Tante Lulu came up behind Linc and put a hand on his shoulder. “Linc, bless yer heart, you got a surprise comin’.”
“Huh?” He was already bedazzled by all the wonderful information Sylvie had been giving him. But then, as if in slow motion, his head turned to look where the rest of them were now staring.
A well-dressed black man emerged from the vehicle and started to walk toward them. It could have been Linc, except for the khakis with their razor pleats, the designer loafers and the golf shirt sporting the crest of an exclusive Beverly Hills country club.
“It’s Linc’s twin brother,” Tante Lulu announced. “Dr. Cain Lincoln. He’s a bone doctor out in Los Angel-less.”
The two brothers approached each other slowly, tears welling in both their eyes.
“You stubborn jackasss,” Cain choked out, pulling Linc into a tight hug. “Why didn’t you tell me where you’ve been? I could have helped.”
“I dug the hole I was in. I needed to climb out myself.”
Linc answered. “But, man, it’s good to see you again. How are Phyllis and the kids?”
“Phyllis is still practicing pediatrics, and the girls are at UCLA. Sonia told me about the divorce, and about your being in prison.” Sonia was Linc’s ex-wife. “Dammit, Linc, I would have gotten you a good lawyer. I would have visited you in prison. I’m your brother. We stick together.”
“I needed to do it alone.” Linc looped his arm around his brother’s shoulder, though, and hugged him warmly. Then he looked over at Tante Lulu, the interfering old biddy. “I don’t know how you managed to learn I even had a brother, let alone locate him, but thank you.”
“Humpfh!” Tante Lulu said, clearly pleased by his words. “Thanksgivin’ is a time fer family.”
Sylvie came over then, while the two brothers got caught up on the happenings of the past few years. She saw Linc showing his brother some of the journals and albums Sylvie had brought with her. “Isn’t it amazing how history comes full circle?” Sylvie mused. “Linc’s ancestors who we were just talking about were twins, too. One was a physician and one was a musician, just like Cain and Linc.”
After that, Luc went inside with the other men. Charmaine, Tante Lulu, Sylvie, and Rachel worked on setting the numerous tables and preparing the food. It was going to be a spectacular feast, in the Cajun tradition of there being no such thing as too much food.
Turkeys oozing Cajun spices were about to be deep-fried. Beef steaks were marinating and ready to be placed on the barbecue. In the warming oven in the kitchen, or waiting to be reheated in the microwave were four kinds of dressing: corn bread, rice, oyster, and boudin sausage.
For a starch, there was about a barrel of mashed potatoes and an equal amount of dirty rice. The vegetables included bacon and collard greens, black-eyed peas, smothered okra, candied yams, string bean casserole, and cranberry sauce. Most amazing to Charmaine were the twelve different desserts: pecan (two), peach, sweet potato and pumpkin pies (three), praline cheesecake, rum-soaked bread pudding, a red velvet layer cake, fresh fruit salad, and rice pudding a la Falernum.
A lot of this work had been done by Tante Lulu, but Charmaine had helped till late last night, too. Plus, Sylvie had made some of the pies, and Rachel had prepared a lot of the items, too, sending them in René’s vehicle since she’d come on the Harley with Remy.
Charmaine would have liked to think they would be eating leftovers for a week, but these were Cajuns, and they enjoyed good food. Much of it would go today.
When it appeared that everything was prepared that could be for now, and there was a time for a short respite, Sylvie and Rachel cornered Charmaine. Sylvie carried a pitcher of watermelon margaritas, and Rachel carried the frosted, salted glasses. Tante Lulu had gone inside to join the young ones in a brief nap before meal time.
“It’s time for us to have a little girl-to-girl, girl,” Sylvie said, pouring a drink for Charmaine and handing it to her. They all sat down on folding lawn chairs.