Red White and Black

Chapter Nine

Markus

It was the intoxicating odor of sizzling bacon that pulled Markus from his bed. Like most teenagers, he stayed up too late and in the morning had to be pried out of bed with a crowbar. For Markus, bacon worked every bit as good as a crowbar, probably better. When steaming, flakey biscuits fresh from the oven were added to the mix, he couldn't have stayed in bed if he were strapped to it.

Markus became awake while sitting at the kitchen table, yawning and scratching his head and filled with a vague sense of uncertainty as to how he arrived there. His last awareness had been a cozy dream involving a bevy of cheerleaders screaming out his name from the sidelines while he sank the winning bucket. Now his eyes cleared and he faced a table full of bacon, biscuits, steaming grits, and a mound of scrambled eggs. A tumbler of cold milk dripping with condensation stood next to his plate which Aunt Sadie was busy filling with enough food to sustain a full platoon on a forced march. His stomach rumbled and the cheerleaders faded from memory but not before he promised them he would be back on the court later that night.

Markus grabbed a steaming biscuit and slathered it with butter and jam, hardly able to wait for a bite. As he lifted it to his mouth, Aunt Sadie swatted his hand like she was killing a fly.

"What?" he asked with innocence.

Aunt Sadie folded her arms across her chest. "You don't think this food just landed here on its own do you?"

Realizing he had let his hunger get the best of him, he remembered. "Go ahead, I guess I forgot."

She glowered at him only for a moment then bowed her head and prayed, "Oh Dear Jesus, we do thank you for the food you have so abundantly provided and please, Sweet Lord, help Markus to realize he needs to be thinkin' about you more than fillin' his stomach. Amen."

The last words were barely out of her mouth before the food was in his. Although she had piled his plate full to heaping, he knew he would have it cleaned and be looking for more in just a few minutes. Aunt Sadie was nothing if not a good cook. He worked his way through four biscuits oozing with strawberry jam, mounds of grits dripping with melted butter, most of the bacon, several scoops of eggs, and had switched from milk to orange juice before he pushed his chair away and sighed.

Aunt Sadie smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "It does do my heart good to see a boy with a healthy appetite. And that's a good thing, 'cause you gonna be needin' all the strength you can muster today."

"Oh no. What have you got up your sleeve?" he asked. I can't believe I fell for another one of her traps.

She said nothing but busied herself clearing the table then poured them both a steaming cup of coffee. Coffee was a luxury of which Markus had only recently been allowed to partake because Aunt Sadie lived her life believing it would stunt a man's growth. Since he had finally--in her opinion--reached a suitable height, he was now allowed to join in the ritual. He had taken an instant liking to it but had a hard time getting past a suspicious wariness concerning its growth inhibiting properties.

Cradling the cup in her hands, she started. "Well, Lil'M, it's like this. On one hand we have the classified section showing all kinds of help wanted ads. And on the other hand over here, we have the telephone. You get to choose one or the other, so what's it gonna be?"

He furrowed his brow, full well knowing there was some manner of hidden catch, he just hadn't spotted it yet. "Alright, I give up. I choose the telephone." Anything but lookin' for a job.