The Darkest Child: A Novel by Delores Phillips

Author:Delores Phillips [Phillips, Delores]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: General, Fiction
ISBN: 9781569477496
Google: 5X8EAQAAQBAJ
Amazon: 1569473781
Publisher: Soho Press
Published: 2005-01-01T16:10:20+00:00

As I walked along, my package tucked beneath my arm, I thought about Laura. Since Judy’s death, she had become withdrawn, always quiet, like maybe she was trying to vanish. Mama had noticed it, too. I think that was why Mama had wanted the new dress, something to make Laura smile again.

On the curb outside the bus depot, Jeff Stallings squinted against the sun and watched my approach. “Hey, Tangy. How’re you doing?” he asked.

“I’m okay, Jeff. How are you?”

“Okay. I’ll be off to Washington in a couple of weeks. Just bought my ticket.”

“Well, good luck to you,” I said, and stepped down from the curb. I wanted to stay and talk with him; I wanted to go to Washington with him; but I did not want my mother to drive by in her car and see me with him.

Jeff followed after me. “Can I walk along with you?” he asked. “You know, I was really sorry about your little sister.”

I shrugged, having weeks ago grown weary from sympathy that did little to ease my grief.

“Tangy, can you meet me somewhere tonight or tomorrow?”

“No, I don’t think so. And for what, anyway?”

“So we can spend some time together before I leave. It’s a funny thing, but when I was buying my ticket just now, all I could think about was leaving without having a chance to say goodbye to you. And then you came along, walking up the street like it was meant to be. Say you’ll meet me. Please.”

I shook my head. “I’m fourteen, Jeff. My mother let me go to the prom with you, but I’m not allowed to court.”

“How about the fair? Will you meet me at the fair?”

“She ain’t gon’ meet you nowhere,” a voice from behind us said.

I stiffened momentarily, then turned to face Tarabelle. She was wearing her white dress with the tiny flowers, and she held a rolled newspaper in one hand, poised as though she might swat Jeff with it. In her other hand was a bag that I knew contained food, stuff to satisfy our mother. She deliberately stepped between me and Jeff, then kept walking without glancing back. As I rushed to catch up to her, I stole a glance back at Jeff and formed the word “maybe” with my lips.

“What you got there?” Tarabelle asked, after we had walked nearly a quarter of a mile in silence.

“Mama sent me to get a dress for Laura.”

“She got money for something like that?”

“She sent me to steal it, Tara.”

“Well, how come it’s in a bag?” she asked.

Thinking fast, I told the first lie I thought believable.There was no way I could tell her about the midwife. “Jeff let me have the money,” I said.

“You gon’ tell Mama that?” she asked. I shook my head.

“Then you better get it out that bag.”

I hadn’t thought of that.When we reached the top of Fife Street, I removed the dress from the bag, and tucked the bag into some hedge bushes.Tarabelle watched and made little grunting sounds like, “uh, uh, uh,” which made me itch with embarrassment.

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