Part 13 (2/2)
deposit boxes of diamonds and rubies and sapphires in four different banks in Mobile. She was no one's daughter. Mary-Love had died and left her as alone as if she had been abandoned in the midst of the pine forest. She didn't belong to her parents, for they had given her up when she was a baby. Despite their proximity during the intervening years, they remained little more than strangers. They were rather like cousins, once or twice removed, whom one didn't particularly care for, though they bore one's name and one's likeness. She wasn't Sister's either, though once she had been. Sister had gone off and married Early Haskew, whom Miriam deprecated for his coa.r.s.e country ways and his chewing tobacco.
Sister and Miriam sat at the supper table together a few hours after the will was read. Sister had helped raise Miriam when she was a baby, but after Sister's marriage, Miriam had become Mary-Love's child alone. Sister and Miriam had not exactly become strangers, but there was now a certain distance between them.
”It's funny,” said Miriam.
”What is?”
”To think that this whole house is mine now, and everything in it.”
”I'm glad Mama left it to you,” said Sister. ”That way you can sell it and put some money in the bank. That'll send you to school.”
”I don't intend to sell it.”
Sister looked up, surprised. ”You're gone let it sit here empty? You shouldn't, you know. Rats take up in empty houses. Squirrels will break in through the roof.”
”I'm gone live here,” said Miriam.
Sister was more surprised than ever. ”You're not coming back to Chattanooga with me?”
”I hate Chattanooga.”
”You've never even been there. What do you think you'd hate about it?”
158.
”Everything.”
”That's no answer.”
”Do you really want an answer, Sister?”
”Yes, of course I do.”
”I wouldn't be comfortable,” said Miriam.
”Comfortable?”
”Around Early.”
”You don't like Early?”
”I'm not comfortable around him, that's all. He's too... country. I'm not used to being around country people.”
Sister flushed. ”That school you go to is filled with boys and girls who are a lot more country than Early.”
”But I don't have to live with them.”
Miriam and Sister then pa.s.sed plates around for second helpings. Ivey came out of the kitchen and poured more iced tea.
”Ivey's already said she would stay on with me.”
”Yes, ma'am,” said Ivey to Sister. ”I did say it.”
Sister shook her head. ”What's your mama gone say?”
”You mean Elinor?”
”Yes, of course I mean Elinor. If I go off back to Chattanooga and don't take you with me, Elinor's gone say that you got to move in with her and Oscar over there.”
”I wouldn't move in with them if they threw a rope over my neck and dragged me across the yard.”
”Elinor might do it. Elinor wants you back. She's spoken to me about it.”
”What did she say?”
”She said, 'Sister, don't try to take Miriam back to Chattanooga, because I want her over here with me.'”
”She can't have me!”
”You're her daughter, Miriam. That's what it comes down to.”
They were silent for a while longer. Ivey cleared 159.
away and brought out dessert. It was Boston cream pie, Sister's favorite.
”I don't want to go to Chattanooga,” said Miriam to Ivey.
”No, I know you don't,” said Ivey in mild confirmation.
”And I certainly don't want to move in with Elinor and Oscar.”
”No, ma'am, I know you don't want to do that.”
”I want to stay right in this house.”
”You love this house,” said Ivey with pride. ”Miss Mary-Love wanted you to have it to live in.”
”Then what do I do? How do I get to stay on here?” Miriam looked to the black woman for an answer. Sister, as if she knew exactly what that answer was going to be, continued eating her pie.
”Miss Miriam, why don't you ask Sister to stay on here with you?”
Miriam looked surprised. ”But what about Early?”
”Mr. Early's got his jobs here, there, everywhere,” said Ivey. ”Sister, you want another piece of pie?”
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