Green Eyed Monster

That Fateful Day

After Mrs Tolbert told me her secret, her health deteriorated rapidly. That buoyant, confident, outspoken but lovable woman I met was gone. Lola told Trevor that Solomon is taking her condition extremely hard. To brighten her spirits, they're celebrating Hyde's second birthday at her home.

Gypsy and I are actually something like friends now. I told her what Mrs T shared with me. Of course, she already knew everything. Mrs Tolbert confided in her shortly after she moved here, too. Gypsy's our helper. Being a part of our family today has her filled with glee.

Terri and her children arrive first. They were small babies when I moved here; now her oldest son, Quintin, is 10, and her daughter Shelley is 7, going on 25. And then there's the baby boy, Bret, who is now 4 years old. They're spoiled brats, but they greet me very politely as they enter Mrs Tolbert's home. Terri and Ivey both give me a kiss and hug, then head inside.

I feel a tug on my dress. I look down, and it's Hyde only wearing his shirt. His sweet voice calls, "Nana!"

I pick him up, asking, "Hyde, what are you doing out here alone? Where's your mommy?"

"No, mommy! Nana!"

"Well, you got Nana."

He grins as I blow on his cheek. Soon, I see Lola frantically looking for him, so I call out, "Lola!"

Hyde looks at me, stunned. Hugging my neck, he says, "No, mommy! Nana!"

Lola rolls her eyes as she storms toward us. Hyde's now screaming in that high pitch, "No, mommy!" He's choking me now.

I ask, "What in the world is going on?"

Suddenly, Lola started laughing. Hyde's acting. He tries to peek her way, so she stomps and says, "Hyde! Stop playing!"

He leans back, reaching for her, saying, "Wed pants."

"Those are pajamas, Hy-Dee. Don't you want to play with your friends?"

Lip poked out, he nods. "Well, look. They're all wearing pants. Let's dress up so we can play, okay? As soon as they leave, you may put on your red pants, alright?"

Pouting and nodding, he hugs her neck and says, "Mommy."

"It's okay. Mommy's not mad at you."

I watch as they walk away. He lifts his head and then waves bye-bye to me. Grinning, I wave and blow him kisses.

Mrs Tolbert's home is packed. It's more of a family reunion than Hyde's birthday party. Everyone has come while Mrs. Tolbert remembers them, and Solomon has been under Mrs. Tolbert all day. She whispers something to him, and he gives a concerned look, then remains sitting, zoned out, staring into space. 

A tear falls from his eyes, and he hurries upstairs. I inspect the room to see if anyone else noticed. No one follows him, so I look for Lola. She's having a ball helping the children hit the piñata. I wait a few seconds more, then I sneak upstairs. 

The back room he'd spend the night in, the door is cracked. I take a deep breath and knock as I softly call his name. With a light shove, I push the door open, and he's lying across the bed on his stomach.

"Solomon? Are you okay?"

Without replying, he walks into his bathroom, blows his nose, washes his hands, then reenters the bedroom. Through squinted eyes, he looks my way, then lies back facedown across his bed.

"You want to talk about it?"

"Mae, why are you here?"

"I'm concerned about you. Your nana told me everything."