Page 18 of A Rose of Steel
“I’m sure it is.” She gave them a slight smile. “Boone you’ve known Bumper since grade school, haven’t you?”
“Yes ma’am. Kindergarten.”
“Bumper and I’ve been friends since seventh grade,” LaJay said. “And we were just as close.”
“I remember,” Auntie Zanne said and nodded. She paused momentarily before she spoke again. “Boys, this is my niece, Romaine Wilder.” She pointed to me.
“Hello,” I said.
“That’s Boone Alouette and LaJay Reid,” Auntie said, pointing to each one of them as she said their names.
“I remember you,” LaJay said. “You’re a doctor, right?”
“Yes, I am,” I said. “And I remember the both of you. Boone, you were such a help to Mrs. Hackett today.” I gave him a small smile. “My condolences to you both.”
“Thanks,” Boone said.
“Thank you,” LaJay repeated the sentiment. Getting up, he stepped around the coffee table and came over and took the bag out of my hand. “I’ll put this in the back for you.” I guess he thought it was food. The niece had disappeared through the back of the house. They’d figure it out once they peeked inside.
“The boys all played football together for Roble High,” Auntie Zanne said, turning to me. “All through high school. They were the stars during their JV and varsity years. And then they all went to Division I colleges. The Roble Belles were really proud of them.” She glanced at Boone and smiled. “Still are.”
“We couldn’t have done it without you guys,” LaJay said, coming back into the room.
“I was just going to say that,” Boone said and smiled. “They were the best booster club even though none of them were our parents.”
“We always think of you boys as our own,” Auntie Zanne said. “That’s why I wanted to have the wedding at my place.”
“I just wish that it had of turned out better,” Boone said.
“Yeah, man, me too,” LaJay murmured.
“We’re going to go and say hi,” Auntie Zanne said and pointed toward the dining room. “Give our condolences.”
We rounded the corner into the dining room and found Mrs. Hackett sitting at the head of a long, plastic cloth-covered table. She looked like she had earlier sitting in that folding chair–helpless. Hapless.
There were people in chairs and leaning up against the walls filling the small room to capacity. Auntie zig-zagged and “excused” herself over to Mrs. Hackett. When she got to her she bent over and hugged the grieving mother, then holding on tightly, she spoke, her face nearly touching hers. “We came by to see about you, Delores,” Auntie Zanne said.
“Babet,” she mumbled, tears streaming down her face.
Two men, who’d been sitting at the table got up and gave us their seats. They went into the kitchen where the niece had disappeared and had yet to return.
“Hello, Mrs. Hackett,” I said.
“We wanted to see what we can do for you,” Auntie Zanne said. She touched her cheek to Bumper’s mother’s before she stood up and rubbed Mrs. Hackett’s back.
“There isn’t anything you can do, Babet,” she said, her eyes lowered. “Or you.” Her eyes only flickered my way. “Nothing no one can do now. I tried. Lord knows I tried to keep him safe and I couldn’t.” I saw a tear roll down her cheek.
“Keep him safe?” I said. She made it seem as if someone was after him.
“She’s talking about those inhalers,” the niece said coming back into the room. She must have noticed the confusion in my voice. “She keeps talking about them.” She squinted her eyes at us and barely shook her head, as if it wasn’t a good subject to talk with her about. “Your lasagna looks good,” Gaylon said, a polite smile on her face, I could tell she wanted to change the subject.
“It’s baked spaghetti,” I said.
“Really?” she said. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard of that.”
“I don’t understand why they didn’t work,” Mrs. Hackett said, her eyes focused on a spot on the wall. She hadn’t taken the detour off her topic with us. “I made sure everyone had one in case he needed it. Everyone was prepared to help. I think maybe they might’ve been too old.”
“Too old?” I asked, the niece giving me a look of disapproval.
