did the audience, ’cause Samona got a standing ovation. Manmi had tears in her eyes and Jean-Claude was whistling and clapping his hands off. That’s when I started thinking that Samona
deserved
to win the contest. So I wasn’t so surprised when after giving the audience a lecture on proper pageant etiquette, the skinny lady announced that Samona, Bessie, Chiquita Arnold and some other girl had made it to the finals.
The next part of the contest was personality and it was pretty boring. The skinny lady just listed the achievements and community work or whatever else the contestants had done that made them look good. While she was doing this, the four finalists came out dressed in new fancy dresses. Then all of them stood in a row and waited for the skinny lady to stop talkingand begin the question part of the program. Bessie still looked scared. Samona just looked quiet and serious and the other two girls were smiling their heads off.
Finally, the skinny lady stopped talking about this girl who visited old ladies every Saturday and that girl who tutored after school and announced that the questions would begin. She went up to each girl and asked three questions of each one. The first two were the same of everybody:
“What would you most like to change about our society?”
“If you were on a desert island, what book would you most want with you and why?”
And all the girls gave the same kind of stupid answers. You could tell they must have spent weeks watching recordings of the old Miss America pageants. Everybody was talking about world hunger and AIDS and even American patriotism. She asked one girl about welfare and she said she didn’t know anything about welfare ’cause her family supported themselves and she figured everybody should do that and get off welfare. Most of the audience booed her.
Chiquita Arnold said the one thing she wanted to change about the world was school, which everybody laughed at but I thought was the most honest answer. Everybody was making up all that other stuff just so they could look good. Bessie Armstrong said that she wished everybody would be nice to one another. EvenSamona made some stuff up about bringing along Lorraine Hansberry’s
A Raisin in the Sun
to a desert island cause she thought it was “moving” and “inspiring.” I knew Samona’s never even read that play. We saw it on TV one Sunday at Samona’s house with her aunt Mary, who is crazy about Sidney Poitier movies. That’s who Samona’s aunt Mary would want on a desert island with her. The real Samona would have asked if she could have an air conditioner or a pool or something more practical than a book.
After the questions, the skinny lady said there would be an intermission while the judges tabulated the votes. Then she said they’d be selling Kool-Aid and cookies right outside the door and everybody started jumping out their seats and rushing up the aisle.
I decided to get up and say hi to Mrs. Fabiyi. She was sitting dead center in the front row and watching the stage like the pageant was still going on. I sat down beside her quietly.
“So, Seth,” Mrs. Fabiyi said, still not looking away from the stage. “Samona do good job, eh-eh?”
“Yeah,” I said, leaning back against the chairs. “She had the whole thing planned and everybody fooled.”
“It good surprise,” Mrs. Fabiyi said with a nod, “no?”
“Yeah, I guess.” I nodded. “You helped her with all that stuff, didn’t you? The speech and the hair? Why didn’t she tell me?”
“I help with outside.” Mrs. Fabiyi turned her headaway from the stage and stared at me with her old black eyes. “You help with inside. You and Samona good friends.”
I swallowed. A good friend wouldn’t try and change someone.
“Samona want surprise everyone. You not believe unless you see. No?” said Mrs. Fabiyi.
“No,” I admitted. I didn’t know Samona could act so well. Maybe I would be nice and go congratulate her after the
deserved
to win the contest. So I wasn’t so surprised when after giving the audience a lecture on proper pageant etiquette, the skinny lady announced that Samona, Bessie, Chiquita Arnold and some other girl had made it to the finals.
The next part of the contest was personality and it was pretty boring. The skinny lady just listed the achievements and community work or whatever else the contestants had done that made them look good. While she was doing this, the four finalists came out dressed in new fancy dresses. Then all of them stood in a row and waited for the skinny lady to stop talkingand begin the question part of the program. Bessie still looked scared. Samona just looked quiet and serious and the other two girls were smiling their heads off.
Finally, the skinny lady stopped talking about this girl who visited old ladies every Saturday and that girl who tutored after school and announced that the questions would begin. She went up to each girl and asked three questions of each one. The first two were the same of everybody:
“What would you most like to change about our society?”
“If you were on a desert island, what book would you most want with you and why?”
And all the girls gave the same kind of stupid answers. You could tell they must have spent weeks watching recordings of the old Miss America pageants. Everybody was talking about world hunger and AIDS and even American patriotism. She asked one girl about welfare and she said she didn’t know anything about welfare ’cause her family supported themselves and she figured everybody should do that and get off welfare. Most of the audience booed her.
Chiquita Arnold said the one thing she wanted to change about the world was school, which everybody laughed at but I thought was the most honest answer. Everybody was making up all that other stuff just so they could look good. Bessie Armstrong said that she wished everybody would be nice to one another. EvenSamona made some stuff up about bringing along Lorraine Hansberry’s
A Raisin in the Sun
to a desert island cause she thought it was “moving” and “inspiring.” I knew Samona’s never even read that play. We saw it on TV one Sunday at Samona’s house with her aunt Mary, who is crazy about Sidney Poitier movies. That’s who Samona’s aunt Mary would want on a desert island with her. The real Samona would have asked if she could have an air conditioner or a pool or something more practical than a book.
After the questions, the skinny lady said there would be an intermission while the judges tabulated the votes. Then she said they’d be selling Kool-Aid and cookies right outside the door and everybody started jumping out their seats and rushing up the aisle.
I decided to get up and say hi to Mrs. Fabiyi. She was sitting dead center in the front row and watching the stage like the pageant was still going on. I sat down beside her quietly.
“So, Seth,” Mrs. Fabiyi said, still not looking away from the stage. “Samona do good job, eh-eh?”
“Yeah,” I said, leaning back against the chairs. “She had the whole thing planned and everybody fooled.”
“It good surprise,” Mrs. Fabiyi said with a nod, “no?”
“Yeah, I guess.” I nodded. “You helped her with all that stuff, didn’t you? The speech and the hair? Why didn’t she tell me?”
“I help with outside.” Mrs. Fabiyi turned her headaway from the stage and stared at me with her old black eyes. “You help with inside. You and Samona good friends.”
I swallowed. A good friend wouldn’t try and change someone.
“Samona want surprise everyone. You not believe unless you see. No?” said Mrs. Fabiyi.
“No,” I admitted. I didn’t know Samona could act so well. Maybe I would be nice and go congratulate her after the
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