Girls Like Us

by Gail Giles

  Then it catch up to me. It ain’t just seein’ Biddy with boys. Everybody know she a ho because she done had that baby. Biddy got me all confused talking about not seein’ her with no boys and acting like a princess and . . . now I feel like snatching somebody’s head off they neck — that’s what I feel like doing.

  That’s what I’ll do. I got up and put me on some shorts and working shirt and went downstairs to the little garden. I worked me up a sweat yanking weeds.

  After I work some of the mad off, I look up and see Lizabeth standing on her porch.

  “Quincy, I’ve made iced tea. You look like you could use a drink.”

  I didn’t want to sit and drink tea with Biddy’s best friend. “I want to get the rest of the garden clear of these weeds. Sun’s ’bout to go down.” I kept yanking. Little harder maybe.

  “The young man that cuts the grass and does the flower beds weeds the garden for me. You don’t need to do that.”

  Lizabeth put the tea down on a little table on the back porch. She go inside and come back out with another glass of tea. She sit down in a curly metal chair by the table and took a drink of her tea.

  “I know you like to do things your own way,” she say. “But you’re taking a job that someone else needs to support his father right now. Please come join me.”

  I sigh. I hate that ole lady for being smart. I should have just gone back inside as soon as I seen her. I wipe my hands on the back of my shorts and go up to her porch. I sat down and sip the tea. It was cool and sweet.

  “Who is Stephen? He the one that weeds and cut the grass?” I asked.

  “Yes, he comes by about every other day to attend to something or another around here. His father was my gardener before, but he’s ill and his son has taken his place. He’s not much older than you and Biddy, I think.”

  “You gonna have a problem.”

  “What? I don’t understand.”

  “Biddy gots problems with boys; let’s just leave it at that.”

  Lizabeth’s face got all in a bunch, then it went all kind of wide when her eyes open out big. “Oh, I never considered . . .” She took a sip of her tea. “Stephen is a lovely young man. Biddy will understand when she meets him that he . . .” She look at me and pushed at her hair and her voice change.

  “I remember being young and strong like you,” Lizabeth say. “My balance problems have made me old before my time. And I hate it.”

  I didn’t know what that meant for nothing. It must have showed, because Lizabeth said, “You think I’m very old, don’t you? I’m only sixty-two.”

  Sixty-two, that’s old as dirt. Some grandmas ain’t much past forty.

  Lizabeth must have seen the look on my face real good then. ’Cause she laugh. At first I thought she was laughing at me. But I couldn’t get mad ’cause her laugh was all — I don’t know a word, but her laugh rolled around like puppies. Some kind of way it made me laugh, just a little.

  Lizabeth shook her head and kind of hummed to herself. Sip her tea. “Quincy, I won’t see it in the mirror, but you just told me. I’m an old woman.” She sip her tea again and sigh. “Now, when did that happen?” She didn’t say that to me.

  I kept on saying nothing. I might be drinking iced tea with a crazy woman.

  I just been out of school a few days, and I got the Buffalo-Butt Princess hiding in her room and the Laughing-at-Nothing Ole Lady here on the porch.

  Living on my own is nothing like I thought.

  I look out my little window and I see Quincy and Miss Lizzy drinking ice tea and laughing.

  I get a sad feeling. I wonder if they’re talking about me. Laughing about dumb, fat Biddy.

  Does Quincy call Miss Lizzy girlfriend?

  I was wondering, should I tell Biddy ’bout this Stephen this morning before we go down to breakfast or let Lizabeth do it? I didn’t have to think about it too long ’cause just then I hear a lawn mower.

  I go and tap Biddy’s door. “Biddy, I gots to come in and talk to you.”

  Biddy open her door. “What’s that ruckus? Is that a lawn mower? Who’s mowing the lawn?” Biddy start toward the window.

  I catch holt of her wrist and swing her back around. “That’s what I got to tell you. Lizabeth gots a boy, or a man — well, he ’bout our age — that work for her doing the garden. His name is Stephen.”

  That ole fool runt to her closet and snatch that coat. It still had cookies and candies all pin in it like she be a walking snack machine. Her face go even more ashy than before, and her eyes go plumb wild. If I didn’t know better, I’d say that she was afraid.

  “Quincy, I don’t feel so good. I don’t think I’ll have breakfast this morning.”

  “What are you talking about? Take off that coat. It’s summertime.”

  “Maybe when that boy is mowing the front I’ll come over,” Biddy say, and I could see a cryin’ jag about to commence.

  “Biddy, what are you worried about? He ain’t gonna hurt you.”

  “Boys look at me dirty. They say dirty things and they laugh. They do things.”

  I didn’t know exactly what she meant by that, but I had me a bad feelin’. “OK, you stay here until he mows the front and then you come over. I’ll tell Lizabeth you not hungry.”

  I went to work, my head still trying to sort itself out. I punch my time card in the computer like they showed and went to fetch my apron.

  “Well, if it ain’t Butt Ugly.”

  That boy from yesterday.

  “My name is Quincy.”

  “My name is Robert. You need to say it real nice.” His eyes were gone slitty, and his words slid through his teeths just like the devil his ownself would talk.

  He stood between me and the aprons. “I need to get me an apron.” I reach my arm out past him.

  He grab my wrist. “Say ‘please.’” He step in close to me and turn my arm up so it hurt. He was close enough I could feel his breaths on my cheek. “Say ‘pretty please.’”

  “You let me go.” I say it loud, but my insides shake.

  “Not until you say ‘please.’ Not until you beg me nice.”

  I jerk my arm, and he twist it up harder. He push me back ’gainst the wall and push himself hard against me.

  “Quincy?”

  Jen come into the little room. Robert drop my arm quick-like and step back.

  “What’s going on in here?”

  “We’re just getting acquainted,” Robert say.

  I shook my arm and rub where he had helt it. There was too many things just then and too many people and I couldn’t think what was what. I step past Robert and grab an apron. Then something inside me clutch up and I turnt back to Jen. I wisht I had Biddy’s coat. “That boy call me names and grab my arm. I want him to stay away from me.”

  Jen’s face got red. “Robert,” she say.

  “That ugly bitch is lyin’,” he say. “She come on to me. She’s just a lyin’ ho, trying to get me in trouble.”

  I couldn’t believe it! That boy call me a ho! These folk didn’t know me. They might believe him.

  “That ain’t how it happen’,” I yell. “I ain’t no ho, and I didn’t . . .”

  “Quiet, both of you,” Jen say. “Let’s go see the manager.”

  Jen take us to the manager’s office. I tell my story and Robert tell his lies. Then the manager axt me to get on to work and leave Robert with him.

  I went to my work. Jen pull me into the back. “Did that boy hurt you? You know what I mean? Did he . . . ?” She stop and look kind of embarrassed. “Did he touch you?”

  “ ’Course he touch me. I tole you he grab holt of my arm.”

  Jen made a face. “Quincy, not like that. Did he ‘touch’ you?”

  I get it. “No, not like that.” I don’t know why I didn’t say he push himself against me. I know Jen had seen that.

  “He’s a bad one, Quincy, and he’s been in trouble here before. Stay away from him.”

  “I ain’t no ho. I don’t want no truck with him.
”

  “I believe you,” Jen say. But her face say different.

  The manager’s door bang shut. Robert stomp out yelling.

  “I don’t need this crappy job. I had enough of this shit.”

  He jerk his apron and throw it on the ground and come up to my counter. He look hard and point his finger straight at my face. He didn’t say nothing. He just stare at me and jab his finger, then snap his thumb like he firing a gun at me. He charge on out the door.

  “Good riddance,” Ellen, the bakery lady, say.

  Jen give me a look I didn’t understand. Like she thought I stole sumpin’.

  I got me a knife and chop celery. My hand shake only at first.

  Why did some boy name Stephen have to come ruin everything? I might could learn to cut grass. I can pull weeds. He don’t need to be here.

  I peek out the window at him. He’s not looking toward me. I just hear the mower in the front of the house. I skedaddle down the steps crosst the yard to Miss Lizzy’s.

  I clean the kitchen up nice, then I get to work making the bathroom sparkledy.

  I was just starting to feel all right when Miss Lizzy asks could I come make some iced tea and meet Stephen. I turn around. A sweaty boy stand behind me in the doorway. I must of turn white as a ghost. I kind of yelp.

  He smile and say, “I didn’t mean to scare you.” And he smile.

  I don’t like no boys to smile at me.

  I back against the sink. Looking for a place to run out that kitchen. But Miss Lizzy standing there in her walker between me and the door. I couldn’t run her over.

  I took some gulping big breaths. I saw that Miss Lizzy and that boy was looking at me like I gone crazy. I tried to think hard. This wasn’t no barn. And Miss Lizzy was right here. I might was going to be all right. I slid with my back still to the counter so I didn’t have to turn away from the boy. I got the tea. I slid along. Fetched a glass. Slid some more. I came to the fridge. I got some ice. I kept my eyes on him all the while. Then I thump the glass of tea on the table. While I was doing all this, Miss Lizzy was talking.

  “Biddy, this is Stephen. He is in charge of the gardening. He does other landscaping jobs too, but he’s our regular gardener and will be here parts of the day often. Stephen, this is Biddy. She takes care of the house and of me when I need it. She’s a great help.”

  That boy stuck his hand out and say, “Glad to make your acquaintance, Biddy.”

  I didn’t know what no “quaintance” was. But I for sure wasn’t going to touch his hand. I push back harder again’ the counter till I was almost bending backwards. He looked at me kinda sad-like. He took his hand back out the air.

  “I’ve known Stephen since he was practically a puppy,” Miss Lizzy said. “His father was my gardener before, and Stephen used to come help out. He’s a fine young man, Biddy.”

  “Thank you, Miss Elizabeth. That’s kind of you to say.” That boy picked up his glass and kind of tilted it toward Miss Lizzy. “If you don’t mind, I’ll take this outside to drink. I need to get the front mowed before the day heats up.”

  Miss Lizzy say something to him, and then he nod to me and say, “Good-bye, Biddy. I hope to see you again sometime.” I didn’t say nothing. I didn’t move.

  He left outside the front door. I could breathe inside my chest again. I felt like I might fall in a heap on the ground. My legs felt so squishy.

  “Biddy,” Miss Lizzy say. “Stephen is a nice boy. He would never hurt you. Has a boy ever hurt you, Biddy? Is that why you were so afraid of him?”

  Miss Lizzy can’t know my secrets. She won’t never let me live in her princess house no more. “I ain’t scaredy. I just don’t mess with no boys. That’s all.” I went back to scrubbing my pots.

  All afternoon, people looking at me like I done sumpin’ wrong. Hard to believe Biddy didn’t take a whipping stick to folks that look at her that way all the time. But then, Biddy, she done sumpin’ with them boys. I mean, I know sumpin’ gots done. I’m thinkin’, maybe, since she seem so scared of boys . . . I don’t know what I’m thinkin’. All I know is I didn’t do nothing but try to get my apron.

  I wonder if Biddy done met Stephen or if she was able to keep shut of him all day. I shake my head and wonder why I care what ole Buffalo Butt doin’ and if she wearin’ that raggedy coat. No business of mine.

  Miss Lizzy call me to help her with her exercise. I found out that Miss Lizzy don’t want me to tie no cheese. Tie cheese sound like cheese. But it ain’t. It’s the name of Miss Lizzy’s exercises.

  Miss Lizzy come out her room. She wasn’t wearing no suit like she done the day we met her. And she wasn’t wearing pants and a long shirt that’s still real dress-up looking, like she wore yesterday. She had sweatpants and a T-shirt. Miss Lizzy go into a room nextside the living room. Wasn’t nothing inside there except a big soft-feeling pallet thing on the floor. And a long pole running alongside one of the walls.

  Miss Lizzy say she gonna hold on that “bar” and do her tie cheese. All I had to do was stand close. So if she lose her balance I help her. She say I’m there as a “caution.” If she fell doing her exercise while nobody was there, she’d might not could get up. And that would put her in a pickle.

  I nod my head like this make sense. Cheese wasn’t cheese, so I don’t guess she means she really get put inside a pickle.

  Miss Lizzy put her walker by the door. She go onto that mat and hold on the sideways pole for a minute. Then she lift up her arms and look like she was holding a big watermelon in front of her stomach. “This is centering the chi,” Miss Lizzy say. I listened. She didn’t say “cheese.” She leave off the end and just say “chee.”

  Then she done other stuff. About holding up the heavens. Breaking up waves. And holding back the tiger. Little silver-headed lady putting her hands out funny and kinda squatting don’t look like she’s holding back a tiger. But Miss Lizzy was already talking about dragon dance or dragon stand or something. I watch and listen. Wait to see if she was going to tump over.

  She get done and said she need to put her hand on my shoulder so she could get to her walker.

  “Thank you, Biddy. Have you ever seen anyone do tai chi before?”

  I shake my head.

  Miss Lizzy laugh. Not a big laugh like with Quincy. “It must seem odd to you, then?”

  I don’t know what “odd” mean.

  Miss Lizzy look at my face. “ ‘Odd’ means strange, puzzling. It’s odd that a little old lady waves her arms around like a crazy person.” She laugh again like she was inviting me to laugh with her.

  I laugh back. Now Miss Lizzy done laugh twice. I don’t feel bad now.

  Then there was a knock on the back door.

  “That will be Stephen, I think,” Miss Lizzy say. “Will you get that, Biddy?”

  I go to the door all scaredy. But Miss Lizzy coming along behind me. So it’s probly all OK. I open the door and Stephen’s smiling real big. “You two wanna see something pretty?”

  I chop and mix and did my job without talking for the rest of my shift. My mind was boiling. These people don’t know me and they do know Robert and they know he’s no count, but they still be looking at me like . . . well, like people look at Biddy.

  I clocked out and left without no good-byes and stomp down the street like I was squashing bugs. That got a little of the mad outta me. I got to Lizabeth’s and thought I’d pick a tomato or two and some basil. I head to the garden and, boy, did I see me a sight.

  Biddy was lying on her fat stomach, wiggling her fingers at a patch of rosemary and singing. The girl had finally gone insane-crazy.

  “Biddy, what you doing wallering in that dirt?”

  She poke her head up, smiling big as you please. “Quincy, shush and come see this.”

  I figure the girl must of found her some candy or sumpin’, she was so happy. I squat down. She point to the back of the rosemary. Through the branches I seen sumpin’ brown. I squint up my eyes and rock over a little and I saw it. A big ol
d Mama Duck sitting on some eggs.

  “How you find this ole duck?”

  “Stephen showed us.”

  “Stephen? He your boyfriend now?” I knew I done wasted my time worryin’ ’bout Biddy and being scared of boys. When they gots somethin’ she want, she . . .

  “Quincy, I’m not going to tell you another time to hush about me and boys. He show this duck to me and to Miss Lizzy.” She nod her head in that “I ain’t talkin’ ’bout this no more” way and turnt back to the duck. I swear I don’t understand that girl.

  Biddy waggle her fingers closer, and Mama Duck hiss through the hole in her beak and struck her head out like a snake trying to bite Biddy’s fingers.

  I jump up. “Biddy, you leave that duck alone. It’s gonna bite you.”

  “No, she ain’t. She’s just being a good mama. Telling me to leave her babies alone.”

  I couldn’t believe this fool girl. “You keep waggling you fingers at that duck, it’s gonna bite you a good one. Don’t come running to me when you get the duck rabies.” I got me tomatoes and basil and left.

  Biddy stay outside singing to that duck.

  I got to get corns and a bowl of water. That way Mama Duck can eat and drink right here. She won’t have to leave her babies.

  Biddy come in whilst I was washing the tomatoes. She grab her a little bowl out the cabinet.

  “S’cuse me,” she say, kind of singy-songy, and shove her bowl under the water.

  “What you doing?”

  “I’m taking water to Mama Duck.”

  I just stare.

  “And I need some dry corns. Ducks like dry corns, right?”

  “You ever hear me quack?”

  Biddy’s face knot up. “Huh?”

  “I look like a duck? How I’m s’pose to know what a duck eat?”

  Biddy look at me like I’m stupid. “You the one knows how to read. If I could read, I’d make sure I learned things.”