“Rosetta?”
“No. The Alpha Delt maid,” she says.
“Pearl?”
“Yes, Pearl. Anyway,shewas filling in for Carla last weekend.”
“Aw. She’s so sweet. I met her when I was there for the Rush meeting.”
“Sweet, yes, I’ll give her that. But a House Director she is not. When she told me she was Carla’s fill-in I nearly died. We’re the finest sorority on campus. What is this world coming to?”
Oh my God. Did she honestly say that? “You know we have an African American active member now. Right?”
“Don’t remind me.”
I’m hideously uncomfortable. All I want to do is hang up the phone, but there’s still so much to talk about. I’m beginning to wonder why in the world I took the advisor position and, more importantly, why I ever encouraged our daughter to be a part of this.
I pause. A little too long.
“Wilda?”
“I’m here.”
“I thought I lost you.”
“No, I’m still here.” I breathe deeply. It’s now or never. “Lilith. The funniest thing happened on the way to the stadium. Right after we left your tent.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah. I ran into Lizzie Jennings. The Rush Chairman for Alpha Delt?”
“I know Lizzie. Very well, in fact. She’s doing a great job.”
“I think so, too. I was very impressed with her at that Rush meeting I attended, and how she kept it moving forward. Things sure seem to run more smoothly than when we were in school. Don’t you think?”
“I’m not so sure about that. But I suppose they run a fairly tight ship. Now, as you were saying?”
“Well, funniest thing. It seems there’s been a mistake.” I’m balled up in the corner of the couch with my thumb in my mouth.
“What kind of mistake?” she asks in a cool tone.
“This is not coming from me—as you know I don’t know all that much about Alpha Delt.”
“Wilda.I can tell something’s wrong. Please tell me what it is.”
“Lizzie asked me to tell you…”
“Tell me what?”
“The House Corp President is not supposed to be handling anything that has to do with Rush.”
My voice is practically shaking. And it only makes things worse when a deafening silence on her end follows—dead, dead air.
Now I’m terrified. “I told her I was sure you didn’t know and you were only—”
“You’re exactly right. I had no idea,” she says in a surprisingly calm, kind voice. Relief is oozing from my adrenal glands when she adds, “I’m glad you told me. I’m going to hang up right now and call Lizzie. I need to thank her for telling you, reassure her all is well, and let her know she has nothing to worry about.”
To think all the gray hairs I added to my worrywart head in the last thirty-six hours was all for naught. “You’re not upset?”
