The Mighty Miss Malone (29 page)

I nodded.

Jimmie looked at me hard. “Swear you’ll never tell Ma this.”

I nodded again.

“Pa told me what really happened on the lake. It was the last thing he told me when he came to my room that night he left. He lied to us, Deza.”

I got out of the chair so quick that it fell over. I turned my back on him and walked to the door. He blocked my way.

We stood that way for what seemed like forever. I looked down into my brother’s eyes. I could smell cigarettes and something else foul on his breath. Just like Dolly Peaches and the guy named Tito, he left his belly wide open. I clenched my left fist and was getting ready to sink it into his stomach when he touched my arm and said, “Please, Deza, I’m sorry I said it like that, but I have to tell you.”

I opened my fist the second time he said, “Please?”

I turned and set the chair back up. But I didn’t sit. “Father lied?”

“Everything about them going out in the boat was true. The lies started right after the fog came in.”

I sat down.

“Pa said everything went good until they’d been on the lake for a couple of hours. That’s when someone noticed a huge fog bank further out on the lake. Pa and Mr. Henderson thought they should go back in, but they were catching so many fish that the other guys wanted to wait awhile longer.

“Mr. Henderson finally had had enough and started to pull up the anchor. But somehow the anchor had come off the rope and they’d been drifting. No one knew for how long. When
they looked toward shore they couldn’t see it. Then the fog bank rolled over them.”

Jimmie sniffled. I stayed quiet, wanting to hear and not wanting to hear at the same time.

“Pa didn’t know how long they were in the fog bank, but a lot later they heard a ship. They could even see the light from it. They cheered and screamed, thinking they were gonna get rescued. But the ship came right at them and they had to row like mad to get out of its way.”

I covered my mouth with my hand.

“The ship missed them, but it sent out a wave that rocked the boat so hard that it just about tipped them over. They were all soaked except for Mr. Williams. At first they laughed because it was such a close call, but they noticed that the oars were gone and soon Pa and the guys who got wet started getting cold and shivering. Pa said being cold and scared did something to them and …”

Jimmie sniffled again.

“After they drifted for hours and hours Mr. Coulter’s eyes got really big and were shooting from side to side in his head. He started talking nonsense and wondering why Mr. Williams was the only one who wasn’t wet. He said Mr. Williams must’ve planned this to get all of them killed.”

Jimmie stopped. I didn’t want to talk or do anything to stop him from telling me what really happened.

“Pa said that’s when Mr. Coulter jumped up and grabbed Mr. Williams around the throat and they both fell overboard, tipping the boat over. Pa said he thinks it was the cold, it had to be the cold. He said they lost their minds, that being
scared and cold made them kind of crazy. That’s why when the boat tipped and Pa went underwater he thought about how easy it would be just to stay there and die. But he thought about us, Deza, he thought about our family and knew he had to fight to the end. He scratched and clawed and finally got back to the upside-down boat.

“First thing he saw was Mr. Steel Lung. Father grabbed him and they hung on to the boat. Father tied the yellow anchor rope around their wrists so they wouldn’t fall asleep and fall off.

“He said that every once in a while he’d wake up and remember he was still hungry, cold and scared. He started hearing voices and seeing things. He thought Ma was whispering to him and saying over and over, ‘My job? My job? You think you gonna take my job?’

“Then Ma takes the anchor rope and wraps it around Pa’s neck. Pa fights back and sees that it isn’t Ma at all, his senses clear and he sees it’s been Steel Lung hollering at him. He’s untied the rope from around his wrist and is choking Pa with it.

“Steel Lung screams, ‘Taking food out my babies’ mouths? You think I’ma lay down and let that happen? We’ll see who dies out here!’ ”

Each time my heart beat it felt like it was getting smaller and smaller.

Jimmie said, “Pa got the rope off but Mr. Steel Lung wasn’t through, he got one of the oarlocks and started swinging it at Pa.

“Pa said he begged him to stop, he told him, ‘No one’s going to take your job, brother. It’s me, Roscoe.’

“But Mr. Steel Lung screamed, ‘Get off my boat!’ and kept
swinging. He was so weak that he couldn’t get a good hit in, so Pa just covered his head hoping he’d tire himself out. He finally stopped.

“Pa moved his arms off his head and looked up, but that was what Mr. Steel Lung was waiting for, he swung one more time and caught Pa right in the mouth. He knew his teeth had been broken out.”

I couldn’t move, it was horrible hearing the truth.

Jimmie said, “Steel Lung got his hands around Pa’s throat.…”

Jimmie covered his face and cried through his fingers. “What choice did Pa have? He wasn’t trying to hurt him, he hit him with the oarlock. Not hard. Just once. Once.”

I told Jimmie, “Father didn’t do anything wrong, Mr. Steel Lung was trying to kill him.”

“Next thing Pa remembered was waking up on that ship heading to Chicago.”

Jimmie’s eyes were red and swollen. “That’s it, sis, that’s what happened on Lake Michigan. That’s why Pa left, he wasn’t looking for no job, he was running away, he was looking for somewhere to run off and finish. Finish dying.”

“No!”

“I’m sorry, Deza.”

“You’re wrong. Maybe he felt bad for a while, but he got work! That’s why I’ve been looking for you. We can get back together, Father’s sent us money! Father’s OK! Look!”

I took Father’s letter out of my pocketbook. Jimmie took it and said, “That’s great, sis.” There wasn’t any excitement or happiness in his voice. “Does Ma know you’re down here?”

“I left her a note.”

Then to hurt him I said, “Just like you did. Saw-Bone said you might be here and I had to come tell you we heard from Father! We can go back home and be a family again.”

“That’s great, but I’ma have to stay here for a while, working, then I’m back to traveling. We can talk about it later. You gotta go back to Flint. Maybe I can get someone to give you a ride, that’s a pretty long trip.”

I was too tired to fight anymore. I couldn’t believe he wasn’t as excited about Father as I had been, or as I was now about finding him.

“Come on, Deza, we’ve got a lot to talk about and catch up on. But now it’s sleepy-bye time for you.”

The next morning I was dreaming about Father. He was in a beautiful suit and tie and was standing in my doorway back in Gary. I’d never seen Father in a suit.

“Deza?” he said. “Are you going to let a gorgeous day like today get away from you?”

“Oh, Father, you’re not going to believe it! I found Jim—”

I jerked awake and looked at the door. It was Jimmie.

He did look a lot like Father, just smaller. “Get dressed, we’re going out, I got a surprise for you, but you gotta hurry.”

I rubbed my eyes. “Jimmie, where are we going? I’ll look all raggedy next to you.”

“You look fine, but if you want, I’ll go put on some walkin’-round clothes.”

I remember what he said when I wore my blue gingham dress. “Nah, Jimmie, you are one sure-enough sharp scrap of calico in that suit!”

“
Deza
! That’s something you only say to girls! But thanks anyway.”

I got dressed and cleaned up and we started down the stairs.

The white man who took all the money that people put in Jimmie’s hat was sitting on a couch.

“Jim-Jim! Great show. Outstanding!”

“Thank you, Mr. Maxwell.”

“And who’s the beautiful young lady?”

“This is my sister, Deza.”

“Delighted, delighted. Does she sing too?”

“Deza don’t need to sing, she’s gonna go to college!”

“Good for you, girly.”

I was happy Jimmie pulled me by the elbow out of the front door.

“Who is he, Jimmie?”

“That’s my manager, he’s like my boss. He’s the one that give me a contract.”

“A contract?”

“It means he has to give me money for singing.”

“You’re kidding! That money people put in your hat last night was for you?”

“Naw, that’s the tip money, he takes it and divides it up with me and him and the band. I’m suppose to get fifteen dollars plus room and board on top of that.”

“
Fifteen dollars
? Every month?”

Jimmie had us turn at the corner. “Naw, Deza, every
week
!”

We walked out on a huge busy street called Woodward Avenue.

So many people in Detroit knew Jimmie! Near every person we passed stopped to speak!

One old man said, “When y’all going back to Chicago, Jim?”

“ ’Bout two weeks, I expect, Mr. Pierce.”

“I need you to take a message to my brother, if you don’t mind.”

“No problem, write it down, though, you know I ain’t got the best memory.”

“See you in a bit, Jim.”

Three very tall, breathtaking women wearing gorgeous hats stopped us. One of them said, “What’s this, poppa? You know how jealous I get, who is she and what is she to you?”

She was smiling but I knew I’d be able to knock her out with one punch.

“This is my baby sis, down from Flint. Deza, this is Saundra and Shayla and Kendra.”

The women said, “Nice to meet you.”

After they passed I sang, “
Jimmie’s got a girlfriend, Jimmie’s got a girlfriend
!”

“Naw, sis, if I had one she’d be a whole lot younger than them. Kendra’s old, gotta be about twenty.”

Even people in cars honked their horns and waved out their windows at us as we walked!

“Jimmie, you’re famous!”

“These are just folks that come to the club. When I really
do get famous people all over the world will know me, not just in Detroit!”

I put my arm in Jimmie’s. “Well, you’re the most famous person
I’ve
ever met!”

We stopped in front of a very, very tall building and went in through some glass doors that spun round and round! Before I could ask, Jimmie said, “They’re called revolver doors, Deza.”

Next we stopped in front of three separate metal doors that were divided in half. They didn’t have one doorknob or hinge or lock anywhere on them. Jimmie pushed a button on the wall and I heard a whirring, clankity sound.

A bell rang and one of the doors split right in half!

Behind it was a lit-up closet. A man sat on a stool in a red suit covered with two rows of gold buttons, and a little red cap. He was behind something like a cage. He smiled out at me. “Going up!” He pulled aside the metal cage and Jimmie walked right into the closet so I followed. “What’s shaking, Jim?”

“Not a thing, Clarence.”

“Who’s the lady?”

“My sister, Deza.”

The man tipped his cap at me. “Welcome, missy. Doc’s office, Jim?” He pulled the cage back in front of the door. He slid a handle to the side and the metal doors closed.

I had to grab Jimmie’s hand when the little room started shaking. One at a time, buttons on a board that ran from L to 26 started lighting up.

The room banged and jerked one more time and the man said, “Twenty-fifth floor. Attorneys Greene, Rubinstein and
Kramer to the left, Doctors Fortuna, Lyon and Mitwally to the right.”

The metal doors came open, the man slid the cage aside. We were in a whole different place!

“Later, Jim.”

“Later, Clarence.” The doors closed behind us. “It’s called a evalator, Deza. It’s kind of scary at first, we’ll use the steps down if you want.”

“Are you kidding? That was a great surprise, let’s do it again!”

I started to push the button pointing down but Jimmie grabbed my hand. “The evalator isn’t the surprise, Deza, the surprise is Doc. Look.”

He opened his mouth wide so I could see his teeth. I couldn’t believe it! There was something in all the cavities.

“What happened to your teeth?”

“Isn’t it great, sis? Doc Mitwally filled my cavities up, I don’t get no more headaches and don’t wake up in the middle of the night neither. I’m gonna get him to fix your teeth up too.”

“Aw, Jimmie, thanks, but my teeth don’t … That’s OK, I’m used to it.”

“Sis, that’s what it is, you just got use to it. I know how much they hurt. Doc says bad teeth let bad blood get in your system. He says he gets kids young as eight years old whose mouths are so rotten he has to pull all their teeth. He says some of ’em waited too long and even die.”

“They die? From
cavities
?”

Jimmie nodded. “If I’m lying, I’m flying. You won’t believe how much better you’re gonna feel. I promise you. Food’s
gonna taste better, you’ll start smelling stuff a lot clearer, and your mouth is gonna be sweet as a baby’s breath.”

“It really doesn’t hurt?”

“Naw, he gives you some gas and a shot while he’s doing it and some pills for after. You’ll just get dizzy and sleep a lot.”

“I don’t know, Jimmie, I’ve got to get back to Mother, I wrote I’d only be gone two days.”