NaNoWriMo: Day 27

Stella was sympathetic to Buckley’s plight with his mama.

            “I wonder if Selena could help you?” she said.

            “What could she do?” Buckley asked.
            “She’s a social worker. Maybe she knows about some community resources.”

            “I don’t know. I’ll think about it. I don’t want to talk about mama though. Tell  me about what you’ve been up to since I’ve been gone.”

            “Well, I tried to have a girls night. That sort of imploded. Selena and her friend Noel were the only 2 girls to show up, but I guess I don’t need a whole lot of friends. The three of us have been hanging out pretty regularly now so that’s been fun. And I talked to Lottie about the documentary. She said she’s going to have a rough copy ready to show us around Christmas.”

            “I’m glad you’ve been talking to your friends. You might need them more if I’m dealing with mama.”

            “I’m trying to make some more around here, but it’s hard.”

            “Keep at it,” he said, squeezing her hand.

            “So, with your mama here, what are you going to do for Christmas?”

            “Well, I assumed you were going to go home for Christmas anyway.”

            “I am – but I thought I might try to spread some Christmas cheer before I left.”

            “I don’t know what I’m going to do yet. I hadn’t thought about it. I still have a week, don’t I?”

            “Well, time flies when you’re having fun,” she said, climbing into his lap.

            “Am I having fun?” he asked.

            “You could be,” she said, kissing him. “You could be having a lot of fun.”

            “Well, let’s make Christmas hurry up and get here then.”

           

            Buckley held Stella and there was something gnawing at him that he couldn’t seem to shake.

            “Stella, when are you going to tell your parents that we are back together?”

            “After I get my Christmas presents,” she laughed.

            “No, I’m serious.”

            “Buckley, I don’t know. It’s hard and I’m scared. I know I’m going to have to do it some time. I kind of wish that you were there with me when I did it. But then again, I know that it’s my battle to fight alone. How about this? I promise to tell them before I come back after Christmas?”

            “I’m not trying to force you to do anything, it just seems like you’re avoiding it and I wonder how long you can avoid it. I mean, maybe they can get over it. I would like them to at least be given the opportunity to open their minds. They’ll never try if they don’t know.

            “You’re right,” she said, kissing him. “You’re absolutely right.” Stella thought for a moment and then added, “Does your mama know about us?”

            Buckley froze. “Uh, no.”

            “Well, when were you planning on telling her about us?”

            “Um, when you came over for dinner tomorrow night?”

            “Why am I coming over for dinner?”

            “I invited Father Donovan over to meet mama and I wanted you to be there as well. Seemed like a nice thing to do.”

            “Aw, that is nice. What are you going to cook?

            “Gator.”

            Buckley did serve gator tail, from the second gator he had dispatched that year, fried and served with gator sauce. Yum, yum. Gator sauce, of you aren’t in the know is a spicy, orangey, somewhat creamy sauce made for dipping gator tail in and it is mmm mmm – delish. If the author can find one, a recipe will be included at the end of this novel.

            To go with the gator, he served authentic Florida Cracker fare: Swamp Cabbage, Cathead Biscuits, and Sour Orange Pie. Not a bad meal for a bachelor. If there was one thing Buckley learned from his mama before she started to go crackers, it was how to cook. For her part of the meal and because no one in the world could make it the way she liked it, Buckley’s mama made the tea.

            Stella and Father Donovan arrived at Buckley’s trailer at the same time. Father Donovan was happy to see Stella and gave her a hug when the met at the door.

            “How have you been, my child? I haven’t been seeing you at mass on Sundays.”

            “I’ve been fine father. I’m sorry I haven’t been there. I don’t really have a good excuse. I haven’t been getting out of bed very early I guess.”

            Father looked at her with a mischievous grin. “Staying in bed with the boy, are you?”

            “No, actually. He’s been out of town. I’ve just been very tired.”

            “Ach. Well then I’m sorry to hear that m’dear. I’ll pray for your renewed vitality.”

            “Thank you father.”

            At this point, Buckley opened the door and ushered the both of them inside.

            “Father Donovan,” he said motioning to his mother, “I would like you to meet my mother, Lulabelle Wolf.”

            “It’s a pleasure to meet you, ma’am.”

            “It’s lovely to meet you as well, father.”       

            “And you know mama already, Stella.”

            “Yes, it’s great to see you again, Mrs. Wolf.”

            “Oh Stella! You’re just as pretty as I remember.” She said reaching out to give Stella a hug.

            Stella couldn’t help feeling awkward about this as she knew how Mrs. Wolf felt about her, but still, she returned the hug. She was not one to make a fuss or to cause a scene.

            Buckley ushered his mother and his guests into his small dining room and motioned for them to sit down at the table. Stella thought it was cute how he was taking charge of this dinner party. Buckley was just trying to make a good impression on Father Donovan while keeping him mother placing and in check. When everyone was seated, Buckley brought the food to the table.

            “This looks divine, Buckley!” said Father Donovan. “You’ve really gone all out.”

            “My boy has really outdone himself, hasn’t he?” said his mother with a big smile.

            Buckley blushed a little as he began serving the guests, but he didn’t let his embarrassment deter him from his goal of having a successful dinner party. While Rhodes Shield he was not, he could have a pleasant get together and get his mother plugged into the community in a meaningful way. That was not too much to ask.

            “So, Mrs. Wolf, how are you liking Putnam County so far?”

            “Well to tell you the truth I haven’t seem a whole lot of it yet.”

            “Oh, well that’s just too bad. We’ll have to do something about that won’t we?”

            “Tell me Father, what all is there to do around here? I wasn’t from a very large area, but it seemed much larger than here.”

            “Eco tourism is really the crux of what goes on here. There is a lot of nature. Birds, boats, the river, trees. All the sorts of things that a man like your son Buckley here would be into. And of course there are lots of flea markets and thrift stores if you are into junking or antiquing.

            Buckley had never wanted to slap a man of the cloth before but in that moment it was all he could do not to do so. He was certain he had told Father Donovan about his mother’s problem. Why would he mention that to her? He watched his mother’s eyes light up at the very mention of antiques and he knew that her idea of antiques and a normal person’s were very, very different.

            “There is a group of ladies at the church who get together once a week to go antiquing. You might want to get plugging in with them.” Father Donovan went on. “By the by, will we be seeing you at mass this Sunday? We’re having a lovely Christmas program. The children, bless them, will be singing.”

            Buckley’s mother smiled. “Certainly father. We wouldn’t miss it.”

            Despite the fact that Father Donovan mentioned the very last thing that Buckley wanted mention, the dinner went off pretty well. Buckley’s mother seemed to take to Father Donovan and it seemed likely that she would be getting involved in the church. He breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe if she was “antiquing” with the other old ladies they would keep her in check and he wouldn’t have to worry about her ridiculous purchases so much. And she seemed happier than she had when she’d first arrived. Maybe the transition wasn’t going to be so bad after all.

            Buckley said goodbye to Father Donovan at the door and kissed Stella goodbye.
            “I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said.

            After his guests were gone, Buckley’s mother retired to bed and he couldn’t help feeling that he had done a very good thing. It wasn’t long before he realized how wrong he was.

            Back at Herlin Hall, Rhodes and Selena were getting ready for their first Christmas as husband and wife. The couple hadn’t been married more than three months and already Miss Emery was hounding them for grandbabies. Selena had begun to wonder if she had made a terrible mistake. She wondered if she had wanted the wedding more than she had wanted the actual marriage. It was a frightening notion, to be sure. She was not adjusting well to being the Lady of Herlin Hall, and what was more Miss Emery did not prove that easily usurped.

            On the bright side, as long as she was able to keep her feelings for Buckley in check it was nice having Stella as another friend and confidant. Between her and Noel, they were able to impart some levity and sanity on what might have otherwise been a lonely and unhappy existence. Rhodes, Selena, Buckley, Stella, Noel, Lottie and all the rest of their rag tag cadre of friends made quite a unique family all their own and they had a plan to get together for New Years to celebrate the holidays together like any family should.

            But first, Stella was going to have to go home and finally face the music and tell her family that she loved Buckley and that they were going to be together no matter what. It was a daunting task and one that she was not looking forward to. She figured she should do it before gifts were exchanged. That would be the ultimate faux pas. “Thanks for the great presents mom and dad. By the way, I’m doing this thing that’s going to make you disown me! See ya!”

            Stella arrived at her parents’ house on December 22 – allowing her plenty of time to make her confession and make her way back to Putnam County and Buckley. She first told Montgomery of her plan.

            “Girl, you must out of your damn mind. You’re gonna ruin Christmas. What are you gonna haul off an’ do a thing like that for?”

            “I have to tell them.”

            “Yeah, but can’t you wait until Boxing Day?”

            “I think it would be better to not accept any gifts from them if I know what’s ultimately going to happen.”

            “Then leave the gifts when you go. But for Jefferson’s sake. For my sake – don’t ruin Christmas.”

            Stella was compelled if not entirely convinced. She called Buckley and told him what Montgomery had said.

            “Well, I suppose she does have something of a point. There’s no point in ruining it for her and her son as well. Hold out until the 26^th and I’ll see you for New Year’s.”

            Christmas at Stella’s parents’ house was a great and joyous occasion. They say that Christmas is for the kids, but Stella’s parents made sure that each of their children as well as Jefferson has plenty of gifts under the tree and each one that Stella unwrapped made her feel more and more sick to her stomach. They had spent so much money on her. What were they trying to do? Buy her love? It was clear that they had simply called around to some of her college friends to find out what bands she was into and bought CDs, posters, tapes, and other paraphernalia related to them. It was a well-known fact that Stella was a music fiend so this was an easy gift to give. The problem was, there was no thought put into any of these gifts. They were all too easy. It was like her parents had never bothered to get to know her at all. None of their gifts had any meaning. These things were just things.

            Stella spent most of Christmas day wracked with anxiety about what she knew she had to do the next day. She hoped desperately that her parents had kept their receipts for the hollow gifts they had given her.

            It wasn’t that she didn’t love them. It was just that she couldn’t let them stand in the way of her happiness any longer. Buckley made her happy. Her life in Putnam County, whatever it was, made her happy. And she was tired of having to choose their happiness over her own. She was finally ready to choose her life and herself over them.

            Montgomery wanted to stay out of the house that morning but erred on the side of bravery and stuck around in order to support her sister. She did however send Jefferson to stay with his father in case things blew up because the child did not need to be around to hear that.

            Stella had planned to head back to Putnam County that morning anyway, so she broached the subject after her car was packed as she was saying her goodbyes.

            “Mama, Daddy, listen. I have to tell you something and it’s probably going to make you a little upset, but I hope you’ll understand and be supportive.”

            “Baby, we’ll love you no matter what, you know that,” he father said hugging her.

            “I’d like to believe that, Daddy,” she said.
            “Well, what is it baby?”

            “I’m still in love with Buckley.”

            Her mama and daddy’s eyes grew wide at this news, but they weren’t excited just yet.
            “Listen. I know sometimes these feelings linger. They’ll fade with time.”

            “We’ve gotten back together. He knows about Hope. And we both know who has custody of her.”

            This was the news that got her parents blood boiling.

            “Stella! How could you? After all we went through! After all we talked about! What were you thinking?”

            “Daddy I love him. He loves me. We make each other happy. It’s very, very simple. Why can’t you just see that? I heard what he said to you a few months ago at church and he was right. If you were more concerned with loving people and letting people love each other everyone would be a lot better off. Now, if you don’t want to speak to me anymore because of who I choose to love, that’s your choice, but I can’t stop loving him and I’m going to stop trying.”

            After listening to his daughter’s monologue, Stella’s father was shaking with rage. The only words he could muster were. “Go,” as he pointed to her car. And that was it. She had effectively severed all ties with her mother and father, which if we’re being honest, wasn’t really all that much of a loss.