ODDS OF LOVE - SEASON 14

Episode 128

    " I'm very very sorry for your loss, Mrs. Simms ,"  Vance Chesterfield Jr. murmured kindly as he patted the trembling hands of Nettie Jean Benson who sat opposite him on the sofa wearing a long black dress, black spiked heels and a small black hat with a lacy veil attached.

" Oh , my poor ,  poor ,  dear Jonah ! Jonah ! Why ! Why ! "

LuLu Simms , from beside her younger sister in a light blue dress and canvas sneakers , made a sour face at her before glancing at the tall skinny to the point of bony director of the Chesterfield and Sons Funeral Home in Hyattsville. She sat up straight and said firmly," Hey ! I am Mrs. Simms. Pronounced Salmon. It's a very unique name. Jonah was my husband. He died and made me a widow. " A very happy widow, she thought cheerily to herself as she mused on the insurance policy he had purchased shortly after they had married. A policy for two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. She had almost passed out when she saw that amount on the paperwork she found in the closet on the top shelf in a locked box that she had to break into with a bobby pin. And , then she immediately hustled to the metro station to catch a train to the Merry Widow Insurance Company before it closed. The lady there had been so sweet and helpful. And , so prompt handing her the nice big check for her to deposit in her bank account. " This is my very foolish sister who is overreacting because she is currently pregnant with child. " A fact that irritated LuLu. That meant she could not kick her straight into the streets. Not without upsetting their father and she needed Bubba Joe to stay to be babysitter for the triplets. After all, the money would not last that long in this economy, and when they were a year old in a few months she planned to put them in Little Ivies. It was after all the best preschool in the area. And they had Rebel in their commercial. Plus she overheard Spencer telling that Aiden Norris outside that he was applying for Miracle to go there. If Miracle was going to Little Ivies so were Ruby, Sapphire and Pearl. Which meant she would need to apply for jobs after an appropriate mourning period.

The funeral director looked confused as he sat back on his chair. " Oh. Well. Oh. Of course, Mrs...... Simms. I mean Salmon. I do apologize on your very tragic loss. We have some very nice caskets available in our Burnished Elegance line. Bronze caskets with satin lining. Would you care to look at one ? "

Nettie Jean blinked her teary eyes. " Oh that sounds nice. How much? Jonah was worth any price. "

The man swallowed as he glanced from Nettie Jean to LuLu. " Well , ..... Mrs. Si..... Salmon, that particular line begins at fifteen thousand dollars. I....."

LuLu interrupted ," Is there anything more inexpensive than that particular line? Jonah was a very frugal man. I was thinking more of along...... say , two thousand dollars? "

Nettie Jean glared at her sister.

The funeral director blanched pale white in the face.