Page 10 of The Newcomer
“Well,” she said, feeling uneasy. “Guess I better get back to work now.”
“What about food?” he asked.
“Ava gave us a late lunch,” Letty said. “I’ll hit the grocery store in a few minutes.”
“Mom wanted me to check the fridge, to see if it works,” he said, pointing to the kitchenette area just outside the bathroom door. There was a single-bowl stainless-steel sink, which was piled with a jumble of sixties-era electric percolators, and as advertised, an apartment-size refrigerator sitting beneath a chipped Formica counter that held two electric burners.
“I’ve been so busy clearing the place out, I haven’t even gotten to the kitchen,” Letty admitted.
Joe knelt on the floor and opened the fridge door. He put his hand inside and shrugged.
“Needs a good cleaning, but it’s cold.” He stood up and dusted his hands on his backside.
“Looks like you’re good to go,” he announced.
Letty followed him outside. A pair of elderly women sat on rusting metal chairs in front of the unit two over from hers. They were dressed alike, in flowered pastel blouses, white knit pants, and pastel sun visors. One was tall and skinny, with long bony arms and short gray hair, and the other was shorter, softer, and rounder, with shoulder-length hair worn in a stiff pale blond pageboy.
“Hello there, Joseph,” the tall skinny one said, peering up at Letty from behind thick tinted glasses.
“Hey, Miss Ruth,” Joe said, nodding. “Miss Billie.”
“Who’s your friend?” the round one asked. She wore cat-eyeglasses on a chain around her neck and she put them on now and stared, unsmiling, at Letty.
“Oh, uh, this is Letty.”
“Hello,” Letty said.
“Are you moving in?” The skinny one pursed her lips and shook her head. “To the storage unit?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Letty said, lapsing into the Southern manners Mimi had drummed into both her granddaughters. “I’ve spent the day cleaning it out. Joe just hauled the last load out to the dumpster.”
“We noticed,” Ruth said. “We were wondering what was going on over there.” She nodded in the direction of Letty’s room. “Ava didn’t notify us that she would be renting out the storage unit.”
“It was a last-minute decision,” Joe said cheerfully. “Okay, ladies. If you have any questions, I’m sure my mom can answer ’em.”
Ruth, the tall one, pointed an accusatory finger at Maya, who clung to Letty’s hand. “Whose child is that?”
Maya retreated behind Letty, hiding her head.
“Mine,” Letty said, instantly on the defensive.
“Joseph?” Ruth said, raising her voice. “Is Ava aware that this person has a child?”
“Yup,” Joe said. “Like I said, any questions, concerns, bring ’em up with Mom.” He scuttled away toward the parking lot without even a backward glance.
“Well…” Letty said. Her hand was on the doorknob. “Nice to meet you ladies.”
“Dear?” Billie said. “Since you’re new, I think I should let you know that most of us here at the Murmuring Surf have been staying here for years.”
“Years and years and years,” Ruth added.
“We’re used to things a certain way,” Billie said.
“Ava never used to rent to people with young children during the season,” Ruth said sternly. “We thought we had an understanding.”
“You have something against children?” Letty heard her own voice harden.
“Only when they’re living in the room in proximity to ours,” Ruth said. She peered over her glasses at Maya, examining her as she might a dead roach. “This is a quiet place. That’s how we like it. No stinky diapers in the trash cans, no screaming kids splashing in the pool, leaving toys all over the place for folks to trip over.”
