Miss Lola.

Hollis cont'd

"Hi, mom."

"Hollis? Is that you?" Mom says.

"Well, who else could it be?" Dad asked her. "Listen to him Rachel. The boy says he got some good news to share with us."

"Okay, but make it quick. I've got two sweet potato pies in the oven."

"Guys, I'm getting married." I say.

"What?" Mom exclaims.

"To whom?" Dad asks.

"Her name is Lola Simmons."

"She's a Simmons." Dad said. "The only Simmons we know in Elmwood is Ruben and Ethel."

"Y'all know her parents?" I'm momentarily nonplussed.

"Well, sure. We know just about every black family in Elmwood. Shoot, we've buried enough of their relatives." Dad said with a rusty chuckle.

"Right." I said, trying to get back on track. "Well, I'm marrying their daughter and we're very much in love."

"Son? That's wonderful news but why haven't we met the young lady yet?" Mom asked.

"I'm actually planning to bring her down for a visit soon. I was thinking about next week."

"Do we have anything special planned for next week?" Dad asked mom.

"No, and even if we do it's going to be canceled because I want to meet this young lady of Hollis's. What's her name again?"

"Lola."

"Hmm..that's a pretty name and we know that Ruben and Ethel are good, respectable people so the daughter can't be too bad."

"Yeah, me and Ruben used to go on fishing trips together." Dad mused.

"So you say." Mom scoffed.

"What're you talking about now, woman? Those weren't nothing but fishing trips."

"More like drinking trips."

"Guys, please." I say before they really start bickering.

"Well, bring her on down, son. We'll be glad to have y'all." Dad said.

"What kind of food does she like? I can cook up a mess of something special." Said Mom.

"Please, mom. You don't have to go to any trouble."

"That's right, Rachel. You always trying to do too much."  Dad complained.

So we set the date for next Saturday and then I pulled my car into the reserved for Mr. Williams parking spot, took a few deep breaths and called my son.

"Hi, Pops. What's going on?"

"Jeffrey? I'm marrying Lola."

After the longest pause he said,

"Say..what now?"

"I'm marrying Lola."

"Wow." Jeffrey sounded as if his mind was blown and so I gave him a few seconds to wrap his mind around the concept.

"But you hardly even know this woman."

"I've known her long enough to know that I love her and want to spend the rest of my life with her and I'd like for  you to be happy for me but I can understand it if you're not."

"Well, I'm not." Jeffrey says which pierced me a little bit.

"That's too bad, son. I'm still going to marry her."

"Don't expect me to show up for the wedding." His voice was tight. "Will there be anything else?"

"No. I guess, only just to say that I love you, son."

"I love you too Pops but I don't agree with this one bit."

I decided to end the call before things got heated and told my son goodbye on a sad note.

Well, that's that. I grab my briefcase off the passenger seat, lock the Jag and head for my office which is located at the back of a short hall carpeted in royal blue still thinking about my unpleasant conversation with my son.

Jeff is a good kid, never caused me any trouble but sometimes he judges people too harshly and I think he gets this from his mom's side of the family.

Ana.

Should I call her and give her the news myself or let her find out on her own?

Sitting the briefcase on the edge of my  desk I then tiredly drop down onto the office chair and run a hand through my hair.

Doctor D would encourage me to call Ana, yeah but it isn't his ear that'll be chewed off so I quickly benched that idea.

Leaning back in the chair, I stared out into the glass enclosed showroom where our latest cars were on display and remembered back to the years when I'd only had one or two cars in the showroom and about ten for sale on the lot which was now packed with every make and model currently on the market now.

People think selling cars is easy because we make it look easy but the car dealership business can be just as cut throat as any other business and I'd had to do some underhanded and possibly illegal things just to keep afloat and stay ahead of the game.

However, that's in the past and now Williams Motors is voted amongst the  best in three counties and I planned to keep it that way.

I could gloat about my success but what would be the point of that? People can see it with their own eyes.

They can see the nice, big white brick building sitting next to the emerald green golf course and see all the shiny, new cars parked on the clean, black lot with neat yellow and red stickers on the gleaming windshields.

My staff of ten are personable, well trained and nicely dressed in our royal blue blazers and they can talk anyone into buying almost anything off the lot.

So, yeah I can gloat however I chose not to because I remember what it was like not to have one customer or make one sale for months at a time.

Memories like that keep me humble.

The ringing mobile phone interrupts my thoughts and I snatch it up off the charger, smiling when I recognize Lola's number.

"Hello there, pretty lady."

"Hollis?" She sounds frazzled. "Can you meet me down at the bail bondsmen office this afternoon?"

"Say what now?"

"It's my friend, Avis. She's gone and shot her husband."

"Lola, wait a minute. Did she kill him?"

"I don't know. Maybe, but she called and asked if I could post her bail."

"What? Well, if they're holding her for attempted murder then I'm sure that her bail isn't going to be set today. What your friend really needs is a lawyer."

"Well, she had that appointment with Jill but..."

"Jill isn't a criminal defence lawyer. Where are you?"

"I'm sitting in my car at the Shop. Hollis, I just can't believe Avis done gone and shot the man. Have mercy!"

I was already on my feet and heading for the door.

"Please don't make any moves, Lola. I'm on the way."

I was thinking that Lola needed new friends.