42 pages 1 hour read

Deesha Philyaw

The Secret Lives of Church Ladies

Fiction | Short Story Collection | Adult | Published in 2020

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Story 9Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Story 9 Summary: “When Eddie Levert Comes”

Daughter cares for her mother who suffers from Dementia. Because of her illness, the mother is much kinder now than she used to be. The mother believes that Eddie Levert, a famous musician who she once had a one-night stand with, is coming to pick her up for a date. She fixates on this and every day it is the same—she tells her daughter to help her get ready for Eddie to come and pick her up.

Daughter has a difficult time reconciling taking care of her mother after being abused by her during childhood. Growing up, Daughter was darker in color than her two brothers, and her mother often treated her differently because of it. Still, she cares for her elderly mother, even though her brother lives close by and could help out, but he rarely does. Daughter leaves for dinner with an old friend and lover and breaks down crying; she is sad that after all of the years of taking care of her mother, her mother barely knows who she is because of the dementia, but she gets excited when her brother comes around, who has hardly helped to take care of her at all.

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