Any Way the Wind Blows - E. Lynn Harris [44]
“I’m doing fine. But why are you dressed up?”
“Don’t you like my new hair? I thought, Shit, if Tina Turner can wear her hair in this style, then so can I. You know we around the same age,” Aunt Toukie said.
“Aunt Toukie, can you excuse Windsor and me for a moment? I want to help her put this gown on,” I said.
“Honey, I done seen Windsor naked many a time. She ain’t got nothing new even if she is knocked up,” Aunt Toukie said.
I figured it was no use arguing with her, so I let her help Windsor change while I went out into the living room to make sure everything was set. A few minutes later, I walked in with Windsor’s cousin Bobo, Aunt Toukie’s son, who broke out into song when he saw Windsor.
“Moving on up. To the East Side,” Bobo sang. Aunt Toukie had told me Bobo’s real name was Mouton and he had been like an older brother to Windsor. He was a tall, broad-shouldered man, with a plump face and the beginnings of a double chin. Bobo wore his head bald and had two gold earrings in each ear.
“Bobo, what are you doing here?” Windsor asked in a high-pitched voice that was almost like a scream.
“Had to come check out my cuz before she became a mommy. Cuz, you sho are living large up in here. If I was you, I’d set my ass up in bed all day and just have maids and butlers serving me caviar and shit,” Bobo said.
“Just as long as it ain’t no crack,” Aunt Toukie said.
Bobo looked at his mother with a cross-eyed look on his face and said, “Mama, you know I don’t mess with that shit no more.”
“I guess not. You done smoked up all the crack in Michigan,” Aunt Toukie said.
“You promised if I’d help you drive up here, you wouldn’t bring up my past,” Bobo said.
“I’m a mama, and I can break promises. Besides, I didn’t say nuthin’ to Windsor and Miss Yancey about how you spent a couple of weeks in the joint ’cause you didn’t pay your child support.”
“Bobo, you better take care of your kids,” Windsor said.
“I try, cuz, but the job market is tight in Detroit. Even with all the casinos, it’s still hard for a brotha.”
“Especially when you think the jobs gonna come to you. You think you big time ’cause you spent a couple of years at Wayne State. You still didn’t get your degree,” Aunt Toukie said.
“I’m going back,” Bobo said.
“You guys cut out your family mess,” Windsor said.
“Okay, let’s get to a few surprises we have for you,” Aunt Toukie said.
“What surprises?” Windsor asked.
“Hold on,” Aunt Toukie said as she went to the door and whispered, “Y’all come on in.”
A few moments later, in walked Windsor’s mother and father. They were dressed up nice. Her father was wearing a nice black wool suit with a white shirt and black tie. Windsor’s mother looked beautiful in a lime-green silk suit and a kelly-green hat with different colored flowers covering it.
“Mama, Daddy. What are you doing here?” Windsor asked as I felt my own eyes filling with tears.
“We came to see our baby,” Windsor’s father said.
“But it was supposed to be next week,” Windsor said.
“You want us to go back?” Mrs. Adams joked.
“No, no. I mean, I’m just so shocked,” Windsor said.
“Well, we couldn’t miss this,” Mr. Adams said.
“Miss what?” Windsor asked. Suddenly the room became silent and no one answered. Mrs. Adams looked at her husband and then at her sister. Then she looked at me and smiled, and nodded at Bobo, who walked out of the room.
Windsor’s room suddenly felt small and warm with all the people in it. It felt like this when her sorors and prayer circle friends visited.
“What’s going on?” Windsor asked again. Still silence. Windsor looked around the room slowly, waiting for an answer, and then she looked at the door and in walked Bobo and a minister carrying a Bible.
“Reverend Winn! What are you doing here? Am I dreaming? Am I going to die? Did my doctor tell you something?” Windsor asked as she began shaking her head in disbelief.
“You better not die,” a deep voice said. Everyone looked toward the door, and Wardell walked in with a huge smile on his face, carrying a bouquet of ivory tulips. He was dressed in a black pin-striped suit