After receiving a clean bill of health for the second week in a row, Imani decided that time out with her friends was what she needed most of all. Receiving the good news of her health had been somewhat bittersweet, however.
The blood work showed no trace of the toxins found in her system when she’d been admitted. Imani was thrilled to know it was as Roman had said- she wasn’t weak and had help finding her way into a sick bed.
Still, the fact that she would have to give up her museum work for the duration of the pregnancy, was a horrendous pill to swallow. The afternoon outing with friends was just the treat she needed to take her mind from the disappointment.
Rena, Giselle and Candace had taken Imani to lunch at a new steakhouse which had opened in the Village. Imani didn’t consider herself a large meateater, but discovered she’d developed quite a taste for it. She devoured every morsel on the platter of enormous sirloin tips Rena had insisted on ordering for her.
It was a delicious meal followed by shopping and then a return trip home where they would be joined by Imani’s aunt and cousins, Giselle’s mother and sister as well as Candace’s mother Daniella Strong.
On the agenda for the afternoon was tea and cakes, catered by the divine Morton’s diner in Harlem. They were still waiting on Giselle’s mother and sister and Imani’s cousin Ashira to arrive before getting started. In the meantime, Imani was happy to show the ladies her home.
~~~
“Your Aunt Char must have superhuman powers of persuasion to keep your mother from hopping the first plane to New York to see to you.”
Imani shook her head as she offered a lazy shrug. “It’s like I told Roman, pregnancy isn’t a reason to be bedridden where I’m from. Ever. I’m out of the hospital so that goes a long way to ease the kind of worry that would’ve gotten her on that plane no matter what anyone said.”
The knock on the front door got everyone’s attention.
“Sounds like dessert,” Rena headed out of the kitchen. Char and Chazria followed.
Imani and the others prepared to leave as well.
“Where did you get this, child?” Daniella turned from the sink to look at Imani.
“Roman’s mother,” Imani saw the woman was referring to the potted plant on the window sill. “Athena bought it for the house,” she turned a bright smile to Candace and Giselle. “We had a really nice visit.”
“Mama?” Candace wasn’t listening to Imani. “What’s wrong?”
“Did she tell you what it was?” Daniella asked.
“No, I-” Imani’s brow crinkled delicately. “I didn’t ask. I only thought it was pretty. We started talking about Roman and the baby.”
“Ma? What is it?” Candace asked.
“Have you touched it? Eaten from it?”
“Mama, enough! Wha-”
“Did she tell you to drink a tea?” Daniella’s voice remained level even as her daughter’s spiked across the room.
Imani sat back down at the table. Her expression took on a far off quality. “She said she used it- the tea. She...drank it all the time with her pregnancies.”
Daniella’s sigh was easily heard in the silent kitchen.
“We laughed about how it gave her such strong, vital men...” Imani continued, her tone sounding more hollow.
“Did she make any of this tea for you, child?”
“No, she-no. She only told me how to make it.”
“Have you?”
“I...”
“Answer me, child.”
“Mama please! You’re scaring her-and me.”
Daniella finally looked at her daughter. “This is a Tansy plant. It’s a weed. You’ve probably passed them on the side of the road.” She looked to the plant again. “This one looks well cared for. Grown on purpose. Did Athena tell you how to make its tea, girl?”
Imani nodded. “She said to drink it whenever I feel out of sorts with the pregnancy.”
“Hell...” Daniella snorted. “That could be everyday. All day.”
“Mama,” Candace went to Daniella at the sink and pointed at the flowers. “Enough with the mystery. What does this thing do?”
“Tansy was once used by midwives. In certain doses, it could induce abortion. Later, it was believed the weed could even help a woman stave off a miscarriage or even to conceive.”
The heavy quiet was marred by the sound of female laughter out in the living room. Soon after, Giselle settled noisily to a chair at the table.
“It’s a dangerous thing to fool around with.” Daniella added.
Candace turned to Giselle, who looked stricken. “Still want to tell your mother-in-law you’re black?”
“But that’s crazy,” Imani said. “Athena she...she wouldn’t have...” Hope surged in the molten pools of her eyes then. “I made it wrong, is all. Miss Daniella you said certain doses could prevent miscarriage. I just made it wrong.”
“Yes, child,” Daniella took the plant from the sill. “I’m sure that’s it.” She sat the beautiful pot into the garbage pail near the back door.
