might flood?” Jade asked.
Clarice shrugged. “Honey, the city is in flood warning already. This old hotel won’t be exempt. However, don’t you worry none. It’s lasted through a civil war, more floods than you can count, and a fair amount of hurricanes. This little thunderstorm will pass, just like they all do, and we’ll all go on livin’ our lives just like always. In the meantime, you hurry back down and I’ll have that gumbo ready and waiting.”
Raphael grabbed the bags, while Clarence dug an old luggage dolly out of a closet behind the front desk, loaded Jade’s box of artwork onto it, and followed them up the stairs.
The room was just like the lower level that they’d seen—furnished with out-of-date furniture, but clean as the proverbial whistle. The bed—an old four-poster with mosquito netting and a care-worn mauve duvet—took centerstage in the room.
“I see Clarice likes you,” Clarence said, as he unloaded the box.
Raphael turned around, uncertain what he getting at. “What do you mean?”
Clarence pointed at the bed. “She put you two in the honeymoon suite.”
“Why is it the honeymoon suite?” Jade asked.
“Got its own bath,” Clarence said, pointing toward a door on their right, then winked at her. “You’ll be just fine here.”
Jade ignored the man’s assumption that she and Raphael had a sexual relationship. It was something people always assumed about them, although it was the farthest thing from the truth. In fact, the truth of their bond was nothing anyone else could ever have understood.
Jade thrust her hand in her pocket and impulsively pulled out some money to pay him for hauling their box up the stairs.
“Thank you,” she said, as she handed him some bills.
Clarence held up his hand in gentle refusal. “Your man done paid me for the ride, missy. No need for more.”
Jade put the money back in her pocket and then nodded without knowing what else to say.
The old man was on his way out of the room when he stopped and turned around. An odd expression crossed his face, and it was as if his eyes suddenly lost their focus.
“You be goin’ home soon now,” he said. “Trust the big man. It will be okay.”
A shaft of panic sliced through Jade’s belly. She didn’t trust any men except Raphael.
“I’m already home,” she said, and stepped beneath the shelter of Raphael’s arms. “He is my home.”
Clarence shuddered just as Clarice entered with an armful of clean towels. She saw the look on her brother’s face and frowned.
“Stop that, you old fool! You gonna go and scare off my guests. Get on with you. Go find someone to drive around and don’t get yourself drowned now…you hear?”
Clarence blinked, then looked around in confusions.
“What you sayin’ to me, sista?”
“Go on now. It’s okay. You just slipped outa’ you-self…but you back now. I told you not to drown.”
He acknowledged her words with a smile, then glanced toward Jade before he left.
“Don’t be afraid,” he said softly, then left.
Jade shivered, then followed Clarice into the bathroom, where she was putting out the clean linens.
“Ma’am?”
“Honey, you just call me Clarice.”
“Yes, all right,” Jade said. “Uh…about your brother. What did you mean when you said he slipped out of himself?”
Afraid she was about to lose the only customers she’d had in weeks, Clarice tried to laugh off what had happened.
“Oh, that brother of mine fancies himself a seer.”
“A what?”
“He says he has visions, but don’t you worry yourself none. We don’t pay him no mind in our family. We all think Momma dropped him on his head when he was a baby.” Then she laughed, tickled at her own wit. “Hurry on down now. My gumbo is just what you need to set yourself right.”
She left quickly, leaving Jade and Raphael alone.
“Rafie?”
“What?”
“What do you think that man meant?”
“I don’t know, honey. But that gumbo sure sounds good. Let’s
Clarice shrugged. “Honey, the city is in flood warning already. This old hotel won’t be exempt. However, don’t you worry none. It’s lasted through a civil war, more floods than you can count, and a fair amount of hurricanes. This little thunderstorm will pass, just like they all do, and we’ll all go on livin’ our lives just like always. In the meantime, you hurry back down and I’ll have that gumbo ready and waiting.”
Raphael grabbed the bags, while Clarence dug an old luggage dolly out of a closet behind the front desk, loaded Jade’s box of artwork onto it, and followed them up the stairs.
The room was just like the lower level that they’d seen—furnished with out-of-date furniture, but clean as the proverbial whistle. The bed—an old four-poster with mosquito netting and a care-worn mauve duvet—took centerstage in the room.
“I see Clarice likes you,” Clarence said, as he unloaded the box.
Raphael turned around, uncertain what he getting at. “What do you mean?”
Clarence pointed at the bed. “She put you two in the honeymoon suite.”
“Why is it the honeymoon suite?” Jade asked.
“Got its own bath,” Clarence said, pointing toward a door on their right, then winked at her. “You’ll be just fine here.”
Jade ignored the man’s assumption that she and Raphael had a sexual relationship. It was something people always assumed about them, although it was the farthest thing from the truth. In fact, the truth of their bond was nothing anyone else could ever have understood.
Jade thrust her hand in her pocket and impulsively pulled out some money to pay him for hauling their box up the stairs.
“Thank you,” she said, as she handed him some bills.
Clarence held up his hand in gentle refusal. “Your man done paid me for the ride, missy. No need for more.”
Jade put the money back in her pocket and then nodded without knowing what else to say.
The old man was on his way out of the room when he stopped and turned around. An odd expression crossed his face, and it was as if his eyes suddenly lost their focus.
“You be goin’ home soon now,” he said. “Trust the big man. It will be okay.”
A shaft of panic sliced through Jade’s belly. She didn’t trust any men except Raphael.
“I’m already home,” she said, and stepped beneath the shelter of Raphael’s arms. “He is my home.”
Clarence shuddered just as Clarice entered with an armful of clean towels. She saw the look on her brother’s face and frowned.
“Stop that, you old fool! You gonna go and scare off my guests. Get on with you. Go find someone to drive around and don’t get yourself drowned now…you hear?”
Clarence blinked, then looked around in confusions.
“What you sayin’ to me, sista?”
“Go on now. It’s okay. You just slipped outa’ you-self…but you back now. I told you not to drown.”
He acknowledged her words with a smile, then glanced toward Jade before he left.
“Don’t be afraid,” he said softly, then left.
Jade shivered, then followed Clarice into the bathroom, where she was putting out the clean linens.
“Ma’am?”
“Honey, you just call me Clarice.”
“Yes, all right,” Jade said. “Uh…about your brother. What did you mean when you said he slipped out of himself?”
Afraid she was about to lose the only customers she’d had in weeks, Clarice tried to laugh off what had happened.
“Oh, that brother of mine fancies himself a seer.”
“A what?”
“He says he has visions, but don’t you worry yourself none. We don’t pay him no mind in our family. We all think Momma dropped him on his head when he was a baby.” Then she laughed, tickled at her own wit. “Hurry on down now. My gumbo is just what you need to set yourself right.”
She left quickly, leaving Jade and Raphael alone.
“Rafie?”
“What?”
“What do you think that man meant?”
“I don’t know, honey. But that gumbo sure sounds good. Let’s
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