Untrustworthy

Untrustworthy

It was summer of 1986, my mother cousin Mamie called out of the blue from Chicago, Illinois. Her daughter Tammy had gotten arrested for the second time stealing out of the Zippy Market. Mamie got the bright idea that Tammy should come down south to get away from the rough and tough city streets of Chicago. Instead of blaming Tammy, Mamie always blames the people she hung around. My mother Sarah never could bring herself to say no to family. I had no problem of this considering how they had treated us. My mother had no place to stay when she and my dad had gotten a divorce. My mother held down two jobs to take care of my brother Terry and myself. My dad laid around all day drinking and flirting with the loose neighborhood women. One afternoon my mother got off early from her second job doing hair. My father was in the bed screwing the neighbor's wife Georgia. My mother went postal and kicked both of their asses that day. Back then we lived in Franklin County which was located in Northern Alabama. We had to move in with my mother's friend Miss Valerie.

“Hello, Sarah,” said Mamie.

“How are you?” asked Sarah.

Mamie went on to tell mama about how Tammy was getting into trouble there hanging out with the wrong crowd. She wanted mama to let Tammy stay with us for a few weeks until her sister Rose came back from her cruise trip on the first of the month. Mama told her it would be fine and that she would have to ask me first about Tammy sharing my room for the summer.

I was sitting in my room with my headphones on listening to Salt & Pepa. I had no idea my mother was standing in my room. She came around in front of me smiling. My God what was going on now. I took my headphones down from my ears and looked at her.

“What's up mama?” I asked.

“You love your mama baby?” asked Sarah.

“Yes, I do,” I said.

“Your cousin Tammy is coming to town.” said Sarah. “She'll be staying with us for a few weeks.”

My mom convinces me to let her stay in the same room as me when she came to town. I really didn't want to. Tammy is the nastiest person I have ever seen in my life. I always wanted to know why a female would leave the toilet up when she used the bathroom. She always told lies and I just knew some mess was going to get started when she got to town. I could just feel it coming.

It was Friday morning. I was awakened by my mother running the vacuum cleaner and the sounds of gospel music. I sat up in my bed and let out a big yawn stretching my arms out over my head. Mom peeped inside my bedroom.

“Good morning,” said Sarah.

“Morning mama,” I said.

I saw mama heading to my brother Terry room. I got up and went into the living room. Mama had cooked bacon, eggs, biscuits and grits. They were all set up on the kitchen table. I opened up the cabinet and got a plate. I was in the middle of fixing my breakfast when the doorbell rang. I looked out of the window and there stood Tammy with her luggage.

“Mama!” I spoke. “Tammy's here.”

Mama mumbled something in the back room that I couldn't understand. I opened up the front door.

“Hey, cuz,” said Tammy. “I haven't seen you in a long time.”

“Hey, Tammy,” I said.

Tammy drops her luggage on the floor and gave me a hug. I grabbed her luggage and took them into the bedroom. Tammy walked into the kitchen and began eating a piece of bacon from a plate on the table.

“Hello, Tammy,” said Sarah. “How was your trip?''

“It was good,” said Tammy.

I sat Tammy luggage near the closet in my room. There was an extra full-size bed, and I was glad that we didn't have to share a bed. I took my jewelry box and put it inside my top drawer. I didn't want her to steal my things like she always does. It was twelve o'clock in the afternoon. I had to go to work at Mamma Mable's Diner at two. I got my clothes together to take a shower. I heard Tammy come into my room. She turned on the TV and sat on the bed.

“Hi, Tammy,” said Terry.

“Hey,” said Tammy.

My brother Terry was on his way out to catch the school bus. I came back into my room after my shower. I went over to the closet and got my uniform.

“Are they hiring,” asked Tammy.

“Not right now,” I said.

Mrs. Mable had put a sign in the front of the window last week about needing another waitress. I just didn't want Tammy working with me. Mrs. Mable was a nice lady, and I knew she would hire Tammy. Tammy's not dependable and she steals. I didn't want that to be a reflection on me because we were related. I continued to get dress for work. Monica was coming over to pick me up at one-thirty. Mama came into the room and put some clean clothes into my bed.

I was hoping that after I left, mama wouldn't tell Tammy about us needed help at the diner.

After I got finished dressing, I went outside to wait on the porch for Monica. Tammy followed close behind. Monica pulled up in her brown 1990 Caprice Classic. Her grandfather left her the car after he passed last year. It was her pride and joy.

“Hey girl,” said Monica.

“Hey,” I said.

“Who's that on the porch?” asked Monica.

“My cousin Tammy,” I said.

On the way to work, I told Monica about Tammy and her being problematic. I really didn't trust her living with us because I knew she was going to do something to disappoint my mom. She always did this when she lived upstate.

“Give her a chance,” said Monica. “She might want to turn over a new leaf.”

“Yea right,” I said.

Pulling into the driveway of the diner, it was packed for Friday afternoon. There were customers parked in the diner driveway and the Nut-Shop business across the street. There was no way we were getting off early tonight. It was after ten o'clock when we got through working a the diner. I was so tired, and feet were throbbing through my shoes. Everyone was in their rooms when I entered the house. Tammy was sitting on the corner of her bed watching the TV when I went to my room.

“Why did you lie to me?” asked Tammy.

“Lied about what?' I asked.

“Hiring at the diner,” said Tammy.

“Oh, I forgot,” I said.

Well, that does it for hoping, mama had already told her about Mrs. Mable needing help at the diner. Tammy told me that mama had already talked to Mrs. Mable and that she wanted her to come in to work with me tomorrow.

“Alright,” I said.

All I wanted to do was to take a shower to get the smell of greasy hamburgers off of me and go to bed.

The next morning, I got up early and went to my mother's bedroom. I wanted to ask her if she had told Mrs. Mable about Tammy's background. I was afraid that Mrs. Mable would be mad at me if Tammy did something foolish on the job. Mama assured me that everything would be alright. I'll have to have faith in her judgment. Over the next couple of weeks, everything at work went fine. I think I even started to relax bit about her doing something bad at work. I began to come around liking my cousin a little bit more. After work, Tammy, me and Monica would hang out at the late-night shops in Midtown. I kind of hated it now that Tammy was leaving to stay with her Aunt Rose the following week. I was glad that I had the chance to get to know her better in a good way. The next week was the Varsity A game at the college stadium. There were a lot of out-of-town guests at the diner. We didn't close up until after nine o'clock that Thursday night. Mrs. Mable wanted us girls to come in at five thirty on Friday morning. The health inspectors were coming at nine that morning and she wanted up thing up to standards before they came. It was pitch dark outside when Monica came to pick up me and Tammy that morning. Mrs. Mable had given me the key to the diner the night before. We got to the diner and began to do some light cleaning and making sure the grease traps were all emptied properly Mrs. Mable arrived at the diner after eight o'clock. Floors were mopped and the table cleaned for a second time.

“Oh. Lord,” said Mrs. Mable. “I forgot to go to the bank.”

“I'll go,” said Tammy.

Tammy took the bank bag and left in the diner's delivery van. I was in the back of the diner cleaning out the restroom making sure there were extra paper towels in the dispensers.

“Where's Tammy?” I asked.

“She left to go to the bank,” said Monica.

“Okay,” I said.

I grabbed the broom for the closet and started cleaning up the steps to the diner. Before I went back inside the diner, I saw the health inspectors pulling into the driveway. The diner was closed for the day because of the inspectors coming. They left around twelve that afternoon. I was beginning to worry. Tammy had been gone for hours and not returned. I went into Mrs. Mable office. She was on the telephone with someone and told me to give her a second. I closed the door behind me. I went into the dining room and called home. My mother answered the phone.

“Is Tammy there?' I asked.

“She was earlier,” said Sarah.

I told my mama what had happened. She said that Tammy had come and got her luggage. I felt so bad I trusted Tammy for the first time in years and this is how she betrays me. Mama told me how sorry she was and that she would be calling her Mamie to tell her what had happened. I was so mad I felt like crying. I had to tell this kind woman who gave Tammy a chance that she had taken her money. I knocked on the door to Mrs. Mable's office.

“What is it, Lela?” asked Mrs. Mable

“Tammy stole the money,” I said. “She didn't go to the bank.”

“She didn't steal the money,” said Mrs. Mable. “She picked up the wrong bag.”

There were two money bags on the table in Mrs. Mable's office. One had cash and the other were receipts of daily expenses for the diner for her accountant. Mrs. Mable's son Johnathan found the van with the keys inside parked at Nut-Shop. I had a thing or two to tell Tammy if I ever saw her again. It was time to go home for the day. Mrs. Mable turned out all the lights at the diner and locked the doors.

“See you girls in the morning,” said Mrs. Mable.

“Have a goodnight.' I spoke.

Tammy and I waited in the parking lot until Mrs. Mable got into her car and we all drove off together. After I got home, mama was on the couch waiting for me. I took off my shoes and sat next to her on the sofa. I told her about the wonderful outcome that could have been a disaster. Mama didn't let any more of our relatives come over to stay after that day. Tammy never made it to her Aunt Rose's house. I wish I could have seen the look on her face when she opened up the bank bag only to find receipts instead of money.