"Is There Some Kind of Problem?"

“Is there some kind of problem?” Leo moved smoothly down the porch steps and toward the car.

“I’m sorry.”  Sukie whispered hastily.

The red fingernails lifted away from the car door sill.  “I didn’t mean to pry,” began the woman, turning to Leo.  “But I heard their commotion as I was walking by, and....” Here, Leslie emitted a watery groan from the base of her throat.

Edna Smalls turned to shout through the screen door, “Juanita! Get out here, now.  You have had more than enough time to get yourself together.”  She followed Leo down the steps and across the lawn.  “Meredith, have you met my brother-in-law, Leo Tompkins?  And those are my nieces in the car.”  Leo gave a stiff nod and Meredith smiled.  “Hello, Leo.  I’m one of the neighbors.  I live just down the street....” Meredith gestured as Juanita and Barry came out of the house and murmured their greetings, “Hi, Mrs. Berger.”

Edna opened the car door and pushed the front seat forward.  She looked from one niece to the next, taking in their chocolatey eyes filled with tears, the musty scent of childish sweat blended with vinyl; and the way their cardigan sweaters drooped from their shoulders.

“You know better than that.” she said in a voice that was for their ears only.  Then she stepped back and opened her arms, inviting the girls to crawl out and wrap their arms around her.  By now, the sky’s blue was deepening into a private dusk.

Mrs. Berger cleared her throat.  “Well, I guess I’ll get on home.  Talk to you, later, Edna?”

“Alright Meredith.  Take care.”

“Nice to meet you Leo.”

“Likewise.”

“Bye, girls, and no more fighting each other, okay?” Mrs. Berger pointed a red fingernail at Leslie and Sukie, and, still smiling, walked away.  

Rolling her eyes heavenward, Juanita plopped herself into the front passenger seat of the Plymouth. The stack of 45 records hung around her thumb; the parcel of poundcake slices rested in her lap.  A few feet away, Barry and Leo’s hands were locked in a soul handshake and the uncle said something to make the nephew grin and nod with vigor.  Edna held each of her hands soft against the base of Leslie’s and Sukie’s necks.  “Now, I know you all are going to be good girls for Juanita,  aren’t you?”

“Yes, Aunt Edna.”

“And Juanita, don’t let them stay up past their bedtime.”

Juanita gave her mother a doleful look as her little cousins scrambled back into the car.  Just before Leo collapsed his body down into the driver’s seat, Juanita whispered over her shoulder:  “Mrs. Berger is nosy.”

“Yeah,”  chimed Leslie.  “Just like Mrs. Payne!”