Tabbs

Chapter 4

After wandering around the empty halls of the church a second time in no particular rush, Tabbs finally found the mourners standing in a line going out the door to what was presumably the kitchen. Queuing up in the steadily moving line, the smell of green beans and warm bread tickled her nose. Inside the day-lit room she spotted a bounty of fried chicken in disposable tin foil containers along with its various partners of beans, fried okra, biscuits, fried potato wedges, and baked potatoes stacked on top of white folding tables. Tabbs loaded her struggling plate with everything it could contain. It wasn't that she felt particularly hungry, but more in hope that she could secure the rest as leftovers and have a free meal to scrape off of for a few days. A man she recognized from the service filled a plastic cup to the brim with sweet tea and passed it to her without a word. She accepted the already sweaty cup, said her thanks, then turned to find a spot to sit.

It wasn't particularly difficult to pick out her mother, who stood at full height waving her hand at the length of her surprisingly long wing-span. As if she were trying to get her attention at a sold-out concert venue instead of a small room of mourners quietly munching on take-out. Seeing little choice, Tabbs walked over, her feet dragging like slabs of concrete behind her.

"Tabby, honey!" Her mother reached over the table, enveloping Tabbs' head in a neck-breaking embrace before she even had a chance to put down her plate.

"Hey, Mom," she managed once her mother was through suffocating her against her push-up bra and lilac perfume.

"Tabby," Duke nodded, wiping his grease-dribbled mouth feebly with a frail paper napkin.

Tabbs nodded her greeting and took her place next to Gen, who only greeted her with a look. At least her sister wasn't the type to pretend that this was some sort of happy reunion. She felt her mother grasp the length of her forearm. "How are you doing, honey? How's Gavin?"

"Fine. I mean, given the circumstances." Tabbs pulled back her lips in what she hoped looked like a smile. "He's fine too."

"Where is that boy at?" Duke asked, his mouth clear of gristle, though his stringy auburn beard couldn't say as much.

"He hurt his foot a few weeks ago. He can't really move a whole lot."

"His foot?" Her mother pressed her fingertips to her mouth. "Oh, poor baby, what happened?"

Tabbs sipped on her tea. The ample amount of sugar made her teeth hurt, but it at least gave her an excuse to not speak immediately. "He was doing his shift at the party warehouse and a helium balloon tank fell on his foot and broke it. He's been working on filing for worker's compensation."

"Helium tank?" Duke asked suddenly. "What's all this about a broken foot? If its full of helium, shouldn't it be lighter?" Her mother burst out with laughter and ran a hand along one of Duke's rippling shoulders. He smiled at her, though from the look on his face, Tabbs wasn't convinced the statement was meant to be a joke.

Tabbs took another long pull from the tea. "Since the accident, he hasn't been able to work or do much of anything except lay out on my couch."

"Poor thing," her mother cooed.

"Poor nothin'," Duke sniffed. "The boy should be here with his woman on a day like this. Broken foot or not. Hell, I could have a bullet in my brain and I'd still have been here for your mother." He turned his crater riddled face to her mom and flashed a yellow smile. She ran a hand along the length of his thigh and pecked his cheek.

"I know you would, sweet cheeks."

Tabbs felt her eyes shift to her sister at her flank, but found her cool gray eyes fixed straight ahead at the peeling floral wallpaper on the far side of the room. Still chewing on the same bite of biscuit Tabbs was pretty sure she had started on when she arrived.