Yesterday, I Cried_ Celebrating the Lessons of Living and Loving - Iyanla Vanzant [32]
“They eat monkeys, you know,” Grandma would say smugly. “Keep them as pets, too! That bitch probably thinks you’re her own little pet monkey.” Rhonda must have heard Grandma’s monkey-talk a thousand times. She didn’t know most of the words that Grandma used to describe Nett, or whether she was even telling the truth. What she did know was that when you weighed Grandma’s baths and abuse against Nett’s bubble baths and pancakes, Rhonda would rather be a monkey in Nett’s house any day.
On days when Rhonda went riding with Daddy, he would take her to Nett’s house, and Nett would make her pancakes from scratch. It was absolutely amazing how she did it. Every pancake came out the same color and the same size. Occasionally, Nett and Rhonda would make tuna fish sandwiches together. Rhonda would peel the fragile shells off the hardboiled eggs, and Nett would finely chop the pickles and onions. Nett always toasted their bread just right, and she always gave Rhonda her own napkin.
As far as Rhonda could remember, Nett was the only person who ever really talked to her. She talked to Rhonda about important things like what the cartoon characters were doing and who was going to win the Miss America pageant. But most important was that Nett talked to Rhonda about Rhonda. She taught Rhonda how to polish her nails, and she taught her how to wash her panties out at night. And she never, ever yelled at her. A bath at Nett’s house meant bubbles and sweet-smelling soap—a marked improvement from the baths Rhonda had taken at Grandma’s house.
Nett also liked to do fun things like play war with aluminum foil spitballs and play tic-tac-toe on brown paper bags. She was the first person to take Rhonda anywhere fun. They’d go to the zoo or the botanical gardens. And, oh my God, did they ever go to the movies. A movie outing with Lynnette meant popcorn, soda, and a trip to the Horn & Hardart Automat. Nett was the first person to tell Rhonda that she was beautiful and who made Rhonda feel beautiful. “You know what, Ronnie,” Nett would tell her, “one day you’re going to be somebody.” Nett was an angel, the first angel that Rhonda ever knew.
In the secret, most private place in her heart, Rhonda would pray that the day would come when she and Daddy and Ray and Nett could all live together. Grandma always said, “Be careful what you ask for ’cause you just might get it.” And when the day finally came, the circumstances surrounding the move were far less joyous than Rhonda had expected.
Rhonda was five, and it was time for her to start to school. Grandma had had to take a full-time job cleaning and cooking, because Daddy’s numbers-running business was slowing down. Rhonda hadn’t seen the lady in the white dress in her dreams in a very long time. Nett volunteered to take Rhonda downtown to the big department store to shop for nice, and expensive, school clothes. Grandma left the house first, leaving Rhonda and her brother with the stern reminder that they were never to open the door for anyone. After Daddy left, Rhonda and Ray watched Mighty Mouse cartoons until they went off, indicating it was lunchtime and time for Nett to arrive. Rhonda could hardly wait.
Nett showed up, as promised, and let herself in with her key. Hugs and kisses, hugs and kisses. Nett was always good for hugs and kisses, though on this day, Rhonda didn’t seem quite as eager to be hugged. “Come on,” Nett told them, “let me bathe you so we can go shopping.” Ray stripped in a matter of seconds. Rhonda lied and said that she had already had a bath. “Come on, now,” Nett gently persisted. “You’ve got to take a bath and change your shirt. It looks dirty, and you smell kind of funny.” Rhonda backed away. “Okay, we’ll let Ray take his bath first, and then you’ll take yours.”
When Ray was done, Nett took Rhonda into the bathroom and ran her bath. “Take your clothes off, Ronnie,” Nett said. When Rhonda hesitated, she added, “Hurry up, and I’ll put bubbles in the water.” Rhonda reluctantly took off her shoes, her socks, her overalls, and panties, then got into the bathtub and stood there