Louise had been working on an order for Terri and Jesse that she was going to have delivered to their camper. It was a simple supper; individual meat loaves, garlic & parmesan mashed potatoes, broccoli salad with her prize-winning ‘secret sauce’ and hot out-of-the-oven apple dumplings with cinnamon and caramel glaze. After debating for just a moment, she added more mini meat loaves, mashed potatoes and broccoli salad to feed at least 6 people. Then she added extra apple dumplings and grinned. It was about that time when Taylor sauntered through the back kitchen door. “Just the one I want to see!” Louise smiled broadly. “How’s bout you make a special delivery for me darlin?” She swept her hand over the containers she had neatly arranged on a prep table. Each one was carefully marked with contents. With a much practiced hand Louise grabbed an empty cardboard box and began packing up the food for delivery. “Sure…who’s getting this feast?” Taylor asked as she grabbed some napkins and plastic cutlery. “I made enough for Terri and Jesse plus you and Petey and whoever else might show up down there this evening. And if you need anymore, just give us a holler and we’ll see what we can do.” Louise clucked like an old hen. Taylor went over and grabbed hold of her aunt’s flour stained face and planted a kiss on both cheeks. “Ahhh Auntie….what would we do without you? You always bring us back to the basics. And this all smells like home.” Taylor marveled. “That’s just what I wanted to accomplish. I wanted to let Jesse know that she was home now. Back where she belongs! Ahem...where y’all belong” Louise arched a knowing eyebrow at her niece. “Now Aunt Louise….what on earth could you mean by that?” Taylor almost blushed coyly. “Gurl….I am too old a Cat to be scratched by a Kitten. I can tell when you have been on the prowl.” Louise narrowed her eyes as she looked into Taylor’s face and smiled as she folded her arms across her ample breasts. “There’s no mistakin when you have hit the honey pot gurl. You glow!” Louise nodded her head in an all-knowing fashion. Now Taylor busted out laughing. She hugged her aunt hard and stood back. “Guilty as charged!” she admitted. “But Auntie…I get it honest! I mean after all…I am your niece!” “Sigh…that is my cross to bear I suppose.” Louise feigned an unspeakable burden, but her rolling eyes betrayed the humor that sparkled deep in those brown eyes. “Taylor…you do know…I mean you realize that you still have to be careful though don’t you?” The tone in Louise’s voice had changed. Taylor looked down at the packed box and back up to her Aunt. For all their kidding around this had started to become a serious subject. “Aunt Lou…you don’t have to worry about me. I can take care of myself.” Taylor said confidently. “Baby…it’s not you that I worry about. I worry bout the crazies! It only takes one. Look at Jesse! She was attacked in that god-forsaken-hole-in-the-ground that they called a bar. Beaten up… arrested… tried on some trumped-up-redneck-charge of ‘disturbing the peace’! She was being bullied… first by the lowlife’s that beat her up for being gay… then by their ‘good ole boy’ legal system and now…now she get’s taken away like that….” Louise stopped when her voice started to waver. “Just be careful…these are really strange times we are livin in.” Louise pursed her lips together as she wrapped and tucked in six small loaves of fresh baked bread along with a small container of her honey butter into the last of the boxes. “There…I think it’s all ready to roll. I’ll help ya get it loaded on the golf cart and strapped down so it will make it to Terri’s.” Louise grabbed one box and Taylor grabbed the other and they headed out the back to where Taylor had parked her golf cart. Between the two women they had everything secured in no time. “Aunt Louise, I will be careful!” Taylor kissed her aunt and slid behind the wheel and waved as she backed up and headed down the road. “Oh chile…” Louise whispered as she watched her niece drive away “from your lips to God’s ear!” It was then that Della came up and draped a loving arm across Louise’s shoulders. For just a moment, all the swagger and strength of Louise ebbed in the embrace. Della knew instinctively and drew closer so Louise could lean on her for a bit. “Lou…she’s gonna be fine.” Della’s velvet voice reassured her mate. “It’s not like when we were starting out baby…” “I know times have changed…but deep down…I ain’t so sure people really have. That’s all I am sayin’…” Louise reached up and grabbed hold of Della’s hand. “What would I do without you? All these years and you still put up wid me and my foolishness.” Della kissed Louise’s cheek and hugged her close. “Baby I wouldn’t change a thing….not one damn thing. ‘Ceptin maybe the time you talked me into shavin my head.” Della grinned broadly. “Humph!” Louise snorted. “As I recall…we had to shear dem dreads offa ya cuz they was so dry they had caught fire! Ya shoulda known better than to sit that damn close to da firepit. God there ain’t nothing that smells worse than burnt hair! I can’t help it iffen the blade was set a little too close. As it was it was like shearin a burnt nappy sheep!” Louise chortled. Della smiled in remembrance and watched as the lights to Taylor’s golf cart faded down the road. She leaned down and whispered in Louise’s ear. “Baby…she is… the spittin' image of you…if I didn’t know better I’d swear Taylor was your daughter…” Della joked lovingly. Louise stiffened ever so slightly in Della’s embrace. “Dell…you been nippin’ on da Brandy I got stashed for my 'secret' sauce? I’d make two of that gurl” Louise snapped as she jabbed her elbow hard into Della’s side. “Owww….no I ain’t touched a drop! Damn woman you got a pointy elbow… I was just makin’ an observation is all….there’s not a speck of your sister in that child,” Della winced as she rubbed her side. “And I’m talkin’ bout her heart and spirit… not her size!” Louise heaved a huge sigh. “As much as Taylor might 'take after me'….my sister is her Momma. I told ya right after we met….I had a child….and a child died….I didn’t wanna to talk bout it then….I don’t wanna to talk bout it now…I don’t want to talk bout it ever…now…I got a mess in my kitchen to clean up… are you gonna give me a hand or not?” Louise turned and stomped her way back up the steps to the kitchen. Della trudged up the steps slowly. She shook her head and muttered “One day baby…one day…you're gonna have to talk bout what happened to that child..." Click On The River To Continue! © Labinky Park 2011 Labinky Park Enterprises 20011 Follow Us On Twitter @Labinky |
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Chapter 79
