knot got worser. I worried at that knot all day, and finally the knot came undone all at oncet. As long as I kept my mouth shut, Robert didn’t care nothing ’bout me. I didn’t have to worry ’bout him no more. I was trash that he had throwed away.
When I got done with work, I dawdled putting my apron in the laundry. I took a long time picking out a just-right loaf of bread. I didn’t want to walk out into that parking lot. Finally, I took me a deep breath and head out.
And there was Biddy. I never thought I’d ever feel happy to see that fool girl.
“Where’s your coat?” I axt her.
“Hi, Biddy. It’s good to see you,” she say to me.
I stop and look at her hard so she wouldn’t know that I was bumfoozled. Why that girl saying hello to herself ? Then I got it. She was funning with me again, but she was trying to teach me a lesson too. Like Lizabeth done her about table manners.
“Hi, Biddy. Good to see you,” I say. “Now, where’s your coat?”
“Not cold enough for a coat,” Biddy say.
“Never was.”
That cold, hard feeling I always had inside me felt like it be slipping a bit sideways. Biddy is plumb scared to come out in the world, and she was coming here to protect me from Robert.
Tears run down my face. I had me too many jumble-up feelings.
I done laundry while Quincy cooked up something. I helped set the table and called Miss Lizzy.
“This is good, Quincy. What you call it?” I asked.
“This be Chicken Parmesan à la Quincy.”
I felt my face go stupid. I figured Quincy would make fun of me. But she smiled.
“That means it’s chicken that has a kind of red sauce and cheese on it. The ‘à la Quincy’ is saying made by Quincy.”
I smiled. “I believe you the best cook in the world.”
“I’ll teach you how to make it,” Quincy said.
Miss Lizzy look up and Quincy remind her she teaching me to cook.
“That’s lovely,” Miss Lizzy said. “And what will Biddy teach you in return, Quincy?”
I wasn’t smart enough to teach. I felt bad.
Quincy looked straight in my face. “Biddy already teaching me lots. Mostly how to be nice to folks that never hurt me.”
My chest ’bout bust open.
We talked and finished our dinner. Miss Lizzy stayed at her chair while I took the dishes. She put her hand on Quincy’s so she couldn’t get up. Quincy jumped when Miss Lizzy touched her. Pulled her hand back. When Miss Lizzy look hurt, Quincy got all upset in her face. “I don’t want you to get no germs,” she said.
“That’s considerate of you, Quincy.” She clear her throat like she got a hair ball in it. “I have something important to talk to the two of you about,” Miss Lizzy said. “I have a special visitor coming here tomorrow evening. Quincy, would you go into the living room? There are two boxes on the sofa and I’d like you to bring them in here.”
Quincy toted those two boxes I seen the deliveryman bring.
“These are for you, girls. The top one is for Biddy and the other is yours, Quincy.” Miss Lizzy waved her hand. “Open them, please.”
Quincy and me took our boxes. Opened the lids. There was softy pink paper and — a dress. Quincy had a dress too.
Something felt wrong. My teachers give me a dress for graduation. This felt — different. I know without looking at Quincy there was thunder and lightning about to bust out. Maybe I helped Quincy learn about how to be nice to peoples that hadn’t hurt us — but Miss Lizzy just hurt us plenty. Only I didn’t know the how or the why of it.
Biddy and I helt up those dresses and then look ’crosst at one ’nother. Lizabeth watch us like she ’spect us to fall on the floor and kiss her bony feet.
I drop the dress back in the box and dust off my hands like they was dirty. Biddy lay hers back in the box and put the lid on real careful.
Lizabeth look from Biddy to me and back again. “Don’t you like them?”
Nobody said nothing.
“Wouldn’t you try them on? I’d like to see how you
When I got done with work, I dawdled putting my apron in the laundry. I took a long time picking out a just-right loaf of bread. I didn’t want to walk out into that parking lot. Finally, I took me a deep breath and head out.
And there was Biddy. I never thought I’d ever feel happy to see that fool girl.
“Where’s your coat?” I axt her.
“Hi, Biddy. It’s good to see you,” she say to me.
I stop and look at her hard so she wouldn’t know that I was bumfoozled. Why that girl saying hello to herself ? Then I got it. She was funning with me again, but she was trying to teach me a lesson too. Like Lizabeth done her about table manners.
“Hi, Biddy. Good to see you,” I say. “Now, where’s your coat?”
“Not cold enough for a coat,” Biddy say.
“Never was.”
That cold, hard feeling I always had inside me felt like it be slipping a bit sideways. Biddy is plumb scared to come out in the world, and she was coming here to protect me from Robert.
Tears run down my face. I had me too many jumble-up feelings.
I done laundry while Quincy cooked up something. I helped set the table and called Miss Lizzy.
“This is good, Quincy. What you call it?” I asked.
“This be Chicken Parmesan à la Quincy.”
I felt my face go stupid. I figured Quincy would make fun of me. But she smiled.
“That means it’s chicken that has a kind of red sauce and cheese on it. The ‘à la Quincy’ is saying made by Quincy.”
I smiled. “I believe you the best cook in the world.”
“I’ll teach you how to make it,” Quincy said.
Miss Lizzy look up and Quincy remind her she teaching me to cook.
“That’s lovely,” Miss Lizzy said. “And what will Biddy teach you in return, Quincy?”
I wasn’t smart enough to teach. I felt bad.
Quincy looked straight in my face. “Biddy already teaching me lots. Mostly how to be nice to folks that never hurt me.”
My chest ’bout bust open.
We talked and finished our dinner. Miss Lizzy stayed at her chair while I took the dishes. She put her hand on Quincy’s so she couldn’t get up. Quincy jumped when Miss Lizzy touched her. Pulled her hand back. When Miss Lizzy look hurt, Quincy got all upset in her face. “I don’t want you to get no germs,” she said.
“That’s considerate of you, Quincy.” She clear her throat like she got a hair ball in it. “I have something important to talk to the two of you about,” Miss Lizzy said. “I have a special visitor coming here tomorrow evening. Quincy, would you go into the living room? There are two boxes on the sofa and I’d like you to bring them in here.”
Quincy toted those two boxes I seen the deliveryman bring.
“These are for you, girls. The top one is for Biddy and the other is yours, Quincy.” Miss Lizzy waved her hand. “Open them, please.”
Quincy and me took our boxes. Opened the lids. There was softy pink paper and — a dress. Quincy had a dress too.
Something felt wrong. My teachers give me a dress for graduation. This felt — different. I know without looking at Quincy there was thunder and lightning about to bust out. Maybe I helped Quincy learn about how to be nice to peoples that hadn’t hurt us — but Miss Lizzy just hurt us plenty. Only I didn’t know the how or the why of it.
Biddy and I helt up those dresses and then look ’crosst at one ’nother. Lizabeth watch us like she ’spect us to fall on the floor and kiss her bony feet.
I drop the dress back in the box and dust off my hands like they was dirty. Biddy lay hers back in the box and put the lid on real careful.
Lizabeth look from Biddy to me and back again. “Don’t you like them?”
Nobody said nothing.
“Wouldn’t you try them on? I’d like to see how you
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