QUEENOLA BALL--CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 8

That winter, my daddy died. I lost my number one hero. I know in the Bible it says that the good Lord won’t put no more on you than you can handle, but Lord I think this may be it for me. My daddy had a pretty funeral and all the family was there even the ones I didn’t know, and it’s real sad that the only time you see them is for something like this. I made it through daddy’s funeral not halfway knowing where I was or what I was doing. I wore my new dress the only decent dress I had. I was always wondering where I could wear that dress, but when the chance came I really didn’t even want to put it on. But I did because I remember daddy always telling me to take care of mama. So I went to my daddy’s funeral, held my head up and let mama lean on me, but when it was all over and I got home to my room I let it all out. It lasted for days everything I would do I thought of daddy. David stood by me through the whole thing, and I will always remember that, but after it was over I told David I needed some alone time. I think it kind of hurt his feelings because he didn’t come around for two days.

Well I’m putting everything behind me now but I will always remember my daddy and he will always be my number one hero.

I’ve got a job at the Waffle House. I work third shift whenever they need me or as much as I can because me and mama need the money. I made enough last week to have our phone turned back on. Now I’m working to buy mama a new car the dragon wagon won’t make it much longer with us both driving it. I take it to work at eleven every night and I’m home at seven so that mama can drive it to work at eight.

Working the eleven to seven shift was rough until I got used to it. I’ve been thinking about Lisa a lot lately she got married. It was during the time daddy was sick so I missed the wedding. I don’t know for sure but I think she had to get married if you know what I mean. She turned seventeen this year right after I did so I guess she’s old enough to be married.

I don’t see David as much because I’m always asleep during the day when he comes by. Mama was home a couple of times and she said all he talked about was me. He told her that he missed me and that he would like to spend some time with me before he starts college. He’s already gone to college but I did talk to him a couple of times. He wants me to come to his college and see him sometimes. I told him I would if I ever got off work long enough.

After about three months without a weekend off I finally got one. Mama and me went car shopping. I had saved enough money to buy mama a decent car. We found one at a used car lot it’s a 1989 Ford Tempo, it’s real nice there’s only a few things wrong with it like a little dent in the left back fender and a few tares in the seats, but when all you have ever drove is a dragon wagon, it makes the Ford seem brand new. I talked the man into letting me pay what money I had then, and let me pay by the week until it was paid off. I tell you it was worth it because my mama had the sweetest look on her face when she drove it home.

The girls at work had been inviting me to parties, but I never went because this older lady I worked with told me they did cocaine and every thing else at their parties. I had never seen cocaine but I had read a lot about it and I am not going around it. I asked on e of the girls if they really did it. She said yes some people do but I don’t. I asked her had she ever did it and she said no. I finally decided to go to their party and it was fun. I met a boy named Scott he was real nice, he asked if he could see me again, so we set a date.

The next Saturday night I was off Scott took me to a movie. We were sitting in the movie theatre when he pulls a little baggie out of his pocket, then he pulls out a mirror and a little short straw. He says Queenie lean down here and strike this lighter. I take the lighter, lean down and strike. Scott starts sniffing this white stuff up his nose he had put it on the mirror in little lines. I say Scott what is that he said its goody power dumb ass. I was so mad, I sad you’re lying I know what this is it’s cocaine. I couldn’t believe on our first date he would do something like that. I was wishing we’d drove the dragon wagon because I would have gotten up and went home, and left him sitting there with his cocaine.

After the movie Scott asks me if I want to go to a party. I say no I don’t I want you to take me home. I will not go to another movie with you or anywhere else with you for that matter because I don’t like drugs. Scott looks at me all wild-eyed and starts walking away. I say where are you going. He said to the party. Scott got in his car and left me standing on the sidewalk. I was almost in tears. I found a quarter and called mama to come and get me.

I cried all the way home and say mama why do all the boys have to be that way. They either drink or do drugs. Mama said Queenie your day will come you’ll find the right man and when you do you’ll know it. She told me about her and daddy. She said, I was still a virgin at twenty years old but I was proud of it. All the girls that claimed to be my friends would steal my boyfriends because they would put out and I wouldn’t, they called me old maid. I didn’t care because when I met your daddy I fell in love with him the second time he took me out. I won’t say the first time I laid eyes on him but the second time was the charm. He was the most gentle and caring man I ever met, and he waited on me. He waited until I was ready to settle down. We never had money but we had each other. When something came up, if we didn’t have the money to pay a bill he would put his arms around me and say. It’ll be all right and it always was.

The next morning when I got up the phone is ringing off the hook. I pick up half asleep and say hello. My boss is on the phone she says Queenola, how would you like to start on first shift in a couple days. I say I would love it. She said, I’ll talk to you about it tonight at work. I say okay then we hang up.

That night was Thursday night. She said I would start mornings Saturday morning and she let me off Friday night. Friday morning when I got off work I went to the school to sign up for night classes. I was walking on air because this is what I’d been waiting for. I would turn eighteen Saturday my first day on day shift. After signing up for classes I went home and David’s car was sitting in the yard. I got excited and ran all the way up the steps, across the porch and into the living room, but I stopped short when I see David sitting there with his arm around a girl. She is a pretty girl I think she could be a model if she wanted to. David looks up and sees me he’s acting kind of nervous like he’s afraid I’ll run over and hug him or something. I just stand there and say hi David how are you. He said I’m fine this is Julie. I shake Julie’s hand. I can tell that David is real nervous so I start talking to him and Julie. I say Julie do you go to school with David? She answered yes. I say do you live around here. She says no then she starts telling me where she’s from and all kinds of stuff about herself but when she says. Yea when David and I get married we are going to live here. I jumped up and ran to my room. I don’t know how long they stayed and I don’t care as far as I’m concerned they came to visit mama.

I felt my heart was going to burst. I’ve never felt this bad before. I started to cry. I thought all my tears were gone when daddy died but I see that I have a whole lot more. My heart broke all to pieces. I went to bed then and cried myself to sleep. I woke up at 10:00 Friday night and mama said David had been calling all evening. I told her that I don’t want to talk to David ever again. He called until 12:00 every twenty minutes. I finally took the phone off the hook and went to bed again.

I got up Saturday morning raring to go. I had to be at work at 8:00 AM and I’d work until 4:00 PM. I walked through the kitchen and I see balloons and flowers and gifts on the table. I thought to myself (mama you didn’t need to spend any money on me) mama comes in the kitchen and I tell her what I had thought. She said, Queenie I didn’t spend money on you I made you this. She had crocheted me a sweater. I smile and hug her saying thank you so much; it means so much to me. I said mama if you didn’t spend money, then where did these come from? She said open the card and see. I opened the card and there was a picture of Sally, Aunt Sybil’s big pig. It was on the front of a card from her. It was a very sweet card. I pulled the card from the flower and read THIS IF FOR YOU MY QUEEN ON YOUR B’DAY and it was signed David. The card brought memories. I remember him calling me my Queen before but I don’t remember when. I told mama I didn’t want the flowers she could have them. I didn’t even want to hear David’s name again. Then I left for work.

Saturday was busy. I didn’t even have time for a break. I worked late because the second shift girl was late. The work was hard but I made lots of tips. I found out that first shift was a lot busier than third. I volunteered to work Sunday because I needed the money to buy schoolbooks. I made enough in tips those two days.

I started my classes Monday night I would be going on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM for about six months. When I wasn’t at work or school I studied or helped mama with housework. I kept myself busy. David kept calling but I never would talk to him. I met a man at school he is older. I don’t mean real older but he is like six years older than I am, but I don’t mind. Mama said that if you love each other age don’t matter. I’m not in love but I could fall in love with him I think. We go out every Saturday night he’s a real gentleman. We have a date tonight like always he’s taking me to the big fancy restaurant in town. I don’t remember the name of it. Aaron is going to pick me up around 7:00 PM. Aaron and me have been out three times already. Tonight will be our fourth date but I’m not in love yet.

At 6:30 Aaron pulls in the yard he’s always early. I met him on the porch. Aaron goes in and speaks to mama. I go on to the car and get in. I noticed a picture up over the sun visor. I pull it down and it’s Aaron with a woman and two little boys. I almost shit a gold brick then (I’m eighteen so I can say that now) Aaron comes out and gets in the car he sees me with the picture, and he seems to be speechless. I hold up the picture and say who is this? Aaron says that’s a lady I used to date she was divorced and had the boys by her husband before the divorce. I say oh. Well why do you carry this picture are you still seeing her? He said no it’s been over for awhile. I ask if he still has feelings for her because evidently he does if he’s carrying her picture around. He said no, that was the end of the conversation but I’m still not happy with his answers. I have a gut feeling that there is more to it. We didn’t talk much during our dinner; I really didn’t know what to say. I still couldn’t shake the feeling that something’s wrong. We finish dinner then Aaron takes me home early. We pull up in the yard and I ask him Aaron why are we back so early. He said, I’m tired and need to go home to bed. We kissed good night and parted.

Sunday morning I was off work so I decided to go to church but before I walked out the door to leave I though I would look up Aaron’s phone number and call to see how he’s feeling. He never gave me his phone number so I had to look through the phone book for Aaron Pin there was six Aaron Pin’s in the book but I remember the name of the street he said he lived on. I picked up the phone and called the number. Some lady says hello. I say can I speak to Aaron please? She says who is this? I say, who is this? She says, this is Mrs. Aaron Pin. I say oh sorry I dialed the wrong number. Then hung up the phone crushed. I was so depressed for the rest of the day I didn’t even go to church. I just sat in my room having a big pity party. I thought to myself. I’m never going to date again. After three tries they were all bad so I’ll never do it again.