My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding Read Free Page B

go up to your apartment, and make the headsup calls... get a temporary truce in effect, so we can safely drive down home together. All right?"
    "Okay," she said, hedging, "but how about if we don't drive down there, have them come up here to campus, and throw the graduation partywedding reception right at the church on campus?"
    "You got a point, 'Delia," he said, nodding. "Might be prudent to let Reverend Mitchell from down home coofficiate with Pastor Wise From up here, just to be on the safe side."
    "Yup. You remember how it was back home: Hatfields on one side of that little church, and McCoys on the other. But if you cut out Reverend Mitchell, who knows how to deal with our kin, then that poor local pastor won't know what hit him."
    "See, girl, we're on the same page," Jefferson said, opening his car door.
    Odelia got out of the car, glancing around and wondering if she was missing her mind.
    "What!" Nana Robinson shouted, Forcing Odelia to briefly remove the telephone receiver from her ear.
    "Nana, I love him, and need"
    "Chile, you go on and get that marriage license straightaway and book the church," her grandmother fussed. "You let me deal with one Ezekiel Hatfield, ornery SOB, even if he is yo' daddy. Serves him right; that ain't nuthin' but the Lord setting the record straight. Probably yo' momma up in heaven orchestrating yo' daddy's payback. So, don't you fret. Awe's having us a wedding, baby! I'll marshal up Opal Kay, you hear me? My sister can go up against all them Hatfield heifers who think they can conjure. My grandbaby girl done us all proud, gots her education, ain't brung us no babies home, ain't been out in the worl' fornicatin', and snagged herself a lawyaI don't care what his last name is. Humph! Plus, any monies due you by way of your momma's soul going on to glory by rights is
    supposed to stay with her chile, not them!"
    "Thank you, Nana. I love you," was all Odelia could say as she watched Jefferson shift from foot to foot close by.
    "I love you, too, baby," her nana said. "Stay strong. I'm calling in reinforcements. Byebye."
    When the call disconnected, Odelia and Jefferson just stared at each other for a moment.
    She handed him the cordless phone. "It's started. Nana just mounted up a war party."
    He sighed and accepted the receiver from Odelia and then punched in the number he knew by heart. Growing impatient, he waited for the tenth ring, knowing that his grandmother didn't believe in technology, by way of an answering machine.
    "Who dis here?" a surly elderly voice finally said once the call connected.
    "Grandma Jo, it's your boy, Jefferson."
    "Oh, my Lawd in heaven! Chile, whatchu doing calling this ole lady on the phone out of the blue, my Favorite grandbaby?"
    Jefferson hesitated. "Grandma, I've got a problem."
    Quiet Filled the line.
    "Now, baby," the old woman said slowly, "you know Gawd don't put nuthin'

    more on you than you can bear. Tell Grandma what's wrong."
    "I met this girl; she's real nice, real"
    "She pregnant, son?"
    "No, no, it ain't like that," Jefferson said in a rush, glancing at Odelia, embarrassed by the charge. "She's real sweet, a church girl I met at college, and I wanna marry her, now that I'm fixin' to graduate, but. . ."
    "Then go on and do the right thing by her, boy. Marry that girl; if she passes yo'
    inspection, I know she'll pass mine. That ain't no problem. You grown, and did mighty right by yo'self. We's all proud of you."
    He let out an exasperated sigh. "She's a HatField, Grandma. I Fell in love with her before I actually knew that this spell stuff was real." It wasn't the complete truth, but explaining the whole thing in excruciating detail was just too much to deal with.
    Again, silence Filled the line, and Jefferson closed his eyes, waiting.
    "Well, that does create a sticky wicket now, don't it?" his grandmother said, letting out a huff of breath.
    "Grandma ... I can't have nothin' happen to her; you know what I'm saying?"
    "'Deed I do," his