Chapter 4

4: 4

4

I paused, a small lift of excitement in my chest, but as I got closer I saw it was my mother.

"Mom, you didn't even call to say you were coming?"

I tugged my tie loose in disappointment and slouched against the couch.

She didn't answer.

She picked up the agreement off the table and held it up in front of my face.

"You've still got the nerve to talk. If I hadn't shown up, I'd never have known you and Freda were in this big a mess."

"Talk. What is going on, and what is this divorce paper about?"

"And where's Freda? Don't tell me she hasn't been home all these days."

Her booming voice set my eardrums ringing.

I looked at her, speechless.

"Mom, don't make a scene. Freda and I are just having a spat. It's not real."

"It's all Naomi's fault. Every time her name comes up, nothing good follows."

Confusion crossed my mother's face.

"Naomi, Freda's sister? She came too?"

"What happened, exactly? Tell me word for word, and don't try to fudge it."

I couldn't win against my mother, so I ran through it in rough outline.

"That's the whole thing. It's all Naomi's fault. Otherwise why would Freda and I be fighting? The woman's a walking jinx. Why won't she just drop dead?"

The words were barely out when my mother slapped me.

"Mom, are you insane? What was that for?"

I stared at her in disbelief.

My mother looked at me the way you'd look at something you'd given up on.

"That's for you, and I still want to kill you."

"How could you do something so ungrateful? That's Freda's own sister. However much you dislike her, you don't wish death on a person. How did I ever raise a son like you?"

"I know Naomi's health is bad. Freda's spent plenty on her sister these past few years."

"And if she came to your door asking for help, that means she'd truly run out of options. How much money do you have? Transfer every cent of it to Freda."

I stared blankly at my mother.

"Every cent? You've got to be joking, Mom. It took me two years to save seventy thousand and change, and you want me to hand it all over? That's asking for my life."

The look in her eyes made my skin crawl.

"How about I keep twenty thousand? I was going to buy a drone."

One more slap knocked the last of my luck out of me.

"Keep, keep, keep, keep what? Money gone, you can earn more. Wife gone, we'll see how you cry then."

"You don't give it, I sell the house. Her name's on the deed anyway."

"Now go get your phone. Quit dragging your feet."

Without another word my mother snatched my phone and transferred the whole amount to Freda.

Then she called Freda right in front of me.

I sighed. Everything I'd scraped together, gone.

The call connected.

"Freda, it's Mom. I know about you and that rotten boy."

"Don't be upset. I've already given him a good talking-to."

"Which hospital is your sister in? I'll drag this idiot over to apologize right now."

Hearing that she'd taken my money and still wanted me to apologize, I refused on the spot and started needling from the side.

"Freda, I'm warning you, don't push your luck. The money's transferred. Don't ever say again that I didn't help your sister."

There was a pause on the other end, then Freda's calm voice.

"No need. I'll refund the money in a bit. Have you signed the agreement? Let's find a time and go finalize the divorce."

I hadn't expected her to still dare bring up the divorce.

"Freda, what's that supposed to mean?"

"Seventy thousand's not enough? You want me to sell the house too?"

"Naomi's with you, isn't she? Put her on. I'd like to hear exactly what she's scheming."

My mother ground her teeth in fury and slapped the phone to mute.

"Don't listen to him. It's my fault, I didn't raise him right."

"I had him transfer the money to you. Take it for now. If it's not enough, tell Mom."

On the other end, Freda's voice broke a little.

"Ma'am, there's no need."

"Naomi... she's already gone..."