?

 

 

Vaughn smothered a sigh of disgust. Four months ago, when Peyton and Darius had cochaired the community center's fund-raising committee, they'd made the group project look easy. He studied the expressions of the eight would-be actors seated in front of him in the Trinity Falls University auditorium Wednesday night. It was their first rehearsal. The read-through had gone well. They'd discussed the costumes and props, then all hell had broken loose when Vaughn had reviewed the rehearsal schedule.

“I don't understand why we can't have extra time.” Ethel Knight, one of the musical's three supporting water fairies, crossed her right leg over her left and tapped the air with her right foot to a frantic rhythm only she could hear. “It's your play.”

Vaughn opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted by Glenn Narcus, the performance's male lead. “This schedule is too stressful.”

“Glenn and Ethel are right.” Simon Knight raised his voice to be heard above the low rumbling of agreements. “Why can't the play open later in the summer or even in the fall?”

Vaughn raised his hands in an effort to get his cast's attention. “We discussed the timing of the musical before the audition last week. The fact that we have an ambitious schedule isn't news.”

“But why does it have to be so ambitious?” CeCe Roben, another supporting water fairy, asked.

Vaughn addressed her directly. “We don't want to go too deep into the summer because people start taking vacations between Independence Day and Labor Day weekend.”

“Well, I'm thinking about going on vacation over Memorial weekend.” Virginia Carp, the musical's heroine, shrugged her narrow shoulders.

“Why didn't you tell us that when we asked you to be the female lead?” Seated on the stage beside Vaughn, Benita had been silent until now. But when she spoke up, her question had been confrontational in contrast to Vaughn's more diplomatic tone.

Ginny shrugged again. “I didn't think about it then.”

“You should have.” Benita hopped off the stage and approached the audience seats where their actors had gathered. “This is the schedule, people. We have fourteen rehearsal dates on Wednesdays and Thursdays from now until the performance June thirteenth. That means we have another rehearsal tomorrow. And we'll be depending on you to also practice your lines, songs, and dance steps on your own.”

“Suppose we can't make a rehearsal date?” Belinda Curby, the third supporting water fairy, asked.

Benita turned toward the beauty salon owner. “This is the schedule you committed to when we invited you to join this project. Tell us now if you can't keep your commitment so we can replace you.”

Vaughn stiffened. What if the entire cast walked? If he had to hold more auditions, his already ambitious schedule would go right down the toilet. Did Benita know what she was doing?

Benita looked around the group. “We want you for this musical. That's why we cast you. But if you've changed your mind about this commitment, there are other people who auditioned who can replace you. Just tell us now.”

Yvette Bates, the mermaid villain Mama D'Leau, raised her hand. “I can make the rehearsals and the performance.”

Benita nodded. “Thank you, Yvette.”

Stan, the hero's buddy, shifted in his seat. “I'm good.”

After a quick frown at Stan seated beside her, CeCe spoke up. “I can keep the schedule, too. I didn't think there'd be any harm in asking if there was wiggle room.”

Benita arched a brow. “The time to ask about the schedule came before you accepted the role.”

CeCe looked chagrined. “Sorry.”

The rest of the group also agreed to make every rehearsal and the performance.

“Thanks, everyone.” Benita looked at their female lead. “And, Ginny, in the future, please remember the rehearsals start promptly at six o'clock. You were almost half an hour late today. That can't happen.”

Ginny blew out a breath as she rose to her feet. “I thought this was going to be fun.”

Benita arched a brow. “It can be. But first and foremost, this is a professional performance. Everyone needs to be ready and on time.”

Watching Benita in action, Vaughn realized again this was the reason Darius had suggested he ask Benita to help. She had a talent for handling difficult personalities. This left Vaughn to concentrate on just the performance. He wanted to do a fist bump in the air.

“It's late.” Vaughn slid off the stage. “Let's wrap this up. Remember to bring your measurements to rehearsal tomorrow.”

Tension drained from Benita's shoulders as the actors filed out of the auditorium. Their voices drifted back but she couldn't make out the words. That was probably for the best. Benita grimaced. She doubted they were saying anything good about her.

“Thank you.” Those two words, coming from Vaughn's warm baritone, drained what remained of her tension.