Previously: Retired teacher Lucinda remembers her favorite student Vernon. Reality interrupts when another boarder Nancy scolds her for talking to her daughter Shirley. Lucinda remembers Vernon decided to marry Nancy but instead was drafted. Her last advice to him was less than kind. She has a vision of Vernon right after he was shot in Vietnam.
Bertha thought hard about what Lucinda had said about how people should always be mindful that what they do today will be with them all their tomorrows. Finally she replied, “But that’s kinda hard to do, ain’t it?”
“Isn’t it.”
“It sure enough is.”
“Yes, I suppose it is.” Lucinda leaned back in the rocker, drained from her attempts to be Bertha’s teacher.
“So don’t you worry about that boy none.” She reached over and patted Lucinda’s bony knee.
“Thank you very much, my dear.” Lucinda found herself out of breath again. “It was sweet of you to comfort me.”
“Call me Bertha.”
“Very well. Thank you, Bertha.” She decided to be magnanimous. “And you may call me Lucinda.”
“Thanks, Lucy.”
“Lucinda.” Perhaps not that magnanimous. “Um, I’m sorry I wasn’t a very good sentinel, but your sister flew up the stairs and past me before I could say a word.”
“Oh.”
“I’m sorry she didn’t let you complete the call.”
“Well, that’s life, ain’t it?”
“It isn’t my place to talk.” Lucinda wrinkled her brow. Has your sister always been so hard on you?”
“Oh yes, ever since we was little girls.”
Emma exploded through the door, put her hands on her hips and stared at Bertha. “I’ve been callin’ you to help me move the sofa in the parlor.”
“I’m sorry, Emma.” She fluttered her eyelashes. “Lucy and me’s been talkin’.”
“So. It’s Lucy now, huh? Well, I don’t care to be on first name basis with jest boarders.”
“Emma, what a thing to say.” A shy little laugh sneaked from Bertha’s mouth. “Why, I’m jest a boarder.”
“Yes, and I’m the landlady because Buster Lawrence saw fit to leave me with this wonderful house, big enough to rent rooms to make a livin’.”
“Seein’ you jest got four boarders, you ain’t makin’ much of a livin’ off of it.”
“That’s right,” Emma retorted. “And one of them ain’t even paid full rent.” She pulled a pack of cigarettes from a pocket in her worn apron, extracted a lighter from another pocket and lit up.
“I’ll pay full rent if you want me to.”
“Oh no. You’re my sister, and I love you.” She blew the smoke in Bertha’s direction. “It’s the least I can do for you since your husband didn’t see fit to leave you as well off as Buster left me.”
“Now why do you always have to say that?” Her face started turning an ominous shade of red. “My Merrill couldn’t help it if he had kidney stones. His three operations took up all the money we’d saved.”
The telephone in the kitchen rang. A moment later Cassie called out, “Mommy! It’s the fire marshal on the phone. He wants to talk to you right now!
“If I find out it was you who set the fire marshal on me I’ll slap your face off!” She went out the door, throwing an order over her shoulder. “Bertha, you git down there in that parlor and wait for me to move that sofa.”
“I should have said, ‘You’re gonna die from cancer by smoking all those cigarettes.’ That’s what I should have said to her. But it wouldn’t have done no good. She’d come back with smart answer.”
“I’m so sorry your sister acts that way.” Lucinda’s hand went to her chest.
“She causes all my fits. I jest know I wouldn’t have none of them if I didn’t have to be around her.”
“Of course. I’m sure,” Lucinda agreed in a whisper.
“But Lucy, why didn’t you back me up on them cigarettes? You know they cause cancer! Practically all the doctors say so now. Everybody knows that!”
“I’m sorry, Bertha.” She looked up to the ceiling. “I suppose I let your sister intimidate me.”
“Well, I jest thought you was stronger than that.” Bertha’s voice was filled with petty spite.
“No, I’m not strong at all.” It was as much a confession to herself as to Bertha.
“You fooled me. And I thought you was perfect.”