“I heard your friend left,” Mamie said. “That Sims girl. Went back to Arizona.”
Janice swallowed hard, wondering just what all she’d heard. The sudden panic made her wince and she cursed herself for it, knowing she shouldn’t be so worried about what people knew and what they thought. It seemed to be a habit, one she knew well from having to hide for so long. Breaking it would be a struggle, but she was determined to try.
“Carla,” Janice clarified, bringing on more pain. “Yes, she went home.” She touched her throat, feeling as though her voice would soon fail her.
After another long moment, Mamie edged the door open farther. “Why don’t you come on inside and sit a spell and talk to your old Mamie? Sometimes talking things through helps you find your way.”
Janice stood and crossed to the door. She and Mamie embraced as she stepped inside and the feel of her familiar warmth and softness almost made her cry. Mamie seemed to notice. She closed the door and reached for her face.
“Lord, child, you look like you got the world itself on your shoulders.”
Janice teared up but couldn’t bring herself to speak.
Mamie held her and studied her carefully with her lively eyes. She’d always been able to see Janice, to sense things about her when no one else could. She was intuitive.
Just like Carla said I was.
She got choked up at the thought of her.
Mamie, saw that reaction too. She touched her shoulders, her face drawn with obvious concern.
“Why don’t you go sit down?” She walked with Janice to the couch.
“Where are you going?” Janice asked as she walked away and bypassed her recliner.
“I thought you might like a glass of tea.”
Janice shook her head. “No, thank you. I’m not thirsty right now.”
“It ain’t about thirst, sugar. It’s about comfort.” She disappeared into the kitchen and returned with a glass of iced tea. She gave it to Janice and then headed for the hallway. Janice chose not to ask after her that time and instead sipped her drink.
She found Mamie to be correct. The tea tasted damn good and she felt her spirits lift a little. She looked out the window and got lost in her thoughts again. She was so disconnected from her present surroundings; she didn’t even notice when Mamie reentered the room. She had sat down next to her before she could fully grasp her presence once again.
“I got something for you,” she said, patting the lid to an old shoebox.
“For me?”
“Uh-huh. You’re the only one of all the young’uns in my life who I think can truly appreciate this. I always thought you might be, but I put off sharing it with you, waiting for you to come into your own. It seems now that maybe I waited too long. I hope that ain’t the case. But either way, this is yours now. Maybe it can still help in some way. Maybe it can help ease that torment I can see a-brewing in your eyes.”
She handed Janice the box.
Janice smoothed her hand across the top, having no idea what could possibly be inside.
“Go ahead, child. Open it,” Mamie said, squeezing her arm.
Janice removed the lid and found a box full of old photographs and letters. She sifted through them, curious, but didn’t see anything or anyone in the photos that looked familiar. Confused, she held one of the photos up for closer inspection.
“Who is this?” she asked, looking closely at what appeared to be two happy women, sitting on a low, concrete ledge, legs dangling in front of them, arms entwined, and laughter on their faces.
Mamie scooted closer, smiling, and pointed to the woman on the left.
“That’s your great-aunt Gale.”
Janice stared harder. “That’s Aunt Gale?”
“Sure is.”
“She looks so young. So…happy.”
“She was,” Mamie said. “Both.”
Janice studied the woman next to her. She was just as attractive as Gale, but noticeably different in appearance. Gale had her hair set, dark lipstick on, and a dress that form-fit to her body. The woman next to her was all natural. From her free-flowing hair, to her makeup-free face, to her casual shirt and pants. Her femininity was still clearly evident, even if it wasn’t in her choice of clothes. And even those she wore to fit her own style, with the sleeves to her shirt rolled up at the cuff showing the sinewy strength to her lean forearms. Her shirt was only buttoned halfway up, leaving the collar and a great deal more open, showing off her graceful looking chest and neckline. A very thin necklace hugged her neck, its charm, one that looked like a small heart, rested in the hallow of her throat.
Her whole ensemble had Janice’s pulse racing as she continued to look back between her aunt and the woman, her eyes glued to their entwined arms and laughing faces.
“That there is Liza,” Mamie said.
“Liza,” Janice whispered.
“She was the friend of Gale’s I was telling you about.”
Janice ran her finger along the photo, already knowing, before Mamie had even said a word, that this was the woman she’d spoken of before. This was Great-Aunt Gale’s special someone. She didn’t have to wonder much at all as to just how special she was to Gale. Love and joy exuded from them both along with a sense of their deep connection.
“I remember,” Janice said. She touched Liza’s face, feeling her own connection. “Did I ever meet her? She seems so familiar.”
“No, sugar. Liza died many years ago. Long before you was born. She died before her time.”
Janice looked at her. “Why?”
Mamie shifted as if uncomfortable. “It ain’t a pretty story.”
Janice touched her arm. “Mamie? Please tell me.”
Mamie stared out the window before she finally nodded. “One night Gale and Liza went out looking for a drink. They had to drive a spell, seeing as how this is a dry county and all and they found a popular old hole-in-the-wall full of smoke, liquor, and wild people. They was all sorts of things that went on there, such as gambling and things like that. But that never stopped Gale and Liza. It was like they was drawn to places and people like that from time to time. They loved the freedom they felt there in those places I reckon. And most of the time, they enjoyed themselves and let loose. But this one night, things didn’t turn out so well.
“Seems there was a man there who didn’t like how comfortable Gale and Liza was with each other. And he made it known. Spouted off. Liza mouthed off back at him, and he didn’t take too kindly to that. So he got it in his head to go after Gale. He sauntered up to her and came on to her and started putting his hands all over her. Gale tried to push him away, but he wouldn’t let her go. Liza went plum crazy and managed to get him off her, but they fell to the floor, fighting. Only…” She paused, her eyes glazed with sadness, focused somewhere beyond the room. “He was the only one to get up when it was over. Liza never did.”
She dropped her head and stared at her hands.
“He had stabbed her. Right in the heart.”
Janice covered her mouth. She trembled at both Mamie’s obvious pain and the awful pain Gale must’ve gone through in losing Liza.
“That is so terrible, Mamie. I’m so sorry.”
Mamie nodded. “It was. Gale was never the same. She never got over Liza.” She looked up at her. “Ever.”