Sunshine in the Delta: A Novel

by Erica M. Sandifer

  “Girl, where you find the money for this car?”

  Reena grinned at me.

  “Oh, hush, chile. That’s one of my boyfriends’ cars.”

  I hadn’t forgot how Reena was, so I ain’t ask nothin’ else. I just hopped my li’l sweet ass in. I laid my head back and just felt the breeze flow through that hair of mine. Once again, I was feeling like a city girl on the loose, and wasn’t no boy gon’ run me home tonight. No way in Sam Hill. Reena pulled up to an old, shack-lookin’ house.

  “Where the hell we at?” I asked her. “Look like our house out in Money.”

  Reena ain’t said nothin’. She gave me that sneaky-ass grin she always done.

  “Just come on, Neeyla Jean.”

  I jumped out the car and followed Reena. I had a feeling she was gon’ get me in some trouble, but I ain’t care.

  We walked in the house, and the blues was playin’ loud and the room was full of smoke. It was some men over in one corner shootin’ dice, and they had a small counter with some more men sittin’ around. Looked like they was drankin’ that moonshine. Reena walked up to the man behind the counter. He had a great big ole cigar hangin’ out his mouth, and his hat was leaned over to the side. Reena knew what she was doin’, too. She leaned over so far on that counter he could see all her business in the front, and the men over in the corner gambling could see her business from behind. Seemed like everybody stopped what they was doin’ just to stare at us.

  So I bent my fine ass over on the counter, too.

  “We’d like two cups of moonshine, sir. Thank you,” she said.

  The man reached from under the counter and pulled a big jar out. He twisted the top off and poured up two healthy cups of moonshine. He handed Reena one and he handed me one.

  “Y’all ladies enjoy that cup. It’s on me.”

  Reena winked her eyes at him and I blew him a kiss. We was finna have some fun tonight. I was hopin’ this wasn’t the same juke joint Robert Johnson got poisoned at. So I knew to keep a close eye on my drank. Reena went straight to the dance floor, of course. She got to slappin’ her hips to the beat. She stopped to take some sips from her cup every now and then. She started dancin’ even harder. By that time, everybody in the room had stopped what they was doin’, and was gathered around her. She loved the attention, her drunk ass.

  I just stood back and watched. I could never be that bold. But I liked watchin’ her be herself. She ain’t care what nobody thought about her. She just did whatever she felt. I was sippin’ on my moonshine real slow ’cause I wasn’t tryna get too drunk. We was out in the country, and there wasn’t no way I was gon’ be walkin’ home.

  Chapter 24

  It was like I slipped in a trance, watchin’ everything around me. It all went slow. Reena was dancin’ slow. Them boys was sippin’ they moonshine slow, and I was thinkin’ slow. I had to pee, but I ain’t know where in the hell the bathroom was. The juke joint house wasn’t that big, but it was big enough to get lost in. I made my way through. Felt like I was walkin’ slow as hell. I passed a girl who was all up in a corner, lettin’ ’bout four boys touch her all between her cat. Plus, she was kissin’ one all in the mouth. I just stopped and stared at the heifer. Couldn’t help it.

  When the girl realized I was watchin’, she still ain’t stop. She looked at me from under her eyes the way that Henry did. She smiled and told me to come here with her finger. I shook my head no and kept it movin’. I ain’t with none of that. Never let one boy kiss me, let alone five. And I sure as hell wasn’t ’bout to be kissin’ no girl all in the mouth.

  I got to the other room, and it was a big, tall man watchin’ the bedroom door. He was standin’ in front of the door like he was guardin’ for somebody’s life. I walked on past him, ’cause he looked mighty busy guardin’ that door. I hit the corner and ran slap-dead into somebody, my clumsy ass. This boy was holdin’ a deck of cards, and when I hit him, all them cards went all over the floor.

  “I’m so sorry, sir. I’m just lookin’ for the bathroom,” I said, tryin’ my best to keep polite.

  I helped him pick his cards up.

  “Oh, the pleasure is mine, sweet thang. Pretty as you is, I’ll buy you a deck of cards just to throw on the ground, and I’ll gladly pick ’em up for ya over and over again.”

  I picked myself up off of the floor. I wanted to stay down there. The way he was gazin’ down in my eyes—ain’t nobody ever looked at me like that. Not even Henry. I saw somethin’ in that boy’s eyes. He reached and helped me up off of the ground, dusted my dress off for me.

  “Go on and tell me your name, sweet thang.”

  I felt myself smilin’ so hard. I tried to wipe that smile off my face, but I just couldn’t.

  “My name is Miss Neeyla Jean, but my folks call me Marie. That’s my middle name.”

  He grabbed my hand and kissed it.

  “Well, it’s so good to meet ya, Miss Neeyla Marie Jean. Sure is nice.”

  His smile was just like my daddy’s smile. So bright and pretty. Just like the sunshine over the delta. He was black as my daddy, too.

  “You ain’t gon’ tell me your name, boy?” I asked.

  “My name’s James Lee Roscoe, but I want you to call me Roscoe.”

  “James Lee Roscoe, huh? Well, it’s a pleasure, Roscoe.”

  My smilin’ ass. After he told me his name I tried to finish lookin’ for the bathroom before I peed on myself.

  “Can you tell me where the bathroom is?” I asked him.

  “It’s right down the hall. Make a right behind that bookshelf, then go out the back kitchen door. It’s really outside.”

  I smiled again and said thank you. I walked on. I could feel his eyes starin’ me down. I knew not to look back. I guess that moonshine had me feeling real good, ’cause I couldn’t quit smilin’—or maybe it was Roscoe.

  Reena was gon’ be at home for ’bout a week. I wanted to say to hell with the country and stay with her in Greenwood for the whole week until she got ready to go back to school, but I knew better. They acted like they couldn’t keep nothin’ together without me around the house.

  Reena slept late. Guess she been way drunker than me. I had to drive back and help tote her ass in the house. I bet Uncle Sammy thought we was some straight-up hussies. We both was so tired, we went to sleep with makeup on, and our clothes, too. Woke up lookin’ just like last night.

  “Neeyla Jean, what happened?”

  I looked at Reena and grinned.

  “Ain’t nothin’ happen, chile. We just had us a good ole time.”

  Reena got up and went in the kitchen. She started cookin’ breakfast in the same clothes, and then lit up a cigarette. She just ain’t give not one damn. I think that’s what I loved most ’bout her—that she ain’t give not one damn.

  I knew I was supposed to go to Mrs. Baker’s, but I ain’t wanna leave Reena so soon. I wanted us to go back to the juke house all week, every night, so I could smile all up in Roscoe’s face. I wondered if he worked there, or if he was even from around Greenwood, or anywhere. I know I ain’t never seen ’em. I wanted to tell Reena ’bout Roscoe, but what was the use. Probably wasn’t gon’ ever see him again. So I just kept Roscoe my secret—just like Henry was. I looked over at the clock, and it was almost one. I had to be over to Mrs. Baker’s at eleven. I rushed in the bathroom and put on my work uniform. Mrs. Baker didn’t stay too far away. If I started walkin’, I could make it there by a quarter to two.

  “And just where you goin’, Neeyla Jean? Breakfast’s almost done.”

  “I gotta get to work. I’m late already. I always be late to work when you be at home.”

  Reena took another puff off her cigarette.

  “Well, go on. Don’t wanna make no lazy white woman mad.”

  I was gon’ say somethin’ back to Reena. She ain’t know Mrs. Baker like I did. She was different. She treated me real good, and made sure I always was happy. She loved me, and I was damned to let anybody make me change my mind ’bout it.
I just brushed Reena off. Hell, she ain’t know up from down, her wild ass. I loved her, though. I burst out the door and walked fast as I could. I bet folks thought I was crazy. Hell, I was. I was crazy ’bout Mrs. Baker, and I ain’t wanna let her down by no means. Even though I was late, I was still goin’.

  I got to Mrs. Baker’s house and the door was already open. I burst through the door, and guess who I seen? Henry Baker, comin’ down them stairs, with them big, blue eyes.

  “Well, well, well. If it ain’t Miss Neeyla Jean.”

  I ain’t know what to say. I wanted to smile, and then I didn’t. It’d been a good while since I seen him, and I sure wasn’t expectin’ to see his ass.

  “Henry Baker,” I said, callin’ his name ’cause that’s the first thing that came out my mouth.

  “You kinda late, ain’t ya, girl?”

  I ain’t have time for Henry and his shit right then.

  “Mrs. Baker here, sir?”

  Henry just smiled. He walked on down the stairs and went outside. Part of me wanted to follow him, but I didn’t. Since I met Roscoe, he’d been the only boy on my mind. To hell with Henry Baker. He was gon’ marry that white gal, and it wasn’t nothin’ my black ass could do ’bout it. I needed to just stick to my own kind, and stop all the daydreamin’ like Big Mama done told me to. When I thought Henry was good and outside, I ran my ass up to the window, starin’ out it.

  I said I was over Henry, but I still wanted to know what was goin’ on. I seen that girl he was marryin’ pull up in a shiny white car. She hopped out, all fancy and cute. Henry grabbed her and kissed her. I’m guessin’ he must have missed her. I just gave up. Wasn’t no way I was gon’ be able to come in between whatever they had goin’ on. I left the window and went lookin’ for Mrs. Baker. I went to her bedroom, and there she was. She was watchin’ one of them old cowboy westerns.

  “Mrs. Baker, I’m here. Late, but I’m here.”

  She just kept starin’ at the TV. I guess she ain’t heard me. I walked up to her and tapped her on the shoulder. She jumped like she seen a damn ghost.

  “Miss Neeyla Jean! It’s Saturday. You workin’?”

  I just smiled at Mrs. Baker. She must’ve been losin’ her mind.

  “I work every Saturday,” I said.

  She grabbed the remote and clicked the TV off.

  “Well, you can go on home. Henry is here. He can help me if I need it.”

  I wasn’t gon’ argue with her either. Since she was gon’ have a new daughter around the house, what she need me for? Hell, I was tired of cleanin’. I was makin’ money, but I missed them chaps out in the country. Hell, I missed the country anyway. Not like I’d been away long, but they needed me as much as Mrs. Baker did.

  “Can I go on home?” I asked Mrs. Baker.

  I ain’t wanna watch Henry and his woman kissin’ all in front of me. He was just tryna make me jealous.

  “Yes, sugar. Go on home. Come back on Monday. I’ll have some things for you to do.”

  I ain’t really wanna walk past Henry and that girl, so I just walked out the back door.

  Chapter 25

  I got back over to Uncle Sammy’s, and there Reena was, sittin’ on the front porch smokin’ a cigarette. She looked like she was waitin’ on me.

  “What you doin’ back so early, gal?” she said.

  Guess Reena was glad to see me.

  “I got sent home.”

  “In the mood for some fun?” Reena asked me.

  I just looked at her, wonderin’ what she had on her mind. I didn’t know what kinda mood I was in, but I sure could use a good time.

  “We gon’ go back to that juke joint?” I asked.

  Reena just smiled at me and said, “If you want to.”

  “I don’t mind it.”

  Reena puffed the last bit of that stankin’ ass cigarette, and tossed it over in the grass. She walked in the house and I followed her. Reena wasn’t perfect, but I liked the hell out of her. She didn’t give a damn, and I wanted to be just like her. I was pretendin’ like I ain’t give a care about Henry and that girl, but I did. My heart was broke, and nobody was gon’ fix it but Reena or God himself. Reena had the answers to all my problems, and I wasn’t runnin’ this time. I was gon’ let her show me everything she knew. From the boys, to the moonshine. I was ready.

  I found myself sittin’ in front of Reena again. She was doin’ my hair and my makeup like a magazine girl again. I swear, we was so pretty, all the boys wanted to marry us. I ain’t ask Reena where we was goin’ this time. I was in for the surprise. Guess by then, I’d got with the program.

  This time, some boys came to pick us up. The car was all shiny and new. Candy-apple red. The top ain’t go back, but it was still a damn-good-lookin’-ass car. Reena pulled me behind her off the porch. Her li’l cute white high heels was clickin’, and her ass and hips was swishin,’ too. Oh my, I thought. I was cute, too, so I was gon’ act like it. We was just laughin’ and carryin’ on. We jumped in the car. Me and Reena was squeezed in the backseat, gigglin’ and whatnot, so the boys turned around, smilin’. Guess who in the hell one of them smiles was: James Lee Roscoe.

  Wasn’t no damn way. My eyes got buck. I bet them boys thought I was crazy. But Roscoe knew why.

  He looked me deep in my eyes and said, “Well, if it ain’t Miss Neeyla Marie Jean.”

  I was smilin’ by then, and I ain’t even know it. Hell, I forgot Reena was even in the car, not to mention the man who was drivin’.

  “James Roscoe,” I said.

  He just turned back around, and the driver drove on off. I ain’t have no idea where we was goin’, and I almost ain’t wanna ask. I knew this was ’bout to be one hell of a night. I fell back in the seat. By then, Reena was tappin’ me on my shoulder, whisperin’ a thousand questions in my ear.

  “I met him last time at the juke house out there in Caroll County, when we went that night,” I told her. She just looked at me real sneaky, smilin’. “Go on, gal. I ain’t goin’ crazy over the boy. I just met him.”

  Reena poked me with her skinny-ass elbow and I pinched her ass. She sat back, too.

  We pulled up at this house on the other side of town. The boys got out and opened the doors for us. Ain’t no boy ever held no door open for me. I got out, and he closed the door for me, too. Roscoe grabbed my hand, and he held the sucker tight, too. He pulled me along, and I just followed him. Reena and that boy was over a ways, laughin’ too hard. I ain’t ask Reena where she knew that boy from. Hell, it wasn’t none of my business. I was still wonderin’ though. And how in the hell, of all people, did we end up in the car with the same boy I met that one night? Shit was real spooky.

  I was wonderin’ how them boys knew each other, but I guess it was meant to be. Roscoe grabbed my hand and took me to one bedroom, while Reena and the other boy went in another one. I told myself I wasn’t gon’ be no chicken tonight, and I wasn’t ’bout to be. Roscoe sat on a chair that was across the room from the bed. I sat on the bed. We was just starin’ at each other.

  His smile. Lord have mercy. We just started talkin’ ’bout everything. He was tellin’ me ’bout how he was twenty-two years old, and he was gettin’ ready to move back to Miami, Florida. I ain’t ask him why he ain’t just stay, but ain’t no tellin’. The older I was gettin’, the less I liked askin’ people ’bout they business. ’Cause I sure ain’t like tellin’ mine.

  We was talkin’ for a real long time, laughin’ and carryin’ on. I ain’t have no doubts that I was fallin’ for this boy already. He was so kind and polite. I was used to boys just bein’ rude, but Roscoe was different.

  He came and sat next to me on the bed. He looked me deep in my eyes and said, “Neeyla Jean, I love you.”

  I just caught on fire. Ain’t nobody ever told me they loved me before, and not no boy. I ain’t know what to say, so I just kissed him. I ain’t never kissed no boy, mind you. And he kissed me back. He put his hand on my leg on top of my dress while he was kissin’ me, and I felt it slow
ly movin’ up my thighs, but I didn’t stop him. He layed me down and started pullin’ my panties down. I stood up, unbuckled his belt, and then I was just watchin’. A part of me wanted to tell him to stop. A part of me wanted to yell for Reena. But a part of me wanted to spread my legs wide as they could go.

  He pulled his pants down. I ain’t ever seen no ding-a-ling big like that, standin’ up like that. I seen my li’l brother’s thangs, but not no full-grown one. He leaned down and kissed me again. Next thing I knew, I felt a sharp pain down in my privates. It felt like somethin’ had popped. Roscoe was on top of me, movin’ up and down, and it didn’t feel too good. He was kissin’ all on my neck and breathin’ real hard. Then he started sweatin’ and movin’ faster and faster, until all of a sudden he stopped. He laid there for a second, then got up off me and kissed me on my cheek. I got up and pulled my undies up. I didn’t know what to say, and I guess he didn’t either. Seemed like he finished just in time, ’cause Reena came knockin’ at the door, yellin’ my name.

  “Neeyla Jean, you ready to go?”

  I cleared my throat.

  “Yeah, I’m ready.”

  Roscoe reached out his hand and pulled me up off of bed. He walked me to the door. He reached in his jacket pocket and handed me a pen and a piece of paper. He told me to write down where I lived, and he was gon’ come and see me. I was shocked, and I was glad, too. I was hopin’ he wouldn’t run off on me.

  We all walked to the car, not sayin’ much. Reena didn’t talk neither. The ride back to Reena’s house was quiet—until the driver just burst out laughin’. I wondered what in the hell was so funny. Reena just kept laughin’, and I stared, lookin’ upside her head thinkin’ they was crazy asses. We pulled up at the house where me and Reena hopped out. The boy rolled down the window and Reena kissed him all in his mouth. I wasn’t ’bout to kiss Roscoe in his mouth in front of them like that. I waved, and he was just smilin’. We walked on in the house as they drove off and disappeared down the street.