Troublemaker (14 page)

“It's all right, baby girl,” Allene answered back. “Sometimes you got to tell the truth and shame the devil.”

A
lexandria had known that this weekend was going to be filled with challenges, but she hadn't bargained on an immediate confrontation with her brother. She'd hoped that by some miracle, Christian would've shown up sober, calm, and ready to change his life. But when she saw what kind of shape he was in, and then read his mind and discovered the underhanded things he'd done to their father, and was planning to do to their mother, she lost it. She knew she was going to have to exercise better control of her gift, not just with him, but with a few others this weekend as well.

After the intense scene that Christian had caused, everyone calmed themselves with Samantha's delicious but potent mixed drinks, before gathering outside to relax by the pool. A few hours later, they changed clothes and then piled into their vehicles and headed downtown to enjoy Nedine's grand festival activities.

The night air was hot, humid, and sticky, but it didn't stop the residents of the small town and neighboring hamlets from coming out to celebrate in the droves. Alexandria was hoping the good time would rub off on PJ because she'd never seen him so upset.

Other than her father, PJ was one of the most even-tempered, easygoing people Alexandria knew, and like Ted, he didn't let stressful situations or people get the better of him. But she knew that when her brother was drunk and high, he could make the devil curse, and this afternoon he'd pushed PJ's buttons.

Alexandria wanted PJ to enjoy this weekend and she knew she needed to say something to lift his mood. She spoke to him in a soft, gentle tone. “Honey, I know you were upset today, but please let it go. I'm not thinking about my brother, and you shouldn't either. Don't let him spoil our weekend.”

“I don't like the way he disrespected you, Ali, and I'm not going to stand by and let any man, family or otherwise, talk out of order to you. You're going to be my wife, and I'm not going to tolerate the kind of nonsense that Christian pulled this afternoon. And then trying to swindle your mom? What kind of person is he?”

“The kind we have to pray for. He's an addict,” she whispered in a sad voice. “This isn't my brother, this is the drugs inside him.”

“Baby, I don't mean to sound insensitive, but I know how this goes. Yes, he's an addict, but he also knows what he's doing, and he's taking advantage of everyone's patience with him. But trust me, this isn't the time to be understanding or sympathetic. He's in trouble and he needs tough love before it's too late.”

“I'm hoping this weekend will help him. Maybe this will be the start of Christian's new beginning.”

Alexandria wrapped her arms around PJ, causing him to soften in her embrace. “Thank you for standing up for me today, and for caring enough about my brother to see that he needs help. Did I tell you today that I love you?”

“Yes, you did. But you can tell me again.”

“I love you, Dr. Parker Brightwood, II, and I know that I'm the luckiest woman alive to have you in my life. Now let's forget about everything that happened this afternoon and enjoy this beautiful night of celebration.”

They strolled hand in hand, taking in the smells, sights, and sounds of Nedine. Food carts lined the main street, supplying everything from cotton candy and funnel cakes to barbecue and collard greens. Vendors were selling paintings and jewelry, artists were drawing caricature portraits for the adults and painting faces for the children, and musicians were performing a in a variety of genres from bluegrass to soul. But the most dynamic part of all was the array of flowers displayed throughout downtown. The sight and mixture of tulips, wildflowers, roses, azaleas, and chrysanthemums was beautiful and the smell was intoxicating.

Alexandria was glad to see that her parents were laughing and having fun, looking like a happy-go-lucky couple in love. Tyler and Samantha were checking out the African art display in the middle of the town square, Chase was rocking to the beat with a group of teenagers and young adults gathered in front of the stage where a hip-hop group was performing, and Uncle Maxx was sitting on a bench reminiscing with some of the town's older residents whom he hadn't seen since he was home for John Small's burial service six years ago.

Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, including Christian, who was engaged in what looked like an intense and flirtatious conversation with an attractive young woman sporting an Angela Davis–like afro. Alexandria couldn't put her finger on it, but the more she looked at the two, the stranger she felt. She didn't know if it was her brother's dangerous and unpredictable energy she sensed, the woman's, or both combined, but there was an aura hanging over them that she didn't like. “Don't let him stress you,” Alexandria said to herself.

She erased the thought of Christian and his new girl-toy from her mind as she and PJ continued to stroll through the lively crowds. They slowed down when they came up to a small coffee bistro nestled in between a clothing store and a gift shop. Alexandria could feel the vibes coming from the building just by standing outside, and when she looked through the large glass windows and doors, people were packed inside, lining the walls.

“I wonder what's going on in there?” Alexandria asked.

“Let's go inside and take a look.”

They walked hand in hand inside the quaint coffee shop, inhaling the flavorful aroma of arabica, robusta, and liberica coffee beans. Every chair was taken, and some patrons were even sitting on the floor. To the side, beautiful pink colored roses and yellow daisies lined a large counter that was filled with cups, condiments, and paper products. When Alexandria heard melodic words being spun to the rhythm of an a cappella delivery, she instantly knew why the small coffee shop was so crowded. It was spoken-word night.

“Ali, you should see if they'll let you perform,” PJ said.

Alexandria looked around the room of relaxed Southern hipsters and searched for the person who she thought was in charge of the lineup. “I wonder if they have a set program or if it's open mic night?”

“There's only one way to find out.”

“Okay, I'll go up front and see if I can talk to someone.”

Alexandria walked up to the front of the room and quickly found the owner. A tall, heavyset pale looking woman with long blond hair, and the thickest Southern accent Victoria had ever heard, stretched out her hand an introduced herself. “I'm Penny Simms, the owner, and this here is the Coffee House. Welcome.”

“It's nice to meet you, Penny. My name is Alexandria.”

Alexandria felt as though she was under inspection as Penny eyed her up and down, from her fuchsia-colored backless halter top, to the skinny jeans that hugged her thick thighs and sultry curves, to the jewel-toned sandals that adorned her feet. “You ain't from 'round here, are ya?” Penny asked.

“No, ma'am. I'm from Atlanta, and my family and I are in town for the Flower Festival,” Alexandria told her.

Penny smiled, revealing small pink gums and teeth so large they didn't look real. Alexandria thought she looked like a cartoon that had come to life. But there was no doubt that Penny was real, and she read Alexandria's mind. “We're havin' open mic tonight. You wanna perform?”

“Yes, how did you know?”

“You look like one of them artist types, all flowery and pretty and such. I just kinda figured that's why you wanted to speak to me.”

“I'm a regular at a club called The Lazy Day in downtown Atlanta, and I'd love to perform for your audience here.”

“All righty.” Penny smiled and then paused. “What'cha gonna speak about? World peace or somethin'? From the way you look, maybe somethin' about fashion or a nice love poem? I only ask 'cause it seems like this is a hard crowd to please tonight.”

Alexandria looked around the room and saw why Penny had made that statement. There was an eclectic mix of bohemians, hipsters, local good ol' boys and girls, and sophisticated urbanites who were obviously only in town for the Flower Festival. Alexandria knew from experience that diverse crowds were the hardest because everyone's tastes were so different. But they were also the perfect crowd for testing out new material, which she planned to do tonight.

She thought about which new piece she should perform, and she knew she needed to pick a universal theme that everyone could relate to. It came to her. “I'll perform a piece about love.”

“Everybody needs a little love,” Penny said with a wink. “I'll go up and introduce you now.”

Alexandria stood to the side with anticipation as she looked out into the crowd. She always felt a rush of nervous energy when she was about to go onstage and tonight was no different. When she heard her name, followed by mild applause at best, she took a deep breath and walked up to the microphone across the room. She smiled when she saw PJ giving her a thumbs-up sign from where he was standing against the wall.

“Good evening,” Alexandria began. “How y'all doing?”

That question usually warmed up the crowd, as it forced a response that led to engagement, which then spurred interaction. But in this case most of the patrons simply sipped their iced lattes and looked on with bored expressions. She knew she was going to have to connect with the audience on a personal level, draw them in slowly, and then give it to them hard.

“I'm visiting Nedine with my family, and we're here not just because of the Flower Festival, but because this is where our roots were planted. My mother's father lived here, and his father before him. So I come to Nedine standing on the life and legacy of family and love. And that's what I'm going to speak about tonight. Love.”

The crowd seemed to perk up a bit, and a few even put their drinks down to listen.

“Love is just like the flowers this town is celebrating. It starts out as a small seed, and it takes time, patience, and careful attention to make it bloom. It's a process. The soil has to be cultivated, the temperature has to be right, and the conditions need to be stable so the stem can take root and grow into this,” Alexandria said, pointing to the large vase of colorful flowers sitting on the table beside her. “A beautiful example of love in bloom. Tonight I'm going to talk about how love feels, what it can do, and the beauty it can bring to life.

When she saw the crowd nodding she knew she had their attention. She looked out at PJ again, who was nodding his head and smiling. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, then opened them as she began.

“Thank you,” Alexandria said as she bowed to applause. She stepped away from the microphone and walked back to where Penny was standing as the crowd continued to clap with approval.

“That was fantastic, young lady! You really brought this crowd to life,” Penny said with a smile as she displayed what looked like a hundred teeth.

“Thank you, Penny. I'm glad you enjoyed my performance.”

PJ walked up to her and put his arms around her trim waist, giving her a big hug. “You were great. I loved it.”

“It was about you, and the way you make me feel. You're a part of me, and your love is embedded in everything I do.”

They walked out of the Coffee House just as they'd come in, hand in hand, enjoying the energy and festivities of the night. As they walked back into the main hub of the festival, they could see that the crowd had grown even larger.

“This afternoon got off to a rocky start, but this evening has been great,” Alexandria said.

“Yeah, I'm having a really good time.”

As soon as PJ declared his happy mood, his phone started buzzing. He sighed as he looked down and read his incoming text out loud. Right then, Alexandria knew that things were about to take another turn.

“I'm here, at the corner of Second Street and Main,” PJ said, reciting the text his father had just sent him.

Alexandria was glad that PJ had acted surprised when his father had called him earlier this afternoon and told him that he was in Nedine. Parker had explained that he'd decided to come at the last minute, partly because he was curious to get a look at the town where his future daughter-in-law's roots had been planted, and also because his fatherly instincts told him he needed to be there. “When you're a parent, you'll understand where I'm coming from,” Parker had told him.