“It’s… it’s magnificent.”
There’s a dining room off to the side with enough formal tables to seat hundreds of girls at the same time. Sarah takes me by the hand. “Let me show you around.”
First, we walk through the dining room, straight back to what’s known as the study lounge. Today it looks like anything but. Hundreds of baskets and floral arrangements are taking up every centimeter of space. Sarah tiptoes through a sea of blue and clear cellophane until she finds a medium-size basket tied at the top with a bow. “Looks like this one’s for you.” She steps back carefully and hands it to me.
“This is crazy. I never expected this.” After untying the bow, I dig in right away, finding all kinds of Alpha Delt novelties: a beach towel, a coffee mug, a sweatband, a picture frame, even an adorable stuffed orca. “Who would send this to me?”
“Read the card,” Sarah says.
I place the basket down and open the small envelope.
TODARLINGCALI
WITHLOVE, WILDA& HAYNESWOODCOCK
With a hand over my heart, I try to take this all in. “It’s from Ellie’s parents. I can’t believe how nice they are.” While I’m rifling through the basketshe hands me two more. One from a few Alpha Delts I don’t even know and the other from her. Both are jammed with more Alpha Delt trinkets, T-shirts, and game-day buttons. I can see them inside the cellophane.
“Tell you what. Save these for later,” Sarah says. “Everyone just takes their baskets home when they leave. Besides, you have one more surprise.”
She guides me down the hall, back to the foyer, and leads me to what she calls the Receiving Room. The first thing I notice is a black baby grand piano, which I can’t wait to get my hands on. Then I notice a tall grandfather clock behind it. The room has elegant furniture with floral draperies, fine artwork on the walls, and a lovely oriental rug. In the corner are two formal chairs… I gasp. Mamaw and Papaw are seated in those chairs and Mamaw is holding a vase of long-stemmed white roses. Just the sight of them brings mist to my eyes and I stretch my arms their way. “Who told y’all?”
They both stand and we hold on to one another. I do not want to let them go.
“This lady right here,” Papaw says, moving over to Sarah. He nudges her playfully into his side.
When I look at her, she’s grinning. I give her a playful push. “You keep a good secret, Sarah Mason.”
Mamaw hands me the roses. “We’re very proud of you, Cali.”
“How long have y’all been here?”
“Let’s see now.” Papaw props his chin on two fingers. “We got to town around nine this morning. Had breakfast, then took our time walking over. We’ve been here a couple-three hours, I believe.”
“And we spent a good deal of the time talking with the nicest lady.” Mamaw glances over her shoulder. “She was here a few minutes ago. Pearl. Pearl Johnson. She’s the housekeeper here.”
“Oh my gosh. Miss Pearl’s our everything,” Sarah says. “Don’t you love her?”
“We certainly do,” Mamaw says. “She’s worried about her aunt, though. Apparently she’s sick today.”
“Miss Ophelia’s sick?” Sarah looks genuinely concerned.
Papaw nods. “Pearl told us she had some kind of stomach issue. She seemed mighty upset about it. But I could tell she was happy for the distraction.” He pats me on the back. “She’s looking forward to meeting you, Cali baby.”
Annie Laurie’s mom peeks inside the room. I wave at her and smile. There’sno doubt she sees me, but she plays like she doesn’t and never waves back. She’s still within earshot when Papaw calls to her. “Excuse me, ma’am.Ma’am.”
Mrs. Whitmore stops, turns around slowly.
He stretches an arm across my back, squeezes my shoulder. “See? We were right. Our Cali is an Alpha Delta Beta.”
At first it seems Mrs. Whitmore doesn’t want to acknowledge my grandfather. A long, awkward second stretches into five until at last, she puts a hand over her mouth. “I must have made a mistake.” She squints one eye, then shoots me a hard smile. “Welcome to Alpha Delt, California. You are a very lucky girl.”
FORTY-SIX
MISS PEARL
Around one o’clock I heard the screams. I looked out the front window and there they were—the new crop of Alpha Delts—running down Sorority Row like bears after honey, crying and laughing at the same time. In a matter of minutes every inch of the lawn was covered with hundreds of people and all things Alpha Delt. Between the costumes and the balloons, the painted faces and snowcones, it looked like a carnival.
Normally I like to go outside, join in on the festivities, but today my mind is stuck on Aunt Fee. One minute I’m worried sick, the next I’m so mad at her I can’t see straight. It’s one thing to be stubborn, but it’s something altogether different to be dumb. And that’s what I’m calling her this morning. Plain dumb.
