against the front of the Teen Wing. I walked Dee to the main entrance. He was looking around at the marble sidewalks, picture windows, fountains, and flowers.
“Looks like some kind of king lives here,” he said. “I can’t go in this place.”
“Why not?”
“You know why not.”
I knew, all right. But I pretended I didn’t, because I wanted to prove that nothing terrible would happen and every redneck who didn’t like it could go jump in a water hazard. If I could find Papaw, everything would be all right.
“You
are
hungry, aren’t you?”
“I’m starvin’.”
“Well, my family belongs to this club, my papaw was one of the people who started it, and I say you can go in there.”
He still didn’t want to.
“Dee, we rode all this way. You know you want a cheeseburger.”
He shook his head and shrugged his shoulders.
I pushed open the big door and pulled him in afterme. We walked down the long entrance hall into the giant lobby, and there were a bunch of ladies playing cards. Everything was loud and flowery. A sign said it was a bridge tournament. They looked up one at a time and stopped talking and kept looking.
I waved to Mama’s friend Mrs. Weatherly and smiled and said “Hey.” She made a face like her chair was uncomfortable and kind of raised her hand, but it must have been too heavy for her to wave it. I was hoping some of those ladies were the ones who had called Mama and complained about Dee. “Take a look at how much I care what you think!”—that’s what I wanted to say to all of them.
Their voices started up behind us when we cut down the stairs: “What in the world is Trip Westbrook doin’, walkin’ around in the lobby with that boy?” “Is he the child of somebody who works here?” “Unacceptable.” “I’m going to call Virginia the minute I get home.”
Kids’ voices were pouring out of the Golliwog into the hall. I told Dee to wait there while I checked around for Papaw.
“Trip, I don’t need to be standing here by myself. You heard those women. We need to get outta here.” He looked pretty nervous.
I told him I would be right back and not to worry. Papaw wasn’t in the locker room, so I stuck my head into the 19th Hole. I didn’t really expect to see himthere because they serve liquor. He was probably out on the golf course.
I told Dee to wait just one more second while I went into the Golliwog to see what was going on. A bunch of little kids wearing cone hats were jumping around, laughing and hollering, blowing noisemakers. There was a three-layer chocolate cake I could smell from the door on the center table and a giant HAPPY BIRTHDAY sign strung across the ceiling. I didn’t know any of the moms, but I’d seen them around. They were screaming louder than the kids, trying to get them to calm down because it was time for cake and ice cream. The Dentons were having lunch by the picture window.
Shelby came out with a tray full of ice cream and started setting bowls down for all the kids. I was glad to see him. He would take care of us.
“Hey, Shelby!”
“Hey there, Mr. Trip.”
“Looks like they got you pretty busy today.”
“Lord, yes.”
He was too busy to stop, so I walked with him as far as the door the waiters come out of.
“Y’all aren’t closed for this birthday party, are ya?”
“We open.”
“So I can get a cheeseburger?”
“Go sit down over there, I’ll be over directly.”
“Can my friend have one, too?”
Shelby smiled and frowned at the same time, like he didn’t know why I would ask such a question.
“Course he can!”
They were singing “Happy Birthday” when I pulled Dee into the room. Their voices kind of trailed off when we walked in and sat down. The mom at the table next to us made everybody get up and herded them to the other side of the room. She looked over her shoulder at us like we had a contagious rash. The Dentons got up and left. I didn’t care. Shelby would be on our side. He would be glad to
“Looks like some kind of king lives here,” he said. “I can’t go in this place.”
“Why not?”
“You know why not.”
I knew, all right. But I pretended I didn’t, because I wanted to prove that nothing terrible would happen and every redneck who didn’t like it could go jump in a water hazard. If I could find Papaw, everything would be all right.
“You
are
hungry, aren’t you?”
“I’m starvin’.”
“Well, my family belongs to this club, my papaw was one of the people who started it, and I say you can go in there.”
He still didn’t want to.
“Dee, we rode all this way. You know you want a cheeseburger.”
He shook his head and shrugged his shoulders.
I pushed open the big door and pulled him in afterme. We walked down the long entrance hall into the giant lobby, and there were a bunch of ladies playing cards. Everything was loud and flowery. A sign said it was a bridge tournament. They looked up one at a time and stopped talking and kept looking.
I waved to Mama’s friend Mrs. Weatherly and smiled and said “Hey.” She made a face like her chair was uncomfortable and kind of raised her hand, but it must have been too heavy for her to wave it. I was hoping some of those ladies were the ones who had called Mama and complained about Dee. “Take a look at how much I care what you think!”—that’s what I wanted to say to all of them.
Their voices started up behind us when we cut down the stairs: “What in the world is Trip Westbrook doin’, walkin’ around in the lobby with that boy?” “Is he the child of somebody who works here?” “Unacceptable.” “I’m going to call Virginia the minute I get home.”
Kids’ voices were pouring out of the Golliwog into the hall. I told Dee to wait there while I checked around for Papaw.
“Trip, I don’t need to be standing here by myself. You heard those women. We need to get outta here.” He looked pretty nervous.
I told him I would be right back and not to worry. Papaw wasn’t in the locker room, so I stuck my head into the 19th Hole. I didn’t really expect to see himthere because they serve liquor. He was probably out on the golf course.
I told Dee to wait just one more second while I went into the Golliwog to see what was going on. A bunch of little kids wearing cone hats were jumping around, laughing and hollering, blowing noisemakers. There was a three-layer chocolate cake I could smell from the door on the center table and a giant HAPPY BIRTHDAY sign strung across the ceiling. I didn’t know any of the moms, but I’d seen them around. They were screaming louder than the kids, trying to get them to calm down because it was time for cake and ice cream. The Dentons were having lunch by the picture window.
Shelby came out with a tray full of ice cream and started setting bowls down for all the kids. I was glad to see him. He would take care of us.
“Hey, Shelby!”
“Hey there, Mr. Trip.”
“Looks like they got you pretty busy today.”
“Lord, yes.”
He was too busy to stop, so I walked with him as far as the door the waiters come out of.
“Y’all aren’t closed for this birthday party, are ya?”
“We open.”
“So I can get a cheeseburger?”
“Go sit down over there, I’ll be over directly.”
“Can my friend have one, too?”
Shelby smiled and frowned at the same time, like he didn’t know why I would ask such a question.
“Course he can!”
They were singing “Happy Birthday” when I pulled Dee into the room. Their voices kind of trailed off when we walked in and sat down. The mom at the table next to us made everybody get up and herded them to the other side of the room. She looked over her shoulder at us like we had a contagious rash. The Dentons got up and left. I didn’t care. Shelby would be on our side. He would be glad to
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