Secrets and Lies

Excitement always seemed to find Mae, it was coincidence. If a football player and his cheerleader girlfriend broke up, she was there. If there was a wild party, she was there. She never knew a world without excitement and freedom. It is what she lived for. Yet in excitement there was a certain predictability that came with it. At a wild party, there would usually be alcohol and loud music, and that lead to underage drinking and a call from the cops from neighbors complaining of the noise. Mae had yet to be to a party where the cops had not crashed it. She longed for spontaneity.

The day before spring break started, Mae was on her laptop making plans for spring break with her best friends, Sara and Lily. They decided they would go to Myrtle Beach and stay in Sara’s dad beach house since he would be away on business. From the thoughts of her spring break bliss, came her mom’s voice calling her. Mae went downstairs to find her mom sitting at the counter with a pile of papers in front of her and a stale cup of coffee. This was not unusual for Mrs. Clark to do. She had her own law office and single-handedly took care of the many cases for the local childhood services division of the Mulberry County Court House. “Busy day at the office?” Mae asked. “The busiest”, her mom replied, “I’m buried in paperwork and have more cases than I know what to do with”. Mae grinned. “Anyway, Mae. I called you because I need you to do me a huge favor”. “What?” Mae asked, hoping taking out the garbage would not be involved.

“Do you remember when I told you about Auntie Sue getting married?” her mom asked. Mae tugged her braid and tried to remember about her Aunt Sue’s wedding. She remembered vaguely her mother mentioning it but she was not paying too much attention because she was talking to Sara on the phone. “I think so”, Mae mused, “Why?” “Well her wedding is next week in South Carolina and though I promised her I would be a bridesmaid, I never thought I would have this much work to do. So I need you to be my replacement”. Mae was shocked. How could her mother ask her this now, right when school just ended and she could hear Myrtle Beach calling her name. “Mom! It is Spring Break! I made plans”, Mae complained. “I know it is honey, but I think we should both agree that seeing Auntie Sue getting married is much more important than some silly trip to the beach. Besides, she would be so happy to see you. She hasn’t seen you since you were nine” her Mom coaxed. “Isn’t this like her third husband already?” Mae said as she twisted a strand of hair around her finger. “Yeah, it is but Auntie Sue swears to me Cal’s the one, but so were Leon, Antoine, and Beau. Lord knows, she could use a good husband. Her last husband Beau left her for a 23 year old waitress who served people fast food on roller skates”, Mrs. Clark said.

Mae found herself canceling her plans to go to Myrtle Beach and sitting on a bus twelve

hours later bound for the small town of Clementine, South Carolina. Population: 2,300 and counting. Mae made sure to pack her video camera, digital camera, and notebook with her as to not miss a single detail of the Saga of Auntie Sue. Mae arrived at the bus depot, ten miles away from Clementine, right before noon. Her Auntie Sue looked exactly as she remembered, even with the same outdated hairstyle and classic southern charm and beauty. “Let me take a look at you”, Auntie Sue exclaimed, “You’re growing like a weed and are just as pretty as your mama. Speaking of Marie, how is she?” “Y’know busy with work as a lawyer.” Mae answered.

The day of Auntie Sue’s wedding everyone was crazy. Auntie Sue was nervous about everything and wanted her special to be just right. Her bride’s maids had hangovers from the night before and on top of everything, Cal seemed to have gone missing ten minutes before the ceremony was supposed to start. The backyard wedding was a scene of chaos. Auntie Sue was crying and all the guests were trying to comfort this hysterical bride to see what was really going. Mae was walking around the backyard filming the kids playing when something caught her eye. Cal’s pick up truck, was now in front of the house, where an hour before it was in the garage. She went to see why and found Cal sitting there very depressed. “What’s wrong, Cal? Why are you in here while everybody else is out there? Aunt Sue is going crazy”. Cal did not respond; he just looked down at what he was holding. Mae peered closer and saw it was a rope. She instantly knew what it was for and it was not a tire swing or for the ceremony. “Cal, don’t do this. You are better than this. You are. It is your wedding day what can be happier? You have everything right in front of you. A woman who loves you and a lifetime of happiness waiting for you”.

Cal looked at her; eyes filled with tears. “It’s not that easy. Sue and I are not as happy as everybody thinks. We have our problems big ones. Y’see a couple months ago right after Sue and I got engaged, she was staying at a local hotel on a business trip. So I decided to surprise her with dinner and flowers. When I went to her room, there was a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on the door and Sue’s laugh coming from inside. I pushed the door open and found her in another man’s arms, drinking champagne wearing only a bathrobe. I knew then she cheated on me. I did not know what to do. I was so hurt. I just drove around for a while. It felt like my world was ending and everything was a lie. Sue apologized and I forgave her of course and things have been great since them. But I am just so afraid of feeling that pain again and yesterday my worst nightmare came true. One of her bridesmaids called yesterday saying they were at the bar and Mike was waiting for her. I told Suzanne and told not to go, but she ignored me insisting it was nothing and she would be back soon. When she came home I smelt cologne and knew it was not mine. That is why I am sitting here now with a rope in my hand, trying to find a way to end the pain. “

Mae did not know what to do. She had no idea what to say to Cal to make him feel better because she knew nothing would. She got out of the truck and walked around to Cal’s side. She opened his door and told him to come out and tell everyone the truth. She could not let the marriage happen knowing how it might be end. Marriages and certainly relationships cannot be built on secrets and lies. Everyone knows that. “Come on”, Mae said to Cal as he sat there looking at her. “Where are we going? Wherever it is, it’s not going to change my mind”,

Cal said bitterly. “We’re going to let everyone know the truth”, Mae told him.