Mark and Elizabeth had degrees in Historic Preservation and were busy buying houses, fixing them up and renting them out. Their motto was “always buy brick”. I told them how Wayne was working a dead-end job at his family’s heating and air business and I was painting houses. They assured me we would not lack for work in Savannah.
I went with Mama and Martha to help Shelley with the grand opening of The Athena. An art gallery in a three-story marble faced building on Liberty Street. It was Mama and Martha’s third trip at least, but my first.
Shelley was Mama’s best private art student, first through twelfth grade. Even though she and I went to the same kindergarten where her Mama taught, I didn’t really know either of them until Mama and Martha became best friends. It was Shelley’s idea.
Throughout college, Shelley would visit Mama when in town. Talk about her art and future plans. Mama told Shelley about Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). Savannah became the new vacation destination Mama and Martha. Mama loved Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, the art scene, architecture, and her dog was welcome everywhere.
Wayne and I went to visit Mark and Elizabeth. They lived in the Baldwin Park neighborhood, in a wooden two-story Victorian, with a pair of Jack Russel Terriers. I can only remember Josephine’s name because she jumped on the bed and peed on me and Wayne during the night.
We were fast friends. Drank beer, told stories. Planned our future in Savannah.
Excerpt from Care & Feeding by Chela Gutierrez.
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