Color Blind

With a smack of the screen door and a thud of the front door, a pair of distinct heels scuttled into the house.

“OH LAWD, I'M GETTIN' MARRIED!”

Time seemed to pause as the confound announcement echoed in our ears.

I wasn't even aware when Mam-Maw broke from her stupor and scuttled out the room, abandoning the potatoes she'd been peeling at the rickety, kitchen table.

The plate I had been scrubbing, easily slid into the murky dish water as I dried my hands. I hurried out of the kitchen as well, following close behind my grandmother.

“Married?!” Mam-Maw screeched as we turned the corner and bum-rushed into the living room.

The woman standing before us was tall and lithe. Her assortment of suitcases and luggage rested at her heels. She stood with one hand propped on her cocked hip and wore a thin, yellow sundress covered in a design of daisies. Standing there in the stream of sunlight pouring through the open window, we could appreciate how the dress hung off her lanky body and accentuated her smooth, mocha skin. Her chestnut brown hair was layered with big swirling curls and styled in a short bob reaching just past her diamond-clad ears. Her pearly-whites seem to sparkle as she beamed at us, but what really caught our attention was her fluttering left hand.

“Aunt Sadie,” I squealed at the same time Mam-Maw howled, “Sadie!”

“Momma you heard right',” she enthused. “I'm gettin' married.”

The ray of sunlight caught on her fluttering, left hand and illuminated the diamond ring on her finger.

Mam-Maw's breath audibly hitched before she rushed to her daughter, snatching her hand into her own. My grandmother examined the ring closely while bubbling in excitement.

“Corinne!,” Mam-Maw barked over her shoulder. “Go get that phone-cell doohickey and call your Great Uncle Joe, and Mrs. Wright, and Loraine, and your Great Aunt Nellie, and, and, and –” She paused, and snatched Aunt Sadie up into a whopping hug. “Oh, I can't believe my baby's finally getting married.” Mam-Maw gushed.

Aunt Sadie laughed openly and waved me over. “Get your cute little behind over here, Corinne!”

I was easily jostled into the group hug. The three of us were blanketed in a wave of euphoria and could do nothing more than bounce around the room and laugh hysterically.

Mam-Maw stilled and looked up at Aunt Sadie with watering eyes. “Oh you must tell me all about it, Dear.”

“Sure thing, Ma'. I have the whole thing planned out.” My aunt moved her hands in a grand swooping gesture. “You're going to sing at my wedding, right Corinne?” I nodded my head vigorously as Aunt Sadie stoked the gray hairs on Mam-Maw's head. “But first off, where's my favorite sister?”

“I'm right here.” A feeble voice croaked. “You look nice, Sadie. It's been entirely too long.”

The three of us watched as Momma sulked into the room, the sound of the back door closing sounded behind her.

With her spine curled and her hands dangling limply at her sides, Momma looked as though the weight of the world was loaded on her shoulders.

Her powder blue and pastel pink waitress uniform was covered in wrinkles, and a rip in her pantyhose stretched the length of her calves. Wisps of her soft, unruly curls fell from her messy bun and whipped her in the face. Her creamy skin looked pale and contrasted with the dark circles around her eyes. A crease lay in between her thick eyebrows and another rested at the center of her forehead. Her thin lips drew downward as she addressed us with her droopy hazel eyes identical to my own. Flecks of green swam in her murky brown pupils, and with the bleak expression on her face, it felt as if the blanket of euphoria that once shrouded us was suddenly ripped away.

“What's all this commotion about?” My mom croaked.

Aunt Sadie gasped. “Oh, Nancy,” she exclaimed, placing a dainty hand over her mouth. “Are you okay?”

Momma smiled tiredly and took a timid step into the room. She toed off her scuffed, black heels, and I hurried to move them into the coat closet. Momma's eyes slowly slid to her younger sister.

“I'm –”

“Oh Nancy's fine, Darlin',” Mam-Maw interjected with a careless flap of her hand. “Which reminds me,” Mam-Maw returned her attention to her eldest child. “Nancy, there's some potatoes in the kitchen, could you be a dear and go finish peeling them?”

Momma nodded slowly, her forced smile slowly drooping once more. She turned to leave but was again beckoned by her sister.

“Well wait a minute, will ya?” Aunt Sadie piped. “I have some exciting news to tell you.”

“Okay then,” Momma said. She pulled my into her side, hugging me with one arm and nuzzling her face into my sporadic coils of hair. With a kiss pressed to my temple she addressed her sister once more. “What is it?”

Seeming to be rejuvenated by Momma's inquiry, a glorious smile spread across Aunt Sadie's face as she bounced on the balls of her feet. She flapped her left hand in Momma's face and for the third time screeched, “I'm getting married!”

Just like my grandmother had done, Momma snatched her sister's hand into her own and ogled the diamond on her finger. We all silently watched, ignoring the way Momma's eyes glazed over wistfully or the way her frown deepened as she looked on sadly.

Momma finally straightened and wiped the moisture from beneath her eyes. “Th-this is wonderful,” she breathed, and crushed her sister's body to her's in a long hug. “I'm so happy for you.”

“Well are you goin' to tell us about it or what?” Mam-Maw garbled irritably when the two broke away.

“Oh!” Aunt Sadie grabbed Momma's hand and laced their fingers together. “Nancy, it was so romantic. You're gonna love this. So -”

“Nancy needs to go peel the potatoes, Sadie.”

Aunt Sadie rolled her eyes childishly. “She can do the potatoes later, Ma'.” She whined as she led Momma to the couch. The two sat in front the opened window, facing each other on the wide couch. Momma still held onto her sister's hand and watched intently as Aunt Sadie prepared to recall the proposal.

Mam-Maw grimaced and flopped into the love seat on their left while I squeezed onto the edge of the couch.

“Well, it all started when-”

“Hold on, Sadie!” Momma laughed brightly, seeming to be pumped with some new-found energy. “Aren't you going to tell us who this lucky guy is?”

“Oh right!” Aunt Sadie exclaimed with a clap of her hands. “His name is Brent.” She swooned at mention of his name. It was sickeningly cute.

“Brent?” Mam-Maw echoed. Her brows creased together in thought. “I don't remember meeting a Brent?”

“Sure you have, Ma',” my aunt assured. “I brought him over for Thanksgiving last year.”

Mam-Maw's eyes squinted as she tried to remember, but it seemed Momma and I had come to the realization at the same time.

With a loud gasp, Momma ripped her hands away from Aunt Sadie. She covered her mouth with one hand and slowly scooted away from her sister. My own eyes doubled in size and I felt my jaw go slack.

“Oh dear,” my aunt muttered lowly.

I watched in horror as the crease in Mam-Maw's brow smoothed out. Her expression mimicked my own as her frail knobby fingers pierced into the arms of the chair. Her face grew pained as her posture grew erect. “B-but,” Mam-Maw sputtered. “He's, he's, he's -”

Aunt Sadie frowned, and I could see her eyes begin to brim with water. Then in a quiet, broken whisper she uttered,

“White.”