Break Up

Jarvis Sutton, 29 and wearing no tie, stood outside the offices of the Canton farm machinery company where he worked as a customer rep. He spied his mother’s blue Chevy turning in off the highway. When the Chevy stopped, Jarvis opened the car door on the passenger side and got in.

“Hi Mama,” he said. They kissed.

“There’s no one at the table in the park, so I thought we could eat lunch there,” Mildred Sutton said. The well-kept city park lay only two blocks from Jarvis’s workplace.

“Whatever, Mama,” Jarvis answered.

“I picked up some fried chicken, potatoes and gravy, and two green salads,” Mildred said. “That oughta do us, don’t you think? Plus, I got you a Dr. Pepper and me some lemonade.”

“Sounds great,” said Jarvis. Mildred could sense the dejection in his voice.

“I know you’re down, son, but try to cheer up a little. You’ve got more pluses in life than minuses. Ask anybody.”

The Chevy pulled into the park and stopped near the cement picnic table.

“I hurt, Mama. My wife just left me for some high-flying salesman. We’ve got a kid that’s gonna be shuffled back and forth now. It’s gonna take some time.”

“I hurt too, son,” Mildred said. “When one of my children hurt, I hurt. And I’m angry too. I expected more from Billie, you know, but then your sister always said she didn’t trust her. I guess she was right.”

“Let’s not go into that again right now, Mama,” Jarvis said. He was filling his paper plate. “Billie wants me to make her car payments until it’s paid off.”

“I’m sure she does,” said Mildred. She was watching Jarvis eat. “Who wouldn’t? Let’s ask Phil about that before you give her any answers.” Phil had been chosen to represent Jarvis in the divorce suit.

“I’ll ask him, but you know good and well Billie has to have a car Mama. I can’t chauffer Jolynn around every single day of the week.”

“Her car’s better than mine! Maybe we can arrange some kind of swap if you’re gonna make the payments for her,” Mildred said.

Tears welled in her eyes. “I can’t believe it some days. I never left your daddy and he never left me. If he ever considered it even, he didn’t tell me. What’s the world coming to these days?”

Jarvis stopped eating a second and leaned over to kiss his mom on the cheek. “Things’ll be all right, Mama. Just don’t worry. Why aren’t you eating? You haven’t even started,” Jarvis said.

“Oh, I’ll take it home and eat it tonight,” Mildred said. She looked at Jarvis a moment. Her son, her pride. “I guess I never told you he cheated on me. Your daddy.”

Jarvis coughed and had to stop eating. “He what?”

“It’s true, honey. You know I wouldn’t lie to you,” Mildred said. “It was him and that Cora Sykes. A hussy in a fancy business suit if you ask me. I’m glad she’s dead.”

Jarvis began to cry and wipe the tears away as they rolled down his face.

“I’m sorry for telling you, honey,” said Mildred. “I don’t know why I couldn’t resist it. Don’t cry. Don’t cry, baby.”

Jarvis looked at his mom. “If Billie ever wants to come back to me, Mama, I’m gonna say ‘yes’.”