Lulu.
“Fine,” answered Coco absently. “Is Miss Adrian here?”
Lulu’s heart skipped. She’d forgotten in all the hubbub yesterday that they hadn’t even thought to update Coco and Ella Beth. And apparently Sara had put them straight to bed without discussing the day with them.
Lulu must have looked poleaxed. Ella Beth noticed Lulu fumbling for words. “Is something wrong, Granny Lulu? Did something happen?”
Coco raised her eyebrows at Lulu’s uncharacteristic lack of words.
“Well, I’m sorry to have to tell you this, children. But there was . . . an accident. I’m afraid Miss Adrian has passed away.”
Coco tilted her head to one side like an inquisitive bird. Ella Beth, always one to call a spade a spade, said, “She’s dead? What kind of an accident? She was in a car wreck?”
Lulu shook her head, frustrated with her clumsiness around the children. “No, sweetie. She got really sick yesterday afternoon and then died very unexpectedly. It wasn’t anything contagious,” she assured them. “Let’s try and find your mom, Coco. Maybe she can discuss it with you a little.” Lulu’s indignant conscience fussed at her for unloading the problem on Sara. But she felt better about doing so when Coco melted into her mother’s arms.
The news of Rebecca Adrian’s demise didn’t seem to upset Ella Beth in the slightest. After all, she’d mentioned she didn’t like the woman. Besides, Ella Beth had a much more pragmatic approach to life than most nine-year-olds. Or ninety-nine-year-olds. Lulu settled down in the rocker next to Ella Beth, and they rocked in companionable silence on the porch. Beale Street surprisingly was still quiet. But it wouldn’t be long before the evening crowds poured in, the music cranked up, the graceful back-flipping boy street performers started, and the neon lights turned on. Ella Beth pulled off a piece of corn bread and buttered it.
Ella Beth finally said, “Miss Adrian wasn’t very old.”
“No sweetie, she sure wasn’t.”
“And she didn’t seem at all sick yesterday. She felt good enough to be mean as a snake. I didn’t hear a single cough out of her.”
“Well, that’s true. I guess it goes to show you never can tell,” said Lulu. She would be much more comfortable if this conversation took a philosophical or even a theological turn. “Sometimes, it’s just your time , sweetie. Life and death. . . . these are things we don’t completely understand in this life. Maybe, one day, in another sphere, we’ll know some of the deeper mysteries of our existence.”
Ella Beth looked at her grandmother sternly. “Did somebody do her in?”
So much for the philosophical shift. “Mercy, Ella Beth! Whatever gave you an idea like that?”
“Nobody liked her. Except Coco, but she’s dotty.”
Lulu hesitated but then realized that not being fully upfront would probably result in a more prolonged interrogation. She sighed. “We don’t exactly know what happened, Ella Beth. But it certainly looks like somebody poisoned her. I guess she must have messed with the wrong person. Not that there’s anything for us to be worried about,” she added hastily.
“Of course not. We don’t go around insulting people and acting all la-di-dah. No one wants to do us in.”
“Yes, well, that doesn’t mean she deserved what happened to her,” said Lulu. She noticed an aha look on Ella Beth’s pixie face. “What is it?”
“Nothing,” said Ella Beth quickly. “I was just thinking about Miss Adrian and all. I’d better catch up with Coco and start on my homework.”
Catch up with Coco? Homework? Now Lulu wondered if even little Ella Beth was hiding something from her. No, she fussed at herself, you’ve gotten completely paranoid. Snap out of it!
Coco glared across the office at Ella Beth. “Stop looking at me!”
“I’m really just thinking and looking into space. Your face just happened to be occupying the space where I was staring,” said Ella
“Fine,” answered Coco absently. “Is Miss Adrian here?”
Lulu’s heart skipped. She’d forgotten in all the hubbub yesterday that they hadn’t even thought to update Coco and Ella Beth. And apparently Sara had put them straight to bed without discussing the day with them.
Lulu must have looked poleaxed. Ella Beth noticed Lulu fumbling for words. “Is something wrong, Granny Lulu? Did something happen?”
Coco raised her eyebrows at Lulu’s uncharacteristic lack of words.
“Well, I’m sorry to have to tell you this, children. But there was . . . an accident. I’m afraid Miss Adrian has passed away.”
Coco tilted her head to one side like an inquisitive bird. Ella Beth, always one to call a spade a spade, said, “She’s dead? What kind of an accident? She was in a car wreck?”
Lulu shook her head, frustrated with her clumsiness around the children. “No, sweetie. She got really sick yesterday afternoon and then died very unexpectedly. It wasn’t anything contagious,” she assured them. “Let’s try and find your mom, Coco. Maybe she can discuss it with you a little.” Lulu’s indignant conscience fussed at her for unloading the problem on Sara. But she felt better about doing so when Coco melted into her mother’s arms.
The news of Rebecca Adrian’s demise didn’t seem to upset Ella Beth in the slightest. After all, she’d mentioned she didn’t like the woman. Besides, Ella Beth had a much more pragmatic approach to life than most nine-year-olds. Or ninety-nine-year-olds. Lulu settled down in the rocker next to Ella Beth, and they rocked in companionable silence on the porch. Beale Street surprisingly was still quiet. But it wouldn’t be long before the evening crowds poured in, the music cranked up, the graceful back-flipping boy street performers started, and the neon lights turned on. Ella Beth pulled off a piece of corn bread and buttered it.
Ella Beth finally said, “Miss Adrian wasn’t very old.”
“No sweetie, she sure wasn’t.”
“And she didn’t seem at all sick yesterday. She felt good enough to be mean as a snake. I didn’t hear a single cough out of her.”
“Well, that’s true. I guess it goes to show you never can tell,” said Lulu. She would be much more comfortable if this conversation took a philosophical or even a theological turn. “Sometimes, it’s just your time , sweetie. Life and death. . . . these are things we don’t completely understand in this life. Maybe, one day, in another sphere, we’ll know some of the deeper mysteries of our existence.”
Ella Beth looked at her grandmother sternly. “Did somebody do her in?”
So much for the philosophical shift. “Mercy, Ella Beth! Whatever gave you an idea like that?”
“Nobody liked her. Except Coco, but she’s dotty.”
Lulu hesitated but then realized that not being fully upfront would probably result in a more prolonged interrogation. She sighed. “We don’t exactly know what happened, Ella Beth. But it certainly looks like somebody poisoned her. I guess she must have messed with the wrong person. Not that there’s anything for us to be worried about,” she added hastily.
“Of course not. We don’t go around insulting people and acting all la-di-dah. No one wants to do us in.”
“Yes, well, that doesn’t mean she deserved what happened to her,” said Lulu. She noticed an aha look on Ella Beth’s pixie face. “What is it?”
“Nothing,” said Ella Beth quickly. “I was just thinking about Miss Adrian and all. I’d better catch up with Coco and start on my homework.”
Catch up with Coco? Homework? Now Lulu wondered if even little Ella Beth was hiding something from her. No, she fussed at herself, you’ve gotten completely paranoid. Snap out of it!
Coco glared across the office at Ella Beth. “Stop looking at me!”
“I’m really just thinking and looking into space. Your face just happened to be occupying the space where I was staring,” said Ella
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