Page 188 of The Sun Sister
I was so shocked, I didn’t really listen to what she was saying, just stared at her open-mouthed.
I went to the hallway to shout for Lizzie and Miles to come see my grandmother on TV, but the door to the living room remained closed. By the time I got back to the kitchen, the interview had finished.
‘Damn it,’ I muttered, then, needing a distraction until the two of them finished talking, I went to my bedroom to begin to try on the clothes I’d pulled out from the rack earlier. Still, my mind refused to switch off from the person who was Stella Jackson, aka ‘Granny’.
‘Miss Uber Civil Rights activist, who still managed to lose herowngranddaughter to Hale House somewhere along the way,’ I growled as I squeezed myself into a pair of tight black leather trousers that made me feel like a predatory panther and suited my mood perfectly. ‘Bet the interviewer would have liked to hearthatstory!’
‘Electra! We’re finished! You can come in now,’ I heard Lizzie say from the hallway.
‘Coming,’ I called back.
‘You look amazing,’ Lizzie said as she ushered me through into the living room. ‘You going out somewhere?’
‘No, just trying on the stuff I got sent today and working out what suits.’
‘Well, those leather trousers are like a second skin on you. Aren’t they, Miles?’
I turned to see Miles’s expression, and it was fair to say that it was an extremely satisfying one. Very satisfying indeed. Which cheered me up a lot.
He saw us both staring at him, and averted his eyes.
‘Yeah, you look great, Electra.’
‘Thanks. And you’ll never guess who I just saw on CNN – my grandmother! I had no idea she was famous.’
Miles and Lizzie looked at me nonplussed.
‘Who is your grandmother?’ he asked.
‘Her name is Stella Jackson.’
‘That definitely rings a bell,’ said Lizzie.
‘Hold it right there! You’re sayingtheStella Jackson is your grandma?’ said Miles.
‘Um, yup, that’s her name. Do you know of her?’
‘Hah!’ Miles slapped his well-muscled thigh. ‘In the civil rights world, Stella Jackson is an A-lister goddess! At Harvard, they speak her name in hallowed tones. She was right there when Malcolm X was shot in the Audubon Ballroom, and at the rally in Washington when Martin Luther King Junior made his “I have a dream” speech. She came to talk to us law students at Harvard and I freely admit I sat there in tears. She’s your grandmother?’ he asked again. ‘I thought you had no blood relations, Electra?’
‘I kinda found her recently,’ I said, feeling guilty I hadn’t mentioned it to him.
‘Well, I’ll be damned!’ Miles swore, so I knew this was BIG. ‘Wow wow wow! And you had no idea who she was?’
‘Nope, she never said,’ I replied, seeing what amounted to hero-worship in Miles’s eyes.
‘It’s rumoured that if Obama wins the presidency, she’ll have some form of role as an advisor. Those are some genes you’ve inherited there, girl. And actually, now I look at you, you’re the living image of her, especially with your new haircut,’ he added.
‘Well, it’s nice to know your grandmother is a powerful woman, isn’t it?’ said Lizzie, somehow sensing my tension. ‘I’m off to powder my nose after that very long and stressful conversation,’ she added, exiting stage left to the bathroom.
‘Was it a good chat with Lizzie?’ I asked him, determinedly changing the subject as I tried to sit down in my tight pants.
‘Yes and no,’ Miles shrugged. ‘I did my best, but she’s going to need a California guy to represent her. Divorce law’s very different over there, but I’ve given her the name of a good lawyer I know. Sounds to me as if that husband of hers will screw her to the wall if he can. The good news is, the law is on her side. And there’s nothing he can do about that, apart from draw the process out. Lizzie needs some cash – and a home – fast. It’s great of you to take her in, Electra. You’re a good person,’ he added. ‘Mind you, knowing your heritage, I’m not surprised. I’m still in shock.’
‘Well, when I see Stella, I just might ask her how I ended up in Hale House.’ I eyed him for a few seconds and I knew he’d got the inference. ‘Anyway, how’s Vanessa?’
‘Doing real well; Ida says she should be ready for a visit by the weekend. Right, I’d better be heading home. Work is crazy at the moment. If you see your grandmother, tell her I’m a fan. I’ll call you about Vanessa when I hear. Night, Electra.’
‘Night, Miles, and thanks,’ called Lizzie, appearing in the hallway as he closed the door behind him.
