Page 24 of Free to Love You
My father had nothing to say, I guess. Rachel stepped forward. “Lovina, Mother is in the hospital. You should go see her. She misses you.”
He found his voice. “No, you are not welcomed. You will not see your mother.”
Erie’s hand lifted. “I need you to take some of that bass out of your voice when you speak to her.” When my father mentioned that I was his daughter, my husband laughed. “Her being my wife will always trump her being your daughter. Like I said, I wasn’t born in your culture. I was born in the streets of Charleston, South Carolina. In Charleston, the appropriate response to your disrespect is my fist in your face.”
Welp, Dr. Carson has officially left the market.“Whoa, I didn’t come to upset you. I was in town with my husband and wanted to see you all.” My attention turned to Rachel. “Thank you for letting me know. I will pay her a visit before I leave.”
All the color on the white faces around me, except Rachel, resembled a fire truck. She wore a smile that she tried to hide with her hand and lowered head. In a much calmer voice, my father said, “Lovina, I forbid you to see your mother. You choseto leave because you were shunned instead of doing the right thing. Like I said, do not crawl back now.”
“Father, crawling back would mean that I wanted to come back. I do not. I am very happy with the life that I have created and that God has blessed. See, through my exploration, I found that there are more ways to reverence God than our way. I still choose God, just not in the manner that you do,” I asserted. “I love you all and that will never change. I left because I wanted to love myself.”
My father’s eyes softened for a split second before he found his original self. “When you left, you were shunned. You are still shunned, and now that you have left, not welcomed. Everyone, get back to work.”
Like worker bees, they got to it. Rachel lingered for a second before she moved behind the counter. Our father’s eyes stayed on her. I knew that she would call me later.
I looked down when Erie squeezed my hand. When our eyes connected, he smiled warmly. He turned toward me, then turned my body to face him. “Are you alright?” After I nodded, he tilted his head with a smirk. “Didn’t I promise you that you would be alright, Mrs. Carson?”
“You did, Mr. Carson,” I said with a small smile. “Thank you for always having my back. I’m so happy that you pursued me.”
“What you mean? I courted your fine ass just like them Amish, white boys would have. Only difference was that our courting included this dick, but now you’re my wife.” He was so serious. “Give me a kiss.”
Some time ago, I would have never considered his request. Well, I would have never received the request. This was a different chapter of my life, and I was happy with my decisions. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed his lips. I giggled against his lips when he smacked my ass. I spoke against his lips. “Don’t be disrespectful.”
He tittered against my lips. “Shit, he said you’re shunned and not welcomed. I refuse to modestly love you anywhere. He better be lucky I don’t take you in the bathroom and bend you over.”
“Yep, it’s time to go. Let’s go see my mother.” I grabbed his hand. “Come on, Erie. I’m going to tell Mama Beauvia that you were mannish in front of my father too.” I laughed when he mumbled about not caring because I was his wife.Yes, I am.
Visiting Mother . . .
We went straight to the hospital from the marketplace. I didn’t want my father to have a chance to put me on a block list. When I walked into her room, she sat in a recliner chair.
Her eyes widened. “Lovina, wh-what are you doing here? Does your father know that you’re here?”
Her speech was a little slurred and delayed. She looked tired, but I guess that was to be expected. I could tell that she was uncomfortable with me being there, which was disheartening to me.
“Hi, Mother. I saw Father not too long ago. I just wanted to come check on you.” I cuffed my arm under Erie’s arm. “This is my husband, Dr. Erygon Carson.”
A smile covered her face, but she didn’t allow it to stay long. “You got married? Wow! How are you, Dr. Carson?”
“I’m amazing, beautiful. It’s nice to meet you. Love has told me a lot about you.” His smile was genuine.
I giggled softly when my mother’s cheeks reddened. “I hope all good. Um, Lovina, I’m surprised to see you. How are you?”
Her demeanor lightened up. Her reception to me was much warmer than my father and siblings. “I’ve been great, Mother. I work at my mother-in-law’s bakery calledSweetgrass & Sugar High.The bestselling items are the cinnamon rolls that you taught me to make. I also sell my quilts, and Mama Beauvia taught me how to make sweetgrass baskets.” Erie lifted the bag that was in his hands to hand to me. “I made this for you. I hope you like it.”
She accepted the bag from me. I helped her take the basket out. “Wow, this is gorgeous, Lovina. You made this?”
With a wide smile, I nodded. “I did. Sweetgrass baskets are really big in Charleston, South Carolina. I’m also almost finished with my classes to get my G.E.D. I want to go to culinary school.”
She gazed at me for a moment. “South Carolina is where you went. I knew that you always wanted more education, so you going to school doesn’t surprise me. It sounds like you are happy there. Are you happy, Lovina?”
I peeked at my husband before I responded with a smile. “I am, Mother. I’m so happy.”
“All I ever wanted from the day we got the call from the midwife that you were left was for you to be happy. I knew since you were a teenager that you were bigger than the community,” she confessed. “I thank God that you’re happy. I’m happy that Rachel told you.”
Her statement took me aback. I made sure to not react. She could have known that it was Rachel who told me because she knew her daughter.
“We’re going to get out of here. If I know Father like I think I do, he’s closing up to get here,” I said with a knowing smirk.
