sudden halt. Slowly, Jackson picked up his head to peer over the top of a bramble of thorny branches bursting with thick, waxy leaves. He gasped, then held his breath.
It was L’il Bokay and a young woman he was certain was Katherine Marie. Jackson’d had even less to do with Katherine Marie than he’d had to do with L’il Bokay in recent times, but he’d seen her around town all these years, watched her grow into a lithe beauty, and always with a proud stab of fondness.
L’il Bokay had her by the forearm. She winced and struggled but he gripped it in his strong right hand and twisted. He spoke fiercely to her, quietly but with command.
You are not going in there.
Lemme go, lemme go, I’ll do what I want.
L’il Bokay twisted harder.
No. You won’t.
Katherine Marie whimpered, gave up the struggle, and collapsed onto L’il Bokay’s chest long enough for him to relax his grip and then quick as a cat she scrambled away from him, crouching in the pose of a defensive tackle while she stretched out her throbbing neck and pointed chin in a mad, angry taunt.
You don’t own me. Ain’t nobody owns me. It’s kitchen help they want. No one’s going to touch me in there. I won’t let ’em. And Mama can’t work no more, the twins need medicine and clothes. What exactly do you expect me to do about that? What? It’s not like I haven’t tried for other jobs, you know that. There’s nothing else I can do and stay in school.
With that, she gave him her back and marched slowly toward the shack’s back door with the same determination and pride Jackson remembered from their original encounter.
He was on the verge of jumping up and saving her himself, although how he could he had not the slightest idea, when L’il Bokay called out: Stop. I’ll take care of you all. I’ve got a strong back. I don’t need school like you do. I’ll get two jobs and I’ll take care of all you all.
Katherine Marie stopped and turned. In the moonlight, the tears streaming down her cheeks were like ropes of jewels loosely strung.
And why would you do that, Bokay? Why?
The big brute of a man fell to his knees and held out his arms.
Because I love you, Katherine Marie. Because I love you.
She went up close to him then and he wrapped his arms around her legs and she bent down and covered his head with kisses, telling him things Jackson could not hear. Eventually, she helped him up off his knees and the two of them walked down the dirt road past the two pickups and the Chevrolet sedan all bundled up in each other.
When he was sure they were gone, Jackson got up. He was moved beyond words by the sights he had seen, and all the long walk home he considered the nature of love. He discovered that he envied L’il Bokay, envied his apparent possession of a woman like Katherine Marie whose naked breasts he had managed to half-glimpse during their struggle, an image he simultaneously locked away in a secret place and attempted to erase from his mind.
When he reached his house, he wanted to go straight to his room and be alone with his thoughts, but Rebecca Headly lounged on the living room couch in front of the television and gestured to him. Her shirt was unbuttoned one or two notches more than necessary for comfort on a hot night. Come set with me, she said, moving her feet to give him room. I’m all bored. That li’l brother of yours sure is a pistol, but I got him tuckered out. He’s sleepin’ now, up the stairs. I’ve just been allalone forever with nothin’ to do. Your folks won’t be home for what? Two more hours at least. Good thing you showed up. I welcome the company.
Never one to offend a lady, Jackson did as he was told, and before he knew it, he was rubbing Rebecca Headly’s tired feet and then her calves and then her thighs. When he got to the upper portions of the latter, they were both breathing heavily, but he wasn’t sure what he should do next. Rebecca Headly took over and covered him with kisses and sly
It was L’il Bokay and a young woman he was certain was Katherine Marie. Jackson’d had even less to do with Katherine Marie than he’d had to do with L’il Bokay in recent times, but he’d seen her around town all these years, watched her grow into a lithe beauty, and always with a proud stab of fondness.
L’il Bokay had her by the forearm. She winced and struggled but he gripped it in his strong right hand and twisted. He spoke fiercely to her, quietly but with command.
You are not going in there.
Lemme go, lemme go, I’ll do what I want.
L’il Bokay twisted harder.
No. You won’t.
Katherine Marie whimpered, gave up the struggle, and collapsed onto L’il Bokay’s chest long enough for him to relax his grip and then quick as a cat she scrambled away from him, crouching in the pose of a defensive tackle while she stretched out her throbbing neck and pointed chin in a mad, angry taunt.
You don’t own me. Ain’t nobody owns me. It’s kitchen help they want. No one’s going to touch me in there. I won’t let ’em. And Mama can’t work no more, the twins need medicine and clothes. What exactly do you expect me to do about that? What? It’s not like I haven’t tried for other jobs, you know that. There’s nothing else I can do and stay in school.
With that, she gave him her back and marched slowly toward the shack’s back door with the same determination and pride Jackson remembered from their original encounter.
He was on the verge of jumping up and saving her himself, although how he could he had not the slightest idea, when L’il Bokay called out: Stop. I’ll take care of you all. I’ve got a strong back. I don’t need school like you do. I’ll get two jobs and I’ll take care of all you all.
Katherine Marie stopped and turned. In the moonlight, the tears streaming down her cheeks were like ropes of jewels loosely strung.
And why would you do that, Bokay? Why?
The big brute of a man fell to his knees and held out his arms.
Because I love you, Katherine Marie. Because I love you.
She went up close to him then and he wrapped his arms around her legs and she bent down and covered his head with kisses, telling him things Jackson could not hear. Eventually, she helped him up off his knees and the two of them walked down the dirt road past the two pickups and the Chevrolet sedan all bundled up in each other.
When he was sure they were gone, Jackson got up. He was moved beyond words by the sights he had seen, and all the long walk home he considered the nature of love. He discovered that he envied L’il Bokay, envied his apparent possession of a woman like Katherine Marie whose naked breasts he had managed to half-glimpse during their struggle, an image he simultaneously locked away in a secret place and attempted to erase from his mind.
When he reached his house, he wanted to go straight to his room and be alone with his thoughts, but Rebecca Headly lounged on the living room couch in front of the television and gestured to him. Her shirt was unbuttoned one or two notches more than necessary for comfort on a hot night. Come set with me, she said, moving her feet to give him room. I’m all bored. That li’l brother of yours sure is a pistol, but I got him tuckered out. He’s sleepin’ now, up the stairs. I’ve just been allalone forever with nothin’ to do. Your folks won’t be home for what? Two more hours at least. Good thing you showed up. I welcome the company.
Never one to offend a lady, Jackson did as he was told, and before he knew it, he was rubbing Rebecca Headly’s tired feet and then her calves and then her thighs. When he got to the upper portions of the latter, they were both breathing heavily, but he wasn’t sure what he should do next. Rebecca Headly took over and covered him with kisses and sly
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