Sweet Whiskey Nights

The Almost Apology

Charlotte

Today was perfect. On the ride back I saw some turkey making their way cross the path. I never realized they were so big! Then Sam noticed a few does and some babies. It was beautiful. Today was exactly the type of day I needed. We were almost home and I could hear the crickets start to chirp and seen some fireflies in the field ahead, which always makes evenings so magical. We passed the chickens and they all made way for the horses. I finally had one up on the tiny terrors. T’Jay led us to the hitching post near the house and I could smell Mama’s cooking. He helped me down again as Sam denied his help once more. I leaned in and whispered, “I can help you tame her if you help me tame the goats.” I winked real conspiratorially at him and went to give my horse a kiss on the nose. “Thank you for the lovely day, Gina.” She huffed in my face which made me fall in love with her even more.

I turned around as I heard the door open, expecting to see my mama but instead out walks the devil himself. Marcus. Hat in hand apologizing to my mama. He stops dead in his tracks when he turns and sees us three and the horses. Eyes wide, mouth hung open, just frozen in place. “Go on now.” I hear my mama tell him. He walks off the porch and heads over to us looking all sheepish. Being cute don’t get you off the hook. I put my nose as high in the air as I could, crossed my arms and walked right past him with Sam following right behind copying me. T’Jay was laughing as I heard Marcus start to stammer. He finally got his bearings and tried to catch up to us before we got to the safety of the porch steps.

“Wait now ma’am. I’m trying to apologize. Can you come back here?”

Mama was shaking her head in frustration at him and T’Jay was enjoying this a little too much with all his laughing. I felt his hand wrap around my upper arm as I kept walking so I quickly grabbed his wrist and dug my thumb into the tendons as I twisted towards him, lifting my arm and dropping it quickly so I can break free of his grasp. Completely facing him now, I jab three of my fingers in his rib cage, landing a perfect hit right between two ribs. He grunted and grabbed his side while I smirked at him, “Between my daddy and the self defense classes I took, I wouldn’t touch me if I was you.” Still holding his side with one hand he held up the other that held his hat in surrender.

“Alright now, listen. I’m trying to be nice here and apologize to you. You don’t make it easy when you walk away or turn into the karate kid. Now woman just stop for two seconds and let me speak.”

I didn’t even have to look at my mother to know she was about to fly down those steps and whoop him like he stole something. T’Jay wasn’t laughing anymore and Sam was about to walk in front of me when I said, “I don’t know who you think you are, talking to me like that. This is a piss poor apology talking to me the same way you did last night. You don’t get two seconds of my time. You don’t deserve two seconds of my time. You want to apologize? Do it with actions cuz clearly you suck with words. And until you learn how to treat a woman stay off my property and my Mama is off limits to you. You said I was just like David but it seems to me like you’re more like him than I am. You’re both pieces of s**t. The sorriest excuses for men I’ve ever had the misfortune to meet. And I’m going to tell you another thing. If I want to climb my tree then I’m gonna climb my damn tree and if you don’t want me in it, I’d like to see you climb up there and pull me down cuz that’s the only way I’ll come out that tree. Now, take your ass over yonder back to your property and get the hell off mine. That’s your only warning.” I threw his words right back in his stunned face. Everyone was quiet as church mice as I turned and walked up the porch and inside.

“Tell Ms. Charlotte I’ll see her around and I’ll keep good care of Gina for her. And I wouldn’t mind seeing you again.” I heard T’Jay shootin’ his shot. “Not a chance in hell Cowboy.”

She came in as I was just sitting down at the kitchen table where I seen two empty glasses sitting there. One with Mama’s lipstick on it and the other with the devil’s lip prints on it. How dare she give him sweet tea as if he was deserving of it. Mama came from behind Sam and plucked the cups up and took them to the sink as Sam sat down with me. “Well that was an awesome apology.” She poked at me. “I mean if he would’ve been allowed to give one.” I shot her an icy glare, “I thought you were on my side, not Satan’s.” Mama pushed my shoulder as Sam laughed. I gave Mama the hardest side eye I could muster.

“Don’t you look at me like that. You ain’t too big to get popped. That boy ain’t all that bad. Y’all two are just both stubborn as mules and neither of you know how not to be in charge.” I wanted to roll my eyes but I didn’t want to be popped. “Mama, you can’t seriously be real right now after you just witnessed that. You saw him. He’s crawled out of the deepest depths of hell just to aggravate my soul.” I turned to look at Sam, “At least the nice one likes you. Must be nice to find romance on your vacation.” She looked like I just threw water on her and held up her hands. “Charlie what are you smoking on? There’s no way I’m giving that country reject the time of day. He obviously did something bad if Marcus had to ‘drag’ him back here. I need a man with better breeding than that.” She ended that sentence mockingly as she flipped her hair over her shoulder with her nose held high. I threw a piece of the napkin I’d been destroying at her. Mama was clicking her tongue at us but we couldn’t help but to laugh at it all.

“You two need to shower up. Y’all smell like horse’s ass. And wash your hair really good, the both of you. I’m going to do your hair in the morning and I need it cleaned. Sam I think you’d look so pretty with a French braid. And baby I’m gonna put some braids in your hair as well so you might wanna deep condition yours. I’ll have dinner done by the time you two are all cleaned and in your pjs.”

I decided to take one first as Sam wanted to learn a little bit of Southern cookin’ from Mama. Said that way she could take a piece of here home with her. That melted my heart to know she loved being here with my mom just as much as I do. Which means, now more than ever, I gotta save my mama’s land from foreclosure. I used my time in the shower to think of that problem and hopefully soon I can find a solution. Until then I put on a concert while I brainstormed and washed my hair.