like heading off a hurricane with a paper fan.
Finally she shrugged. “The doctor says it is too soon to worry, that we will talk again when a year has passed.”
“I’ve been reading up on this,” Wanda said.
“Along with my mother. Do you, perhaps, have a fertility statue to give me?”
Wanda came out of the refrigerator at that. “A fertility statue?”
“A really cool red stone bull that anyone would be proud to have,” Tracy said. “And aren’t you being a little bit nosy?”
“It’s my job to make Janya happy.” Wanda pulled out the vegetable bin and brought it to the sink. “If she wants a baby, it’s my job to help.”
“No, I think that’s Rishi’s job,” Tracy said. “He’s better equipped for it.”
Wanda narrowed her eyes. “I did some reading, as I started to say. And there are ways to help things along.”
“This is a personal matter,” Janya said.
“Not since the moment you brought it up to the whole crew, it’s not. So I went to Wal-Mart, and I got you something.” Wanda abandoned the bin on the counter and left, returning with her purse. She removed a small bag and thrust it in Janya’s direction. “For you.”
“I think it is the second time today I am afraid to look.”
Tracy was curious now. “Janya, after the bull and the butter, how can that hurt?”
Janya carefully spread the bag wide and took out a CD. “‘Country Love Songs,’” she read out loud. “‘Your Favorite Songs by your Favorite Stars.’” She looked up. “This is very kind, Wanda, but—”
“See, the thing is, you’re more likely to get pregnant if—” Wanda lowered her voice, although Olivia was at home sorting through her belongings “—you have an orgasm,” she finished, hissing the s. “And we all know that’s a lot easier if there’s some romancing going on first. So you just put that on in the evening and sit close to Rishi on the sofa, or better yet, get him to dance with you—”
Janya covered her ears. “Stop.”
“Oh, please, if you’re that shy, maybe there’s your problem,” Wanda said.
Tracy couldn’t help herself. She giggled.
She glanced at Alice to see how the older woman was taking this, and saw that Alice’s eyes glistened mischievously behind her glasses.
“Janya could dance for Rishi,” Alice said. “Like she did…for us. He would like that.”
Now Tracy hooted. With Janya’s brown skin, it was hard to tell if she was blushing, but Tracy thought if she wasn’t, she should be.
“Good idea,” Wanda said. “Some sexy Bollywood dancing. Just the thing. After a little country snuggling.”
Despite herself, Janya was smiling. “Now you are finished? We can talk of other things?”
“You’ll try my CD?” Wanda said.
“I will be sure to.”
“You can name the baby after me.” Wanda went back to scrubbing the vegetable bin. “And I will change the subject. I have an announcement.”
“ You’re pregnant?” Tracy asked, fluttering her eyelashes innocently.
“I said an announcement, not a medical miracle.”
Tracy realized Wanda wanted to be prodded. “We’re all ears. Tell us before we’re interrupted.”
Wanda smiled, and the smile took ten years off her face. “Well, I went and bought me a store, only it’s more than just a store, it’s a restaurant, too. So I got a lot for my money.”
“What are you talking about?” Tracy hopped down off the counter to get a dry towel.
“I got me a little place all my own to sell my pies.”
The room was silent; then as if they’d waited for a cue, all the women yelped together. They grabbed Wanda for a group hug.
“If I’d known you were going to do that, I’d have waited until poor Alice was done sweeping. Look what we did to her dirt pile!” Wanda extricated herself, but she looked pleased at the show of support.
“I can sweep again.” Alice lifted the broom off the floor and began to do just that.
“So tell us!” Tracy demanded. She listened as Wanda explained
Finally she shrugged. “The doctor says it is too soon to worry, that we will talk again when a year has passed.”
“I’ve been reading up on this,” Wanda said.
“Along with my mother. Do you, perhaps, have a fertility statue to give me?”
Wanda came out of the refrigerator at that. “A fertility statue?”
“A really cool red stone bull that anyone would be proud to have,” Tracy said. “And aren’t you being a little bit nosy?”
“It’s my job to make Janya happy.” Wanda pulled out the vegetable bin and brought it to the sink. “If she wants a baby, it’s my job to help.”
“No, I think that’s Rishi’s job,” Tracy said. “He’s better equipped for it.”
Wanda narrowed her eyes. “I did some reading, as I started to say. And there are ways to help things along.”
“This is a personal matter,” Janya said.
“Not since the moment you brought it up to the whole crew, it’s not. So I went to Wal-Mart, and I got you something.” Wanda abandoned the bin on the counter and left, returning with her purse. She removed a small bag and thrust it in Janya’s direction. “For you.”
“I think it is the second time today I am afraid to look.”
Tracy was curious now. “Janya, after the bull and the butter, how can that hurt?”
Janya carefully spread the bag wide and took out a CD. “‘Country Love Songs,’” she read out loud. “‘Your Favorite Songs by your Favorite Stars.’” She looked up. “This is very kind, Wanda, but—”
“See, the thing is, you’re more likely to get pregnant if—” Wanda lowered her voice, although Olivia was at home sorting through her belongings “—you have an orgasm,” she finished, hissing the s. “And we all know that’s a lot easier if there’s some romancing going on first. So you just put that on in the evening and sit close to Rishi on the sofa, or better yet, get him to dance with you—”
Janya covered her ears. “Stop.”
“Oh, please, if you’re that shy, maybe there’s your problem,” Wanda said.
Tracy couldn’t help herself. She giggled.
She glanced at Alice to see how the older woman was taking this, and saw that Alice’s eyes glistened mischievously behind her glasses.
“Janya could dance for Rishi,” Alice said. “Like she did…for us. He would like that.”
Now Tracy hooted. With Janya’s brown skin, it was hard to tell if she was blushing, but Tracy thought if she wasn’t, she should be.
“Good idea,” Wanda said. “Some sexy Bollywood dancing. Just the thing. After a little country snuggling.”
Despite herself, Janya was smiling. “Now you are finished? We can talk of other things?”
“You’ll try my CD?” Wanda said.
“I will be sure to.”
“You can name the baby after me.” Wanda went back to scrubbing the vegetable bin. “And I will change the subject. I have an announcement.”
“ You’re pregnant?” Tracy asked, fluttering her eyelashes innocently.
“I said an announcement, not a medical miracle.”
Tracy realized Wanda wanted to be prodded. “We’re all ears. Tell us before we’re interrupted.”
Wanda smiled, and the smile took ten years off her face. “Well, I went and bought me a store, only it’s more than just a store, it’s a restaurant, too. So I got a lot for my money.”
“What are you talking about?” Tracy hopped down off the counter to get a dry towel.
“I got me a little place all my own to sell my pies.”
The room was silent; then as if they’d waited for a cue, all the women yelped together. They grabbed Wanda for a group hug.
“If I’d known you were going to do that, I’d have waited until poor Alice was done sweeping. Look what we did to her dirt pile!” Wanda extricated herself, but she looked pleased at the show of support.
“I can sweep again.” Alice lifted the broom off the floor and began to do just that.
“So tell us!” Tracy demanded. She listened as Wanda explained
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