A Golden Summer

Ms. Kat, er Mrs. Walker as Mama says I have to call her, has always lived next to us. Well as long as I can ‘member. She made me my cake last birthday! Brought it over with eight candles on it and everything! Ms. Kat was still wearin her flour-splotched apron over her house dress! She stayed to sing me Happy Birthday with Mama and Pa. She used to come over lots. Her and Mama would sometimes bake together. Mostly Ms. Kat did the baking and Mama just had tea. Mama isn’t a baker and often said as much. We both loved Ms. Kat’s cookies. They are THE best! Ms. Kat, she’d always slip me a treat or a couple dollars, with a wink and say “Shh. Our little secret.”

Ms. Kat’s house is a really cute pink cottage with white gingerbread-like trim around the edges where she lives with her grumpy husband. Maybe best you forget I said that last part. Mama always says “if you don’t have somethin nice to say about someone, best not to say anything!” But between you an me? He’s GRUMPY!

This one time me an my friends was playin an our ball went in his yard. He came out hollerin an stomping an told us all to scram! Said we were wrecking his lawn.

Nothin at all like Ms. Kat. One time, I was sitting on my swing all alone, Ms. Kat came out an after drying her hands in her apron pushed me a little an we talked about the birds and the pretty clouds in the sky. Ms. Kat could see all sorts of animals an pictures in the sky! Better‘an me and my friends! She was really good at hide an seek in the yard too! We played that too before falling down laughing real hard!

“How come you don’t have kids?” I asked one day staring up at the sky.

“Somethings just aren’t meant to be,” she’d answered looking a little sad.

“Millie!” Mama called from the porch, “Are you bothering Mrs. Walker again?”

“Not at all Dear,” Mrs. Walker would answer getting back up from the ground with a groan. “You know I love you girls.”

A booming male voice had interrupted then, “Kathryn, where’s my dinner. It’s 5 o’clock!” Mr. Walker was hollering from his own porch.

Then one day she just stopped coming.

“Mama. I miss Ms. Kat. I’m worried about her.” I said, and for once Mama didn’t correct me on her name.

“I’m worried too,” Mama answered. “I’m gonna whip up some stew for you to take over.”

A couple hours later, stew pot in hand, I knock on the door. Ms. Kat answered first with a big smile at seeing me, then a flash of fear crossed her face. She put her hand up to her neck where I thought I saw a red mark.

“Mama made you dinner.”

“Oh! Thank you dear. Stay right there,” she said taking the pot from me and closing the door. She came back with a scarf on her neck and a tray of cookies for me to take home.

Giving me the quickest of hugs Ms. Kat whispered, “I’ve missed you. Now go thank your Mama for me.”

And that’s how it went for the next little while. I’d bring over a meal from Mama, get a quick hug, and be sent back with cookies or cake. This one time, Ms. Kat was sporting a nasty shiner! I knew what one was ‘cause Billy in my class had one from fighting with his brother. He had to get up and ‘splain it to the whole class then talk about how fighting is bad. Ms. Kat handed me a cake and quickly turned away mumbling something about a fall. I didn’t get no hug that day.

The next day to our surprise, Ms. Kat came knocking at our door wearing her Sunday hat with her purse and a suitcase in tow.

“Is everything alright Mrs. Walker?” Mama had asked.

“Yes Dear,” she paused looking over her shoulder, “Well no. My sister’s husband is poorly and it’s not looking good. I’m going to help. I was hoping you could drop dinners for Mr. Walker for a week or so. I haven’t had time to prepare anything.”

“Of course,” Mama said, “Would Mr. Walker want to join us for dinner?”

“No.” Ms. Kat answered, “Joe’s not a people person and I’d hate to put you out any further.”

“It’s really no trouble,” Mama offered, “But if you’re sure.”

“I am Dears.” Ms. Kat pressed a paper into Mama’s palm, “My sisters’ number in case you need me.”

She bent down giving me a hug, turning as the honk of a bright yellow cab called her away.

After about a week Ms. Kat came home. She’d brought a little potted plant with her with the cutest little white flower! All of a sudden gardening was her life! A little flowerbed appeared in the front of the house in all the colors of the rainbow! Flowers, herbs and a few vegetables. That little potted plant had now found a place in the garden surrounded by the prettiest marigolds.

“Keeps away the pests you see,” she said one day inviting me over after she caught me staring over the fence.

She loved that garden. Sometimes she’d let me help which was lots of fun. I’d pull weeds and sometimes Ms. Kat’d hand me sprigs to smell or taste.

“That’s mint,” she’d say one day. “This is oregano.”

Oh! There were little berries to try too! The sweetest little blackberries I ever tasted.

Ms. Kat had laughed at my scrunched-up face after I tried a tart gooseberry she’d handed me, “Just wait until I make you jam from those!”

“Never, never eat a plant you don’t know,” Ms. Kat had said sternly one summer day plucking weeds by her once little potted plant and tearing off a few leaves. “There are some that can make you sick. Others can kill you!”

We talked a little then about some rare far-away plants and then about far off tropical places.

“I surely would love to travel someday,” Ms. Kat had stated wistfully

Days went by. Ms. Kat’d be humming as she worked in her garden. She seemed to be smiling more an more. She even got herself a new hairdo! A short cut that bobbed around as she moved. Ms. Kat had started coming over for tea again too! Last few times, Ms. Kat came by Mama shooed me out the door to let the ladies talk, saying I needed “fresh air.”

I hadn’t seen Mr. Walker in a while. Me an my friends would sometimes play catch or hopscotch out front. When we stepped on the grass by accident we all gasped in fear. But he didn’t come out to yell at us. That’s when I noticed the grass was getting longer. Then one day I seen the doctor come.

“Mama?” I’d asked, “Is Ms. Kat alright?”

“Yes Millie,” Mama answered, “Mr. Walker is ill.”

Days an weeks past, and the grass was getting taller. Pa went over to cut it. Ms. Kat took good care of him, Mr. Walker I mean, not Pa. Bringin in nurses, cooking meals, asking Mama for her healing chicken soup recipe. Mama started making it for her from time to time.

“To give her a break from cooking and caring for Mr. Walker. She must be so tired,” Mama said.

She didn’t look tired to me. In fact, As Mr. Walker got sicker’n sicker, Ms. Kat looked to be getting better. She stood a little taller an she wasn’t havin no more falls neither. I hadn’t seen no more red marks or black eyes. Her garden wasn’t getting much attention though, ‘cept for her favorite little plant. She still doted on that plant.

Then one day we got the news. There’d be a funeral for Mr. Walker. People started comin and dropping off food. Mama had to clear space in our fridge there was so much. Ms. Kat’s sister Amelia arrived.

“To help clear out the house and console Ms. Kat,” Mama said.

Well after packing up what must’ve been half the stuff in the house and hauling it away to the church, Amelia went to town on that front garden, weeding and clearing! I offered to help and she ordered me off.

“I need some busy work,” Amelia said.

“Mama!” I cried running inside, “She got rid of Ms. Kat’s favorite plant!”

“Shh Millie,” Mama said, “She can hear you. This must be hard for Mrs. Perkins too! Remember her husband passed not long ago.”

I didn’t go to the funeral with Mama, Ms. Kat and Ms. Amelia.

“No place for children,” Mama had said.

A few days later, Ms. Kat and Ms. Amelia were sitting on the porch sharing a glass of wine as I came home from school.

“To new beginnings.” I heard Ms. Amelia toast her sister.

I skipped over to say hello and show off my new school clothes. “Hi Ms. Kat. Hi Ms. Amelia.”

Both women smiled. Ms. Amelia looked a lot younger than Ms. Kat so I said so.

Ms. Amelia snorted her wine in laughter, “I’ll have you know that Kathryn is younger than me,” turning to her sister, “It’s high time we get you out of those frumpy clothes and give you a makeover!”

Over the next few days, another flurry of action seemed to take place at that gingerbread house next door. More donations were hauled away, and a whole new Ms. Kat seemed to emerge.

Even Mama commented, “I had no idea Mrs. Walker was such a looker!”

Each afternoon the sisters sat outside sharing a glass of wine. Laughs and bits of jibber jabber would carry over to our yard. Tales of tropical places, and men. Then the ‘For Sale’ sign went up next door. Soon after ‘SOLD’ lettering across it.

“It’s time to do that travelling I always dreamed about,” Ms. Kat said one day when she was over visiting.

I didn’t recognize her no more. She had her hair in a new color and had stylish clothes. She'd still slip me a few coins and would hug me closely. She smelled different too. All perfume-y.

“Me and Amelia are going to travel the world together,” she’d said, “We leave Tuesday!”

Mama had squealed in delight, “I’m so happy for you!”

Tuesday came and went an with it Ms. Kat. A few more days passed an there was a harsh knocking on the door. I answered to a policeman looking for Mrs. Walker.

“Mama!?” I called out.

Mama came up behind me and placed her hands on my shoulders as the Officer asked about Mrs. Walker.

“I have no idea where she is Officer.” Mama had offered.

“What about a Mrs. Amelia Perkins?” the Officer asked.

“Sorry no.” Mama answered. “What’s this about?”

The man said something about a tox-i-col-o-gy report or something like that. He wanted to talk to Mrs. Walker. Seems it was odd that both Mr. Walker and Mr. Perkins may have passed from similar toxins found in a rare plant from Central America.

I felt my eyes go wide and gasped as Mama dug her nails in HARD in my shoulders.

“Again, I’m sorry Officer.”

“If you hear from her, have her call,” the Officer handed Mama a card and walked away.

“Mama!” I protested.

“Not now Millie,” Mama said shutting the door.

“But the little plant Mama!” I whined.

“It’s bedtime Millie,” Mama said with a quick kiss on the cheek. “Off with you now.”

“Is Ms. Kat in trouble?” I asked Mama.

“No Dear, not anymore.”