Page 58 of Burned

“And those were peaceful years. I know she’s my sister, but I couldn’t stand that heffa.”

“Joyce,” Clinton scolded.

“Well, you couldn’t either. You always called her—”

“That’s not important now. Anyway, why don’t you get back to the story?”

Joyce shot her brother a glare before continuing. “Our Daddy got sick just around the time Jackie left and Sadie helped Mama take care of him. He had lung cancer. Smoked four packs a day God rest his soul. When Daddy was getting treatments, Sadie met this fine young intern at the hospital. Those two fell in love right away. He was intelligent, Morehouse and Princeton educated, polite. Mama approved. He and Sadie were going to be married. Then Jackie came home with her tail between her legs. Said that trifling no good for nothing boy she’d run off with broke things off with her. Mama forgave her and took her back in. But it wasn’t long before Jackie reverted to her old ways. But this time she set her sights on Gregory, Sadie’s fiancé.”

“Gregory?” Lily spoke up. “Our father, Gregory?”

Joyce nodded. “Yes. The same one. I don’t know whether she went after him because she was really into him or just because he belonged to Sadie but she pursued him relentlessly. To Gregory’s credit, he didn’t seem to reciprocate or so we thought. Jackie somehow ended up pregnant. We thought it was that boy’s she’d run off with, but after doing the math we realized it had to be someone she’d met when she returned although she refused to say who. Mama would have kicked her out, but Lord forgive me, I convinced her to let Jackie stay for the baby’s sake. Mama never said a word to Jackie after that. Mama threw all her energy into planning Sadie’s wedding. It was going to be a grand event. The night before Sadie and Gregory’s wedding, with all our families there, Jackie stood up in front of everyone just as smug as she pleased and announced she was carrying Gregory’s baby. The look on his face….I knew something must have happened between them, but he didn’t deny it. He claimed it was one drunken indiscretion. I don’t know about all that but the light died from Sadie’s eyes that day. She was always one to forgive, but that destroyed her. She was never the same after that.”

Tears ran down Sadie’s face at the parallels of her mother’s life and her own. She knew what it was like to be let down in such a devastating way. “Oh, no. How could he do that to her?”

“I know you probably won’t believe it, but I really do believe Gregory loved Sadie. I know he did. I was there that night,” Clinton sighed. “I blame myself for what happened.”

“It wasn’t your fault, Clint. We’ve been over this already.”

Clinton shook his head. “If I’d just driven those ten extra miles to his apartment, none of this would have happened. He invited me to hang out with him and his friends. Most of us were pretty drunk and I was the only one in any shape to drive home that night. But I was tired, so I convinced him to stay at the house. When we came stumbling in the house, Jackie was up. She saw that I’d sent him to the guestroom. When I went to check on him the next morning, she was in his bed buck naked and he was passed out. I could smell the sex in the room. I kept that secret because I didn’t want to hurt Sadie. And she ended up getting hurt anyway.”

“So Jackie basically took advantage of a drunken man? I wouldn’t be surprised if he thought it was Sadie.” Lily shook her head in apparent disgust.

Joyce nodded. “That’s what we think too. But Gregory, well he was agentleman. He and Jackie were married at the Justice of the peace a few weeks later. It was the last we saw of Jackie, other than birth announcements, which I think she only did for Sadie’s benefit. Mama passed not too long afterward. It broke her heart, it did.”

“So how do I fit into the picture?”

Joyce scrunched up her face in deep concentration. “I’m a little cloudy on this part, but I believe your mother and Gregory were having problems from the beginning, but every time he tried to leave she’d get pregnant, that’s according to what Sadie told me. I think a year or so after the twins were born, he left her again. He met up with Sadie. Gregory was going to divorce your mother and go to Sadie. He never stopped loving her. And she never stopped loving him.”

“I remember,” Lily whispered. “Daddy was gone for a long time and Jackie was even more unbearable to be around. It was pretty bad. He’d come home to visit us, but then he’d leave again. So what happened next? Because Daddy came back and then there was a baby.”

“Sadie got pregnant. Jackie wouldn’t give him a divorce and then Sadie got sick. She had a very aggressive form of breast cancer, but in order to treat it, she would have needed to go through extensive chemotherapy and radiation. She refused. She wanted the baby. She knew carrying the child would be a death sentence, but she didn’t care. Gregory was beside himself. He tried to convince her to abort the baby, but she wouldn’t hear of it. When you were born, she was so sick, she couldn’t even push you out, Chrysanthemum. But the second she heard you cry and knew that you were healthy, she was so happy. She held you in her arms and kissed you on your little forehead. And then she closed her eyes and never opened them again.”

“Gregory was pretty torn up, but he was adamant that he’d raise his daughter. He took you with him and that was the last time we saw him. He did write us to say that he went back to Jackie and she’d raise you as her own and he didn’t want to be away from his other children. You two know the rest, he died in that car accident a few years later. Please tell me that Jackie was at least a good mother. Did we do the right thing by staying away as Jackie requested? No. Don’t answer that. The mere fact that you call her Jackie now, says it all. I’m so sorry.” Joyce broke down again.

Sadie’s heart broke for the mother she never knew. “Don’t blame yourself. Jackie probably would have found a way to keep you from us anyway. But our childhood wasn’t all bad. We had each other. We’re all still really close. Me, Lily, Daisy and Rose. We loved Thorn while he was with us.”

“I was sorry to hear about his passing.”

Sadie gave her aunt a tight-lipped smile. “He had a lot of health problems. He’s in a place where there’s no more pain.”

“I’m glad.” Joyce sniffed.

“I’m pretty sure you’re wondering about the money,” Clinton interjected.

Sadie nodded. “It did cross my mind.”

“The money was the settlement from the hospital. It turns out Sadie’s cancer could have been treated before you were born, but the doctor she visited didn’t do the proper tests. They settled the money on us before we sued. We thought the money should go to Sadie’s daughter. We’d set up a little fund for Thorn as well in case he wanted to be independent of Jackie eventually, but once he died, we put it towards your annuity.”

“Thank you, Uncle Clinton.”

“Don’t thank us. Your mother would have wanted this for you.”

“It will certainly be a big help for my baby.” Sadie touched her stomach.

“Oh, you’re having a baby! That’s wonderful news. So are you married? Dating someone?”

Sadie bit her bottom lip. “Unfortunately, I’m not with my child’s father anymore, but I have an awesome support group in my sisters. I already have the baby stuff thanks to them, except the crib.”

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