They’d talked only a dozen or so times on the phone. But they wrote to one another at least once a week. The letters were way easier. She had a post office box her parents didn’t know about, and the sisters’ letters came back and forth with regularity.
Belinda had learned all about the house in Toledo, her two nieces, and even had a few pretty pictures of the girls. In turn, Belinda sent money, clothes, and letters to keep their connection strong, despite what their parents intended.
When the opportunity of a month of unscrutinized time presented itself, Belinda took advantage of it.
It was a quick flight from Tampa to Toledo Express Airport on Air Florida. When she exited the small airport, her sister was there!
“Joetta!”
The two ran to each other. Two little girls trailed Joetta.
“Oh! Ali looks just like you! Hello, Ali! I’m your aunt!!”
“Hello.”
Ali looked Belinda in the eye and nodded. She was so polite, it was hard to imagine the child was only eight. She was little but seemed to regard Belinda with a bit of skepticism. Smart, seeing as she was technically a stranger. Ali was the big sister; she wasused to protecting her little sister.This one is my kindred spirit, Belinda thought.
“And you must be Faye.”
Faye pushed her arm straight out to Belinda. In her little fingers were a cluster of yellow flowers. A moist paper towel was wrapped around the stems. “Here, I grew these all by myself. Black-Eyed Susans.”
“I love these, Faye! You have a green thumb!”
“Come on, Mommy,” Ali piped up. “The sign said ten-minute loading and unloading.”
“Ali keeps us on track, all of us.”
The comment worried Belinda.Why would a child have to keep the mom on track?It was a window into the life that Joetta was living.
Joetta’s husband, Bruce Kelly, was the same stoic figure Belinda remembered. They greeted one another politely enough, though Belinda still didn’t see the appeal. He was still every inch muscle and aloof detachment but now, he also had a few wrinkles around the eyes. There was a look of skepticism toward her that Ali had mimicked, clearly.
“Don’t forget Wednesday is garbage day, and the cans have to be out before 7 am. That means the night before if you’re unable to get up,” Bruce instructed his wife.
Unable to get up?Belinda looked at Joetta.
“I get migraines,” Joetta offered by way of explanation.
Ali stepped in and addressed her father. “Don’t worry, Daddy. I’ll be sure the cans get brung out.”
“Brought out,” he corrected her.
And Belinda thought again that her little niece was taking a role too old for her years. Taking the garbage out because Joetta might not be able to? That was just odd.
“She is everyone’s helper,” Joetta said and ran her hand over Ali’s shiny spun gold hair.
“Auntie, come see my garden!” Faye grabbed her hand, and Belinda was led from the kitchen of the bungalow to the backyard. This was a relief; there was tension between her sister and her brother-in-law, and Belinda didn’t want to be in the middle of it. All this time, Belinda had consoled herself that though she’d lost Joetta in their family, her sister was in a loving marriage and had created a happily ever after. But this didn’t feel like a happily ever after.
She was grateful this visit coordinated with Bruce’s yearly fishing trip with “the boys.”
Belinda didn’t know who “the boys” were and didn’t care. What she cared about was time with Joetta and her babies. The tension she’d sensed would be gone as soon as he was.
And sure enough, as soon as Bruce left, the mood was better. Joetta was lighter, too. They had four whole days to just be together! They were going to shop and go to the pool and maybe seeThe Secret of NIMHat the movie theater.
One day, as the sisters “garage saled” in Joetta’s neighborhood, several neighbors commented on how Joetta had a “good eye.” Belinda was proud of her. Of course she had style! Even on Bruce’s tight leash, Joetta had cute clothes and had decorated their little home with charming touches.
Yet Belinda observed that the formerly bold Joetta demurred at the compliments and deflected them.
“I just know how to sift through the junk,” Joetta explained as the sisters walked arm in arm along Cheltenham, a street a few blocks from where Joetta lived. The neighborhood was called Old Orchard. The trees were tall and leafy green, so different than their Florida home.
