“Y'all just as reckless and out of place as a wool festival in July.”
Melvin Trent was the elder of Vincent Trent's two children old enough, at 21, to have lots of clear memories of his great-grandfather, and that was one of Theodore Stepforth's sayings.
Great-grandfather Theodore came to mind when Melvin was listening to one of his friends – or who he thought was a friend – becoming absolutely indignant at a mere suggestion of a industry of work that his (former) friend thought was beneath him.
The young man on the other end of the phone was so mad Melvin's sister 17-year-old Vanna could hear him in his rage.
“I got my own car, and my own place, and my own woman – but where are you and what are you doing, Mel?”
“Quick question, Stu – are you paying for the car and place, or is the woman putting in the most?”
Silence.
“Yeah, that's what I thought,” Melvin said. “You forget that I know you. You ain't never done nothing in your life but run up bills and your mouth, while I took care of all my brothers and sisters until Dad got back, and because living here and paying rent is letting my business pay me to buy real estate that is making me more money and will buy me the house I want free and clear. But you can't listen to anyone that wants to help you, so get off my phone. Call me when you have a phone number that shows a phone plan that ain't $30 Metro-Ghettro – get your life together or forget about being any part of mine. You are as reckless and out-of-pocket with your life as a wool festival in July – get off my phone.”
Vanna started laughing, because she remembered their grandfather saying that too, and then gave her brother a big hug.
“I love you because you are my brother,” she said, “but because you hold yourself and the men around you accountable, I respect you as a man!”
“Look, Vanna,” Melvin said, “with Dad and Pop-Pop holding me accountable, and a young woman like you just at my rear, and Milton all up under me when he isn't under Dad, you already know I have to have my life together and only be around men that have their lives together! Can't be out here in a wool festival in July, sweating and shrinking and stinking – that's not how a Trent man with Stepforth blood gets to live!”