The Widow Of Magnolia Lane

Part 17

The 72-mile ride from Solomons to Silver Spring did not cool his hot temper.  The traffic, heavy and slow, did not unclench his tight grip from the steering wheel.  The jovial banter of the disc jockeys playing upbeat music did little to ease his angst.  He was a man who spoke daily to the lord.  Resisting the urge for a spiritual consult, he held his tongue with God, refusing to ask for guidance.  God's way was too kind and too compassionate.  He needed hatred.  He needed the slow burn to ignite into an inferno once he saw his brother's face.  He willed his heart not forgive his brother as he had done so many times before.  This time was different.  Joseph had gone too far.

Leeland parked abruptly behind Joseph's car. The garage door was open.  He got out of the car and walked into the open garage, hoping to see his brother.  No one was in there.  He turned the doorknob leading to the house.  It was open.  The kitchen was empty and the music from the tv blaring "Family Feud" could be heard from the living room.  He looked over towards the couch and saw a foot hanging from the arm of the chair with fuzzy purple socks.  Natalie was watching tv.  She had not heard him come in.  He walked over to Joseph's office pressing his ear to the door.  He could hear Joseph talking filth to a woman on his cell phone.  Not only was his brother a lying thief, but he was also an adulterer, Leeland thought to himself.   It fueled his rage even more.  He pushed open the door and stood stoically in front of the large mahogany desk.  His breathing was slow enough to count each breath.  "You fucking piece of shit,"  Leeland growled.  His fist was balled so tight that his nails had begun to leave imprints into his palms.

Joseph ended his conversation on the phone and looked up at his brother.  "Now is that any way for a man of GOD to talk?" he grinned licking his teeth.

"Why Joseph.  Why would you take advantage of our father like that?  You knew he was ill.  You knew he wouldn't know any better.  He cared for us.  Why would you do that to him?  Why would you do that to me and to Nessa?"  Leeland's eyes watered and flowed.  His heart slightly weakened from the recent loss of his father.

"What difference does it make? Vanessa would have given her share to the fucking casinos or that bum she calls a husband.  And you...You were going to take every damn dime of your share and stick it in that money pit you call a church.  Both of you would have squandered it away and would have been begging me for more a year later.  I did both of you a favor by taking it off your hands."  Joe glared at Leeland.

"Who were you to make that decision, you pompous ass jerk!  Leeland yelled.

"Careful brother", Joe put a finger to his lips.  "The good Lord can hear you cursing your brother."  Joseph threw his head back and laughed.

Leeland swiftly looked away from Joseph and glanced over at the fireplace.  He couldn't decide if he wanted to bang Joseph's head with the fire poker or pummel him with his fist.  He debated for a split second.  "What you have done to us is disgusting.  I and Nessa are your siblings, the only blood between mamma and dad left, and this is how you treat us?"

"Since when are you much better than me? Huh?"  Joseph stood up and walked over to Leeland.

  "We both get paid to lie.  I wake up in the morning and know I'm the bad guy but you...you are the worst kind of bad guy.  You use God to drain your parishioners dry.  I have to fight to get my money.  Prove cases of innocence or guilt.  But you...You just show up Sunday morning in a fly ass suit, smile, and pass a basket around the pew."  Joseph uttered.

"I do the Lord's work.  I help those in need.  I am loyal to my God and my family.  Do you know how many people my church has helped financially?  Of course, you wouldn't know what it means to help those in need.  You are too damn selfish."  Leeland looked in his brother's face for softness but all he saw was cold black piercing eyes.  

"Your fucking church is failing.  Those people are leaving you and going across the street to Reverend Walker's church."   Joseph screeched.  "Your own wife rarely attends."

Leeland widened his eyes and knitted his brows.  He stepped back from Joseph relaxing his fist in astonishment.  He and Joseph rarely talked.  Joseph's knowledge of his church's financial status and his wife's attendance floored him.  He looked up at Joseph calmly.  "I'm contesting the will Joseph".

"Go ahead.  I'll make sure you won't get a damn dime of it.  You won't even get a chance to smell dad's money" Joseph grunted.

"Dad?  You have the nerve to call him that.  Some son you are.  Where were you when he needed to go to the doctors?  Where were you when he needed someone to stay with him in his apartment because he kept leaving the stove on?  When he had forgotten who we were and how to bathe himself?  Where the fuck were you then Joseph?  I was the one handling all of dad's business affairs. Don't you think I noticed missing money out of dad's accounts?  I knew it was you and Nessa.  That's why I closed the account."  Leeland was so close to Joseph's face, he could see his nose hairs wilting with each breath.

"I can't speak for Vanessa.  I only took what was rightfully mine."  Joseph grinned.

"It wasn't yours to take!"  Leeland yelled.

"You...You are calling me a thief?"  Joseph snickered.  "You stole my girlfriend and married her but you calling me a fucking thief?"

Natalie had eased off the couch and stood by the door listening to the two men argue.  They were unaware of her presence.

"We were kids Joseph!"  Leeland frustratingly rubbed his hands over his face in disbelief.  "All those years and you are still mad about that?"

"She was mine and you snake charmed her and made her your wife." Joseph curled his lip in anger.

Leeland began to laugh hysterically.  "Our father is dead.  I have no money to bury him.  You have stolen everything that our father has worked for and you have the audacity to be mad about something from 20 years ago?"  Leeland continued to laugh.

"It doesn't matter that she's your wife now.  I know if I wanted, I could still get that pussy anytime I pleased."  Joseph grinned.

Leeland gasped, punching Joseph in his eye causing him to stumble.  Once Joseph gained his balance, he chucked Leeland to the floor.  Natalie ran in the office yelling at the two men to stop fighting.  Ignoring her pleads, they continued to roll around the office floor punching and grabbing at each other.  Natalie watched helplessly as they fought.  J.J. had just fallen asleep and would soon awaken due to their foolishness.  She ran in the kitchen, emptied a flower vase, and filled it with cold water.  She quickly carried it back to the office.  Joseph and Leeland were still fighting.  Natalie took the large vase and emptied the contents of it on both men.

Stunned by the cold water, the two brothers got up and continued to mumble obscenities at each other.  Natalie stood in between them with both of her arms stretched out.

"I don't know what yall' are fighting about but you are acting like children!"  She screamed.

Joseph and Leeland calmed themselves long enough to catch their breaths.

"Leeland.  You need to leave." Natalie bellowed.

"Your husband ain't nothing but some shit".  Leeland continued to inhale deeply.

"Leeland.  We can discuss this later but right now I need you to go cool off and go home."  Natalie gently grabbed his arm as she spoke. 

"I'll leave."  Leeland turned to walk out.  "But before I go," he looked at Natalie sternly, "I suggest you do the same.  He doesn't care or love anybody but himself.  Take J.J. and get out before he betrays you too."  Leeland walked out the door.

Natalie looked over at Joseph.  He was out of shape and feeling every bit of the punches that Leeland threw.  He sat in his office chair coughing and trying to catch his breath.  Natalie ran to the window and caught Leeland looking up at the house.  He saw her face.  She saw him.  She slowly closed the blinds.

"If you only knew Leeland.  If you only knew."  She said to herself.

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