The Brooch

It Was There All Along

By the time, I had reached the other side of the estate, Mrs. Lexington had met Matthew and I, halfway. I could see in her eyes, I was right. Somethin was so very wrong. When I reached my daughter, a servant had her unconscious body in his arms. "Let go of my child!" I fretfully pleaded! I had never felt so sick and scared in my entire life as I had right then and there. I just remember screaming. 'The blood wouldn't stop!'

There no denying that Mrs. Lexington could see the horror and pain in my eyes from the sight of my unmoved and bleeding child.

I will never forget, holding my helpless child in my arms. She wouldn't awake! No matter how much I pleaded her to. My tears were endless... and they were blinding... Matthew was hushed. Saying not a word, he took her from my arms, as an empathetic Mrs. Lexington finally spoke...

MRS. LEXINGTON: "Please... take my motor car! She implored. "My driver will take you to my doctor. He is just right up the way. I already had one of my servants inform them you were on your way..."

Matthew, as gently as possible, placed Scarlet in that back seat as I quickly jumped in. I held her head tryin to stop the bleedin. By then the wind started to pick up even more and the snow was startin to fall...

"Where was uncle Jeffy?"

"Mrs. Lexington rode with us and she had Jeffy, bundled up in her arms in that front seat. I was beyond frustrated as I felt the transportation was not fast enough. But before I knew it, we were there."

"The hospital?"

"Yes... Matthew carried yo mumma into that back room. As the doctor rushed to Scarlet's aide. And I was left to my ragin thoughts... I was covered in my daughter's blood. Mrs. Lexington wanted to help me get cleaned. But I refused to leave. And she knew I was goin nowhere. So faithfully, she continued to come to my aide, by caring for Jeffrey. Sadly I was in no mind to.

It had felt like a lifetime in that waitin room without my child. And Matthew hadn't returned as of yet. My mind was runnin rampant with the worst. Still I found myself, prayin to the Lawd almighty, for His continual grace and mercy...

In time, I had managed to find the strength to stop cryin. I was even subdued. But when Matthew had finally returned from behind those closed doors, and with the look in his eyes, as he solemnly walked towards me, I just remember collapsing in his arms, as my tears gushed like an endless waterfall..."

"Oh grandmama." Maple cried. "I know you must have been out of your mind."

"Fretfully so." Grandmama agreed. "I just couldn't wrap my mind around it. I couldn't understand what happened to my injured child in there. My heart ached for her. But thank the Lawd for Matthew's arms and Mrs. Lexington's aide.

For a moment, but only a moment, I had managed to close my eyes. But no sooner, I had closed them, I suddenly awoke to the sound of my sweet baby boy's tears. So I found the strength and picked myself up to care for my tired and hungry son. As Matthew patiently waited for the doctor's return.

MRS. LEXINGTON: "Oh Olivia." She uttered in a soft whisper..."Rest."

But I refused. I took my son from her arms and walked into the ladies room to feed my child. I had no earthly idea she was so close behind. She just stood there in a such melancholy like state, staring.... I didn't know at the time, she was fightin with her clamoring thoughts to tell me what to had happened to my child. And for some reason, I didn't ask...

Nonetheless, as I held, your uncle, I had suddenly felt Jeffrey's saggy diaper. And luckily for all, I had a change in my bag..

In a mother's care, I softly laid him on the counter to remove his soiled diaper. Remember when I told you where I found the brooch?"

"I remember..." Maple answered.

"I never lied bout that either... I just changed the recallin a bit. I know I told y'all it was Scarlet's diaper. But in fact, as you can imagine, it was Jeffrey's. To my disbelief, He had that brooch on him the whole time. And I couldn't believe my eyes... I removed that brooch so quickly... In alarm, I started to speak to call out to Matthew..."

MRS. LEXINGTON: "Don't..." She whispered.

Next thang, I knew, Miss Lydia had taken that new diaper from me. She quickly changed him and placed the brooch back on my son. She handed a quiet Jeffery back to me as she gently grabbed my hand as I held him close. Miss Lydia stared me right in the eyes.

MRS LEXINGTON: "That brooch is right where it belongs. You are the rightful owner..."

"But I thought you said, Mumma was about to put that brooch back?"

"I said she had started too. But Mrs. Lexington informed me as she watched my daughter in silence that day, she watched how Scarlet took off Jeffrey's diaper pin and replaced it with that brooch, just near seconds before Magnus arrived."

"So when Mrs. Crowder came into that room and Mumma had something behind her back__"

"It was the diaper pin... Magnus had chased yo mumma out that room, over a diaper pin.. Never knowin at the time that brooch had never left that room with Scarlet. And when Scarlet fell, it was the diaper pin, she still had in her hand. It is why Magnus never found that brooch on my Scarlet..."