Chapter Four
After Jamie had madehis way through the dining room, shaking hands, personally thanking people for coming, and listening to personal stories about his grandparents, he finally got to ask Flo to bring Mr.Brown back to the kitchen so he could find out about his grandparents’ Last Will and Testament.He needed to get rid of his mother once and for all.
“Well now, Jamie,” Glenn Brown said, his hands in his pockets as he rocked back and forth on his heels.“We need to set up a time and place to discuss the wishes of your grandmother.”He pushed his glasses up his nose.“I assume you’d like to take care of that as soon as possible?”
Jamie saw his mother making a beeline towards them.“Yes, Mr.Brown, at your very earliest convenience, please.”
“What is going on here, if I may be so bold as to ask?”Marlene stepped up, taking a spot close to Jamie’s side.Jamie couldn’t help but notice that it had gotten quiet in the kitchen suddenly, unusually so, as well as in the dining room.
“I was just informed by Mr.Brown here,” Jamie indicated Glenn who was standing in front of him...them, “That there is a will and I wanted to know when would be a good time to go over it.I’ve asked him to make it as quickly as possible, if that is alright with you...mother.”
If Jamie didn’t like her before, now he just hated her.How could a woman be so callous towards her own parents and her own child.He never understood the woman who had given birth to him, dumped him, and wouldn’t tell him who his father was.He did have to smile, because he knew who his father was, but that tidbit of information hadn’t come from his mother, and he was positive she had no idea that he knew.
Mr.Brown looked at Marlene, his face blank, and then to Jamie.“I happen to have the papers with me.”He patted his suit jacket where the inside pocket would be.
“Works for me,” Jamie said smiling.If he knew his grandparents, and he liked to think he did, he was certain that Mr.Brown had been warned about Jamie’s mother.“Why don’t we step into the office.”
The office was smaller than most coat closets.The only time it was used was to count any cash that had been collected during the day before it was taken to the safe upstairs, where all the real bookkeeping was done.The room only had a small desk and two metal folding chairs.
Jamie opened the door and waited for Marlene and Mr.Brown to enter before squeezing through, closing it behind him.Marlene had taken the first folding chair next to the desk while Mr.Brown took the same kind of chair in front of the miniscule desk.
“Let me start off by saying my condolences to you both.I know what a loss it must be in losing a parent and grandparent.”He reached inside his jacket and pulled out two bundles of papers, the outer pages blue.Mr.Brown laid one packet on the desk and unfolded the first.
“This is the Last Will and Testament of your father, Mrs.Meadows—”
Marlene said haughtily, lifting her chin, “My name is no longer Mrs.Meadows.It is Mrs.Sloane.Mrs.Barton Sloane.”
“Since when?”Jamie asked, not at all surprised.
“It has been for some time now.”Marlene said, patting her hair.
Jamie laughed.“It wasn’t two years ago.My, my, you do get around, don’t youMother?”
“Never mind that now.”Marlene looked intently at Glenn Brown.“As you were saying, Mr.Brown?”
The attorney cleared his throat.“The Will of Mr.Solan Puckett left everything to Mattie Mae Puckett, if she were living.There was a life insurance policy that was paid out and Mr.Jackson of Planters Credit Union oversaw that.Any questions regarding the life insurance should be directed to him.That takes care of Mr.Puckett’s business with the law firm.It was me that updated this Last Will and Testament nineteen months ago.”
Jamie nodded that he understood.Marlene however held her hand out for the document; she likely wanted to read it for herself.Mr.Brown handed it over without question.
“Now, for Mrs.Mattie Mae Puckett, she updated her Last Will and Testament around nine weeks ago.”The attorney pushed his glasses further up his nose before unfolding the pages.“This document is quite detailed and contains her last wishes.The funeral arrangements had already been given and followed through by Martin’s Funeral Home and paid for.There was no question that it is, or was, precisely what she wanted.”
“Ah,” Jamie said nodding.“That makes more sense now.”
Marlene looked at Jamie over her shoulder.“What does that mean?”
