Cannot Wait to Get to Heaven - Fannie Flagg [98]
“Oh, if that were only true,” thought Norma as Tot continued her weekly tirade.
“Like that time that black girl came in here looking for a job. Norma, you know I don’t need anybody, I can barely afford to pay Darlene as it is, and I told her so, in a nice way too, but the next thing I know, she’s calling me not only a racist but a homophobe! How was I supposed to know she was a he? I remember when this whole stupid thing started, everybody that had a black jockey boy statue had to paint them white, do you remember?”
Norma nodded. She did remember. Her mother had refused to paint her jockey boy and someone had knocked its head off.
Tot continued, “It’s not my fault I’m not a minority. And how about my rights? I don’t see anybody standing up for me. I pay my taxes and I don’t expect anybody to take care of me, but do I complain?”
“Every week,” thought Norma, but she said nothing.
“Anyhow, all you hear on TV is how bad white people are. Frankly, Norma, I don’t know whether I’m a racist or not anymore. I hope not, but I don’t know why I even bother to worry. They say we are all going to be speaking Spanish in the next five years anyway. It used to be just black and white, but now it seems like the whole world’s gone some sort of brown color. Speaking of that, have you seen the bathtub Madonna the Lopez family has in their front yard?”
“No. What’s a bathtub Madonna?”
Tot laughed. “Well, they took an old claw-foot tub, turned it sideways, and buried it halfway in the ground. Then they painted the inside of the tub blue and stuck a statue of the Blessed Mother in it.”
Norma cringed. “Oh my God, and it’s in the front yard?”
“Yeah,” said Tot, taking another drag off her cigarette. “But it’s kinda pretty, really. You know those Mexicans are artistic, you have to say that for them. He keeps that yard as neat as a pin.”
That afternoon Norma thought that Tot might be right. Things were changing right there in southern Missouri. Where it used to be mostly Swedes and Germans, more and more nationalities were moving in, and when Norma had walked up to Aunt Elner’s porch that morning, the radio had been blaring Mexican music out into the yard. Aunt Elner had tuned in to some new Spanish station from Poplar Springs.
“Why are you listening to that?”
“What?”
“That Spanish station?”
“Is that what it is? I wondered, I thought maybe it was Polish.”
“No, honey, it’s Spanish.”
“Well, whatever it is, I like it. I don’t understand what they are saying but the music is real cheerful and happy, don’t you think?”
Thank - You from Cathy
2:18 PM
The male nurse who had informed Gus Shimmer about the potential lawsuit against the hospital was very disappointed when Gus Shimmer informed him that the old lady’s niece would not sue. He had hoped to make a lot of money on his cut of the settlement, but he figured out another way he might be able to get something for his information. He picked up the phone and called his friend and got the number of a tabloid newspaper that would pay for stories of an unusual nature, and he had one.
That afternoon Norma had run into the Piggly Wiggly supermarket to pick up a few things to bring over to Aunt Elner’s house for Easter dinner, and was at the checkout counter when she glanced over and saw the headline on