Standing in front of what appeared to be a tin wash bucket was a young girl that looked to be no older than thirteen. Her mouth dropped open and she immediately ran to Kaye and embraced her, totally ignoring the fact that Kaye was covered with mud and slop. Kaye kissed her and would step back and engulf the young woman again with a shower of kisses on her forehead and face. You could tell watching the exchange that they had some catching up to do. There were a lot of talking-like-yelps, crying and laughing as if there was just too much to say and not a language with which to say it. Violet just took the time to gather herself, as soon as there was a descent pause in all the excitement she interrupted ever so gently, “Kaye, I really need to clean-up and get going.”
“Oh my gosh, I sure am rude, dis’ here is my daughta, she big, ain’t seen ‘er in leas a decade. Baby dis is…” Kaye paused and thought about all that had transpired between the two of them and decided to keep it low-key. “Ms. V to you.” Violet smiled at the discretion Kaye exercised, even though she was not certain of her true identity at this point. There were so many layers to who she really was. So much that she had to reinvent and recreate. “We’s a mess gurl, who here whicha?” Kaye said holding on to her daughter’s face.
Interesting enough Kaye’s daughter was very pretty, but simple. She had on a very loose dress that was a grayish blue hue, like it had been washed too much. The sleeves covered her shoulders and hung down halfway above her elbow. It really looked like a bed gown from Little House on the Prairie. Nowhere did it fit her tight and it stopped just above her knee. She was barefoot and her feet looked as though they were dusty with dried up mud stains from the murky waters. Her hair was pulled back and bunched-up in an uncombed bun. It looked like a good shampoo and conditioner was long overdue. From somewhere in the house a baby started crying, the young woman snapped out of her trance and ran to see about the whaling. Kaye realized what could be happening here and at first a smile and then a solemn look came over her face as she inquired “who baby is dat?”
“Mine Ma, he 8 months old. Dis here is Jacob Elisiah. He named part after his Dad and part afta Pa.”
“You only 16 gurl, why you go and get a baby? I sure wanted you to get out of here, seein’ how you can sing and all. Specially with that head on your shouldas.” Kaye paused and began taking the baby from the girl, “but I’m here now. Can’t believe Ima a MiMa. Dis here is by firs granchile V. He sure is a pretty boy.” Turning toward her daughter she continued, “I’m not goin’ nowhere dis time, willin’ or not. Don’t you worry. Ma’s here to stay and help.” Kaye put one arm around her daughter while holding the baby in the other. “There’s much to say, but not right na. We can start fresh, but one thing fo sure, I didn’t plan to not be wit ya. I didn’t go away on my own will. However, nothin’ will eva happen now, I’m home and things different na.” Looking over at Violet, Kaye refocused “get Ms. V sometin’ ta put on and draw ‘er a bath.”
Violet chimed in, “Kaye, after I clean up I need to make my way to town and use a phone. You’ve been away too long so I don’t want to make a scene going into town with you. I can go by myself; it’s not even high noon yet. If I reach who I intend, I don’t expect to make it back this way. I will send word that I am fine, but you know me, I am a big girl.” Violet was ready to get out of her wet, sticky clothes; she didn’t care if she was given a sackcloth to wear.
Kaye was back in step as though she hadn’t been away for what Violet gathered was over a decade. “I understand. We gon make certain you eat and have energy. I think ya need ta rest tho, but that’s jus me.” Turning to her daughter, Kaye had another set of instructions “Sarafeen, I got dis’ here pretty baby; he’ll be sleep again in no time foolin’ with me. Start dem pots up, I’ll be right in der.” Violet could tell that Kaye was back in her comfort zone and didn’t want to push against her request to stay for a meal. Kaye was noticeably resilient and fit right back in as though she hadn’t missed a beat. Violet followed Sarafina, who Kaye called Sarafeen, back to the bathroom. She also realized Kaye’s daughter was older than she looked.
Violet noticed that the house was surprisingly neat despite the tattered outside of the shanty home and the looks of Sarafina’s clothing. It still seemed as though Violet had stepped back in time, but it was a welcomed change to the torture chambers that had just been her prison. As they entered the washroom there was some sort of makeshift version of running water and plumbing that appeared to be more like a supped up water pump, dumping into an old free standing tub. It looked as if somewhere there was a pilot boiling the water to make it hot. Violet thanked her young host, closing and locking the door after she exited.
Violet disrobed, peeling the sticky clothes off like a layer of dead skin; she found the oversized waste basket and happily dropped them in. She examined her breast and upper body in the stained mirror above the sink. She could see the wear-and-tear of the last week and the weight she had lost. Running her hand through her now stringy hair and pulling it back she just exhaled. Although she would have preferred a hot shower, this bath in even a strange place would wash away some of the dirt inside and out.
Inching her way into the water, the steam rose up between her thighs sending beads of sweat down her legs. The water had a clean scent and her tense muscles began to weaken as the water opened up and closed in around her body. She took the hand towel emerged it in the water, rung it out and just laid it over her eyes. Wow, when was the last time I meditated, she quizzed herself. She was so wound up her mind was racing. She began her breathing exercise and honed in on the sounds of her own heart. It was amazingly calm; beating, beating, beating. Her breathing became more steady and she actually let her self slide down into the water. Her mind began to loosen; she could feel her brain actually release like a muscle and her face softened. She pictured Toby’s smile, but she could hear Nahmie’s voice. It was as though her conscience was Nahmie. “Lillian focus, focus on where you want to be right this moment. Take yourself exactly to that place, see every detail. See the walls, see the floor, smell the air, feel the environment, taste it.” Yep, Nahmie would say when you got real in tune with your senses you could taste a place. Like now, the bayou was salty, sticky and very thick. “See yourself in the room Lillian, see what you are doing in that room, tell Nahmie what you are doing.”
Violet began to sink down into the tub, it was as though she was slipping into a comatose state. Her lips were submerged under water and the wet was inching up to the tip of her nose, soon her entire head would be under. She began to feel a dropping sensation in her entire body, like an immense gravitational pull. Almost as if the tub drain was sucking her under, she began coughing and gasping as she sucked in a lung of bath water. She reached for the sides of the tub to pull her up, but her grasp was weak compared to the force.
She pulled up one last time letting out a raspy yelp before becoming completely unconscious. “Get me some towels, lift her out quick, be careful not to hurt her!” Violet was sure she was in a twilight state of unconscious awareness. She smelled lavender all around her. "Put her own her side," the voice demanded as firm hands guided her body into safety. “Wake up child, wake up. You did it baby, you did it.” She heard the voice clearer this time “pass me the hot tea Toby quick.” Violet was very weak, she felt like fever and flu all over, she was chilled to the bone but hot at the same time. “She opened her eyes slowly, but it felt like 10 tons had fallen on her. Was she hallucinating? As though her mind was being read, Nahmie wiped Violet's forehead and turned her face to really make her focus. “Baby you’re here, you did it. I haven’t seen you do that in a long time. I thought you had lost the gift, but deep down I knew you had it in you; I gave you my strength and wouldn’t let go of the fact that I knew you were alive. We both knew, didn’t we Toby?” Nahmie was half laughing and half crying looking over at Toby. “Ha, can you believe this? You’re in Oxford baby, you did it. No, no don’t move too fast you took a lot out of yourself. You’ll need to rest.” That was the last thing Violet heard as everything faded back to black around her.
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