Chapter 1
It is a cool and damp December morning in Glendale, Louisiana, a town that is nestled along the Mississippi River within the German Coast. Glendale is about 40 miles downriver from New Orleans, that is called by many as the “Big Easy”. Everything outside is dark and still while mother and I are sitting up watching TV and we are extremely comfortable lounging around in our bed clothes. Its high school football playoffs across the state and we are waiting to receive our late-night Friday/Saturday call that the paper has gone to press and ready to be delivered. Newspapers all over the region including our small neighborhood paper were waiting for all the scores and play action to be finalized before the paper is put to bed. Finally, the phone rings! My mother picks up the receiver and the voice on the other end says, “the papers are ready!” Finally, at 2:30am! all praises to the highest, we can get the local news to our inpatient customers that faithfully await Friday night football results. Being that it is still dark, and the newspaper warehouse workers were going to load up the car for us we never had to get out until we arrived back home, being that we were not totally dressed. So, this time I grabbed my long green sweater and black and white tennis to hide my long sleeve PJ set. Checking myself out in the mirror I made sure that my shoulder length brown hair was pinned in a loose updo but allowing some strands to cradle my round face. I checked for my keys and my purse. My mother wore her long wintry gown and matching robe and slipped on her Daniel Green slippers. We sped over to the warehouse in a smooth looking Chrysler Burgundy 5th Avenue and greeted the others as usual in the early morning and off we went on this 2.5 hr. delivery.
At this hour, the neighborhoods are still silent and asleep so my mother and I would take this as our quality time from everyone else so that we could communicate about the past week’s occurrences and sort through any future ideas, and this was an opportunity for my mother to dive into my personal business. I only took this part-time paper delivery job to earn some extra weekly cash for my students that attended my after-school program. The school district wanted to cancel this year’s activities because of a budget short fall, but in order to keep it going for my kids I offered to fund the supplies for crafts and snacks. The school board agreed to at least to keep the facility’s energy bills paid for the time being. Many of my children have parents who work long hours and if it were not for the program, they would be either latch key kids or would venture off into bad behavior out in the streets. From a little girl I always wanted to be wife and a mother, and I promised myself that I would not compromise in what I believed in to have either. And I guess my strong convictions kept me ‘still single’ as I attend my classmate’s weddings or baby showers. I know God must have someone out there just for me, but sometimes I want to throw in the towel, because the choices are getting slim as I am getting older.
“So, Jo how was that blind date the other night?’ Even though mother was in the back seat rolling up newspapers in the dark, I can see the volume of her ears turned up to the max.
“I don’t even know why I even bother to date ma!”
“It couldn’t have been that bad, I am all ears. Now, what is his name?”
“Henry Simmons, 6’1, curly hair, smooth bronze skin and he had the body of a Greek god.”
“Oowee, he sounds like he is a handsome fella, but from your tone I know you found something wrong with him...”
“Mama! This dude talked about himself from the time we met at the restaurant on Carrollton Ave. He talked so much, all I could do is just grin and bear it while we waited for our table, but I told myself to take a deep breath and give him a chance just to see, it may get better, right?’
“Well, did it?!”
“Once we were seated it seemed to be ok, and I looked at Henry and I noticed he had a nice smile and the prettiest teeth but before we could begin the meal, all of a sudden I see him place his napkin to his mouth.”
“Ok that exhibits he has some manners, maybe he had to sneeze or cough?”
“Nope.”
“What do you mean?”
“He puts the napkin over his mouth so he could take his top teeth out of his mouth, so he could eat! I was floored! Mama, reliving the moment just brings me to tears.” There was silence in the back seat but suddenly, I hear smothered giggles.
“Ma, are you laughing at me?”
“No baby, I would never laugh at you, I am so sorry that he did that, so what did you do?”
“I sat there looking at his teeth and felt like a fool and all I can hear him say was, “I am sorry, but I can’t dive into my meal with my top teeth, wearing them bothers me, I hope you don’t mind?”
“No, he didn’t! That is too nasty!”
“Exactly! And I pushed my chair back from the table, grabbed my pocketbook and told him to lose my number!” My mother lends over in laughter, even though I was humiliated when it happened, but telling my mother about it, did sound funny and it helped subside the pain. My mother Jessica Collins was full of personality, she had everything I thought I lacked as I became a woman, but she would tell me often that God has given me all that I need and more, I just have not tapped into my greatest potential yet. My mother is one of my greatest friends and I really would not know what I would do if I did not have her in my life. “Ma having to date has suddenly gotten worse since I am now in my late twenties, it just seems that I am always the bridesmaid, always the wedding planner, always the one to catch the bouquet and I cannot even secure a decent date to rack upon a prospect.”
“Just be patient Jo, God has heard you and he sees your heart, it will happen and when it does it will happen when you least expect it, ok…” The tears are building up in my eyes, but she always knows what to say to soothe my anxieties. “Because you say so Ma, I will be patient and hold on.”
It had been raining on and off all that week and our first delivery was never on my favorite list. It was an unpaved dead-end road that was without streetlights or sidewalks. This was by far the worst stop on the route and instead of me doing this street last to wait for the natural light, I went for the gusto and went down this river of darkness first. Mother and I are still chatting, and we were able to share some laughter after a needed topic change as she rolled and bagged the papers as I drive, flinging the papers out the window. We are cackling away like hens and then suddenly, our burst of laughter melted into confusion. We realized that when I backed out of a customer's rock paved driveway that I hit something soft. I no longer hear rocks and as I put my foot on the gas, the front passenger tires began to spin; …. “ah no! I hit a patch of mud and it looks like we are stuck”! My mother and I just looked at each other in the rearview mirror, we went from being scared out of our mind straight into mental dysfunction and busted out in laughter. Here it is we are stuck in the mud in an unincorporated area with no real clothes on. Stuff like this only happens to us and we have the nerve to laugh at ourselves, but now that we are stuck, the sun will be coming up and we are now behind on getting the papers delivered! I am beating myself up in my mind over and over about getting stuck on this road, I have no darn deceit clothes on, and as I search my purse to only realize I left my cellphone on the charger at the house, another thing to add to a stressful week! We shamefully get out of the car, but we bravely fixed our faces and knocked on the doors of the only two houses on the street. We were met with the shock of our predicament, but the wives of the homes seemed sympathetic, but the men refused to assist us because they were feuding with each other over who should fix the mud logged road that they shared. With my hands on my hips and now ticked off for real, I am wondering how we got stuck in the middle of the war of roses. Lord, what did I do to you to have such a crappy week?” One of the women did allow us to use the phone to call back to our house, but my sister who was temporarily staying with us needs to answer the phone. “Ma’ did Lynn answer?” “No, she must be in a deep sleep, but I left a message. Your sister should be getting up soon and hopefully she will check the message,” Mother extends her thanks, and we head back to the mud logged vehicle. “Ok, we can't get any help from these jerks that live here on the edge of night, now what mama?”
She looked at me, grabbed her purse out of the car and said,” Well I guess we will have to walk to the end of the road to see who we can flag down for help”.
“Looking like this in our night clothes?!”
“Yes”.
Mother and I walked toward the end of the road, and I began to feel even more defeated. This whole week has been awful and my date with Henry was just another page of disappointment. I look up at the starry skies, ‘God all I want is permanent funding for my school district’s after school program, and I need a miracle to have lights and power connected correctly for the Christmas Bazaar by someone who is skilled but not greedy and Lord while you are passing out blessings, send me the man you designed just for me, before I turn into a prune…my biological clock has started sounding like Big Ben... Lord, am I asking for too much?’
We finally make it to the end of road that faces the main highway that runs through the town as I hide behind my mother while she flags for help. You had to see her waving and making hand signs for help and her little voice squeaking, “Somebody, please help us please!”
Ohhhh! I was so embarrassed! It felt like an eternity standing up there as several cars and trucks zoomed by. All I needed was somebody from the school district to spot me and I would have another set of issues on my plate. That Assistant Principal Roni Wells would love for me to fall on my behind. She would try to convince Principal Taylor that I had no moral compass and try to snatch the bazaar profits and close my program. And then suddenly this Isuzu Rodeo drives by slowly enough for me to see that the
the driver seemed puzzled. I know he was wondering why we were hanging out on this highway. I told my mama, “Look at him, he is just driving by us as if we are circus people, instead of investigating, what he needs to do is to turn around and help us, people can be so disrespectful!” And before I can speak another word, the stranger made a U-turn and pulled up and asked us, “Are you guys in trouble, do you need help?”
I was too ashamed to approach that truck, for I have always been cautiously friendly, but wait…. Suddenly I find myself trying to fix my hair, but then I realized what is the use, you are a raggedy mess because you are in your night clothes. I am normally not worried about my looks because usually I am neatly put together but of course, this morning you will have to fake until you make it in these PJ’s. My mother on the other hand has no shame and approached the truck and told this stranger about our dilemma. While she explained to him where we were stuck, I finally peeped around her to see the stranger and my mother was rambling away. “I would appreciate it if you can help my oldest daughter and I, our car is stuck in some thick mud on this road. Would this be a problem?”
He looks at my mother with such a charming smile, “Yes I would be glad to help you.”
“Oh, thank you so much!” She looks to the opposite end of his truck and notices a beige Nissan Altima approaching our location, she grabs her heart with a sigh of relief and turns toward me as she motions that my sister is near. “Oh, thank goodness it looks like my younger daughter has finally arrived and now I can get home to get ready for work, but I would really appreciate it if you can take Jo back to the car and get her out of that mud so she can finish doing her route.” My fraternal twin sister jumps out of the car, “Hey sissy, I noticed you forgot your phone on the charger….do I have to come behind you every time?” My twin sister Jocelynn and I are 8 minutes apart and like she said she followed me into this world, but she has had my back each time. “Lynn you should have brought me some clothes, mama and I are out here almost half naked!”
“As usual, ya’ll just will not do right. Who is mama talking to in the truck?”
“I have no idea, he happened to see us out here and he has offered his help. If you would have answered the phone, I wouldn’t be out here like this…”
“Oh no you didn’t miss thing, if I did answer I would not have been able to do anything, y’all was not messing up my car! You sure mama don’t know him?” “Our mama doesn’t meet strangers remember, so who knows.” “But I do see he is staring directly at you Jo…what is up with that?”
I am still trying my best to cover up my PJ’s, but his eyes never wavered from my sight. Suddenly, my mother’s voice broke the staring contest, “Jo, this young man will take you to the car and now that Lynn is here, I am going to get ready for work, ok. And baby call me when you get finished with the papers,” but she leans in to whisper, “Jo he is a nice fellow and easy on the eyes, so be nice.” “Yeah sis, after you call mama, then call me!” Wow! My mother and my twin have cheerfully abandoned me, and I have been directed to be nice to a total stranger...the irony. So, when I waved my family off, I look back over at the truck and the stranger, he was already standing at the passenger door holding it open, he spoke no words, he just directed me with one finger to get in his truck. … “Uhm is that your way of inviting me to get inside?”
“Yes ma’am.”
“Ok, but do you need me to take off my shoes?”
“No, why would you do that?”
“My tennis shoes are all muddy and I really don’t want to mess up your clean floor mats. I would really feel bad if I...”
“Uhm, can you just get in please, it is ok, you are good.” I am trying to keep my sweater closed as I step into his truck with muddy shoes. Once he re-enters in his truck we drive down toward the end of the road to the car. This quick ride felt like a lifetime and suddenly I felt nervous, but still embarrassed and all he could do was just chuckle and smile while I fidgeted in my car seat. “What are you laughing at?”
“I am sorry, I just cannot get over that you guys were standing out on the Airline Hwy with just your ‘night clothes’ on, did y’all ever consider something like this would ever happen?” I am already humiliated, and right now he is being a jerk.
“Nope, and what makes you think you know me well enough even to ask me that?”
“Well, first of all you are in my truck, and I reserve the right to ask what I want...”
“True, but I still think you are nosey, and you don’t know me like that to ask.”
“You got me there, ma’am.” He is still smiling; he would get upset if I asked him if that were his real teeth.
We finally pull up behind the Dynasty and we get out of his truck to see the mess I made; that passenger front tire was wedged deep in the mud. The stranger walked around to the front of the car and twisted his bronze lips to the side of his face, as he assessed the cars escape plan. “Alright, ma’am I need you to get in your car …” I get in as I am told.
“Now crank it up and straighten out the front wheel…”
“Huh, what?”
“Start- it- up and straighten- your -front- wheel, but I need you to listen to me very carefully….”
“Ok, I am listening.” This person happens to be a smart ellick, but today he has met his match.
“I will get behind your car and I will push you with my front truck grill. Now this part is important to pay close attention, keep -your- foot- on- the- gas and don’t stop until you get to the end of the street…” He gave his instructions carefully and intentionally. “Are we on the same page?”
I take a deep breath to hold my tongue, for I know I understand English, I teach it for God’s sake. “I got it; I am ready when you are...” I gave him a little smile with no teeth as I rolled up the car window, but my eyes followed him as he walked back to his truck through my rearview mirror. I can see his back and shoulders are chiseled and fits well under the olive-colored t-shirt and he walked with a cool swag. I can hear him starting up the truck and I prepare myself for the bump of the truck against the car. I put the car in drive and as I was told to put my foot on the gas. After two good pushes with his truck the car was out of the mud, and without stopping we headed straight for the end of the road. It felt so good to be free at last from that mud pit, I could feel a sigh of relief. Now I know I must do the right thing and fix my attitude and thank this man, for he did not have to help today. In all honesty, because of his kindness the balance of the day has turned for the better. I get out of the car with humble pie… “I genuinely want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart, you really did not have to do this, in fact my day would have been destroyed if you hadn’t stopped to see if we needed help. How much do I owe you?”
“What do you mean?”
“How much are you charging me, what’s my bill? If I called the tow truck, I would need to pay them, maybe I can get your truck washed, it is now full of mud!”
“No charge, and it’s just mud, I can take care it, but thank you”, he smiled.
“Well can I get you a cup of coffee? A cold drink? A coke? A juice?”
Shaking his head,” No, I am good.” And then out of the blue as I check out his nicely shaped physique.
“Well, since you won’t take anything, I guess you will just have to be my hero for the day...” Oh God! did that just fall out of my mouth?
He walks over to me. “What did you just say to me?”
I cleared my throat because I am never this loose lipped with people I just met. “Well, I guess you will just have to be my hero for the day…. is what I said.” I said it again, I must need sleep.
He extends his hand to me and I to him, “Well if I am your hero, let me properly introduce myself, my name is Troy and I don’t mind helping people, this is what I do.”
“Well, thank you, Troy, my name is Jolanta, but everyone calls me Jo.” He still has my hand, and he is looking directly into my eyes, but before I knew it, I break his gaze and pull my hand back “just know it was my pleasure to assist you, Jo.” Troy could sense I was a little uncomfortable, so he changed the subject. “I noticed in the back seat of your car are the newspapers, can I have one, by now you would have thrown mine in the ditch.”
“Excuse me” I walked over to my car, and I handed him a newspaper.
“Does your route run through North Belle Drive and Pierre Street?”
“As a matter of fact, yes it does, I cover the area from Bayou Teche to Industrial Road, why?”
“I live in those split-level condos on Boyer Street.”
“Boyer Street?”
“Yep, and you know which condo I am in...” Right now, I am a little confused, I just met this man today and now he has gone from being flip, to whimsical, to crazy, “I am not sure what you are talking about Troy.”
“909 Boyer Street, the red brick front with the emerald green door. You normally use my driveway to turn around, but my newspaper always ends up in the drainage ditch.”
“Wait! you live there?”
“Yes! You seem surprised...” Troy leans his back against his truck, and he seemed to be amused.
“Yes, I am surprised…. Oh, but now I remember your face, I saw you mowing the lawn while on route and it looked like you were having a time pushing that lawnmower, you looked up at me and waved as I passed, I just assumed you were the gardener.” I hunched my shoulders, but he stood straight up on his feet and crossed his arms. “The GARDENER! I am the gardener alright, that is my yard, my condo, in fact I own the entire condominium complex!”
“I am so sorry; I did not know.” We both laugh and exchanged more casual conversation about my route, I had become a little more at ease, but I looked at my watch and I realize that I needed to complete my route. “Hey, uhm I must finish my job, and my customers are buzzing my cell phone which means they are up looking for their newspapers. Again, thank you so much and I hope I can see my hero again…” Troy smiled with his eyes. Troy turns to open his truck door to put his newspaper on the passenger seat. He opens his glove compartment and reaches in for a business card.
“I know you have to go but here is my card, why don’t you give me a call later today, your hero would love to take you out for dinner.”
“Oh ok, somebody is forward, but I will think about calling you in the near future, maybe.” He reaches over to touch my left cheek, “You have a little mud on your cheek”. I back up like a crawfish toward my car.
“Look, uhm Troy, I promise I will give you a call; you have gone beyond the call of duty today and I am looking forward to having more conversation with you. So, thank you and please enjoy your newspaper…”
“Most definitely will Jolanta.” He follows me as I continued to back up to the car door and he then reaches to shake my hand again. “Ok, again I have to leave right now to do my route.” I get in my car, and he walks around to get in his truck and signals me to head out on to the highway.