“You two gonna stare at each other googly-eyed forever?” Jimmy asked impudently, jarring them from their erotic eye play.
Tante Lulu chuckled. Linc and Clarence just grinned.
“Rusty, you want seconds, yes?” Tante Lulu inquired then.
Rusty nodded and she ladled more into his soup plate, then handed him a slice of bread, which he buttered sparingly.
“Clarence, how’s yer rheumatiz?” Tante Lulu asked as she sat down for the first time to take a few bites herself.
“Not so bad,” Clarence answered. “That liniment you mixed up fer me las’ year fixed it up real good. Does it really have alligator piss in it?”
Tante Lulu grinned impishly. “I was jist joshin’ you.”
“Guess ya got me that time,” he said, chortling with glee as he slapped a knee.
Hmmm. Charmaine hadn’t even realized that Tante Lulu knew Clarence. After all, the Triple L was quite a distance from Bayou Black. But then, Tante Lulu’s traiteur skills had been sought far and wide, especially when she was younger.
Tante Lulu jumped up and proceeded to give Linc and Clarence seconds, without their even asking. But then, they weren’t protesting. She ignored the sulking Jimmy as if he weren’t even there.
“Linc, will you come back this evenin’ after chores and play us some of yer music?” Tante Lulu requested.
Linc sat up straighter. “How’d you know ’bout my music, Miz Rivard?”
“Why, Charmaine was tellin’ me whilst we were preparin’ dinner that you play the guitar and write yer own music, jist like one of yer famous ancestors. I’d be pleased to hear you.”
“Well, ma’am, I’d be pleased to play fer ya.” Linc’s shoulders went back with pride, making Charmaine a little ashamed that she hadn’t asked him to play herself during the past few days. “I’m a bit rusty, though. Don’t be expectin’ much.”
“All he plays is that blues stuff,” Jimmy complained.
“What you want him to play, you? That knocker garbage?” If there had been a wooden spoon within reach, she probably would have whacked him this time.
“Huh?” everyone at the table said.
“What knocker?” Jimmy asked. “You mean boob? I never heard of boob music.”
“No, I don’t mean boob,” Tante Lulu said, giving Jimmy a dirty look. “And watch yer mouth, boy. They’s ladies present.”
Charmaine had been interpreting for Tante Lulu since she was a kid. “I think she means rapper music, not knocker music.”
“Rap, knock… whass the difference?” the old lady asked.
Jimmy opened his mouth, about to say something, but Linc squeezed his arm in warning.
“Eat up, honey,” Tante Lulu said to Rusty, patting him on the shoulder as she passed by on her way to the counter. “I got more of that Peachy Praline Cobbler Cake fer dessert. Only good boys what eats their dinner gets to have a sweet afterward.”
Ah! So that is her game plan with Jimmy. A little sweet revenge, Tante Lulu style.
“More peaches. Yippee. And, man, I have been a very good boy,” Rusty said to Tante Lulu, but he was looking at Charmaine while he spoke. “Haven’t I, Charmaine?” Then he winked.
Gawd, I hate it when he winks. Well, not exactly hate. I actually like it too much, and that’s why I hate it. I am not making sense. But then nothing I do makes sense when Rusty is around.
In the end, the lure of Tante Lulu’s dessert proved too much for Jimmy. “Mebbe I’ll have a little taste of that catfish crap… uh, stew,” he offered.
Tante Lulu poured a huge ladleful into his bowl, including a piece of okra floating on top, and watched as he ate every bite. “Thass a good boy,” she said finally, giving him a little hug from behind. “Now, you wantin’ some dessert or not?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“You can call me Tante Lulu like everyone else, or Auntie.”
The boy beamed at her with adoration, especially after she gave him a generous slice of cake topped with vanilla ice cream.
“Hey, you didn’t offer me ice cream,” Rusty complained.
“Mebbe you weren’t that good of a boy.” Tante Lulu glanced pointedly from Charmaine to Rusty. “While I’m here, I might as well put together some of my herbal remedies,” she said in one of her usual swift changes in conversation. “I’m thinking of brewing up some cow-pen tea and some pizzle grease.”