Strumpets and Scoundrels – Part 2

Everyone was finding their pew the next Sunday morning at Shaky Cane Baptist. Jasmina’s father was the song leader so they were always there early so he could gather songs for the service.

She had already decided she was going to pay extra attention. Since Aunt Addie’s visit she had thought about nothing but strumpets and scoundrels. For the past few nights, she had poured over her Bible to see if she could find those words in scripture, but with no luck.

Pastor Jones came walking past her pew and said, “Good morning, Jasmina. How are you on this beautiful Lord’s day?”

Swallowing, she decided on the spot to ask him the question that had been burning in her spirit. “Good morning, Pastor. I am fine, but can I ask you a question?”

He glanced at his watch but sat down in the pew in front of her and leaned over. “What is on your heart, sister?” He was expecting her to have a prayer request or even want to talk about the path to Calvary. Instead, she asked, “Pastor, Momma says I shouldn’t say the words, but I want to know if strumpets and scoundrels can be Christians.”

Immediately taken back, he opened his eyes big and cleared his throat. “Umm….well sister, yes they can if they repent and ask Jesus into their hearts. May I ask why you ask this question?”

Not wanting to betray Aunt Addie’s plight she replied, “I heard some folks talking about it and I am trying to understand exactly who strumpets and scoundrels are and how to avoid becoming one.”

She was quite pleased with her quick response. She noticed Pastor Jones relaxed and started smiling. 

“Well, that is very prudent of you, sister. I know your Momma and Daddy are raising you right, so I want to let you know that you have nothing to worry about.” Standing he smiled one last time and moved on down the aisle.

She thought she heard him chuckling to himself as he walked away but she couldn’t be sure. Well, dang! Crossing her arms in frustration, she was no closer to having the answer to her question.

As the music started and people filed into the church, she kept an eye out checking around the building for any telltale signs, not that she knew what those were.

************

A few weeks later Jasmina and Joy Lovey were visiting their Granny McBook when Aunt Addie drove up and tooted the horn. They both ran out on the porch. Seeing her smiling face, both girls ran down the front steps to her car window.

“Hey darlins, what y’all doing?” she asked.

Joy Lovey, ever on the ready, spoke up before Jasmina. “We’re helping Granny make tea cakes. They ain’t ready yet, but I bet she’d give you one.”

About this time, Granny McBook walked onto the porch and called out, “Addie, come on in hon. We’re making tea cakes for the church ladies Bible study tomorrow.”

Addie waved in response. “Hey, Momma, I would love one but first I need to run a quick errand to town. Would you mind if Jasmina rode with me? I need to drop some things off at the school and could use an extra hand.”

Joy Lovey immediately began jumping up and down. “I want to go too; let me go, PLEASE!”

Granny McBook knew how sensitive Joy Lovey was, but also how she was a bit of a handful, immediately said, “Hon, you know I can’t make my tea cakes without your help. You mean you’d rather lift boxes in this heat instead of sitting by the fan and cooking with me?”

Joy Lovey stopped jumping and considered what granny said. She hated the heat and anything that remotely smacked of work. Looking back at Aunt Addie and Jasmina she said, “I’m sorry Aunt Addie, I’m needed here.”

Jasmina smiled to herself. She ran around the car and climbed into the passenger seat. As they pulled out of the drive, she waved at the two standing on the porch. Granny understood how much she loved spending alone time with Aunt Addie.

With Joy Lovey along, they would not have been able to speak privately and would blab everything she did hear. Granny McBook knew exactly what to say for her to stay behind even if she did nothing in the kitchen but ask questions and sneak a taste of the batter. Jasmina planned on giving her granny an extra big hug when they returned.

As they headed to the highway, they turned right heading into Colony. She finally asked, “How many boxes have you got, Aunt Addie? I hope they aren’t too heavy.”

Addie smiled over at Jasmina and patted her leg. “No worries, Lord forgive me for fibbing, but I’m not going to the school. Can you keep a secret?”

Her ears immediately perked up, “Yes, Ma’am, I promise.” Her heart started beating a little faster.

A secret! It must be something juicy.” She waited patiently for Aunt Addie to enlighten her.

Addie sighed as if she had made her mind up about something. “Jasmina, you are almost a young woman. You’ll be thirteen on your birthday. I know your momma is kindhearted and innocent, so I feel it’s my duty to be sure you girls understand the heartaches of life.”

Jasmina was getting more excited by the minute!

“You’ll understand better when you’re a grown woman, but when men and women get married, they promise to keep themselves for just one another. Do you understand what that means?” She glanced over at Jasmina.

Thinking for a moment she said, “Well, does it mean that the two sleep in the same bed, and with no other man or woman?”

Addie replied, “Well there is a little more to it than that, but you’ve got the basics. So… when a married man or woman finds out or suspects their partner has been sleeping in another bed with someone else, they have broken their promise. That is bad. Do you understand that?”

Jasmina nodded.

“Okay, so far so good. Now, if this happens, it is left up to the other partner to do everything possible to make sure her suspensions are correct. Just for example, let’s say you think Joy Lovey took your favorite book, but it was actually Gordon. You’d want to make sure you knew to the best of your ability before accusing your sister, wouldn’t you?”

“Well Aunt Addie, Joy Lovey would never take one of my books because she barely knows her letters and she’s in the fifth grade.”

Addie waved her hand, “Well you know what I mean, right?”

“Yea, Ma’am, I do.”

“Okay, how would that make you feel? Would you be hurt? Angry?”

“I would be angry if someone took it, but if they had destroyed it or lost it, I would be hurt. Books are precious!” Jasmina exclaimed.

“Right, you’re getting it. Well, Jasmina, again, this is a secret between me and you, okay?” Addie glanced over at her niece and placed her hand on Jasmina’s.

Jasmina clasped her aunt’s hand and said, “I promise, so help me God.”

About this time, they were entering Colony city limits. Jasmina finally remembered to inquire where they were going.

Addie held her head high when she answered, “We are going to pay a visit to the Starlight Motel on the other side of town.”

Jasmina gasped, “Where the strumpets and scoundrels are?”

Addie whipped her head, “Where did you learn that?”

Drats! She had forgotten that she had been eavesdropping. “Well, Aunt Addie, I overheard you and momma talking about it a while back and asked momma. She was upset with me, but explained all about it and that I should never say those words. I’m sorry, you won’t tell her, will you?” Jasmina’s eyes pleaded with her aunt.

Addie just clicked her tongue, “Of course not, because you will not let your momma know me and you came to the Starlight Motel. Geneva would have my hide and Melvin would shoot me with his old rifle. This is our secret. Yes, that’s exactly where they go, and I am about to pay a visit.”

She couldn’t help herself, “But why?”

“Because I think your Uncle Red has been spending some of his time with those floozies at that brothel of a motel, that’s why!”

Floozies? Brothel? Oh lord, more bad words to learn. She decided to leave her questions for later since they were pulling into the motel parking lot.

It looked like a regular motor court to Jasmina. They even had a swimming pool! In the distance, she could see the sign for The Barrel and Ball. So, this was where strumpets and scoundrels congregated. Despite all the warnings, Jasmina thought they looked like fun places to visit.

Addie had pulled into a parking spot on the left side of the office out of view of The Barrel and Ball. She turned off the ignition and sat there for a moment. Jasmina sat quietly and waited for instructions. After about five minutes, she began to get impatient.

She finally asked, “Aunt Addie? Are we getting out?”

Snapping out of her reverie, Addie looked at herself in the rear-view mirror, straightened her hair and replied, “I am, but I want you to stay in the car. Do NOT leave this car and lock your door when I get out. Do you understand?”

Hiding her disappointment that she wasn’t going to see a strumpet or scoundrel, she reached over and pushed the lock down. “Yes, Ma’am.”

With one last look and a deep breath, Addie opened the door and got out. She pulled on her gloves and reached for her purse. Leaning into the car one last time she said, “I will not be long and keep these doors locked. I don’t care if an angel of the Lord appears, you do nothing!”

She slammed the door and headed towards the motel office. The minute she was inside, Jasmina turned around in her seat and checked out all the rooms, which you entered from outside. Maybe she’d see a strumpet or two if she got lucky. After about five minutes, she started getting hot. It was the middle of July in Mississippi, after all.

Sweat broke out on her forehead so she took a chance and rolled down her passenger window in hopes of a cool breeze. It helped some, but she hoped Aunt Addie was not going to take all afternoon. She wasn’t sure what her aunt was doing, but all this top-secret stuff was nerve racking!

Another ten minutes went by, and Jasmina had not seen a soul come or go. Finally, she saw Addie coming around the corner. Instead of going to the driver’s side, she walked to the back of the car and opened the trunk. She slammed it and headed back to the office carrying a brown grocery bag with a handle.

Jasmina was totally puzzled. What was in the bag? Another five minutes passed before Addie came back to the car. This time, thankfully, she unlocked her door and started the car.

Jasmina was about to bust wide open to know what had happened, but she could tell that her aunt needed a minute. Cold air from the AC hit her face and she decided to just enjoy the cool.

Heading back into town, Aunt Addie finally spoke. “I don’t know about you, but I think we deserve a frosty mug of root beer at the Cow and Suds, don’t you?”

Nodding quickly, Jasmina replied, “Absolutely!”

Once they were seated in one of the big red booths at the Cow and Suds sipping on frosty root beer while sharing some fries, Jasmina finally got up the courage to inquire.”

“Aunt Addie, you have to tell me! Did you see a strumpet and scoundrel. What was in your bag?”

Between bites, Addie finally said, “Well, no I did not. Most of the time they are up to no good after dark. Remember that, Jasmina. All sin happens after 10 pm.

But I did speak to Louise, the front desk clerk. Turns out I taught her young’uns in school. I explained to her my “situation” and she was more than happy to help.”

“Help? How?” Jasmina took another drag on her root beer.

“Well, as I mentioned earlier, I suspect your Uncle Red has been spending some time at the Starlight. I got suspicious when he started staying out all night on the weekends and using up my Cashmere Bouquet body powder.

I am a frugal woman, Jasmina. You must be when you have a family to take care of, but I work hard, and my body powder is the one frivolous thing I allow myself. They also have soap and makeup, but that is way too much money to spend frivolously. My body powder is one my one guilty pleasure! The nerve of that man using MY powder to sweeten himself up for those floozies!” She drained her root beer to the point of slurping her straw.

“I’ll be right back; I need another drink!” Wow, another root beer! She really was upset, thought Jasmina.

Once back in the booth she continued, “So, I decided before I confronted him, that I needed proof. I know your momma meant well, but Red Thornton could lie his way through a hurricane, so, I came up with a brilliant idea, even if I do say so myself,” Addie smiled for the first time.

“I asked Hazel Pickett down at the Colony Drug Store to order me a dozen of the small boxes of Cashmere Bouquet powder. Cost me every penny out of the kitchen cookie jar, but my peace of mind is worth it! Then, I opened each one and mixed in some itch powder that I picked up at the Farmers Coop. I stirred them all up, pretty as you please. To look at them, you’d never know they had been opened.”

Jasmina did not know there was such a thing as itch powder. “What is itch powder; how does it work?”

Aunt Addie giggled like a schoolgirl. “Here’s the best part, it is activated when you start to get hot and sweaty. It will itch like a hundred mosquitoes.” She just cackled out loud at this.

Jasmina realized the brown grocery bag had contained boxes of powder. Squinting, she still didn’t get it. “So, I get what you’ve done, but how will that prove anything? 

“That’s the part I think is a divine wink from Jesus himself. Louise, the front desk clerk, also cleans all the rooms. She has agreed to place a box of powder in each of the rooms as a gift from the motel. How about that!!

“But won’t she get into trouble if someone complains?” Jasmina suddenly had a feeling something about this was not very Christ-like.

“Nah! Trust me, no one is going to complain. They would be too scared of getting called out for their sinning and trifling ways. That’s what they get for behaving like heathens. Besides, I told Louise what I had done. She thought it was a brilliant idea, too!”

Jasmina was totally lost by this point. “But Aunt Addie, I still do not understand how this is going to prove Uncle Red’s guilt or not.

Aunt Addie just patted her arm again and replied. “Honey, just watch and learn. Watch and learn.” She cackled out loud again.

Jasmina pushed the last of her root beer away. She suddenly didn’t have a very good feeling about things.