When Everything's Said & Done (14 page)

“Michael,” Cora repeated softly. “Brenda married Michael.” She looked down at the floor.

For a moment no one spoke, and then Cora said. “I guess life just kind of comes full circle, huh? Brenda was the first to meet Michael, to care about him, so maybe it’s right that she was the one that married him.” Cora looked into Laura’s stern face. “If there is one thing I’ve learned, it is to embrace whatever life gives you. Not to get too high with the highs, and too low with the lows. That won’t change anything.” Cora fell silent again. “I hope they’re happy,” she said softly. “I have to make sure that Brenda knows that.”

“I don’t know if they’re happy or not,” Laura replied. “I don’t see much of them.”

Cora’s brow wrinkled again. “I can’t believe Brenda would stay away knowing all that you’re dealing with.” “It hasn’t been Brenda. It’s been me,” Laura confessed.

“ You? ” Cora stopped in front of her mother. “I know you’re not holding a grudge against Brenda because of Michael. I know you wouldn’t do that, Mama. Not on account of me.” Laura avoided Cora’s probing gaze. “I was the one who left. I was the one who couldn’t even be at Annette’s funeral. Brenda’s been the strong one. The one that’s stood by your side. Who’s been here through everything.”

“I know,” Laura finally replied. “I know what Brenda’s done. It wasn’t so much about you. It’s just that I don’t want to see another child of mine hurt. I don’t know if I can stand it.” Laura closed her eyes. “I wanted to protect her, but she wouldn’t listen to me. And I decided I would not stand by and watch the pain come.”

“Why are you so sure she’s going to be hurt. Mama?” Cora looked down before she looked at her mother again. “Maybe Michael’s the best thing that ever hap
pened to Brenda. Maybe this is the happiness she deserves for trying to do what’s right.”

“Maybe.” Laura’s jaw set. “But only time will tell.”

“So Laura wasn’t just trying to keep Brenda from marrying Michael because of Cora. She was doing it because she didn’t want Brenda to get hurt,” Erica said.

“I think that was part of it,” Nebia
replied. “But I think it wasn’t totally true. I don’t know if Laura really knew how much Cora was a part of how she treated Brenda. At the time I think she told herself it was true just so she could live with the decisions she made.”

“You know,”
Cynthia put her hands around her face. “I truly can’t say—” She stopped, then started again. “Sometimes I’ve felt that my mother favored Sheila over me, but I’ve never felt that she loved Sheila more than me. ”

“I feel I could say the same thing when it comes to you,” Sheila said.

Cynthia continued, “I think Mama did a good job at making us both feel loved. So why is it. Miss Nebia, that Laura seemed to love Cora so much more than Brenda?”

“I think the word you used is right. Seemed,” Nebia
replied. “I don’t think deep in her heart she did. It’s just that Cora was what Laura had wanted to be. Wild and free. What the young Laura wanted to be. Back then she had so many dreams. Plus she had the ability, but Laura married early and the babies...” Nebia sucked her bottom lip. “The babies came so fast. She threw away her dreams and took care of her children despite all the things Steven was doing. I think part of Laura’s self-esteem suffered while he was chasing them women. But instead of Laura wilting under that, she grew harder, and her anger became the fuel that kept her going.” Nebia looked down. “But she loved Brenda. She really did.”

“How did Cora look after being in Zambia so long?” Cynthia asked.

“Mighty well,” Nebia replied. She had matured, and she moved with the grace of a tigress. Surefooted. That’s what she was, and finally grounded within herself. I didn’t feel the nervousness that I had felt for her almost all of her life. I believe Cora had taken that part of her and turned it into a kind of strength. Like Laura had used her anger. Cora’s hair was just below her shoulders.” Nebia nodded. “Yes, Cora was a powerfully beautiful thing. That evening. I’ll never forget it.” Nebia patted her hands. “She pulled out all this cloth from Africa and she wrapped Laura’s and my heads up in these mighty head wraps.” Nebia laughed. “We played like children. It was so good to have Cora back. And I could tell she was truly happy to be home.”

CHAPTER 19

Cora smacked her palm against her thighs. “I think it’s time for me to go and see Brenda, Mama.”

A shadow of guilt crossed Laura’s face. “If that’s what you want to do.”

“It is,” Cora replied. “I’ve been here three days. I don’t want to just bump into her on the street. I’ve got to let her know I’m back.” She stood up. “So you going to be okay?”

“I’ll be just fine.” Laura’s expression was like that of an obstinate child.

“Then I’ll see you shortly.” Cora left the house.

At first she walked down the street in silence, but Cora began to talk to herself as she neared Brenda and Michael’s home. “I want Brenda to know there are no hard feelings toward her because she married Michael.” Her hand went over her heart. “But the truth is I hope we’ll be able to talk alone without Michael being there. I only have one sister now, and our relationship as sis
ters is most important to me.”

She focused on the sidewalk. “I don’t want to think
about Michael. He’s Brenda’s husband now, and that’s all he will ever be.”

Cora turned onto the street where Michael had re
stored his first house, and where she’d heard he’d bought two others. One house after another had been painted, and it was obvious several had been renovated. “Look-a-here. Michael said he’d do it. And he has.”

A blue Oldsmobile 98 cruised by, and three curious sets of eyes locked on Cora. Cora stopped talking and stared back until the car passed. Moments later she walked up to Michael and Brenda’s house. Two stone lions stood guard at the base of the concrete stairs, and an ornate beveled glass door surrounded by cherry- wood sat in the middle. Cora stopped and took it all in before she climbed the stairs. When she reached the top, she bent over and picked up a newspaper just as the interior door opened. Cora looked up, straight into Brenda’s eyes.

“Cora.” Brenda unlocked the door.

“Hello.” Cora smiled, a small sincere smile. “I’ve been back for three days now and I had to come by and say hello to my sister.”

Brenda’s look of surprise faded. “I’m glad you did.” She opened the door. “Come in.”

Cora stepped inside and glanced around. Everything looked new. The furniture and paintings were coordi
nated like pictures in a magazine.

“I got here a few minutes ago,” Brenda informed her. “If you had come a minute or two earlier you would have missed me.”

“So it worked out perfectly, didn’t it?” Cora replied. Understanding was in both sets of eyes.

“Yes, it did.” Brenda led Cora to the living room. “Come in. Have a seat.” They sat down on a classy mix of green and gold furniture.

“So you say you’ve been back three days now?” Brenda seemed nervous.

“Yes.” Cora nodded.

“How are you?”

“I’m good.” Cora tried to cut through the stilted at
mosphere. “I’m good. I finally feel like I’ve come home, and I don’t feel like I ever have to go away again.” She sighed. “I’m glad to be here.”

Brenda looked at the newspaper she held in her hand. “So I guess...it’s obvious that...” She searched for the right words. “Michael and I are together. We’re married now.”

“Yes.” Cora looked at the ring on Brenda’s hand. “Yes, that is obvious. And of course Mama told me.” “Of course.” Brenda nodded. “How is she?”

“She’s making it.” Cora crossed her legs. “Nebia helps out a lot, so they make do. But now that I’m back I’ll try to do my part.”

Brenda exhaled. “Cora, I want you to know it wasn’t my idea not to help Mama.”

“I know that.” Cora reached forward and touched her hand. “And I understand. At least I think I do. Mama has her ways and what can you do about it? We’ve all made decisions and now we’ve got to live with them.”

Brenda glanced at one of her paintings. “Yes, we do.” “How are you, Brenda?” Cora asked. “Are you happy?”

Brenda focused on Cora’s face. A wisp of a smile rose and faded. “I’ve got a good life, Cora. Anything I want I pretty much can have. Michael is good to me. So what is there to be unhappy about?”

Cora nodded in the silence that followed.

Brenda slid to the edge of the couch. “I’m going to be fixing dinner shortly. Would you like to stay?” “Oh, no.” Cora shook her head. “I don’t think that would be a good idea. I simply wanted to see you.” She bit her lip. “I’m happy for you, Brenda. This is a strange situation for both of us, but God don’t make no mistakes. We’ll get through it. I believe things are just as they should be. ” She closed her eyes. “And I want you to know that. ” A shaky hand rose to Brenda’s mouth, then she dabbed at her eyes. “I’m glad you see it that way.” Cora walked over and put her arms around Brenda. “I gotta go.”

“All right,” Brenda replied.

“We’ll see each other,” Cora said as they walked to
ward the door.

“Yes, we will,” Brenda agreed, but they made no plans. Brenda squeezed Cora’s hand.

“I thought I heard voices,” Michael said as he entered the front hall.

Cora and Brenda turned.

“Evenin’, honey.” Brenda walked over and gave Michael a kiss on the cheek, but he didn’t look at her. His eyes were fixed on Cora.

“Cora!”

“Hello, Michael.” Cora’s arms hugged her sides. “I just came by to say hello. And to let—”

“When did you get back?” he interrupted her.

“A few days ago.” Her gaze darted from Michael to Brenda.

Michael’s eyes never left Cora’s face. She reached for the doorknob.

“I know you’re about to have dinner. So I better go. I’m eating at the house with Mama and Nebia.” “Sure. Sure,” Michael said. He looked at Brenda for the first time.

“It was good to see both of you.” Cora opened the door. “Take care.” She closed the door behind her with
out looking back.

Nebia’s Story...

“Whatever little bit of bond Cora and Brenda tried to recapture, Michael’s reaction sure didn’t help that any. My goodness. Why in the world was he standing up there staring like that?” Sheila said.

“See...that’s what I’m talking about,” Erica replied. “How can you like a man like that? He didn’t have any control.”

“Michael had control,” Nebia replied. “But his heart still yearned for Cora. And it was the one thing that kept Brenda and Cora from really renewing their relationship. If Brenda could have believed that Michael no longer cared for Cora I think things would have gone smoother between them.” Nebia’s mouth turned down. “But Brenda never believed that because it wasn’t true.” “So they just stayed away from each other,” Sheila said.

“Let’s say they didn’t try to get together,” Nebia replied. “There was a silent agreement that staying apart was better.”

“I’ve got to wonder,” Cynthia said. “Was Cora really being honest when she said she wished Michael and Brenda well? I just don’t know about that, you know? That would be a hard pill to swallow. Sister and all.”

“Of course it would,” Nebia replied. “But I think that Cora realized that she never loved Michael the way Brenda did. And she wasn’t certain that she would have been the kind of wife that Michael needed to be the social climber he was. Cora wasn’t into that kind of thing. Cora’s way was outside the system.” Nebia rubbed her eyes. “She wanted to revolutionize things.

And I gotta admit, working inside the system, as far as Brenda and Michael were concerned, they were a perfect match.”

“So what did Cora end up doing?” Cynthia inquired. “
Ohh, she painted, and she actually sold a few of them. Cora also sold some of the things she brought back from Africa.” Nebia pinched her nose. “And from time to time she’d import a few more and sell them, too. But mostly Cora read a lot.”

“Read a lot?” Erica sat back. “Cora was the one who didn’t like school, right?”

“Yes, that’s true. But time changes things.”

“What kind of books did she read?” Cynthia asked.

“All kinds of books about life, different countries, different ways of thinking. Unlike when she was a little girl and she would come to me with a million questions, now Cora sought the answers on her own.” Nebia squeezed her knees, and then grimaced. “Ye-es. You could find Cora reading on the beach or in the park. Then she’d be out there contemplatin’ nature. That’s what I called sitting with her eyes closed and all.” Nebia smiled. “But Cora said she was meditating. A few kids would come and sit beside her and imitate what she was doing.” She shook her head. “Cora was quite the colorful character in the neighborhood.”

“And she was satisfied with that after the way she’d lived her life?” Cynthia looked skeptical.

“At that time she seemed satisfied to me,” Nebia replied. “I think it was a time of processing for Cora. Looking back over and understanding the life she’d led. Everything she had experienced. All she knew. She’d gathered her life, blossoms and thorns, right there in her lap.” Nebia patted her thigh. “Cora was content and still inside herself for the first time. And it opened her up in a way we would have never expected.”