Chapter 9: Gossip

I went over to the refrigerator to get some juice. I didn't have time to put it back before the phone rang for the first time.

The calls got crazier over time.

At first, Dad had walked out on all of us. Not real far from the truth, but not what I said.

Mom had been beaten up.

Mom and I had been beaten up.

He beat up Mom, me and Sam and was hauled away in handcuffs.

He took off with another woman, hid all his money so we couldn't get it and we were going to be out on the street.

He caught Mom in bed with my doctor and walked out, leaving us with nothing.

When Sam came over to tell me she heard that Mom had run away with someone I took the phone off the hook.

Mom came downstairs, wiping the sleep out of her eyes. Great. She just went in for her nap 20 minutes ago.

"Who keeps calling?"

Sam looked at me. "Yeah, Les. Who keeps calling?" She was having too much fun with this.

I told Mom about my call to Sandy and how she tricked me into telling her about Mom and Jeff.

"I see. And just how did she know enough to trick you into talking about us?"

"Well, I wanted to get back to cheering and she asked if I was OK and I told her I'd get my doctor to check me out. And she made this smart ass comment about wanting to check out my doctor and I couldn't let her get away with it so I told her to watch it cuz he's going to be my stepfather and then she tricked me into telling her."

"Oh, Leslie. Now do you see why your brother was so upset that you were telling everyone about you and him?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"And you wipe that smile off your face, Samantha. You were just as bad as Leslie talking about the three of you."

"Yes, ma'am."

"So, Leslie, why is my phone off the hook?"

"Mom, you don't know what it was like. It kept ringing and ringing."

"I heard it ringing and ringing, Les. That's why I got out of bed and came downstairs. You dug yourself into this hole. Now you can dig yourself out of it."

"What do you mean?"

"You get to sit here next to the phone and answer every call that comes in. And you will thank each person and tell him you didn't know that. And when they ask you what the real story is you tell them that you have no idea and that maybe they should call Sandy because you heard that she's the one who started all of this."

Mom reached over and turned the ringer to LOW, hung up the receiver, then kissed me on the top of the head.

"Have a good afternoon, Leslie. I'm going back to finish my nap. Make sure to take messages if I get any calls."

The phone started ringing before she was out of the kitchen and didn't stop all afternoon. I was a good girl and did exactly what Mom told me. Kind of like throwing a bloody piece of meat in the water to divert the sharks.

I got a call from Sandy's mother, demanding to talk to Mom. I told her Mom wasn't available but I'd be happy to take a message. She was mad at me because of all the calls. Sandy had left as soon as the phone started ringing at her house. She also wanted to know the true story. I told her she should listen in when her daughter was on the phone if she wanted to know anything. She was mad at me when she hung up.

I also got a call from our minister. I'm afraid I wasn't very cordial when I answered. He wanted to stop by on Tuesday to visit Wes. I told him I would give Mom the message but I wouldn't promise anything for her. He seemed disturbed that Mom might have something more important to do than wait around for him.

By the time Mom came down at 5:30, the calls had dwindled down to one every 10 minutes of so. Neither she or I was real hungry so she made some tomato soup and put out a loaf of Dudley's and a plate with cold cuts and cheeses. Jaz showed up when the soup was on and I took him up to the bathroom and cleaned off what I could. That kid can get dirty standing on the front lawn. But he doesn't complain about baths, so it all works out. Mom says boys are half dirt anyway.

I got up when the phone rang and sent the callers over to Sandy. I got calls every few days, then every week or two until well after school started. I always did exactly what Mom told me to do. Sandy stopped talking to me and never had any questions of me at cheer practice from that day on.

I learned several important things from what happened that day.

Some people will spread any juicy story, no matter who it hurts.

The story will spread like wildfire.

It really doesn't matter whether there is any truth in the story or not.

I could use these principles to get people to believe anything I wanted them to, about me or anyone else.