Tone Death

Jackie was the oldest of Leola’s daughters and she was full of emotions as her and her two other sisters came together for what would be the first time in years. Reunions are always exciting. Especially when people come together to rejoice each-others company, as well as catch up and reminisce on the memories and past.

The sisters got older and their lives took different directions, but the sudden death of dear Ms. Sweet Leola has left the sisters no choice but to leave their current lives and return home to deal with their mothers’ death. I walked up to Jacki to console her, she seem to be taking it the worst. She displayed her hurt and for good reason. She spent the majority her life in the last 6 years helping her motherrun the business side of the bakery,that her and her late husband established and ran for what was basically all their whole life. Leola met her husband Theodore when we were just girls. Theodore was smooth, and all the girls wanted him, but he took a interest to the smart southern girl with the snappy attitude. She was so mean to him; I didn’t understand it but that didn’t stop him, and it drove her crazy and I laughed and teased her. I knew she took a interest in him as well. She was my best-friend , so I knew but I wouldn’t dare tell her I knew. Nevertheless, he was 18 and she was 16, they married and started building their lives together. Papa Lee was a pretty wealthy man, but he was tight and made sure that Leola knew the importance of working for the things that she needed and wanted.

Theodore was a slick talker, liked by most and hated by some but believe it or not Papa Lee loved him and thought he was a good young man that could build a great life for his daughter and that he did, or should I say they did.

Theodore went to Papa Lee and got a loan to start the Bakery and in six months they were able to pay the money back and all the interest. This was the best time of our lives, they were making what we thought was a lot of money with the bake goods that Leola would create. I know because I was there and because I was her best friend so I came along for the ride, but they never made me feel like an outsider and we enjoyed life a lot. Theodore was in love and he showed his feisty little wife his love and appreciation with gifts, nice dates and expensive girls trips. While living a rockstar life was fun nothing compares to the happiness all of us felt when we found out Jackie was on her way . The whole community was excited and would be when each of the girls was announced. When Jackie was 2 and Destiny was on the way, Theodore had a meeting with a fancy businessman that gave him a big check to take the bakery global, at least that’s what Leola told me. Due to the new business, they had way more money than they could count but that didn’t make problems go away ,and depending on who you ask the money intensified the problems. Leola was strong, and that alone helped them walk threw the fire and stay together but when the smoke cleared all you seen was their union and love that was built on dedication.

Through it all the girls got older and sent their parents through different change and o did they. Each girl was different and had her own wild ways, but Jackie and Lully had nothing on Ms. Destiny, I started calling her that when she was 2 because baby girl was full of life and took up all the space in the room since she exited the birth canal. Jackie and Lully and were no angels either but Jackie seemed to have anger issues and would fight a lot all the way through school while Lully was a hopeless romantic that seemed to always take an interest in boys and baking. As the girls got older Destiny was a little too free spirited and had to go stay with her grandparents Theodore’s mother and father. She returned back to Buffalo when she was 19 to go to college from home but that didn’t last long and her resentment toward her parents for sending her away destroyed her parents especially Leola but not more than the big fight her and Leola had before she left home. Destiny ran off and got married and her parents didn’t agree nor did the like the young man, Leola felt that she did it to spit her father and in a heated argument Leola told Destiny trying to hurt me your was willing to herself in the process, but you can’t because I have a husband that really loved me”. Destiny fussed and screamed and told her mother “Well guess what I’m sure about find out and I aint never coming back! So, when you never see me again, you’re going to eat those words and I hope they taste like tar on the street”.

And that she did Destiny left and married a man who gave her the world and lost him because she never wanted children and did not compromise on it, so he left her. As sad as Leola was when Destiny left, she was even more destroyed to know her daughter didn’t understand that going with her parents was love and not neglect.

Lully left shortly after she got pregnant with her first child and married her first husband. Lully don’t even know what her shadow looks like because she always had a man to take care; cook, clean, help with school and work all of the things she saw Leola do with Theodore because by the time she came around they had settled into their wealth and was raising their family. So that’s all Lully seen. When Theodore passed Lully and Destiny came and left so fast, they hardly seen anyone. Leola claimed to understand but I know she hated to see them go. Now we are here, and they are together in harmony to send my dear best-friend and their mother off to glory.

About four days after everything with the funeral was over a lawyer sat a room with me and the three women as he read Ms. Leola’s last will testimony.

To my loving Jackie you have put your life on hold to fulfill a scholar life I am proud of your accomplishments and just grateful that a some point you put down webster down and was able to bless me with a wonderful and respectful grandson who I love dearly while I appreciate the help It’s time to get webster out your bed and put a man there I know them book can’t hold you. I leave you all of your father’s books and literature I know you will put it to great use, my estate in Puerto Rico and this check for $5,000

My Lulu better known as Lully I love you and I apologize if you never seen me love and take time for myself, you deserve so much more than what a man can give you especially the one got. You’re a smart girl so I know you will figure it out because momma knows and while I may not be here in physical form, I’m still watching please don’t stress my soul I don’t know if I can get my spirit on a lot of gin. I love you and all my grandchildren I leave you the estate in Texas my cloths to do as you wish and a check for $5,000.

Devine Destiny I love you more than you can imagine while you have always been distant if you’re hearing this that means your still in Buffalo and I thank you for that. I am so sorry if you have ever felt unloved just know I have always loved and because of that I leave you all of my jewelry.

I know this was bout to be a problem no check for Destiny made her look like the odd man out again.

The lawyer says “the will concludes with Ms. Leola saying that the Buffalo New York estate and Bakery service that is valued at 11.7 trillion dollars, each sister is equally responsibility to keep up, if for any reasons the girls cannot come together, they will sell the company and the estate and the proceeds will go to the research of my favorite candy candy-corn. Love always Momma Leola”.

See somebody already delivered my check and what I got is none of her daughters’ business and I wasn’t about it was about tell her daughters.

Destiny said “welp I’m leaving today”

Both Lully and Jackie said “What?”

Lully said, “you can’t leave you heard what momma said” Destiny standing at the door teary eyed said ‘No this was the stray for me, momma and daddy never cared about me and today it showed Its not about the money Its about principal so go ahead figure it out”.

Destiny walked back to the table and grabbed the jewelry box and walked out the room. Jackie looked at me and said “Momma Lucy” I said “Jackie you have to give your sister some time she will be fine.

Lully said” Momma Lucy did momma and daddy leave you anything I know you all have been friends for ever”.

I looked around the room and said “you know, this is a pretty office, it put together so nice”.

Jackie said” Momma Lucy” I said “what girl! Don’t be getting on my nerves I aint had my Jack today and that nice young man up the street from my house coming to do some work. Don’t worry about me I’m fine Lu- Lu you heard what your mother said I’m going home to mind my business but you better deal with that womanizing husband you got”.

Jackie said, “Thank you Momma Lucy, but I think we got it from here” I looked at her and said, “you sure is right and I got to go love yall and just give your sister some time”. The girls said, “I love you” and I went to enjoy my day.

​One afternoon about 3 weeks later I was sitting on my porch minding my business drinking some Jack like an old lady do and I saw a fancy black car stop in front of my house. A young woman got out and it was Destiny. She walked on the porch and said” Hey Momma Lucy how you feeling”? I said “hey Ms. Destiny and that depends on why you here. Destiny said” well I was going through momma’s jewelry box and I found a little black book where momma keep record of everything that happened in my life and while reading it, I realized I was wrong my parents did love me”. I said “I knew that I don’t even know where you got it from, but I like to mind my business because your momma and daddy would turn over in their graves if I had to get in the streets with you for getting smart. Destiny laughed and said I guess all these years I been tone death”

We sat there and talked and she said she was going to do right by her sisters and that they all decided to stay in buffalo until they made a solid plan for the estate and business and surprising to Destiny her mothers’ black book led her to her check that was $10,000 and she decided to keep $5,000 and split the rest among the grand-children and in my eyes that was alright.