The Secrets of Silk

by Allison Hobbs

  Silk had never worn a fancy hat in her life, and she couldn’t resist trying on some of the hats. She was having a good time until Bruce walked into the bedroom.

  He gazed at Silk with a scowl. “Why’re you messing with my mother’s hats?”

  “I don’t think your mama would mind if I admire her hats. I’ll tell you one thing, your mama sho’ nuff had good taste.”

  Bruce grimaced. “I hate that country way you talk.”

  He was an insolent child, and Silk was so infuriated by the insult, she was of a mind to turn him over her knee and whip him so hard, he wouldn’t be able to sit on his backside for a week. But common sense told her she needed Buddy’s boys to like her as much as Dallas did. Forcing herself to grin and bear it, she smiled at Bruce and said, “I hope I can get rid of my accent while I’m up here visiting with y’all.”

  Taken off-guard by Silk’s good-natured reply, Bruce simply shrugged. And without further comment, he turned around and exited his father’s bedroom.

  It was time to get dressed and start her babysitting duties, but she had nothing to wear except Clara’s dowdy, old dress. She longed to select something from Buddy’s wife’s wardrobe but decided against it. All in due time.

  Bruce and Myron were playing in the neatly mowed backyard that was filled with well-kept shrubs, bushes, and flowers and in the center of it all was a swing set and a sliding board. Like their dead mother, the Dixon children were spoiled rotten. Silk watched the boys with a frown for a few moments, and then joined Dallas in the living room to watch television.

  Silk was in seventh heaven as she watched cartoons with Dallas. She wasn’t sure what she enjoyed more, the entertaining commercials or the actual televised programs. Turning the dial and clicking from one channel to the next was a wonderful new experience. At home, she and Big Mama didn’t even have a battery-operated radio. Big Mama didn’t have any interest in entertainment or current events. Her own small world was all that mattered to her.

  The cartoon went off and the opening music began to play, announcing a game show called Queen for a Day. Silk settled into a comfortable position on the sofa. At the same time that the host asked the audience and television viewers, “Would YOU like to be queen for a day?” there were three sharp knocks on the front door.

  “Aw, shoot. Somebody picked a heck of a time to drop by for a visit,” Silk complained as she rose from the sofa, aggravation creasing her brow. When she opened the front door and found Sister Beverly and a moose-faced, younger woman standing on the welcome mat holding large Tupperware containers, Silk was tempted to slam the door in their faces and return to the TV program.

  “Hello, Satin,” Sister Beverly said. She wore a large hat with lots of netting and flowery ornaments dangling around the brim. “I don’t see Buddy’s car in the driveway, so I suppose he’s out handling funeral business.”

  “My name is Silk, not Satin.”

  Sister Beverly placed her hand to her mouth as she chuckled in mock embarrassment. “Excuse me, dear. I was close, though. I knew your name had something to do with a soft fabric.”

  Silk wasn’t amused. “Buddy and Clara are at the hospital, visiting the twins,” she said sullenly.

  “Those poor little babies,” Sister Beverly said, shaking her head and clucking her tongue. “Hopefully, Buddy won’t stay single too long. When the appropriate amount of time has passed, he’s going to need a good woman by his side.” She nodded toward the unattractive woman standing next to her. “This is my niece, Henrietta. After she graduated high school, she started working as a clerk typist at the Bell Telephone Company. This girl is smart as a whip and she can cook up a storm.” Sister Beverly pushed her way into the living room. “Henrietta made Buddy’s favorite: neck bones and beans. I made chicken and dumplings for the children. That was one of their mother’s specialties and I thought it might put a smile on their faces. Where’re the boys and how’re they holding up?” Sister Beverly asked.

  “They’re playing in the backyard, and they’re doing as well as can be expected,” Silk replied.

  “What about Dallas?” Sister Beverly nudged her head in Dallas’ direction and beckoned Henrietta and Silk to follow her into the kitchen. “It’s a good thing you’re looking after Dallas for now, but after you go back down South that child is going to need the company of a woman. Being the only girl in the family, she’s going to need a mother much more so than the boys do.”

  “I thought her mama gave birth to twin girls,” the moose-faced niece chimed in.

  “Nobody expects those babies to make it, God bless their little souls. They only weigh a couple pounds each.” Sister Beverly shook her head and then motioned for Henrietta. “Get moving, Henrietta. Put the neck bones in the Frigidaire. Grab an apron and start heating up the chicken and dumplings for the children’s lunch.” Sister Beverly pointed to a row of hooks on the wall, one of which held a red-and-white apron.

  Silk had hoped the women would drop the food off and skedaddle, and she was none too pleased with them sticking around.

  Glimpsing Silk’s resentful expression, Henrietta began to awkwardly fuss with the lid of the plastic container. “Sorry to barge in on you like this, and I hope you don’t mind us poking around in the kitchen,” she said apologetically.

  “Why would she mind?” Sister Beverly butted in. “These kids will starve if we Christian folk don’t pitch in and help keep food on the table. I want you to start getting comfortable in this kitchen because after Buddy’s sister and Silk leave town, he’s going to need all the help he can get with feeding those poor, motherless children of his. Buddy’s a widower now, and he’ll fall out of the Lord’s favor if he stays single too long.”

  Both Henrietta and Silk shot Sister Beverly puzzled glances.

  “It’s in the Bible. Proverbs 18:22 says, He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord. It’s my Christian duty to help Buddy find a suitable wife, and my niece, Henrietta has all the qualifications.”

  Silk could feel her anger rising. She’d staked her claim on Buddy and had already put down a deposit last night. Sister Beverly, with her big-hat-wearing, sanctimonious self was intruding on Silk’s territory, and Silk was too high-spirited to simply stand back and take it.

  Choosing her words carefully, Silk spoke in a calm tone. “Buddy’s worried sick about those little babies, and he’s grieving something terrible over the sudden loss of his wife. Finding a new wife is the last thing on his mind right now. I’m sure your niece understands,” Silk said, glancing from Sister Beverly to Henrietta.

  “Yes, indeed. I understand,” Henrietta readily agreed. “I heard a man should mourn his wife for a full year before he takes a new bride.”

  “That’s ridiculous. Where the devil did you hear that crap, Henrietta?” Perturbed, Sister Beverly set the chicken and dumplings on the countertop with a bang.

  Silk eased the Tupperware from Henrietta’s hands. “On Buddy’s behalf, thank you for your kindness, but I think it’s best if you two run along. His wife isn’t even in the ground yet; it’s much too soon for him to even think about getting hitched.”

  Sister Beverly snorted. “Young lady, you’re overstepping your boundaries. What gives you the right to tell us what to do when you ’re nothing more than a charity case. You’re staying here because you don’t have a pot to piss in nor a window to throw it out.”

  Hearing Sister Beverly’s voice rise, Dallas meandered into the kitchen and leaned against Silk. Silk put a comforting arm around the child as she addressed Sister Beverly. “It’s true, I suffered a terrible misfortune, and I intend to repay Buddy for his wonderful hospitality. After I return to Louisiana, my life will return to normal when my beau and I announce our engagement. He’s training to be a doctor,” Silk said to impress Henrietta.

  “A doctor!” Henrietta’s voice was filled with awe.

  “Yes, and I have a teaching degree. Since things didn’t work out here, I’ve decided to accept the position I was off
ered back home. Buddy understands that my current financial straits are only temporary. My future doctor husband and I will pay him back for his generosity.” It was difficult for Silk to use good grammar when she was on the verge of cursing Sister Beverly out.

  “Oh, you’re going to pay Buddy back, huh. I’ll believe it when I see it,” Sister Beverly said with her lips screwed to one side. “Come on, Henrietta; let’s go. We don’t stick around ill-mannered folks.” She glanced down at Dallas. “Honey, make sure you let your daddy know that Sister Beverly and her niece, Henrietta, stopped by with lunch and dinner for the family.”

  “Okay,” Dallas said meekly.

  With her niece in tow, Sister Beverly left in a huff.

  Peeking through the curtains, Silk could hear Sister Beverly grumbling as she stood on the front porch adjusting her hat and straightening her clothes. “I feel like I’ve been battling with the daughter of Satan,” Sister Beverly said to Henrietta.

  “She seemed nice,” Henrietta replied. “She’s real pretty, too.”

  “Don’t be fooled by her pretty face. That girl is sneaky and up to no good. I can feel it in my bones.”

  “You shouldn’t say things like that, Auntie. She was as sweet as pie, and she did have a point about giving Buddy time to grieve.”

  “Don’t be so naïve, Henrietta. Buddy earns good money. He’s the only colored supervisor at the shipbuilding plant. I plan to make it my business to see to it that you get your hooks into him before other folks start parading their sisters, cousins, and daughters in front of him.”

  Buddy’s already taken; I beat everybody to the punch, Silk thought as she discreetly closed the curtains. Smiling in satisfaction, she patted Dallas on the shoulder. “I heard you like chicken and dumplings, is that right?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Well, I got some for you. Have a seat at the table while I heat up some lunch for us. I’ll call your devilish brothers in after we finish eating.” Silk smiled at Dallas and whispered conspiratorially, “This is our special time. We don’t like spending it with noisy, bad boys, do we?”

  Crinkling her nose as she smiled, Dallas shook her head in agreement.

  Silk took the red-and-white apron off the hook and tied it around her waist. The kitchen appliances sparkled like new, and the linoleum floor held a high-shine. Like the other rooms in the house, the kitchen was modern and decorated tastefully, reminding Silk of the white folks’ kitchens she’d stood in while delivering Big Mama’s potions.

  Humming, Silk transferred the chicken and dumplings into a pot, and turned the burner on the stove. “Hot dog!” Silk exclaimed when the flame popped up. The indoor plumbing and electricity she was enjoying at Buddy’s house was a dream come true, and the gas stove she was cooking on was a luxury she hadn’t even considered back when she was making plans to run off to a better life with Nathan Lee.

  Happily, she rummaged around in the refrigerator, looking for a vegetable to go with the main dish. She selected a sealed bowl that some church member had thoughtfully labeled with a strip of masking tape that read: “mustard greens.” This is my kitchen now, and I suppose it wouldn’t hurt if I learned a thing or two about cooking, but in the meantime, I’m content to stir the pots filled with other folks’ cooking.

  CHAPTER 13

  On the back porch, Clara and Silk sat on the metal glider drinking lemonade while the children ran around the yard, trying to catch lightning bugs. For the kind of person who enjoyed a peaceful lifestyle, tonight would be considered a lovely evening. But Silk was bored. She’d never been too fond of tranquility; she’d always gotten a kick out of stirring up trouble and shaking things up.

  Inside the house, Buddy and three men from his job were gathered in the dining room. The guys had come over to help Buddy forget his troubles, and they were all laughing and talking as they drank hard liquor. The low rumble sound of their deep voices seemed to beckon Silk.

  She’d much rather be inside with the menfolk, flirting, throwing down drinks, and causing a ruckus. It wasn’t uncommon for men to come to blows when they were vying for her affection. She wondered how Buddy would react if one of his friends tried to make time with her. He was such an even-tempered man, it was hard to imagine him puffed up and enraged. The idea of it tickled her.

  “The mortician promised to do a good job on Ernestine,” Clara said, breaking into Silk’s thoughts. “Buddy wanted a closed casket because Ernestine’s face was cut up so bad when she went through the windshield of the taxi cab. But the mortician assured him that he could make her look true to herself when she’s laid to rest in the white, satin-lined coffin that Buddy picked out.”

  “Hmm.” Silk figured if she uttered only a grunt, Clara would take a hint and stop jabbering long enough for Silk to get her thoughts together and figure out a plan to ditch Clara on the porch and join the menfolk who were having a good time inside the house. Each of Buddy’s friends had brought along a bottle of whiskey, and the scent drifted outside, tantalizing Silk.

  “My brother was very particular about the quality of Ernestine’s casket. He always gave her the best of everything while she was living and I suppose he didn’t want to shortchange her in death.”

  A hot streak of jealousy shot through Silk. She didn’t like hearing that her husband-to-be was still doting on his dead wife. “Buddy was a good husband,” Silk murmured. Unable to think of anything else to contribute to the unpleasant conversation, she gulped down the lemonade and rose to her feet. “That lemonade was delicious and refreshing, Clara. Would you mind if I got myself another glass?”

  “Of course. You’re practically family; you don’t need permission to help yourself to anything you’d like.”

  “Thanks. That’s really kind of you, Clara.” Silk had one foot inside the house when the children began bickering over something. She quickly closed the screen door behind her, relieved she’d vacated the porch in the nick of time. She’d had enough of tending to children for one day. It was Clara’s turn to deal with the squabbles of the little buggers.

  In the dining room, the conversation stopped and four sets of eyes ogled her. Silk had washed and ironed her polka dot dress, which was much more attractive than that drab, shapeless dress that Clara had loaned her. With a subtle wiggle in her walk, she proceeded toward the sink and rinsed her glass, dried it, and put it away.

  Realizing she was being admired, she gracefully opened the freezer door and took out an ice tray. She emptied the ice cubes into a bowl, and then sauntered in the direction of the dining room.

  “I thought you gentlemen might need your drinks freshened. Anybody want some ice?”

  Buddy’s three friends held out their glasses at the same time. They’d all been drinking their whiskey straight, but were willing to switch to having it on the rocks merely to enjoy Silk’s company.

  Daintily, Silk picked up ice cubes and dropped them in their glasses. When each man thanked her, she exaggerated her Southern drawl when she responded, “It’s truly my pleasure.” Talking extra-country made her seem sweet and naïve, as if she could be easily taken advantage of. Those two con artist sailors in Philadelphia had made out like bandits with all her worldly possessions, only because she’d been as drunk as a skunk. When sober and working with her full capacities, there wasn’t a man alive who could outfox Silk Moreaux.

  “My name is Leon, and I don’t believe I’ve made your acquaintance,” said a squat, box-shaped man.

  “I’m Silk.”

  “Yes, you are,” said a short fellow with conk in his hair. He was the youngest in the bunch and wore a high pompadour that gave him the appearance of a rock-and-roll singer. He glanced at Buddy and said, “Richard Buddy Dixon, you sly ol’ fox, you. You didn’t mention that Miss Lena Horne was visiting you. If I knew a movie star was among us, I would have changed out of my grungy work uniform.”

  Silk blushed and giggled as all the men broke out in laughter. She liked the playful, teasing manner of the guy with the pompadour. Although he wa
s short in stature, his big personality made up for his lack of height. Out of the three male visitors, he was the most attractive and also seemed to be the most fun.

  “My name is Cephus, and by the way, I’m the only bachelor in the crowd,” he said with a charming smile. Then, he cut his eye at Buddy, dropping his smile when he remembered that tragedy had changed Buddy’s status from married to single.

  “Hi, Cephus. It’s nice to meet you,” Silk said. “In fact, it’s nice to meet all of you, gentlemen. I hope to see you again before I make the trip back home to Louisiana.” Silk positioned the bowl of ice on the table and waved at everyone as she exited the dining room.

  Cephus followed her to the kitchen. “Uh, when are you splitting?” he inquired in a low voice.

  “In a week or so. After, Buddy’s sister, Clara, helps him find a full-time babysitter.”

  “Maybe we can catch a movie before you leave Chester.”

  “That sounds good. I’ve been cooped up in the house, and haven’t had a chance to see much of this town.”

  “I’ll make it my business to do something about that. Give you a tour of Chester after the movie. By the way, do you like monster flicks?”

  Silk nodded enthusiastically. “I like all kinds of picture shows.”

  “King Kong vs. Godzilla is playing at the State Theater, over town. Or we could catch a John Wayne western. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is playing at the Apollo Theater. Oh, and the Strand Theater is showing an old flick, Psycho. The Strand and the Apollo are both located on Third Street, and that’s where all the colored folks go. Those theaters aren’t as nice as The State, but the popcorn is tasty,” Cephus said with laughter.

  Silk waved a hand. “Oh, I’m not particular. Wherever you want to go is fine by me.” She leaned to the side so she could glance into the dining room and catch Buddy’s reaction. Buddy was squirming in his seat. He didn’t appear too comfortable with her being alone in the kitchen with Cephus. His uneasiness served him right. He’d been avoiding Silk like the plague after getting his thrills off of her last night.