Waiting

By Karen C. Brown

Laveta Poole, aka Big Honey, has always been a woman who lived her life by her own rules and sometimes living life close to the edge. A phenomenal woman capable of handling most anything that came her way, the good, the bad and definitely the ugly. Big Honey has been married twice and is the mother of three children. She’s survived a severe health challenge, the disappointment of a lost love and being estranged from her sisters stemming from years of insecurities and jealousness.

What she isn’t prepared for is the day Mancy and their young daughter take a walk to the corner store and they both disappear without a trace. Nobody knows what happened to them; it seemed they just walked off into the abyss. Was their disappearance due to foul play or something else? What Big Honey doesn’t realize is that Mancy has made a discovery that set forth a chain of events that completely alters the course of his life and those around him.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Karen C. Brown
• Release date: Jan 1, 2013
• ISBN: 9780982463031

Karen C. Brown

Karen is a native of Louisiana and a graduate of Grambling State University with a degree in Social Work. She loves to read and is co-founder of Sisters Sippin’ Tea Literary Book Club, Houston Chapter. Her first book, If The Tree Could Talk is now available. Karen has always had a love and joy of reading and to date romance novels are still the all time favorite. Writing is a new venture for Karen and one of which she is very excited about. She finds that writing is a wonderful way to express one’s self as well as a great stress reliever. Karen is well grounded in her Christian faith while being a member of the Ft. Bend Church. She enjoys traveling, jazz and old school music, family gatherings and is receptive to all that life has to offer. Karen lives in Houston with her family. Her favorite quotation is... "Life is good and oh what a blessing."

Book preview

Waiting

Karen C. Brown

Published by BrownCo Publishing on Smashwords

Copyright © 2012 Karen C. Brown

ISBN-13:978-0-9824630-3-1

ISBN-10:0-9824630-3-0

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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In Loving Memory

Ronald L. Cottonham

Lonnie Cottonham

Leonard J. Price

Lucille Frazier

Acknowledgments

I want to thank God first and foremost.

A beloved thanks to my husband David and my son Daniel for your patience for the many missed dinners------most appreciated.

Thanks to everyone who waited patiently for this story to be told.....ENJOY!

Thanks to my sister Teresa for ideas and suggestions........I used verbiage that was a little tamer.Thanks to my cousin Lillian for expressing things as only she could........no holding back.

Blessings and Joy!

Karen C. Brown

Chapter 1

Mid 1970s

Girl, I wonder what the reaction would be if I showed up at the wedding? Dasie Raymond said teasingly to her friend. She knew if anyone would be truthful with her, it would be Laveta Poole, aka Big Honey. She was pissed off that nobody had had the decency to tell her that her husband was getting remarried on the very weekend she’d decided to visit her sister. She had to read the announcement in the paper. So what if society put that little ex in front of it to show that the marriage was no more? Legally he wasn’t her husband, but in her mind, he would always be hers. Just because a person stops loving you, that don’t mean you gotta agree with it and stop loving them, she reasoned. Dasie knew deep down inside that he still cared for her too. She was sure he was just being difficult, marrying that heifer just out of spite. Really, what harm would it do? They were all my family once, and just because Eli and I are not together, that don’t mean I have to act like his family no longer matters to me, because they do, she said.

Big Honey shook her head at her delusional friend. Dasie, I don’t know who you think you’re talking to. Give it up once and for all. If you take your crazy ass to that house, you’ll get what has been promised for you.

And what’s that?

A beat-down, girl! Remember? Doretha has said on more than one occasion, if given the chance she will whip your ass, and don’t forget that Ronnie Faye promised if you continue messing in her life, she’ll have a parting gift for you too.

Big Honey was the only one in the family who even took time with Dasie. At first everyone was in an uproar when they realized the two still kept in touch whenever Dasie came home to Top Water to spend time with her sister, Josephine. Big Honey explained that as far as she was concerned, Dasie had never done anything to her; sure, the rest of the family all stuck together and decided they were not going to deal with Dasie, but that was not her problem. The one thing Big Honey didn’t allow Dasie to do was talk to her about Eli or Ronnie Faye. She had learned to stop saying anything to Dasie about what was going on. Instead of taking the info as simple chitchat, Dasie always took it and insinuated herself into their lives and caused problems. It was a big mess, to be sure, but the one thing Big Honey’s family knew about her was that nobody told her what to do.

Besides, Dasie, I think Eli would be willing to referee, and I’m not sure he’d see things your way.So the answer to your question about showing up at the wedding is that I wouldn’t advise it.

Dasie shrugged. I didn’t say I’m going. I was just wondering was all. I should have stayed home since this is the weekend of the wedding. I coulda waited to visit Josephine another time. She had the nerve to tell me she’s going to the wedding; they are having at Jack and Mandy’s place. She always was two-faced, staying in good with them folks.

Dasie knew Eli’s family had no beef with Josephine. In fact, Josephine had even turned against her—her own sister—when she realized the kind of trouble Dasie had caused. For a while they’d stopped speaking to each other, but Josephine eventually came around. Josephine let Dasie know she didn’t like the way she’d acted and that she’d ruined a good relationship, but she had to forgive her because they were sisters. That was what their parents would have expected her to do; honoring that blood is thicker than water and all that.

Nevertheless, Dasie always felt Josephine was a Miss Goody Two Shoes, and she told her so on many occasions.

Big Honey replied, Josephine lives here, and she and Mandy attend the same church, so why should they just ignore each other on your account? Nobody is mad at her. She had nothing to do with how you chose to live your life. Besides, Josephine is one of the nicest women I know. Sometimes I find it hard to believe that you two are sisters. I don’t fool with too many people in this town, but she is one of the few I actually like.

Big Honey was a big-boned woman, about five-nine, but she carried her 200 pounds like a much smaller woman. She had cocoa-brown skin and naturally curly hair, which she wore in a short curl; on days when she felt flirty, she’d brush it out in a short, layered style. A lot of women in Top Water didn’t like her because she had a way with the men. Big Honey could have her pick of them, but little did the good sistahs of Top Water know that the one man who really mattered was the one who’d disappointed her most. She’d been married twice and had three beautiful children: one boy and two girls. She knew a lot of women in Top Water didn’t care for her, but as far as Big Honey was concerned, the feeling was mutual. Big Honey wouldn’t hesitate to put anybody in their place in a heartbeat, and she’d cause bodily harm if the situation called for it. Her motto in life was simple: I’ll be good to those who are good to me, and I don’t owe anybody else a damn thing.

Eli Raymond and Big Honey were first cousins, since their fathers were brothers. She and Eli were once very close, as some cousins are, but time and life got in the way. He lived in Dallas for many years, and when she married and started having a family of her own, she became too busy to keep up with him. He didn’t come home often, and when he did, he was usually so busy playing catch-up with old friends and other family that she often missed out on seeing him.

Big Honey was actually looking forward to going to the wedding. As far as she was concerned, her cousin should have married Ronnie Faye in the first place. But Dasie, being the master manipulator she was, was able to not only fool Eli into marrying her, but also to trick Ronnie Faye and others into believing whatever she told them. Then, one day, for some stupid reason, she decided to come clean. Big Honey was still trying to figure out what the woman was thinking. She knew had it been her, she would have carried that secret to her grave, along with a few others. Did she really think she could just drop a bomb like that and everyone would say, That’s a good one, Dasie! and laugh it off? Dasie’s reasoning was beyond Big Honey, and no one found it the least bit funny. No one was laughing now.

Dasie had fooled everyone into believing that the baby Ronnie Faye was carrying was not Eli’s—that it belonged to a man Ronnie Faye would not give the time of day to, let alone touch her in the way Dasie claimed. Lives were changed, relationships were severed, and a secret was allowed to live and grow for twelve years, until Dasie finally told the truth. Folks were mad for a long time about having been duped like that, and Big Honey couldn’t blame them.

Dasie looked kind of sad about the wedding, but Big Honey refused to address it. As if Dasie realized that her friend’s mind had wandered off, she said, I know I was wrong to do things the way I did, but I never in my wildness dreams thought he’d take it this far. He’s marrying her? God! I was just trying to prove that I’m a new person and that I want to put those lies behind me and move on to being a better me. If I had thought, even for a second, that things would turn out the way they have, I never would have said a thing. Maybe if I hadn’t told the truth, I would still have my husband. I’ve lost so much, girl. You remember my friend Lane? She paused until Big Honey nodded. Well, I really messed up my friendship with her too. We still talk on occasion, but for the most part, she always has something else to do or someplace to go whenever I suggest that we hook up for drinks. In a way, Honey, she reminds me of you.

How so?

Well, because she either likes you or she don’t, and she only allows you in her company if she wants you to be. I did a terrible thing to her. I threatened to tell her boyfriend’s wife that her husband was cheating on her—with Lane.

What!? If she was your friend, why would you do that?

Well, I told Lane that if she didn’t get her boyfriend to tell me what was going on with Eli, I was going to mess up her good thing. She could tell by the look on Big Honey’s face that she was not surprised by the confession. I was never going to go to the man’s wife—not really…well, unless they didn’t give me the info I wanted. Not long after that, Charlie Ray broke up with her, and, to make matters worse, he and his wife moved to Houston to work for Eli’s trucking company. Lane wasn’t in love with him anyway, so I didn’t see why she was so broke up over him leaving and all. But after that, she started distancing herself from me. At first I didn’t catch on. I figured she was upset about him leaving, so I backed off to give her the space she evidently felt she needed.

Big Honey just looked at Dasie as if she’d just realized the woman was ten times crazier than she’d always thought. After taking a deep breath she said, Dasie, what’s your problem? Seriously, are you so unhappy with your life that you want to make everyone else’s life as pitiful as yours? You sit here and tell me this shit as if you are talking about somebody else, like there’s nothing wrong with doing the things you do. What’s with you anyway? Just because you know things that others might not be aware of, that don’t give you the right to go around telling everybody’s secrets. What kind of friend does that? The way I see it, putting some distance between you was one of the best decisions Lane ever made. I don’t know if you realize it or not, but you’ve put yourself in a position where nobody can trust you. No secrets are safe with you. God, Dasie. Coming between her and her man—even if he did legally belong to another woman—was wrong on so many levels. She probably felt cutting her relationship with you was for the best. You can’t go around blackmailing everybody who doesn’t agree with you or does something you don’t like. That’s no way to be. Big Honey just stared at Dasie in disbelief. Everyone is aware of this girl’s quirks but Eli, she thought, shaking her head. What the hell was he thinking? I’ll tell you this, and you best understand me. If you EVER try some shit like that with me and mine, not only will your ass get whipped, but you’ll surely die. Big Honey hoped Dasie would never be fool enough to force her to beat her ass, because she’d do it if she had to. She’d worked hard to clean up her act, and she didn’t like to think back on times when she went around kicking asses even without a reason, but if that crazy heifer took her there, she would show her better than she could tell her.

Big Honey didn’t like to think back on the times when she ran the streets, doing anything and everything she was big and bad enough to do. If she saw a man she wanted, it didn’t matter if he was with another woman or not—that only made things more interesting. Very few men turned her down, even though being with them was more for sport than anything else. It took a while before she met a man she wanted to settle down with. She saw men as playthings, and she never felt bad when she called a halt to the relationship. Of course those fellas got upset when they realized she was only playing, especially after she’d persuaded them to leave other women for her. But it was only a mess for them, not for Big Honey. She was often cursed out by the men who did their other women wrong just to get their hands—and everything else—on a woman who wasn’t serious in the first place; it just didn’t sit well with some of them, and a few times, she’d even gotten into physical altercations. Once they found out how well she could handle a box-cutter, they backed off pretty damn quickly.

Dasie looked at Big Honey and didn’t say a word for a minute. She knew better. She remembered the Honey of days gone by and she saw, albeit very fleetingly, the devil in her eye. She knew Honey would make good on her threat to whip her ass—or worse—if she did her wrong. Big Honey was one woman who always said what she meant and meant what she said. Dasie wasn’t willing to risk it pissing her off. Girl, you know I’ve changed now, and I’m trying to mind my own business, which is why I am NOT going to crash that wedding. I know where I’m not wanted. Besides, I’m sure Josephine will tell me all about it, and I won’t even have to ask. She’s always thought Eli walks on water, so no matter what he does will always be cool with her. She is such a traitor!

Dasie knew she was being unfair to her sister; Josephine was damn near a saint, welcomed wherever she went. People sought her out in a crowd. She was the apple of her parents’ eyes because she always did what they said and never broke the rules. She’d gone to college because her parents wanted her to be a teacher, and she’d even lucked out in the marriage department—at least at first. Josephine and her husband shared a wonderful, loving relationship, until he was unexpectedly killed in a horrible accident at the paper mill where he worked. As sad as that was, he was a good man who believed in preparing for the future, so he bought insurance and put away a savings for them. He wanted to make sure his queen would always be taken care of if something happened to him, and when it did, she was compensated very well. While it didn’t seem to bother him in the least that they had no kids, Josephine took it kind of hard that she was never able to give him children; that only made her angry at Dasie, who had aborted two of Eli’s babies that he never even knew she was carrying.

Well, I guess I’ll head on over to Josie’s before she leaves for the wedding. I wanna see what she plans to wear. Maybe she needs help getting ready. She looked at Big Honey, and a serious look came over her face—almost apologetic. See? I know I can be a bitch at times but I love my sister. She’s all the family I’ve got left and I need to stop treating her as if she betrayed me. If I’m gonna be honest with myself—and mind you, I said if—I know I’m to blame for everything that’s happened in my life, including the destruction of my marriage. I guess compared to Josephine, I don’t seem very…desirable.

Big Honey knew it was time to say something sensitive—maybe even consoling—to her screwed-up friend, but the best she could come up with was, I see. What’s wrong with this girl? What kind of fool is she to justify those sick actions in that twisted mind of hers? Does she actually take comfort in treating people as she pleases? Dasie, how long are you gonna be in town? I’ll try to get over to Josie’s before you leave, she said, hoping Dasie would catch the hint that it was time for her to go.

Dasie looked at her watch and realized the day was quickly getting away from her. Oh! Look at the time! I didn’t realize it was getting so late. I know you need to get ready to meet your people, so let me get on out of here. Are the kids going to the wedding? she asked.

The house seemed really quiet, and no one had come in to say hi, so Dasie knew the children weren’t there. Big Honey’s kids were some of the most respectful Dasie had ever met. They would always come in to say hello to their mother’s company and then went right back to whatever they may have been doing. They were well behaved, for sure, and anyone who knew Big Honey knew she would beat their little asses if they even tried to get out of line. That’s not to say that they didn’t try, but they did make it a point to be really careful to treat their mama and other adults with the utmost respect.

Big Honey had a genuine smile on her face when Dasie asked about her pride and joy. The kids went with my husband to Monroe. They all were having fits about having to go to the wedding, so Mancy—being the kind soul he is—opted to miss the ceremony and take them to the mall. It’ll keep them out of my hair for a while.

The mall was about a forty-five-minute drive from Top Water, so by the time they returned, the girls would be good and tired, and Big Honey’s son would likely spend his time on the phone with some girl. Big Honey had no problem with them skipping the wedding, for that would relieve her of having to hear their complaints about being bored. The girls probably would have been okay, but that boy was a different matter.

Without her kids in tow, Big Honey wanted to head on over to the house ahead of time to see if she could be of assistance. She said to Dasie, I was planning to go over a little early, just in case they need any last-minute help. She got up from the table to put their drinking glasses in the sink, dumping out the melting ice and left-over cola.

Dasie took that as her cue to leave. They bid each other a good evening, and Dasie headed out the door.

* * *

The Greenson house was bustling with activity. Jack and Mandy had the house and the yard looking perfect for a spring wedding. The day was perfect, the weather nice, and the yard had been professionally manicured and decorated here and there with the beautiful flowers Ronnie Faye and Sweetie Pie had chosen.

Sweetie Pie, whose wisdom never ceased to amaze her family and friends, thought it would be a great idea to include three varieties of flowers. First, there were red roses to reflect passionate love; she said she could only assume, since she had yet to fall in love, but being the romantic she was, she felt it sounded like a good idea. Tulips would represent hopeless love, which she figured represented her biological parents. And lastly, there were orchids; like them, Ronnie Faye had an elegant, unique beauty about her. The backyard was adorned with flowers and beautiful greenery.

The wedding arch was decorated with woven ivy. The white wooden chairs had been placed in such a way that the couple would be in the center, facing the guests as their vows were exchanged. It would be a small, intimate ceremony, attended by only about thirty guests. For wedding favors for the guests, Mandy had hand-painted fans in the bride’s choice of colors, burgundy and gray, engraved with the names of the couple and the special date of their union. Truly, every small detail came together to create a charming and immaculate place for the couple to enjoy their nuptials.

Big Honey arrived just as Eli was driving up in his shiny new burgundy Cadillac DeVille. He had always liked big cars. Big Honey didn’t know a lot about cars, but that one looked expensive, and she had to admit it was a beauty. Hello, cousin! You’re looking mighty handsome…and pleased with yourself, she teased.

He walked up, hugged her, and said, Thanks. I am mighty pleased with myself. Why shouldn’t I be? I’m marrying my dream girl, Mother Nature is cooperating, and all my favorite people are here to watch me and Ronnie Faye make this promise to each other. What more could I ask for? He looked at Big Honey and smiled, revealing his deep dimples and those expressive green eyes of his, dripping with feeling and emotion. Big Honey, I was so messed up over what Dasie did to us—not just to me and Ronnie Faye, but also to Jack, Mandy, and Sweetie Pie most of all. That woman is really something else. Once I finally had Ronnie Faye back in my life, I was ready right then and there to start my life with her, but there was so much that needed to be done. I moved my trucking business from Dallas to Houston, which took a while, and once I got things up and running, I had to fill the open job positions. Thanks to my foreman, who agreed to relocate to Houston with me, the transition was that much smoother. Ronnie Faye wanted to hold off on our wedding plans because she thought it might be too stressful, and she wanted Sweetie Pie to have time to work through her feelings after finding out that she wasn’t Jack and Mandy’s child. As much as we wanted to claim her and take her home with us, we knew we needed to give her as much time as she needed to adjust to the idea that she has two sets of parents. We knew it’d take her some time to come around, so we just prayed about it and just stood back and waited to see what would happen, hoping she’d eventually warm up to us. Gradually she grew receptive to the idea of wanting to get to know us. Even though it took five years, it was worth it, and it gave everybody time to get used to the idea of having to share her with others. Sweetie Pie recently told us she’s thinking of attending college in Houston. Can you believe that? We’re glad she’s considering it, and she knows we’ll be there for her, whatever she decides to do with her life.

You must be so proud of her.

We sure are! You may not know this, but she never liked her name, Callie. But after she found out it was Ronnie’s mother’s name she said it isn’t such a bad name after all. Jack and Mandy are so supportive. Ronnie Faye and I are just happy that Sweetie Pie is allowing us to be part of her life. She has been such a huge help in planning this wedding. Ronnie Faye and Sweetie Pie have spent a lot a time together through the whole thing, and they’ve really bonded.

Yeah, I imagine wedding planning will do that!

Heh. Well, I was able to get in on the act when she insisted that she come with me to pick out the right clothes. Whew! I had no idea shopping could be so exhausting. That child had me running around to so many different stores, for ‘the right look,’ as she put it. As he told Big Honey about his shopping trip with his daughter, the smile never left his face.

Big Honey smiled, thought a moment, and said, "Well, I guess I need to tell you, I hold some responsibility for Dasie kept stalking you. I swear I never knew she’d resort to the things she did, and when I finally realized that she was acting on information she was getting from me, I stopped telling her anything about you or this family period. Eli, I’m so sorry for the