All I keep thinking about is why she hasn’t told me what’s going on with her. I would have made sure she had seen a good doctor a long time ago—health insurance or not. Lots of our girls have doctors for parents. Surely one of them would have been happy to see her. I’d have carried her anywhere in the state she wanted to go.
My other concern—my conversation with Miss Lilith—well, that has had to take a back seat.
On my way up from the basement, I see Trudy sneaking down the halltoward the present room, so I go on and scoop her up before she gets herself in trouble again. On Bid Day, Mama Carla always stands at the front door, welcoming our new members. I have a feeling she must have left her apartment door cracked open by mistake.
When I walk up with Trudy in my arm I give Mama Carla a wink, put her back in the apartment, then close the door. It’s only when I turn around that I notice whom it is Mama Carla’s talking with. I had only met him once, on move-in day, and I don’t like him.
“Have you ever met Sarah’s dad, John Mason?” Miss Carla asks.
What I’d like to do is bite his head off, but instead I smile politely. “Yes, I have. How are you, Mr. Mason?”
“Very well, thank you.”
“I sure am proud of Sarah. Gamma Chi is not an easy job.”
“You’re right about that,” he responds with a chuckle. “I talked with her yesterday. One girl in her group was cut from Rush completely.”
“I don’t find many reasons to be glad I’ve got some years on me, but that’s one of them,” Mama Carla says. “I don’t miss those days. Girls getting cut from Rush. That just bothers me. If I could change the whole darn system I would.”
“Good luck with that,” he says. “Where were you in school?”
“Millsaps. I was a KD, but sorority life was nothing like it is here. Trust me.”
John Mason leans closer to the two of us. “In my day, guys didn’t get cut from Rush. We’d just send the nerds over to the Farmhouse frat at State.”
I suppose he thinks he’s funny. He’s chuckling with a hand covering his belly. But neither Mama Carla nor I laugh back. It was a rude thing to say. I turn to leave, but that man reaches out to stop me. “Did you go to college, Pearl?”
I turn back around. There’s nothing upbeat about my tone when I answer. “I attended Ole Miss for a short while. I’m planning on finishing at Rust soon as I can.”
“Rust College in Holly Springs. I pass right by there on my way from Memphis to Birmingham.” He shifts his weight from one foot to the other, slides his hands in his pockets. “My company has locations in both. I’ve been making that drive twice a month now for years.”
Exactly what does he think interests me about that?
“The only good thing about it is I get to see Sarah more often.” As coincidence would have it, here comes that baby now, walking up from behind with a new member. “Speak of the devil,” Mr. John says to her.
“Hi, Dad.” She sounds annoyed. “When did you get here?”
“About fifteen minutes ago.”
“Are you alone?” Uh-oh. Sarah’s wondering if his young girlfriend has tagged along. She’s talked with me about her so many times I feel like I know the girl.
“I am.” After an awkward pause he ogles a new pledge standing next to Sarah. “Who’s this pretty girl with you?”
Sarah rolls her eyes. “Cali Watkins. One of our new members.”
Cali Watkins? So this is the young lady Miss Lilith lied about. Told her sweet grandparents she wasn’t getting an Alpha Delt bid. That woman has stooped to an all-time low. I shudder to think what she’ll do next.
“Hi, Mr. Mason,” Cali says. “Your daughter is an angel.”
“Well, I think so.” Mr. John’s eyes travel all the way down to Cali’s toes. “Alpha Delt needs a pretty redhead around here.”
With a bashful smile Cali mutters, “Thank you.”
Sarah makes a quarter turn. “And this is Mama Carla. Our fabulous housemother.”
“Hello, Cali. It’s great to meet you.”
“You, too. ShouldIcall you Mama Carla?” Cali asks, hesitantly.
