Any Way the Wind Blows - E. Lynn Harris [43]
“Don’t you look good,” Windsor said. “Where are you going? To an opening or something?”
“I’m on my way to something very special.” I smiled as I headed straight to Windsor’s closet, pretending to look for something I thought I’d left in the closet before she moved in.
“What are you looking for?” Windsor asked.
“Oh, just something I stored in a box.”
“I wish I could get up and help you find it,” Windsor said.
“Don’t worry. Everything will be just fine,” I said.
I hadn’t seen much of Windsor recently, because Motown had been working me like a field mule. But I didn’t think Windsor had noticed, since her sorors and her church-lady friends were taking good care of her. They regularly brought her meals, flowers and books or magazines. Her two sorors Marlana and Dionne came by almost every day. I wanted to tell Miss Marlana she couldn’t get a career going attending to the sick and shut in, but I figured her talent was limited at best, and maybe by taking care of Windsor she would have something to fall back on, like being a full-time candy striper.
Windsor’s parents and Wardell called three times a day every day. Her parents had even arranged to use their vacation time to take care of her during the last two months of her pregnancy. Then Wardell called and told me about his special plan that would change all that. Just as I located what I was looking for, I heard voices coming from the living room.
“Yancey, I think there’s someone out there. Are you expecting company?” Windsor asked.
“Oh no, I must have left the television on. Look at this, Windsor, this is beautiful. Why don’t you put this on,” I suggested as I held up a beautiful ivory silk nightgown edged in lace.
“I can’t put that on. It’s a special gown Wardell bought for me. I’ve been saving it for our honeymoon. If that ever happens.” Windsor sighed.
“Come on, put it on. Let’s fluff you up,” I said as I moved over to Windsor’s bed and laid the gown against her face to show her how pretty it would look against her beautiful brown skin.
“Yancey, what’s going on?” Windsor asked.
“Nothing. I just think if you put on something nice, it’ll make you feel better. It always works for me,” I said.
“I’m feeling fine,” Windsor protested.
I didn’t pay any attention to Windsor and marched right over to her dressing table and grabbed her comb and brush so I could style her hair. I was so happy she had cut off her dreads and let her hair grow back into a more manageable style. About ten minutes later, Miss Windsor was looking pretty good.
Windsor didn’t ever wear makeup, but I insisted, telling her we could pretend we were little girls playing dress-up. It had always been one of my childhood fantasies to have a sister to exchange makeup tips with. When I finished putting a little blush on Windsor’s cheeks and mascara on her long thick lashes, I topped everything off with some plum-colored lip gloss. I gave her a mirror so she could admire my handiwork, and I think she was pleased, because she couldn’t stop looking at herself. She was gazing so hard that she didn’t even notice when Aunt Toukie walked in wearing a tacky lavender rayon suit and a Tina Turner wig.
“My … my, don’t we look pretty,” Aunt Toukie said. Windsor looked up, briefly startled, and I rushed over and whispered in Aunt Toukie’s ear, “Now, don’t forget this is a surprise.”
“Aunt Toukie! What are you doing here?” Windsor asked.
“Thought I’d come up here to see you. I just bought me a new car from Mel Farr Motors. You know, the guy who does those funny commercials in the Superman suits. He gave me a great deal. Now, what did you ask me?” Aunt Toukie said as she sat down on the edge of Windsor’s bed and kicked off one of the black patent leather pumps she was wearing.
“What are you doing here?” Windsor repeated.
“I told you. I bought me a new car and I wanted to put the pedal to the metal, so I said to myself, ‘Toukie, you need to go check on Windsor and see if she’s still holding on to that baby,’” Aunt Toukie said as she patted Windsor’s stomach. “So how