Joneses – 5.6 Did You Hear?

Early Friday evening, India was just about to prepare for work when she saw Eliza standing at her door. Oh brother.

“Hello, Eliza. What can I do for you?”

“Hi. I’m just making my rounds. Our regularly scheduled Tuesday meeting will now be on Friday at the same time. Hope that isn’t too much trouble for you.”

“Oh! Ummm, no. I guess I just won’t make plans then…” Although she got a seven day notice, India was still a little bit annoyed about the change. “May I ask the reason for the change?”

“Oh, well…we have some family things planned next week and needed to move some things around.”

India wanted to laugh. Eliza, the woman who was “always on the job” was now moving heaven and earth to spend time with her little family. She could hardly believe it was even possible.

“Fun things, I hope,” India said. “Would you like to come in?”

“Sure, I’ll pop in for a moment.”

India was nervous. Eliza had never been inside her home before, and she could already feel the judgement breathing down her neck.

As soon as Eliza crossed the threshold, India spotted a soiled plate her son had left on the accent table and immediately tried to apologize for him. “Sorry about the mess. My son, he…well, I guess it’s good you had a daughter and not a son, heh.”

Eliza hadn’t decided if that should have been fact or a mere cover up for India’s own piggyness.

“OH,” India shouted. “Speaking of having children…” She held up one finger, silently urging Eliza to wait as she dashed away to Lester’s room to close his door. “Sorry. You know I try to stay out of the gossip, but…I just have to know. Did you hear that Mary had a baby?

“I guess not,” India said. Eliza’s reaction was very telling.

“Mary? Are you sure? How do you know?”

“Well, I don’t for certain. But yesterday, the Jones girl was here with my son, and I’m pretty sure I heard her say something about a baby. I was on my way to shower at the time, so I could have heard wrong, but I don’t think I did. You haven’t seen Mary this week?”

“No! Not at all. I can’t believe this. It doesn’t add up!”

“Right? I didn’t get the feeling they were that into each other, honestly. Oh! And when they first moved in, Lester told me that she came over here looking for her husband!”

Eliza gasped.

“Yeah! No woman goes to another woman’s house looking for her husband unless he’s—

“A cheater!”

They said it at the same time, Eliza more enthusiastically as she had discovered a clue to her mystery.

“Keep this to yourself,” Eliza said, “but keep your eyes and ears open. Something isn’t right with that woman, and I’m gonna find out what it is! Call me the moment you hear something.”