“I can’t wait to meet Smokey Robinson. That man makes me weak in the knees with his pretty, cat eyes.”
“I already told you that you’re not going to meet any of the singers that perform at the Uptown. After they perform their sets, they go to their dressing rooms back stage. They don’t mingle with the regular folks.”
“Speak for yourself, Franny. You may not get to mingle with Smokey, but I’m damn sure gonna hobnob with the stars. I’m gonna get Smokey’s autograph and maybe a little extra something,” Silk said with a wink.
“I don’t know how y’all do things down South, but you’re in for a big disappointment if you think you’re gonna party with recording artists after the show.”
“We’ll see about that,” Silk said with confidence.
“The only way you can even get a glimpse of the performers after the show is over is by hanging around the back-stage door. Those fast-ass, Philly girls don’t mind walking down that dirty alley near Susquehanna and Dauphin Streets to get to the stage door, but Chester women have a little more self-respect.”
Silk sucked her teeth. Franny, who wasn’t too proud to beg for free dinners and drinks at the Flower Hill, was a fine one to talk about having self-respect.
“I’ll take a walk down an alley in a heartbeat, if that alley leads to Smokey and his cat eyes,” Silk said with a chortle of laughter.
The bus pulled up and everyone piled on. Franny plopped down in the seat next to the window.
Silk gave Franny a look of indignation. “Uh-uh, get your big ol’ butt up. I gotta sit there so I can see the scenery, chile.”
Without making a fuss, Franny slid over and allowed Silk to have the window seat. As the bus rolled along, Silk could hear low murmurings of discontent. She listened carefully and overheard several women grumbling in low tones.
“That’s the woman that Buddy married while his wife’s body was still cold.”
“Hmph. She’s pretty and everything, but she seems like a fast number, if you ask me.”
“I heard she’s a Geechie girl and she worked roots on poor Buddy.”
Silk’s ears began to burn as she listened to the jealous biddies openly gossiping about her. Temper flaring, she stood up and squeezed past Franny and stood in the aisle with a hand on her hip.
“You have to sit down, miss,” the bus driver advised.
“I’ll sit down in a minute, sir. But first, I have to make an announcement.”
There was a hush and the chattering people on the bus went silent as they waited for Silk’s announcement.
“I’m giving all of y’all who are whispering under your breath about me the opportunity to speak your mind and say whatever you have to say to my face.”
The silence continued.
Silk’s expression was a chilling mask of hatred. “Okay, well, since nobody has anything to say, I’m gonna sit back down. But if I hear another word of gossip about me, I’ma put my foot up somebody’s ass right here on this bus. Don’t let this pretty face fool you. I know talk is cheap, but you best believe, I can back up every word that comes out of my mouth. So, y’all can try me if you want to.” Silk gave the onlookers a contemptuous, sweeping gaze, and then rolled her eyes at the lot of them before returning to her seat.
“Ooo, you told those bitches off, and now all of a sudden nobody has shit to say. It’s so quiet on this bus, you could hear a mouse pissing on toilet paper,” Franny said with a giggle.
Inside the Uptown Theater, Franny wanted to stop at the concession stand and buy snacks, but Silk grabbed her by the arm. “We don’t have time for that shit. We have to get ourselves some good seats.”
With Franny in tow, Silk pushed past people as she made her way to the front of the theater, close to the stage. After securing choice seats in the center of the front row, she gazed at Franny with a smug expression.
“I never sat near the stage before,” Franny said in awe.
“Okay, now that we’re situated, you can go back to the candy stand and get us some goodies.” Silk handed Franny a five-dollar bill and recited her order. “You can get yourself whatever you want out of that money,” Silk offered.
By the time Franny made her way back to her seat, loaded down with two cardboard containers filled with large cups of soda, hotdogs, popcorn and packs of Goobers, the lights had gone down and Georgie Woods and Jimmy Bishop, two handsome local DJs, were on stage together, warming up the crowd.
Electricity seemed to crackle in the air. Silk hadn’t been this excited since the night of her killing spree. Goosebumps ran up and down her arm. Franny attempted to hand Silk one of the cardboard containers, but Silk held up a hand, letting Franny know that she didn’t want to be bothered. Silk’s eyes were glued to the stage, and it didn’t go unnoticed that both deejays’ eyes were glued on her. They were both tall and good-looking with processed hair and wearing snazzy suits. She gave them an alluring smile, because it was in her nature to flirt with handsome men, but she hadn’t traveled to Philly to make time with any DJs. She wanted Smokey Robinson and no one else would do.
Act after act made their appearances on stage and their performances had the house rocking. Finally, The Miracles came out on stage. The crowd roared and Silk thought she would pass out from excitement. She couldn’t believe she was looking directly in her heartthrob’s pretty, hazel eyes.
Smokey quickly ran through his past hit, “Shop Around,” and when the band played the beginning chords of “You Really Got a Hold on Me,” Silk, along with every other woman in the house, screamed at the top of her lungs. The screams drowned out Smokey’s sweet, falsetto voice. Finally, the women quieted down and while Smokey sang, he gazed at Silk.
They locked eyes for the entire song. Mesmerized, Silk was trapped in Smokey’s spell until Franny whispered, “That woman singing backup with the Miracles is his wife.”
“How do you know?” Silk snapped.
“I read it in Hit Parade magazine. They been married for a long time.”
“Hmph!” Silk was ready to pout, but she perked up when Smokey yelled, “All right, is everybody ready?”—the beginning words to the group’s new hit, “Mickey’s Monkey.” When the band started playing, Silk found herself out of her chair and on her feet, doing the dance that was called the Monkey.
“Come on up here,” Smokey said invitingly and Silk ran up on the stage. Smokey and Silk did the Monkey to the delight of everyone in the audience. Having her big moment, Silk wasn’t letting it go easily. When Smokey stopped dancing and refocused on singing, she kept on dancing. But instead of sticking to doing the Monkey, she launched into the scandalously sexy new dance called The Philly Dog. Swerving down to the floor and humping like a dog, Silk created chaos inside the Uptown Theater. Men threw their hats toward the stage and whistled loud and vigorously.
When the song ended, Smokey asked her name and told the crowd to give Silk another round of applause. He also whispered that he wanted her phone number. “I’ll send my road manager to get it when my set is over.”
Next, Smokey and The Miracles sang “I’ve Been Good to You” and “I’ll Try Something New.” He sang one love song after another, and he seemed to be singing each song to Silk, personally.
He ended his set with “What’s So Good About Goodbye” and then the lights came up, indicating that the show was over. Silk didn’t budge. She remained in her seat, waiting for Smokey’s road manager. If things went the way she intended, Smokey would ditch his wife and get together with her tonight.
“What are you waiting for? We have to be on the bus back to Chester,” Franny reminded her.
“Go ahead. I’ll catch up with you later.” Silk didn’t bother to look at Franny. Her mind was focused on having a secret rendezvous with Smokey Robinson. Hell, if he was willing to get rid of that wife of his, she’d gladly leave Buddy and travel around the country with him. She envisioned herself taking his wife’s place onstage. Sadly, Silk had to admit that she’d never be his background singer since she couldn’t
sing worth a damn.
After waiting for about fifteen minutes, the road manager, an older man with a big gut and a pock-marked face, approached her. On Smokey’s behalf, he asked for her number.
Silk handed the road manager a piece of paper that she’d jotted her number on. “When is he gonna call?” she inquired anxiously.
He scratched his head. “Well, he sleeps pretty late. I suppose you’ll hear from him around three or four in the afternoon.”
“Okie-dokie,” she said with disappointment. Although Silk had wanted badly to get together with Smokey tonight, she derived a modicum of pleasure from the fact that she’d be wrapped in Smokey’s arms tomorrow night, feeling his luscious lips pressed against hers. And possibly, he’d sing sweet love songs directly in her ear.
Hopefully, Buddy wouldn’t mess up her plans. Lord, if that man didn’t work the midnight shift again tomorrow night, she’d have to slip out of a window after he went to sleep. She’d find a way to go meet up with her dreamboat. Nothing could keep her away from Smokey.
CHAPTER 27
Two days passed and Silk hadn’t heard a word from Smokey. She sat around waiting for his call like a lovesick schoolgirl. On the third day, she took a bus over town to Lee’s record shop and bought five 45 records and two LPs by The Miracles. When she returned home, she played the records back to back, all day long. She damn near wore the grooves off of “Who’s Loving You,” even shedding a few tears as she listened to Smokey croon.
When the phone rang, she nearly jumped out of her skin, and snatched up the receiver on the first ring. Concealing her desperation, she spoke in a sultry tone. “Hello?” she answered breathily.
But it wasn’t Smokey on the line. It was Buddy.
“Silk, there’s been an emergency with the twins,” he said in a voice filled with dread.
“Oh, yeah? What’s wrong with ’em?” She didn’t bother to hide her lack of interest.
“The doctor said they both have pneumonia and real high fevers…” Buddy paused and then said, “The doctor doesn’t think their little bodies can survive pneumonia. They’re not going to make it this time,” Buddy said in a choked voice. “I’ll be home to pick you up in about twenty minutes. We have to get over to the hospital right away.”
“Uh. Who’s gonna watch Dallas, Bruce, and Myron?” Silk asked. It wasn’t that she cared, but feigning concern over Buddy’s children could possibly spare her the burden of having to visit the dreary, pediatric ward at the hospital. She was already in a funk over Smokey Robinson, but being in such close contact with sickly children would only worsen Silk’s mood.
“Myron is old enough to look after his brother and sister during an emergency,” Buddy said impatiently. “I’ll be home shortly. When I blow the horn, please come right out. I’m at my breaking point, Silk, and I don’t want to see the kids to see me like this.”
“All right, Buddy. I’ll be at the front door waiting for you.”
Silk hung up. Buddy chose the worst possible time to force me to stand by his side. Angrily, she grabbed the tea kettle from the stove and banged it so hard on the kitchen table, the record that was playing on the turntable in the living room began to skip. She whisked into the living room and placed the needle at the beginning of the record, “You Can Depend on Me.”
Those damned sickly twins were causing her to miss an important phone call, and it wasn’t fair. A call from Smokey Robinson could change her life. She could get out of the little hick town of Chester and lead a glamorous life traveling around the country with The Miracles. A man like Smokey would have her dripping in diamonds and wearing all kinds of full-length furs. Hell, she could be Smokey’s next wife and be on the cover of Jet magazine, standing next to Smokey while they cut their five-tier wedding cake.
It burned her up that Buddy was inconveniencing her like this—standing in the way of her getting the kind of riches she truly deserved. Hit by a wave of fury, she kicked a leg of the coffee table, startling Dallas so badly, the child dropped the doll she was holding.
“Would you stop being so jumpy all the time? Always acting nervous and dropping shit,” Silk yelled at Dallas.
“I’m sorry, M’dear.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Take your ass upstairs to your room and play with your stupid doll.”
Dallas slinked away and Silk didn’t feel a bit of remorse. Dallas was by far her favorite of Buddy’s children, and she hardly ever raised her voice to the child. But in this moment of blind rage, Silk was livid and was mad at the world.
I’m not the mother of those goddamn twins, so why in the hell do I have to stop what I’m doing to go with Buddy to the hospital? I don’t feel like sitting around that dreary hospital, pretending to be sad. That damn Buddy gets on my fucking nerves. He loves to pretend to be Mr. Nice Guy, but he can be a selfish bastard at times. Does he really think I don’t have anything better to do with my life than to sit around in a hospital, watching a pair of sickly twins slowly die?
With great reluctance, Silk took the needle off the record she was playing and turned the hi-fi off. She went upstairs to freshen up, and when she found Bruce in the bathroom floating a toy boat in the sink, she pinched his arm, hard. He whimpered, but knew better than to cry. She twisted his skin and watched with satisfaction as he bit down on his bottom lip, trying to fight back the tears. After a few moments, she released his tortured flesh and gave him a shove.
“Get out of this bathroom, playing with a goddamn boat, you ornery, little brat!” Before Bruce was able to scurry out of the bathroom, Silk added insult to injury by kicking the boy in his buttocks. He let out a tiny yelp.
“You wanna play in water, huh? I’m gonna put you back in those diapers if I catch you messing around in this sink again.”
“Please don’t put me back in diapers, M’dear. I won’t play in water again,” Bruce wailed, sniffling and shaking.
he glared at Bruce with disgust and then rolled her eyes at him. “I should hold your head under this here water to teach you a lesson, shouldn’t I?”
Not knowing how to respond, Bruce wore a puzzled look. “Uh. N-no?”
Silk sighed. “If I catch you playing with toys in the bathroom again, that’s exactly what I’m gonna do to you.” Silk took the toy boat out of the sink and threw it at Bruce. “Where’s Myron?”
“He’s in the backyard playing with his friend, Billy.”
“Go outside and get your brother. Tell him I want to have a talk with him.”
Bruce picked up his boat from the floor and scampered away, eager to escape any additional pinches or kicks in the behind.
A few minutes later, as Silk gazed in the mirror while brushing her teeth, Myron appeared in the doorway of the bathroom. “Yes, M’dear?”
Silk continued brushing her teeth without responding. She allowed Myron to stand in the doorway squirming while he waited for her to state the reason she’d sent for him. She leisurely brushed her teeth for approximately two minutes and after rinsing her mouth, she finally acknowledged Myron’s presence.
“I have to go out and I don’t have time to get a sitter for you kids. You’re gonna have to look after your brother and sister. When they get hungry, fix them bologna and cheese sandwiches and a glass of milk.”
“Yes, M’dear.”
“And don’t mess with my new records. If I find a scratch on any of them, I’m gonna tan you and your brother’s hide. Do you hear me?”
“Yes, M’dear. We won’t touch your records.”
“You better not. Oh, by the way, I’m expecting an important phone call. If a gentleman calls and asks for me, I want you to take a message and write down his number so I can call him back. Guard that number with your life. Don’t you dare let your father find out that a gentleman called the house for me.”
“I won’t, M’dear,” Myron assured her.
“You better not or I’ll skin you alive. If you think I’m lying, try me. Now get out of my face. Scram!” She made shooing motions with her hands and Myron
darted away.
Twenty minutes later, Buddy was outside the house, honking his horn. Silk gave the silent telephone a lingering look before walking out the door.
• • •
Nothing was more depressing than the pediatric ward. Silk would rather stick needles in her eyeballs than sit up in that place. The twins, with all their maladies, looked like death warmed over. Silk averted her gaze as Buddy rubbed their scrawny little hands and uttered comforting words. They lay in separate cribs, hooked up to monitors by wires and cords, which excused Silk from having to hold them in her arms.
“I wonder where their doctor is. I need to speak to him,” Buddy said, pacing agitatedly. “No one seems to be attending to my baby girls,” Buddy said, wringing his hands.
“Why don’t you go to the nurses’ station and try to get some answers,” Silk suggested.
“Good idea.”
The moment Buddy left the room, Silk walked over to the crib where Pamela lay. She was only able to identify one twin from the other by the tiny name bracelets on their wrists. Silk bent over the crib and felt the baby’s forehead. The child was as hot as an oven and her lips had a blue tint.
You’re not doing yourself or anyone else any favors by clinging to life, little girl. Do you realize that every day you’re alive, you and your sister are costing your daddy and me a fortune? And for what? Neither one of y’all will ever be worth a plug nickel.
Considering herself showing the child mercy, Silk covered the baby’s little face with a pillow. The baby squirmed and kicked. Her little legs were much stronger than Silk had expected. She put up a valiant fight for life, but finally, Pamela’s tiny body went still.
Silk peeked out the door and discovering that the coast was clear, she hurried over to Paulette’s crib and began working on her next. She used the same pillow on Paulette. Being the weaker twin, Paulette didn’t put up much of a struggle, making it easy for Silk to smother her, while keeping one eye on the open door.
Feeling perkier than she’d felt all day, Silk took a deep, exhilarating breath. Killing gave her a rush that was slightly better than good sex.
The Secrets of Silk Page 16