“That’s a bunch of bullshit. You are always spouting something about karma and the universe. Girl, please. That child wanted to dance and yours is the only black owned studio in this part of the city. Of course, she came over there. Had I known you were going to be working there, I would have put a stop to it. Now, all I hear about is Miss Sharon this and Miss Sharon that. It is sickening. I wonder how much she would admire good ole Miss Sharon if she found out you were her mother and abandoned her at birth.”
“I didn’t abandon her. Mama and Daddy forced me to give her to you when she was born. You know I wanted to keep her, but Mama said since you were older and couldn’t have babies, it was a blessing to you. You were married at the time and there wouldn’t be a huge scandal. We just told people that I was your surrogate, and no one was the wiser.”
“That’s right. You were my surrogate, and I was happy to have the baby. But then Ben died, leaving us all alone. I couldn’t take care of a baby by myself. I needed help, and you were nowhere to be found. Off chasing your dreams in New York, while I was struggling with your baby, down here in Florida. Well, you do not get to come in here now acting like Captain America’s reject trying to save my baby. It’s too late.”
“Jewel, this is not about you and it isn’t about me. This is about locating Quella before something bad happens to her. Can you please help me find her? I promise to go away again if that is what you want. I just want to make sure she is alright.”
“Fine. She was supposed to go to the corner store to buy me some wine, but she never came back.”
“That child should not be buying wine. How in the world do you sleep at night? That’s a story for another day. Which corner store was she going to?”
“The Lighthouse. My homeboy, Floyd, lets me order online and Quella picks it up for me, so technically she is not buying wine. She is just delivering it to me. That was over two hours ago, and I am getting pissed. I had to start drinking this port wine to get by. I don’t even like it like that. Somebody gave it to me.”
I had had enough of her. She was more concerned with her wine than her daughter. Too much time had been wasted. I needed to hurry.