Solemn by Kalisha Buckhanon Page B

said. “Call me Bev. And Solemn’d walk on over here, every day. Or me or her daddy drop her off. Solemn know her way around here better than I do. I’d be sure she got on out in time.”
    â€œOh, okay. Uh, where is she, by the way?” And that would pretty much be the story with the girl from the time the arrangement started until it ended.
    Dear, dear Solemn, Solemn … It was a child and name and name and child the mama would never in her whole life be able to forget.
    *   *   *
    As eager as she was for her first day of classes at Magnolia Bible College, a real student she was now, Bev just dropped Solemn off at the Longwoods’ door. She only had to knock once. Stephanie was waiting, minutes early, tapping fingerprints in a tin of rosebud salve. Prompt and dressed. So was Stephanie’s daughter, ready, with just one of the many new stiff dresses she had for the year. Solemn had grown a bit, but the school clothes from last year still fit her, so she could wait until she grew out of her closet.
    â€œThis is Solemn, Desiree.”
    The smaller girl seemed gobbled up by what looked like twice as much space—and almost was—as her own home. Stephanie’s knack for scrutizining and mastering light colors worked out this way. The girl sat cross-legged on a wraparound leather couch with her dress open and the thicker crotch of her white cotton tights in plain view. Hmph. Solemn could never sit like that, legs all opened. Especially not for company. But she didn’t know what to call herself here with these people. She wasn’t company. She heard she would be shuffled to them every day. No one even came to their home every day but Akila maybe. Now, and with her belly growing.
    â€œHello,” the girl said.
    â€œHi,” Solemn said back.
    â€œYou the one gonna be staying with us?”
    â€œShe’s not staying with us,” Stephanie said. “And sit properly, would you please?”
    Desiree giggled, but she didn’t change. Solemn didn’t know why she was dropped off so early. It was only seven thirty. The ride to the school for eight thirty was only about twenty minutes at most.
    â€œShe’s riding to school with you. From now on.”
    â€œI seen you before,” Desiree said.
    Solemn couldn’t recall her. But Desiree was a bit younger. The older kids didn’t look down much.
    â€œYou got B lunch,” Desiree said, correctly. She had seen Solemn before.
    â€œYou have B lunch,” Stephanie corrected. “You hear me? Desiree? Desiree?”
    The girl continued to stare at Solemn, entranced. Solemn sat on the couch right beside her, with her legs crossed Indian-style, too. Only there was a quarter-size hole in the tights. Between her thighs. Desiree paid this no mind. Solemn smelled toast, and the Nutella she saw Stephanie wipe across it. Then she smelled a banana, cut wide open, a swoosh of sweet green vines with them now. And the caramel goddess woman was before her and the girl with two light-green saucers and full, very full, glasses of juice.
    *   *   *
    Over at Stephanie’s house, where Solemn could sing. Or sang. Loud as she wanted to. She could even jump around and dance. Stephanie never yelled. Solemn had swing in her hips and Desiree had born rhythm in her arms. When they were famous, they would call themselves “Desi’s Child.” At her home, Desiree had control of the remote. Solemn had control of Desiree. If it wasn’t Beyoncé it was Mary J. Blige and Angie Stone. Michael Jackson and ’N Sync. Nelly and Juvenile. One night, Solemn got to stay over and up to watch the late movie. It was Boyz n the Hood . Solemn didn’t have to turn her head when the boys got the holes blowed through them in the alleys, or when the boys and girls did nasty stuff in the beds. Desiree, just nine, did not know it was nasty stuff yet. Solemn let Desiree in on the secret of