dress would be way too tight for Annmarie, but it fits me perfectly. I don’t like the tiny black dots on the dress, but the steamed pleats trace the line straight from the neck all the way down to the flared hem. The almost sheer outline has the look of a revival tent. When I twirl around really fast, the fabric flares up and I look like a ballerina clad in loud, sinful red. Annmarie looks like she wants to hit me. She kicks her right heel against the doorjamb. I silently examine the little Peter Pan collar. I discover a tiny white smudge, no bigger than the nail on my little finger.
Delano stands behind Annmarie, looking at me and picking at his cuticle. He says nothing, but his face is begging me not to do anything stupid. I know Annmarie does not want me to have the dress. I rub my thumb against the tiny stain. No one would ever see that little white mark, but I know it is there. The dress is red and pretty, but Annmarie’s face reminds me that it is still a piece of hand-me-down. I am tired of wearing things that other children have grown out of. I unzip the dress and let it fall to my ankles.
Grandma nervously searches my face. I kick the dress and she raises her right hand to heaven. “Lord Jesus Almighty! This child ungrateful, eh?”
Auntie Ella is kinder. “Staceyann Chin, this dress looks as if it was made for you!”
“But it wasn’t made for me, Auntie Ella. It was made for Annmarie and you can see that she don’t want me to wear it!”
Annmarie crosses her arms over her chest. “You are absolutely right. I don’t know why I have to give away that dress. It doesn’t even fit her right!”
I kick the dress again. “I didn’t want it anyway! You can take back your stupid stain-up dress!”
She stomps over to me and points her finger in my face. “My dress is not stupid! Is my favorite dress, and if you think it is stupid you definitely don’t deserve it!”
“Annmarie, please take you finger out of my face before—”
Auntie Ella steps between us. “Annmarie, be quiet! Stacey, it is getting late. You need to get dressed. Pick up this dress and put it on.”
I straighten the waistband of my panties and fold my arms over mychest. Delano steps out onto the back veranda. Annmarie stoops and picks up the dress. “Mummy, she obviously does not want the dress. Can I go and put it back in the closet?”
“Annmarie, give the dress to Staceyann.”
“Even if she doesn’t want it, Mummy?”
Auntie Ella immediately launches into her. “Annmarie, she does want it. But she is ashamed to take it because you do not want to part with it.”
I tap my shoes on the patterned tiles and try hard not to cry.
Auntie Ella puts her arm around Annmarie. “Look how much God has given to us, Annmarie. The Bible tells us to cast our bread upon the water and it shall come back to us sevenfold. You have to learn to give cheerfully to those who are less fortunate. The dress is too tight for you. It fits Staceyann so beautifully. It would be a sin not to give it to her.”
“But, Mummy—”
“End of discussion, Annmarie Lawson. I never thought I would have a child who could be so self-serving. The poor child has nothing to wear on her back, nothing, and you would begrudge her something that is of no use to you. We are going to have to talk about this attitude, young lady. Now get out of my sight before the Devil gets the better of me this holy Sunday morning.”
“Ella, you want her to wear it to church this morning?” Grandma quietly offers the question. She fetches the dress and hands it to me. She did not hear the details of the conversation, but she knows that I no longer want the dress.
“Stacey, remember Proverbs fifteen, verse one? A soft answer turneth away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger. Lord, child, you have more joys than sorrows to give thanks for this morning. Now pick up you face from off dat floor and go put on the dress in the bathroom! And make sure you don’t stay too long.
Delano stands behind Annmarie, looking at me and picking at his cuticle. He says nothing, but his face is begging me not to do anything stupid. I know Annmarie does not want me to have the dress. I rub my thumb against the tiny stain. No one would ever see that little white mark, but I know it is there. The dress is red and pretty, but Annmarie’s face reminds me that it is still a piece of hand-me-down. I am tired of wearing things that other children have grown out of. I unzip the dress and let it fall to my ankles.
Grandma nervously searches my face. I kick the dress and she raises her right hand to heaven. “Lord Jesus Almighty! This child ungrateful, eh?”
Auntie Ella is kinder. “Staceyann Chin, this dress looks as if it was made for you!”
“But it wasn’t made for me, Auntie Ella. It was made for Annmarie and you can see that she don’t want me to wear it!”
Annmarie crosses her arms over her chest. “You are absolutely right. I don’t know why I have to give away that dress. It doesn’t even fit her right!”
I kick the dress again. “I didn’t want it anyway! You can take back your stupid stain-up dress!”
She stomps over to me and points her finger in my face. “My dress is not stupid! Is my favorite dress, and if you think it is stupid you definitely don’t deserve it!”
“Annmarie, please take you finger out of my face before—”
Auntie Ella steps between us. “Annmarie, be quiet! Stacey, it is getting late. You need to get dressed. Pick up this dress and put it on.”
I straighten the waistband of my panties and fold my arms over mychest. Delano steps out onto the back veranda. Annmarie stoops and picks up the dress. “Mummy, she obviously does not want the dress. Can I go and put it back in the closet?”
“Annmarie, give the dress to Staceyann.”
“Even if she doesn’t want it, Mummy?”
Auntie Ella immediately launches into her. “Annmarie, she does want it. But she is ashamed to take it because you do not want to part with it.”
I tap my shoes on the patterned tiles and try hard not to cry.
Auntie Ella puts her arm around Annmarie. “Look how much God has given to us, Annmarie. The Bible tells us to cast our bread upon the water and it shall come back to us sevenfold. You have to learn to give cheerfully to those who are less fortunate. The dress is too tight for you. It fits Staceyann so beautifully. It would be a sin not to give it to her.”
“But, Mummy—”
“End of discussion, Annmarie Lawson. I never thought I would have a child who could be so self-serving. The poor child has nothing to wear on her back, nothing, and you would begrudge her something that is of no use to you. We are going to have to talk about this attitude, young lady. Now get out of my sight before the Devil gets the better of me this holy Sunday morning.”
“Ella, you want her to wear it to church this morning?” Grandma quietly offers the question. She fetches the dress and hands it to me. She did not hear the details of the conversation, but she knows that I no longer want the dress.
“Stacey, remember Proverbs fifteen, verse one? A soft answer turneth away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger. Lord, child, you have more joys than sorrows to give thanks for this morning. Now pick up you face from off dat floor and go put on the dress in the bathroom! And make sure you don’t stay too long.
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