The Brooch

Come With Me

Cleaver Jones, was an elderly black man that was well known and respected all around Ponchas. He was a husband and a father to seven grown kids. And a grandfather to over twenty eight. And a great grandfather to nine. And one of those great grandchildren, happened to be Leslie Anne Thumper. But most knew him as Mrs. Crowder's driver, gardener, cook, and on occasion not so perfect companion. Someone who at times kept her in line. Someone everyone knew who could contend with Mrs. Crowder on occasion and put her in her place. But never dared.

So it was odd for Maple to think Cleaver would do anything out of the ordinary. But that day he did. Maple found herself being held against her will in that long Rolls Royce, as it rolled out of her neighborhood and on a busy intersection to Lord knows where.

"Where are you takin me, Mr. Jones?" A nervous and upset Maple hollered!

"Oh I thank you know where." Cleava said as he continued to drive.

"Naw you let me out of this car! Right naw Mr. Jones! Or I swear on all that is holy, I will jump out of this movin vehicle! Ya hear me!?!"

"Calm down young Miss." Cleava replied trying to look back.

But Maple was anything but calm. That same feeling she had with Andrew not even a few moments ago, now haunted her being in the Rolls with Cleaver.

"Stop this car and Let me out! Daggumit!"

"Naw you got in the car willingly..."

"You tricked me!"

"Huh uh. I didn't trick you. I jest opened the door. And you got in of yo own free will. Ain't that right young Woods?"

"Naw Mr. Jones, hmm.. I always thought of you as a good man. Moreover, you are one of my best friend's kin. And my mumma and daddy always told me to respect my elders."

"That's good..."

"But I swear if you keep rollin down this road in the direction you are goin, I will be forced to jump over this seat with my bloomers for all the world to see! And I will commandeer this vehicle and knock the shuga outta you while I'm at it!" She growled! "Naw I have jest about have enough foe the day! I'm tired!" She fussed! "Let me outta this car!"

"Nah nah nah calm down Maple." Cleaver said anxiously tryin to keep his eye on the busy road and Maple. "You know I would never do anythang to hurt you, Miss!"

"Then why are you holdin me hostage?"

"I have my orders!"

"From Mrs. Crowder?"

"Why yes!" Cleaver replied.

"Whuts wrong withchu?!?" Maple hollered! "You lost yo everlastin mind? Since when you listen to that woman? She growled. "Lawd! They gonna have me on the news I'm tellin ya! Especially if I see her! First for taken you down! And then wrappin her up like a live pig on a grill!"

"Yo hair is wild." Cleaver just said out of the blue.

"Whut?"

"Yo hair... it's wild. You should comb it down or some em. You wan a brush? Mrs. Crowder always keeps uh extra one in the car. Foe her wigs that is."

Maple looked through in the rearview mirror. That look she gave Mr. Jones was a puzzling one. Why she looked at him, like he was one who flew over the cuckoo's nest.

"It's in the glove compartment, I kin get it foe ya. You wont it?"

"Mmm-hmm. Oh I wont it. I'll take that brush. Yes suh. Go head and give it to me." Maple coyly said scooting up in the seat.

Cleaver leaned over to the glove compartment and removed the thick bristled brush from it.

"Here ya go." He said hesitantly handed it to her. "It's jest, you wan look yo best."

"Course." Maple said taking that brush.

Cleaver nervously snickered.

"Sides, I know you don't wanna hear, Mrs. Crowder's mouth sayin you look like you been rollin in the hay. Especially after yo encounter Mr. Wellington that is."

"Nope.." Maple agreed. "Mr. Jones?"

"Mmm-hmm." He said putting his hands back on the wheel..

"Thank ya foe the brush."

"No problem. No problem." He said with a wide grin.

Just as Cleaver put his eyes back on the road after  handing Maple that brush... Why we all know what she did with it. And it wasn't brushing her hair. The next thing Cleaver heard was...

POP!!!

A wild hair Maple started smacking Cleaver in the back of the head like an undisciplined child. She popped him. She popped him good!

"Ou!" Cleaver screeched in agony!

"Now I done warned ya ta stop this vehicle and stop this nonsense! But you wouldn't listen! Ya listenin now! Ain't cha!" She said smacking him good!

And she kept smacking him. Poor Cleaver skidded and pulled over that vehicle on the side of  road. As the cars behind him honked. Maple jumped out of that vehicle so quick, she nearly caught her flowered swing dress in the door!

"Please Maple!"  Cleaver pleaded.

But a hells fire Maple wasn't about to listen.

"I'm sorry, I tricked ya from gettin in this car. But you have ta understand!"

"I don't have ta understand nothin Mr. Jones!" Maple hissed walking the opposite way of oncoming traffic. "Fact is, you tried to hold me against my will! And I coulda done much worse. But I respect ya! Naw I'm sorry for smackin ya suh! But I'll be a daggone nut on a wheel, like a hamster gone wild,  to say I'm sorry that I got out that car!"

"She needs you." He said.

"Lawd...I done smacked him harder than I realized." Maple said looking in the night sky.

"Please... I'm beggin you. I ain't never seen her like this."

"Like whut?" Maple scowled.

"Desperate..."

"Pifft! Well shame on ya." Maple said starting to walk off again.

"I can't chase ya, Maple. We both know you would out run me. And after whut you did with that brush, well I am even hesitant to get back in the vehicle with ya. But I am askin you, not for her. But foe me. Will come with me? Of yo own free will? Come see her. And I promise I will never ask you of anythang ever again."

"Why? Whut does she wont?"

"I don't know." Cleaver honestly replied. "But whut I do know is, she will not let up until you do. You kin walk away tonight. But wouldn't you rather come face to face with her on these terms? And in her own estate? Than her to be in yo neighborhood for all the world to see. You and I both know how that went last time. Naw, I don't know whut she wonts. But I ain't never seen her like this. She ain't perfect. Far from it. Why she is a downright, pigheaded, insufferable, I hate ta say it sometimes uh poor excuse for a human being. But there is a part of her I used ta know. When my friend, her husband was alive. And I see that part sneak up every now and then on a very rare occasion. Nonetheless, I made a promise to care for her. I'm just asking you to help me keep that promise. Just this once..."

Maple could see the sincerity and concern in Cleaver's eyes. Still she was skeptical. Against her better judgment, she got back into the vehicle as they took a drive to the Crowder estate.

MAPLE: "What have I gotten myself into?" Maple thought to herself.

As she was now too far from home. And there was no turning back no matter how much she may have wanted too...