Now Dee and Gus are at Dee’s house cooking dinner for her husband. Dee has her hair and nails did, all prettied up. She and Gus are cooking and talking serious family business.
By five o’clock, that same afternoon, Gus knew the family secret. She was horrified. After hearing it, she almost hated her mother at that point. Gus was furious and wanted to confront Hazeline that night, but Dee told Gus to calm down.
“Think of it as being your ace in the hole. Gus, you can always use it as leverage against Hazeline later down the road. And every time she makes you mad, just smile at her because you know her secret. Save it honey, for something to use against her, that concerns Big Hank. She’d rather die and meet the Devil than let him know.”
Aunt Dee didn’t think Big Hank knew anything about it. She couldn’t see Hazeline admitting to Big Hank that she did anything that bad. Only Toolie, Frankie, Aunt Dee and their siblings knew what Hazeline did.
It was the only incident from their childhood that was so bad. After it happened, no one ever talked about it. Like it never happened. Dee was sure it was never repeated to anyone else outside of the family, by any of their siblings or even Frankie. And what Tooley said at the beauty shop was the first time Dee thought about it in many years. It was the first time Gus heard anything about what had happened, over forty years ago. Longer than she or any of her cousins had been alive.
The most amazing part of this situation was that Gus thought there was no secrets in their family. She thought that none on them, her aunts and cousins couldn’t keep a secret to save their lives. But they sure did keep this secret.
Sweet Tommy, their tender welder.
On a Monday morning, Sweet Tommy’s helper, Luther, didn’t make it to work. Seemed he went four wheeling and broke his arm in a crash coming off a hill. So,Jake had no choice but to ask Manny if he could spare Gus for a couple of days, sweet Tommy needed a helper bad for the project he was on.
Gus was walking toward them when she heard Manny ask Jake,
“Sure, but do you wanna do that to her?”
“Do what to me?” Gus asked.
With a doubtful look Manny answered her, “Work with Sweet Tommy”.
Gus smiled. Tommy didn’t scare her.
Jake continued, “I’m thinking seriously about it. I don’t think he’ll be an ass around you. He’s a little a worse than most welders, I do agree. Just don’t like to be around men that are candy-asses or still-wet-behind-the-ears. Since, Gus’s not a man, that’ll be a plus for her.”
“Oh, I’ll be O.K.”, Gus answered back, “He’s never cussed around me like ya’ll say he does. Always nice to me.”
Jake smiled big and said,
“That’s what I’m counting on. She’ll be fine. I gotta good feelin’ bout this.”
Manny wasn’t as sure as they were, but he let her go for a couple of days on the condition than she “don’t take any ugliness from Sweet Tommy, you hear me?” Gus re-assured him she’d be fine and walked over to Mr. Sunshine’s work bench.
Sweet Tommy and Gus made fast friends and co-workers. He surprised everyone but Gus. She knew he was a sweetie under all that meanness. But he didn’t let up on the rest of the crew.
“What the Hell you lookin’ at?” Tommy would yell if anyone noticed them talking quietly to each other. Toker thought Tommy was smiling a little more “and cursed only half as much as normal lately and Manny said he heard him whistling on the way to the gate one evening after work.”
Tommy was more than polite. Nothing but a gentleman to her all three days. Even offered Gus his prize mid-morning snack, a banana.
He held up the banana to Gus and said, “You know, it’s the most complete fruit. It has every vitamin your body needs in it: totally complete.” And then he got another one out of his bag for himself. Apparently, Tommy brought an extra one for her. Turned out Sweet Tommy was a health nut, but no one would know that cause of all the hell he raised. No one wanted to eat with him much less cared to pay attention to his eating habits.
Back in the day sweet Tommy lived several hard lives and the mileage was starting to affect his health. The doctor bluntly told him if he kept up the lifestyle he lived, he wouldn’t live another five years. Being the-man-he-was, he was determined not to let anything beat him. He stopped the drugs, drinking and the smoking. He was healthy and fit now, period.
“That was six years ago.” He said with a smile. Gus was eating her banana and listening to Tommy like her life depended on it. He loved the attention he was getting from her. However, he didn’t talk much about his personal life and this was the most he’d talked to anyone at work in a couple of months. Other people watched them talk. Gus could tell they seem to watch with amazement. She smiled back at them if she noticed anyone watching and never said a word to Sweet Tommy.
Later that day she had been thinking about everything Tommy said earlier at lunch.
“I’m glad you listened to the doctor, ‘cause I’ve enjoyed working with you the last couple of days.”
He smiled back at her and whispered,
“Yeah? Well, don’t tell anyone you enjoyed working with me. ‘Gotta’ a rep to keep up, you know?” She acknowledged him with a nod and simple smile, then said her normal goodbye to him. “See you in the morning Sweet Tommy. B‘careful driving home.”
“I will; you too.”