Sweet Potato Jones

by Jen Lowry

  Mrs. Sunshine busted in, clapping. “Okay. Got it done. Eli, how much you got?”

  He grimaced. I knew how much he hated to tell his business. “Probably enough for about a week.”

  She waved the phone and put her hand on the Bible on the countertop. “Preacher and First Lady Anderson are about to go to a conference in Georgia for a week after church on Sunday. You all can stay at the parsonage for that week, keeping watch over the house. We always have somebody do it when they go on trips, anyway. That worked out perfect. After they return, Ray can sleep on the floor here in the den, and you and Maize and Bean can take the pull-out sofa. Bell and Sweet Potato can take up in Ray’s room. That’s settled.”

  Daddy looked at all the kids. “You up for that? Just until?”

  We fell silent. What was there to discuss? I prayed with all I had that what Maize had said about Mr. and Mrs. Foster was trash talk. We had to be the family that I knew we could be. I knew in my heart that we could withstand this hiccup. We’d sure been through our share of messes before.

  Anyway, this was nothing, because it had happened to me. Now, if it would’ve happened to Bell, or Maize, or even Bean … that would’ve been something major. But since it was only me, I could store it away and make like it never happened. I could put on the front like always, and we could get out of this one fine. I prayed for it to be so, anyway.

  Ray said, “Stay here until Sunday night.”

  Daddy stopped those plans from taking root quick. “No. I think we’ll go on down to the Holiday for the weekend. The kids can play around in the pool, and then we’ll go to the parsonage on Sunday, if you are sure it’s settled with the preacher. Can I speak with you privately, Mrs. Sunshine?”

  The house was too small for private conversations, so they went out to the yard, out of earshot.

  Daddy came back into the quiet house and said, “What is all this sadness about? Don’t you guys have a date to go on?”

  I shook my head against Ray’s neck. He answered for me. “I don’t think tonight would be the best night to have our first date, sir.”

  He coughed. “Nonsense. Sweet Potato, look at me.”

  I lifted my head, wondering what my eyes showed now. He turned his head sideways at me, his mustache twitching back and forth. He ran his finger down my throat, where a bruise was starting to form. His voice caught.

  “Life moves on regardless of what happens to us. We can’t sit still. We have to keep moving. Go on out, Sweet Potato.”

  “I don’t think I can do that tonight, Daddy.” I turned to Ray. “I’m sorry.”

  He sighed, circling me with his arm again. “I’m the one that’s sorry.”

  Bell stood up. “Well, I got all pretty for nothing, then. Guess I can save this dress for my singing Sunday. Can we go on down to that pool, Daddy?”

  Bean frowned. “We ain’t got no swim trunks, and I don’t think they’d let me go in my boxers.”

  Mrs. Sunshine hollered to Joe to close shop and take no more orders, but he popped his head in to announce that Denise had come home for the weekend because she was so homesick and had stopped by for a visit. It was the perfect time to throw her to work, since Mrs. Sunshine was dead set on escorting us to the hotel. I looked at Ray, trying to figure out a way to convince him to tag along.

  Daddy put his hand on my shoulder. “I think it’s best if Ray comes with us. Let’s go, then.”

  Ray helped me up, and I felt faint right there, and he might have to catch me. He must have known it, because with a sweep of his hand he was carrying me out to the car. He crawled into the backseat beside me, holding my hand.

  During the drive, Daddy told Mrs. Sunshine he still hoped that we could work at Soul Food, even though we were ’bout to move out of The Home, which was the perfect walking location for Daddy. Mrs. Sunshine said that without us she’d have to go on and close the place up, because it wouldn’t be the same. She eyed me through the rear-view mirror, and I tried to smile at her reassuringly, but my face wasn’t working right.

  At the hotel, Mrs. Sunshine and Ray went with us to check in. Ray was still holding my hand. Bell pointed to the sign for the presidential suites and asked Daddy if we could check in there, like she was a princess.

  He picked her up. “You are a princess, Baby. Look at you in that fine dress. It doesn’t matter about no name of a room for us, as long as we are together.”

  Mrs. Sunshine took Bell by the arm. “Honey. You tell that man which room you want. I don’t care about it. You tell him it’s for the weekend and I’m paying.”

  Daddy stepped in between them and said, “No, ma’am. I ain’t taking nothing more from you. That’s way too much for generosity. I got my pride, and I’ve got this covered, or I wouldn’t be here right now.”

  Some of the guests turned and looked at us. One couple pulled their children behind their backs, like we were there to rob them or something. If the people of the world knew just what we were made of, they’d come trying to shake our hands solid, so our good could rub off on them.

  Mrs. Sunshine bumped Daddy right out of the way and got the clerk’s attention. “You listen to this pretty, little princess. She wants that president suite. Give her a nice room for the weekend.”

  She passed over a little, plastic card, but Daddy pushed it back toward her with his left hand and handed the man behind the counter the bills. The man looked one button shy of calling security, but he decided to go with the safest bet, and that was Daddy’s cash. What was it about us that made the world suspicious? We were all cleaned up and smelling good, especially my Ray and that little princess of mine, still twirling around the lobby of this fancy place like she hadn’t a care in the world.

  When the bill was settled, Mrs. Sunshine motioned for Daddy to leave a tip for the man who wheeled our bags on a golden cart. Bean had climbed up there with the bags, and the man didn’t even seem to mind. Daddy pulled out his tattered, black-leather wallet once more and come to find out there was still money tucked inside there. If they made magical reappearing-money wallets, I’d believe Daddy lucked up and found him one.

  That suite was seriously fit for a president, not for some Jones family who resided in The Home that very morning. The luggage man showed us the kitchen with the fully stocked refrigerator. There were even little packets of popcorn by the microwave. We had two gigantic bathrooms. One was as big as the entire room number seven. Daddy couldn’t even find the words to begin to express himself, but Bean did the honors for all of us. He let out the biggest yelp as he fell onto the big, white bed, as if he’d been caught in a bear trap.

  “Hallelujah, heaven on Earth. Called it! Dibs!”

  The man showed us the extra pull-outs from the sofa and the rollaway cot. He told us if we needed anything, we could use the button on the phone to call room service. We’d stayed at hotels before, but always the ones with leaks in the bathtubs and roaches for tour guides. Nothing in the world would have ever prepared us for this.

  Mrs. Sunshine patted my arm. “Good times, Sweet Potato. Now, go on down with them, Eli, and get them some sweets from the gift shop. I’m going to stay up here with Ray and Sweet Potato.”

  There was an actual store inside the lobby? This place was unreal. Mrs. Sunshine fell into the oversized, blue chair as they closed the door behind them.

  “Okay, girl. You got some decisions to make.”

  I frowned. “Sorry?”

  Ray was sitting beside me on the couch. “Do you want to come live with us starting tonight? That’s what Momma is offering.”

  Yes! No! “I can’t do that, Ray. Not while Daddy is trying to make a step forward. That could put him two steps back.”

  “You can stay in my room. I’ll sleep out on the couch. Just until you turn eighteen and we can get married. You’ll come to me after my training is done and I’m assigned. We’re going to stay at the family housing on base, and it will be big enough for all of us—with the kids, too. I can have a req
uest in for family housing as soon as everything is legal.”

  I said, “No. I love you, Ray. Don’t get me wrong. And Mrs. Sunshine, I love you, too. For that week we’ll soon spend with your family, we’ll be much obliged, but I can’t leave them. Not now. Daddy says that he is going to try this, and I need to give him my full support.”

  I had to see this through. No matter how easy it would be to hide in the Patterson’s’ place forever. It would do my family no good if I ditched them now.

  “I knew before I asked exactly what you would say. But I wanted you to know I’d take you and all the kids, if it meant you’d be safe and happy.” Mrs. Sunshine had tears welling up again. “I love you and those little ones. That Bell, she is a precious sight. And Maize, and Bean … Lord bless you all.”

  “What happened today wasn’t Daddy’s fault. That was just something evil that happened to land on me, but we shooed it away, and it’s over.” I shook again at the thought of it. Lord, help me. I was so good at faking. I could fake that it hadn’t phased me at all, even though my core was still shaking.

  Ray’s hand was in mine. “I can’t stand the thought of you not being able to work.”

  Mrs. Sunshine laughed. “Boy, tell her the truth.”

  “I can’t stand the thought of not spending every single day with you, Sweet Potato. If you stay here at the hotel, I’m happy for you … but it will be so far away.” He whispered, “So, stay with me.”

  I had to erase his soft voice from my mind to focus on what I knew I had to do. “I’ll get the bus to drop me off at Soul Food, if that’s okay with you, Mrs. Sunshine? Could you drive me home each night? Daddy could probably get the local transport to take him in the mornings and afternoons. We’ve used them transits before. He promised me that I could work, regardless of our location.

  We could do this. It could all come together. I still had faith. That one devil couldn’t squash the Lord out of me. A whole legion of demons couldn’t touch the hand of the Lord over me and mine. Amen.

  Ray leaned in closer. “I know what I could do, Momma. With my savings, I could buy a car, couldn’t I? What do you think of that?”

  His eyes registered a new hope. This man with all his plans. Lord, I thank you for him.

  Mrs. Sunshine beamed with pride. “That could work. When you get out of basic and start base living, you’ll be able to drive back and forth to see your old man and your dear, old momma and this here girl. So, car shopping we’ll be going, it looks like.”

  She winked at me when the door opened. “Keep that discussion to ourselves, girl.”

  So, she hadn’t approved that one with Daddy. If I had told her that I’d stay with her, I would have been stepping over the imaginary line of trust I had established with Daddy. A war wasn’t to be waged today. We could figure this all out with peaceful negotiations.

  “Look, Sweet Potato. Look what I picked out for you.”

  Bell held up a bathing suit with matching shorts. As if I was going in the pool. “You, too, Ray.”

  She threw a pair of red swimming trunks at him, hitting him in the face. She giggled. “Sorry.”

  He warned, “It’s okay. I’ll pay you back when we get in the pool.”

  I frowned. “Wait. I ain’t getting in no pool, and I’m not wearing that in front of you.” Wearing bathing pieces in front of Ray didn’t seem right proper.

  Daddy pulled me up. “Go get changed. You ain’t turning down them kids for a swim. I tell you that would be a good time missed. Get over this shyness and let your guard down, Sweet Potato.”

  He held up his swimsuit. “See, they even had one for your daddy. So, go on, kids, let’s go.”

  Mrs. Sunshine smiled. “I’ll be back to pick Ray up by ten.” She kissed Ray on the cheek and chuckled. “Funny how your first date turned out to be checking in to a hotel. Don’t get no ideas, now.”

  We all laughed. As wonderful as my day had begun, it had gone straight down to a bottomless pit of fire, only to bounce back up to heaven by six. We all seemed to be back at what we could do best—laugh despite our circumstances, love with all we had. I loved these people, all dressed in swim trunks. Bell—excuse me, Princess Bell, as we must call her at the president’s suite—had color-coordinated us like we were on some Olympic swim team.

  I loved the way Daddy watched Ray like a hawk around me, still protective as ever over his baby girl. I loved the way Ray played with the kids, dunking them and spinning them in the air to the middle of that gigantic, indoor swimming pool. The fancy, soothing jets helped my aching muscles that were starting to knot up from my knock down to the floor. I ducked under the water to hide the tears forming.

  When I came up for air, Ray was right there. I pushed my hair back, embarrassed to be with him in front of the entire family. He found my hand under the water.

  “Having fun?”

  I bit my lip. “Trying.”

  He moved along with me to the side of the pool and leaned back. “Look at them. I admire them so much.”

  I followed his gaze to my kids. They were squealing. Maize had Bell’s ankles, swishing her around, playing a new game called “washing machine.” “Admire them? Why?”

  “I’ve never met anyone like your family before … like you.”

  “I’m sure of that.”

  He whispered, “You don’t let things touch you. I see how you push it all away. I don’t know how you compartmentalize like that and handle your business, but you don’t have to run anymore.”

  I looked to Daddy. “I was never the one running.”

  He was sitting poolside, looking through some magazine, lounging back like this was the most natural setting in the world for him.

  “I think so, Sweet Potato. Running from your name, your past hurt. Look at today. Hurt hit, you ran. You’re in this pool like nothing happened. How do you do that? Just close yourself up like that and make like nothing bad is happening around you?” He leaned back. “See? You’re doing it now.”

  “What?” I was confused. What was I doing? Coping? Surviving? Breathing?

  “Closing up. I am trying to talk to you, and you are—I don’t know where you are.” He didn’t sound angry, just frustrated.

  “I was thinking about how nice you look, that’s all.” Did I just say that? Was I saying I liked the way he looked half-naked? I didn’t mean it that way at all.

  He laughed, realizing my stumble. “What am I going to do with you?”

  I put my arms around his neck and let him spin me around. Bell wouldn’t get all the fun. “Love me, thank you very much.”

  He kissed me on the cheek quickly while Daddy turned a page. “Easiest thing to do in my life, and you are very welcome.” He dunked me under the water with both hands on top of my head. “And thank you for loving me!”

  I loved the way God could turn a day around for good. I would also appreciate it if God could cut the images right out of my brain with some extracting surgery, but only the part that happened after four and before four fifteen. Just fifteen minutes—that wasn’t too much to pray for, right? Ray thought I could close things away, but he was so wrong. I was trying to make it through till the lights turned off. In the daytime, I had all their eyes on me.

  Daddy ordered us all filet steaks, and we ate at our very own table in the presidential suite. I wanted to gather the courage to ask him where he got that room-service money from, but I decided to keep quiet a spell. Ray kept the conversation going with all the kids. I couldn’t find words to say, and neither could Daddy. He kept exchanging glances with me, and I was sure he wanted to share the conversation he was having with his conscience right now—about how sorry he was, and how he hoped that one day I would be able to forgive him for what had happened. I loved him unconditionally; being merciful with him had become second nature to me.

  Daddy was trying to clean up after everybody, and Ray stopped him. “Sir, that’s what you pay them for here. Just wheel this cart on out the door.”<
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  Bean was already opening the big TV cabinet and flipping through the channels. Some movie was on about talking cars, and we all settled in with a bag of popcorn each, even though we’d stuffed ourselves with steaks. Ray sat beside me on the couch. He was mostly watching me, not the movie. So was Daddy.

  I stood up and stretched. “Daddy, can me and Ray go out to the balcony?”

  He nodded, intent on the movie now that he knew I was watching him. But before Ray could slide the door shut, he hollered, “Leave it open! That breeze feels nice.”

  I rolled my eyes. Whatever!

  Ray smiled at me, leaning against the railing. “So.”

  “So.”

  “Are you okay?”

  I avoided his question. “What kind of car do you want?”

  “Don’t know. Thought you should be the one to pick it out.”

  His hand came against my cheek again.

  “Why me? I never took the driver’s class.”

  Sixteen meant driver’s ed for everybody in the universe but Sweet Potato Jones.

  “You’ll need to, because it will be our car, soon enough.”

  He took a step closer, but I heard Daddy laugh out loud—a little too loud.

  “Ray, why do you do this?”

  His finger was rubbing across my hand. I thought about how it felt when we kissed and how tonight would have been our first date. We stood on a balcony with a perfect view of the James River, watching the boats with the tiny, blinking lights make their lazy way to the harbor. What would we’ve been doing, if he could have planned it?

  “What? Do what?”

  He looked at the scene behind us—my family gawking at us until we looked, then snapping their heads right back and pretending to laugh at the TV screen. What did they think they were doing? Who were they kidding?

  “Why do you put up with this? Come on.” I pulled him along back into the living room and cut off the TV.

  Maize yelled, “Hey, we were right in the middle—”