When Teresa gets the call from Pastor Tollerson asking if she can go and pick Mother Ethel up from her job at Safeway and give her a ride to the school because there’s an emergency with Remiya, Teresa’s first thought is, Well where is Madam FIRST Lady? But then in the next instant she silently rebukes herself for being so rude to the Lord. She’s supposed to help when she’s able to. Period. Maybe Dorothy Tollerson is preoccupied with something more important. What that is, I couldn’t tell you—Stop it, stop it right now! Teresa takes a deep breath and prepares to respond when Pastor Tollerson seems to be reading her mind.
“And you know, Dorothy would do it, but she’s already out and I can’t get a hold of her. Don’t know when she’ll be back home. And this matter is urgent. It seems Remiya’s in a lot of trouble. They’re threatening to—“
“No, no, it’s fine. I can go and get Mother Ethel.” Teresa is embarrassed she’s got the pastor explaining himself to her. “Happy to help. What time—?”
“Oh great! Thank you so much Sister Teresa! Her shift ends at 3:00 pm. She’s at the Safeway over on—“
“Oh I know where it is.” We helped her get that job, she wants to remind him. “I’ll be there.”
Reverend Tollerson thanks her again and then jumps off the line saying he’s got to get to a meeting right away. Teresa sighs and calls her mother to see if she can come by and be with the boys for a few hours. Else she’s going to have to wake her sleeping three-year old twins, Jeremiah and Elijah, and take them out on this unexpected errand.
“This totally messes up my day, Mama” she complains. But her mother is already throwing on her coat and grabbing keys.
“Teresa Yvette. Now I have told you, and I’m going to tell you again. You are the almost-first lady of the church. You can not be griping about these things. People are watching. Taking notice of how you are. How you are reflects on Theo—“
“Yes, Mama. I know I know. But I had other things to do this afternoon. And I don’t like how I get called but Dorothy is conveniently unreachable—“
“Stop right there, girl! Nothing good ever came from picking on the first lady. That will be you one day. You are going to need the people’s grace. You are gonna need people to not question everything about your choices. And besides, you know I’m happy to have a couple of extra hours with my babies. Remember to leave me that double stroller so we can go for a walk.” Teresa smiles in spite of her frustration. She’s grateful her mother is so close to them. “Now you just go and get yourself ready. I’ll be there in 20 minutes.”
Teresa leaves a message with Theo’s receptionist that he doesn’t have to get Tameka after school since she’ll be there, but if he could please pick up dinner that would be excellent since she’s not going to have time to go shopping and cook now that she’s been drafted to help Ms. Ethel and Remiya through the latest crisis. Well, she doesn’t actually say all that. But that’s what she’s thinking about as she pulls into the parking lot of the Safeway on Alabama Street. Right on time she sees Mother Ethel walk out of sliding doors at 3:01. She still has her bakery apron and hat on. She looks anxious. Teresa’s heart breaks when she sees the traces of flour on Ms. Ethel’s neck, caught in the folds of the gold chain she wears with the locket that has the picture of her deceased son, Remiya’s father.
“Hi Ms. Ethel. How are you today—?”
“Thank you so much, baby, for picking me up like this.” Ethel is overcome with gratitude and shame and the need to hold it all together too. She is so worried about Remiya. She tries to smile, to hide the shakiness underneath her words. “I hope I haven’t put you out too much. I know you got the babies—“ She turns to the back, realizing for the first time that the double car seats are empty.
“Oh the boys are with Grandma. And it’s no problem. Happy I can help. Is Remiya okay?”
“Lord, chile. I don’t know. I don’t know what mess they calling me up there about now.” She starts searching in her purse for a mint or gum or something to suck on. She doesn’t find anything and struggles to keep her hands from being so restless. “It seems like every other week they are claiming something or another. And that girl is smart. My girl is smart, just like her daddy—she just needs to be challenged. She needs the right person to challenge her.” Ethel’s voice trails off as they approach the bridge. Traffic looks to be moving. Both women are grateful for this. Neither one of them wants to make small talk right now.
The first time Teresa meets Remiya is at her father’s funeral. Little Remiya is only 9 years old then and clings to her bereaved grandmother’s black shawl for most of the service. She has two neatly parted ponytails, glistening with Blue Magic, braided back, and landing on the tops of her shoulders. Teresa remembers how Remiya’s purple and red hair bows are the only colorful things in the sanctuary that morning. No one has thought to get flowers for the homegoing of Reginald Daniels. Truth be told, he has been such a terror in the community. His drugs have destroyed so many, including Remiya’s mother, who no one is expecting to show up, who is likely strung out somewhere close by and might not even realize she is now her child’s only surviving parent. Pastor Tollerson has to dig deep for something to say in the eulogy. Ms. Ethel is the only one weeping loudly for her son.
Teresa is here to show support for her husband, who is not the officiant but who is reading several scriptures and has been helping the family, well that would be Ms. Ethel and her newfound (new to the members of the church) granddaughter. Theo is the new assistant pastor of this congregation. Teresa is still finding her way in this unfamiliar role of being, as her mother calls, the “almost-first lady.” Her black suit dress she scored from the sale rack at Macy’s fits her well, but she is so uncomfortable in these off-black pantyhose that have a control top. She hates control top stockings! And she should have known that asking her mother to run to the CVS and pick up stockings for her would result in this. Ruby believes pantyhose are the most important thing a woman wears. She thinks if it’s not holding you all in, then you are going to be spilling all out, and nobody, not even Jesus, wants to see that.
Ethel Turner, Ms. Ethel to everybody, has been a member of New Bethel Baptist for more than 27 years. When she started here Reginald, known as Reggie to family and friends, was just a toddler. She was a young mother and his father was in and out of the picture. Ms. Ethel poured herself into the church and became one of the most committed and faithful members. She also makes most of the pies, cakes, and cookies for special occasions. She’s been like an aunty to all of the Tollerson children. She’s been an ear for Dorothy when the pastor had a little problem with a wandering eye and a loose hand. She’s been there for countless people. The church is packed because of her. No mother should have to lose a son, no matter how bad he turned out. Everyone is here to witness her grief, to show Jesus that even though they consider Reginald the scum of the scum, they still love his mother and are truly sorry for her pain.
Teresa pulls up to the church just as Cordelia Johnson, Remiya’s other grandmother, is handing her over to Ms. Ethel. The two grandmothers embrace awkwardly and Teresa tries not to stare. Ms. Johnson has Remiya dressed very nicely in a dark purple dress with little red flowers and a red sash. Teresa realizes she’s relieved to see the child is not cloaked in black like all the other mourners. She has never felt children should wear black at funerals.
These scenes are from a novel in progress. Teresa and Ms. Ethel are the mother and grandmother of the two main characters, Tameka and Remiya, respectively.