It wasn't long before I learned the story of the Mayfair Motel.
I had come back that evening after playing card games and telling stories with Reed, the pungent aroma of spices filled my nostrils. The smell was wafting from the parlor. Following the scent, I found Celia, Norris and Miss Eloise all sitting at a table in the parlor, talking with large bowls of red beans and rice in front of them.
A swelling feeling met my chest at the sight of them. It reminded me of family dinners I had with Nana and Daddy.
Celia gave me a smile, and Eloise insisted I join them. Norris stared at me skeptically, enough to make me decline to her generous offer.
"Thought yall woulda been heading home," I commented.
"This is our home," the little girl stated, full of pride, "Tell her the story of great-great granddaddy Theodore!"
Eloise then went on about her grandfather, Theodore, and her father Eugene. Who took to start building this motel after inheriting this slab of land from another member of the family. This was during a time when negroes didn't have much, Eloise explained, especially in the south. Eloise said she remembers being a young girl when the Motel was up and running, hurrying down the halls and welcoming guests, much like Celia does.
"This place is the only mark of my family in this world," Eloise told me, smiling widely at her son, "Mayfair Motel was the only black-owned motel in the Mason Dixon for decades."
Big corporations to this day were trying to buy them out, business officials constantly raising the taxes to the old motel. After her father inherited the motel, he built a large private wing for their family (since they spent most of their time at the motel anyway).
"It helps cut costs," She explained to me, "Especially since we haven't had many frequent guest in recent years."
I had to admire the old woman; she was determined to keep her motel in the family.
It made me wish that Daddy or Nana had left me a piece of them now that they were gone. The Mayfair's family dynamic left me feeling sour, and full of shame.
I lay in the middle of the bed in my room, staring at the willowing canopy under the ceiling fan, and I wept. The weight of grief laid heavy on my chest as if Nana and Daddy had been taken from me this second.
It was rare when I felt like this. Daddy always told me I had to be tough, push through everything. Like a weed growing through a cemented ground.
At this moment, I was crumbling and falling. Like white sand between narrow fingers.
For the first time in a long while, I realized how alone I truly was.
The next morning, I woke up late, spending all night writing in my journal – trying to figure out what I was going to do next. The few days I spent in Eva was amazing, but eventually, I had to move on. I had no idea where I was going to do, or what it was I really wanted to do.
In my heart, I still wanted to teach. Give other young children in the south different opportunities I didn't have growing up. I feel like Daddy would want that for me.
That is, if I don't spend the rest of my life wasting away in prison.
I walked into the parlor, one guest sat in the corner by himself, while Norris and Celia sat at a middle table. Both Mayfair's had their nose in some early morning reading; Celia reading a schoolbook and Norris' eyes skimming the morning paper. He glanced up at me for a briefness, before his eyes continued to skim the newspaper in his hands.
An unreadable expression rested in his brown eyes, and it cause my spirit to stir.
I soon wondered if my face was plastered in the black and white newsprint, a big ole WANTED sign across my forehead.
"Almost thought you had checked out," He pulled me from my thoughts, getting under my skin in his very Norris Mayfair way like he did yesterday morning.
I bit back the taunting smile that threatened to pull from my lips.
"I ain't sleep a wink," I admitted, pulling my seat next to Celia.
She turned to me, something serious on her face.
"Nini says when ya can't sleep, God's tryna tell ya something."
Maybe God's trying to punish me for all my sins and wrongdoing. My skin crawled, and heat rose around my neck. I was grateful for the ice water Eloise placed in front of me then.
"You shoulda came to our suite, Norris woulda made you the best chamomile tea," She spoke, "Puts me and Celia out like a light, ain't that right Little Miss?"
Me and Norris' eyes met, a playful tug on his lips.
"I don't want to be a bother," I spoke to Eloise, probably putting Norris at ease. The man had been on guard since he met me.
He smirked, "I won't mind, honest."
Taken aback, my eyebrows rose, taking a long swig of my water. Who is this cat?
I parted my lips to argue, but Norris folded his newspaper, telling Celia to get her things for school.
I thought it was sweet that he walked her to school every morning, it made me wish that Daddy had done the same for me. But he was always too tired from nights of meddling.
"NOR-RIS!" a voice cried in the air, followed by heavy footsteps headed towards the parlor. Suddenly, my eyes landed on the brother from the first night I laid eyes on Norris. Today, he wore a purple silk shirt under a black vest and black slacks. He had a look of annoyance in his dark eyes. His eyes scanned for Norris, before landing on where he stood now, and charged over.
"Good morning ladies," He greeted Eloise, Celia, his eyes falling on me with a smile. I returned the favor.
"Demetria, this is Sonny Jones, close friend of the family," Eloise introduced, "Demetria been a guest of ours for a couple days."
"Nice to meet you," I spoke.
"Hi, Uncle Sonny!" Celia smiled. He gave the girl a playful wink.
"Wa's happenin' Slick," Norris asked, "Something happening down at the club?"
"Nah man, it's Reed. Causing trouble like usual," Sonny began, "He got the law on him, cuffed him and everything down the street. They saying it was some petty robberies, but Reed swears he was with you early this morning. They gone take him in if ya don't say nothin'."
Eloise clicked her tongue, "That Reed boy is always gettin' into some trouble ain't he." The sound of a ding rang in the air, alerting that there was a guest in the lobby. Eloise excused herself then, but not before giving her son a stern look, "Don't lie for that boy if he won't with you, I don't need another reason for you to get back in yo' mess," she walked on.
I say Norris jaw tense up. I wondered what kind of mess Mister Mayfair has in his past.
My mind began to wander, Reed does seem like the type to get caught. Reminded me of clumsy criminals back home, always conning and playing tricks, but was really no real harm to nobody.
An exhale fell from Norris' nostrils, staring down at Celia who was hugging his pant leg, then back up at his comrade, "Where's Tips, can't he vouch for him? He was at the club all night, too?"
"I don't know, man. I was walking Joey to school and I saw Reed gettin' stopped by the pigs. Joey went on to school and I came to find you."
"I gotta walk Celia to school, Slick. She still a little girl and Eva ain't how it used to be."
The tenderness in his voice was enough to make my heart swell.
"Nini can't take me no more. Her knees are bad," Celia told the man with a frown.
"I can walk her," My voice spoke without my brain thinking. Norris had the same defensiveness in his eyes again, doubt clouding behind his whiskey orbs.
Celia squealed, pulling on her daddy's hand, "I want Demetria to take me! Please, Daddy! Just this once."
"We don't know you; you could be a murderer or a crazy woman," Norris griped.
"She's nice, Daddy. Even Nini thinks so, please?"
He looked between me and her. I cleared the heaviness that rested in my throat, speaking again, "I promise I won't let nothing happen to her. Go help Reed, he's my friend, too."
That made the man's face soften, even if it was just a little. I looked over at the man, Slick, who had an antsy look in his eye. Probably worried about Reed. I was too, a bit. If the police here were anything like back in Alabama, he could be in a world of hurt if Norris didn't take up for him.
Guilty or not, he would be wrong unless said otherwise in the law's eyes.
After an eternity of silence, it felt like, Norris squatted to Celia's height, "I'mma still pick ya up, ya hear me. If I hear you causin' trouble for Miss Demetria ya gonna be in a lot of trouble from me, you hear me?"
The girl nodded her head all excitable like, turning to me with a fat grin, "I'mma get my stuff and meet ya outside!"
Norris turned to me, something dark in his eyes. Maybe to hand me a threat if a hair was disturbed on Celia's head. Instead, he turned to his frantic friend, shaking on his jacket before exiting out the parlor.
"That damn Reed reminds you of yourself at his age, huh, Norris?" I heard Sonny's voice echo from the hallway.
"Yeah, except I was too good to get caught." Norris' voice replied.
And there I stood, wondering again. Wondering about these people and their own demons. Maybe God ain't trying to tell me nothing bad. Maybe he's saying I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be right now.
❃
My Keds disturbed the sleeping earth as Celia and I walked down the dusty trail to her elementary school. The girl held my hand as she sang this song by the Supremes. The sun was already sweltering down on us, hanging as a perfect O in the blue sky, not a cloud in sight. At least the clearing we walked had a lot of trees, so their dancing shadows kept us protected from the burning rays.
"Thanks for walking me to school, Miss Demetria," Celia spoke, I smiled down at the girl.
"Since Daddy's been back he's been the only one walking me to school. He be so busy all the time. But he always walks me to school and take me to the farmers market every Saturday for a candy apple!" She laughed, "Are you and your Daddy close."
I felt a pang in my chest, almost burning as I remembered I stuffed the picture in my brassier this morning. Always near my skin, close to my heart.
"We were," I smiled, "I loved my Daddy almost as much as you love your Daddy. Maybe even more," I teased.
"I doubt that," She objected, her tone defensive, "My daddy is my best friend. Next to Joey Poe, he's my real best friend but he doesn't help me as much as Daddy does."
I laughed at the girl, who began to ramble on and on about some of the students in her class. My eyes were met with a small brick building in the distance, young children running around. My heart began to swell, seeing all of them. One young girl sat under a tree with a notebook in her tiny hands, scribbling away in a journal. I saw myself in her.
"Joey Poe!" Celia squealed at a young caramel toned boy with a broad nose and a lopsided afro. He was tall and lanky, much taller than Celia. He had big brown eyes full of wonder and excitement, but he looked a bit older. Maybe eleven.
"Hi Celia," He smiled, sizing me up, with a curious raise of the brow, "Is this Norris' old lady?"
I bit back a snort while Celia cocked her head to look up at me, "Why would my daddy have an old lady? This is Demetria, she's my friend," She smiled, squeezing my hand, "My daddy and your daddy had to help a troublemaker, so she walked me to school."
"Can't be more trouble than you," Joey joked, giving a hardy belly laugh. Celia let go of my hand and hit the boy in his arm. Which only caused him to laugh more. This must've been normal jibes between the two kids.
"Hey, race you to the steps." Joey stated before taking off running. Celia whined, saying he was cheating.
"Bye Demetria! See you later!" She exclaimed before darting off at top speed to the school, screaming all the way.
After walking Celia, I started to wander down the woods of Eva. Daddy never talked much about this place, only that he grew up here as a boy. This is where his past lies. Where my past lies. And I hardly knew anything about it.
The lapping sounds of water met my ears. I wandered, the dirt road turned into a muddy, grassy path, and moss dangling from trees like Christmas lights. The growth snagged at my legs until I discovered the source. Dragonflies and gnats danced around my ears as I stared at the murky river bayou. Trees hung low in the water, the sun reflecting off its small lapping waves like crystals.
I rolled my jeans up past my ankles, sitting in the mossy ground. Removing my Keds, I placed my feet in the cool water – listening to the sounds of the earth. Frogs, lizards, honeybees all humming in harmony. The sun shone like a halo over this hidden area. I felt at peace. Better than I had in days.
To the far left of the clearing, further up where the water rose up higher, was a dock with a lone boat. My eyes began to wander until I landed on a lone home across the way on another stretch of land, hidden behind the trees. An eeriness overwhelmed me, and something about that house seemed almost familiar.
Digging in my shirt, I stared at the picture of my Daddy and the mysterious man with the harmonica. Looking closer, I saw tall grass and a shingled house surrounded by trees and a stretch of land. Just like the trees here.
I stared back at the house in the distance. Moss and weather had aged it, but it was definitely the same home hidden by the trees.
Daddy was here.
My chest felt like it was cut open, being face to face with a piece of my father. Light fell in shafts over the land across the creek, like Daddy was right here showing me a piece of him.
Lord Jesus.
Water welled in my eyes, and I put the photograph back against my chest, my skin burning and freezing all at once.
I don't know for how long, but in this instant, I knew that I actually am supposed to be here. And I know that somehow, I need to get to that house – and maybe even find the mysterious man that knew my daddy.
THE SUPREMES - Nathan Jone
(song Celia was singing lol)