Faith's Bar Mitzvah part 15 #420 episode 174

He sounded like he had a mouth full of snuff. A career military man, Faith was guessing. His khaki's were starched with a razor sharp crease. Faith peered around Darlean's rotund hips. The brochure was a simple manila envelope with a multi-colored large U in the middle. It sounded so simple. He told Darlean all she had to do was put the money in the envelope every first of the month and forget about it. Darlean asked him what she should do if she happened to be broke come the first of the month. What if come the first of the month if her kids needed milk, can she just forget about the money then? His red face was all the answer she needed. He was still talking when she closed the door.

"What was he selling," asked Faith. "Life insurance," came the reply. She sounded she was not in the mood for Faith's questions. Faith maneuvered himself in beside her asking how people made money off life insurance. Before she could tell him, a knock was heard at the door. She hastily answered him as she stepped towards the door. "A white man's scam, people gone die anyway" She opened the door to engage the salesman again, instead she encountered Gene. Who stood with his hands in his pockets "Hey there Darlean,"

She greeted Gene with a smile. Faith said hello, and again asked her what life insurance entailed again. He did not want a quick answer such as "a white man's scam," he wanted to know the truth. "Boy gone with that nonsense," as she turned towards the kitchen. Faith was talking to her back now. "Boy gone with that nonsense, when you get grown then you worry about that. Now gone and play," she insisted. Gene followed her to the kitchen.

He spoke again in his whistling whine. He stressed every word ending. Faith thought of the train at the zoo, as Gene spoke again. His mother was telling him how she had some chitterlings boiling and he was welcome to stay and eat. She pulled out a chair for Gene to sit. "Now what brang you down her in da heat of t'day"

"well," he whined. "I was up at the Western Auto and I seen Faith up there.

Darlean shot an enquiring eye at Faith. "You ain't been up there fooling wit' them white folks shit is you boy?" Gene didn't give faith a chance to speak.

"Naw, Darlean it ain't nothin' like dat," he said. Darlean looking at Gene, but talking to Faith warned that she had better not hear anything about him stealing or touching the white folks "stuff" as she called it. Gene smiled, Faith could see he was trying to calm Darlean down while explaining to her the circumstances surrounding their chance meeting.

"You see, I seen him up there lookin' at dem bicycles. Seems to me he want one real bad" Darlean interrupted him again. "He know every dime I gets, go to dees bills." Gene tried to get a word in edge wise. "I...I... know that too Darlean. Dat's why I thank I got a solution. You see, you know the weather is gettin' hotter and the grass is gone start growing like weeds...Well you know daddy, he gone want that yard mowed every Saturday. He den already said that." Darlean shook her head, she nodded up and down while Gene resumed telling her his solution.

"He want dat yard mowed every Saturday, like I was saying. And to tell you the truth, I just don't have time. That's where Faith come in. You see, he can mow the yard while I study for the state exam. I'll give him fifteen dollars every second Saturday. But I wanted to ask you what you thank first."

Darlean's head moved slightly higher. She was always proud when someone had to ask if Faith and his sisters could do something or go somewhere. They were her glory factor. In all her years she had been answering to others. Trying to please others. But when it came to her kids she was the final word. The buck truly stopped with her. She was a slave to the mill, a slave to the bills and unfortunately a slave to men. But with Sarah, Mary and Faith she was the head voice. And, that voice had just committed Faith to a spring and summer of mowing.