The Mighty Miss Malone

by Christopher Paul Curtis

  “Sorry, ma’am. But I ain’t never heard no one, kid, grown or otherwise, who can sing like him. Yeah, the little man’s marvelous, absolutely marvelous.”

  Jimmie stretched and looked over the back of the front seat at us, his eyebrows jumping up and down. He could see that Mother wasn’t very impressed and I was giving him my angriest look. He turned around.

  Marvelous Marvin said, “Y’all mind if I fire up a square?”

  Jimmie translated, “Is it OK if he smokes, Ma?”

  Me and Mother said, “No!”

  “Cool.”

  “Yeah,” Jimmie said, “that’s cool.”

  We stayed quiet for most of the ride. But my goodness, what a ride! Mr. Steel Lung’s truck was nothing but bump after bump, this car was like a magic carpet! We floated all the way through Gary heading west. We drove further and further.

  Jimmie laughed. “Did you see that, Deza?”

  I looked at Mother but she was staring out of the window, lost.

  “What?”

  “Those signs on the side of the road. There are five of them in a row and they got poems on ’em.”

  “Poems?”

  Jimmie said, “Yeah, poems. Nothing like the ones Pa makes up, but at least these rhyme. Look! There’s more of ’em coming up.”

  Marvelous Marvin said, “Oh, yeah, them’s Burma-Shave signs, that’s what I use to keep my skin soft as a baby’s behind.”

  He rubbed his hand over his chin, it looked like he was wearing nail polish!

  I told him, “I don’t think I’d like to be compared to anybody’s behind.”

  Mother slapped my hand. “Deza, hush.”

  Jimmie said, “Here comes one!”

  It was a skinny red sign on a post at the side of the road. Jimmie read,

  “When driving the roads …”

  The next sign was a bit further along.

  “Keep your hand in the car …”

  Then,

  “Or it may end up …”

  Next,

  “In some doctor’s jar!”

  Me and Jimmie and Marvelous Marvin shouted the last sign out,

  “Burma-Shave!”

  We burst out laughing. Except for Mother.

  Jimmie read the next signs,

  “He chose not to shave …

  With our famous brand …

  That’s why he’s known as …

  The loneliest man!”

  Everyone but Mother shouted, “Burma-Shave!”

  Before long Jimmie said, “Dang, Marv, where’s this house at?”

  Marvin said, “Chi-town, baby.”

  Mother said, “Chicago?”

  “Yes, ma’am. We got another ten, fifteen minutes. This gal’s from Gary, but she wanted to stay near her momma in Chi-town. She shares a place with her sister, who’s out of town for a while, so I convinced her to put y’all up till then.”

  Mother shook her head and looked back out of the window.

  We stopped in front of a house that was just as nice as the automobile.

  The numbers man said, “Home again, home again, jiggity-jig.”

  On the front porch, Mr. Marvelous knocked. The door opened and a soft, sweet smell whooshed out.

  Chapter Twenty

  The Girl in the Mirror

  The woman who answered the door was strikingly beautiful and long-limbed and dressed in a flowing robe that looked like a orange cloud had left the skies and was floating around her legs.

  She smiled and hugged Jimmie. “Little Jimmie! I know you from the park! I love your voice, poppa!”

  Mother was so mortifried that I thought she was going to swoon.

  The woman told the numbers man, “I’m only doing this because it’s Little Jimmie’s family. You already dumped that Carter woman and her brat in the basement and that’s that. This ain’t no hotel or no orphanage neither.”

  Marvelous Marvin said, “Woman, please.”

  She pointed at me. “I’d best not catch you snooping round my sister’s room neither.”

  My second brain said, “Kiddo, one punch and she’s down for the count.”

  Mother said, “We won’t be a bother, ma’am. We’ll be out of here as quick as we can. Thank you for having us.”

  The woman snorted and pointed at a closed door. “That’s where y’all’s staying. Cynthia’s only gonna be gone for a week so don’t get too comfy. Little Jimmie can sleep on the couch.”

  “Thank you very much.” Mother pushed me toward the room. Inside she leaned against the door and put her hand over her eyes.

  It was the most beautiful room I’d ever been in! It was like it came out of a magazine! The bed had fancy blankets and fancy pillows and the lampshades were pink and frilly and everything matched, even the curtains! There was a small low desk with a little chair in front of it. A long tall mirror was in the middle of the desk. Sitting on the desk was a bunch of exquisite different-color little bottles with gold tops and rubber bulbs held to their sides by a little skinny piece of hose, looking like gigantic diamonds or rubies! There was also a picture of a beautiful woman and a little boy in a gold frame.

  “Oh, Mother!”

  She wasn’t as impressed as me.

  “Be careful, Deza, all of this nonsense is very expensive.”

  “What are those bottles?”

  “They’re called atomizers, you squeeze the rubber bulb and it shoots out a mist of perfume.”

  Mother went to the desk and picked up one of the bottles. She sniffed the top.

  “I can’t believe it, they’re living just as well as the Carsdales. On second thought, I do believe it, both they and the Carsdales live off of poor people’s nickels and dimes.”

  “Can I smell one?”

  “Of course, dear.”

  I walked over to the desk and reached for the darkest blue bottle.

  I closed my eyes and brought it to my nose.

  Yuck! It was too strong, like kerosene and flowers mixed together.

  Something caught my eye.

  I said, “Oh!”

  A little girl was staring at me.

  I put the beautiful blue bottle in my left hand and brought my right hand to my face.

  The girl’s cheeks were hollow and her face was thin. She was doing the same thing I was.

  Her dress was clean but raggedy-looking.

  Her hair was neatly braided and greased.

  Her left hand was touching her cheek.

  Her mouth was open a little bit like she was saying, “Oh!”

  She had a beautiful blue perfume bottle in her right hand.

  Her eyes were tired and sad and she stared right back at me.

  Over the girl’s shoulder Mother was sitting on the bed with her face in both of her hands.

  I looked back into the girl’s sad brown eyes.

  “Well, kiddo, what do you think?”

  I bit down on my back teeth and the girl’s face twisted in pain.

  I couldn’t look away.

  There was a knock and Mother looked at me and whispered, “Deza! Quick! Put that back.”

  She called, “Come in.” I put the atomizer back and turned around as the door opened.

  Jimmie closed the door behind him and his eyebrows were jumping all over his forehead. He was smiling like a Cheshire cat. “Well,” he whispered, “Pretty cool, huh?”

  Mother reached out and slapped Jimmie’s cheek hard! “How dare you? How dare you?”

  “What?” Jimmie said.

  Mother reared her hand up again but stopped. “How dare you associate with this criminal? What do you do when you’re supposed to be at school? Do you think your father and I raised you to be in the company of people like this?”

  “Mother!” I said.

  Jimmie said, “What? I didn’t do nothing wrong. Nothing!”

  “How do you know that man well enough to have him put us up?”

  “I told you, when I sing in the park lots of people listen to me.”

  “So this
is the kind of life you want to live? All fancy and big-shot like this? Driving around in a brand-new Buick? Wearing trashy clothes? If Roscoe Malone saw this he’d strangle both you and that man!”

  Jimmie busted out in full tears. “I ain’t done nothing wrong, he just likes my singing.”

  Mother grabbed his shoulders. “Don’t you see this is how it starts? Don’t you see one minute you’re carrying a straight razor and the next it’s a gun? Or do you already have one?”

  “Ma, I swear, I don’t do nothing wrong. I only went to him ’cause we didn’t have nowhere else to go and he always said I should look him up if I needed something.”

  “Jimmie, this is how young men get trapped. You think he’s doing you any favors? You’ll owe him. I guarantee he’ll have you doing little things for him in no time. I guarantee.…”

  Jimmie wiped at his eyes. “Ma, how come you always think I’m gonna do wrong? I know what’s right, he’s been trying for the longest to get me to run numbers for him, I always said no, I ain’t stupid. I was only keeping my word to Pa, I was only trying to look out for you and Deza.”

  He pulled away from Mother. “You don’t give me credit for nothing. Nothing!”

  He turned, walked out of the door and closed it softly.

  Mother sagged onto the bed and I sat beside her. We hugged each other.

  I got up and put my hand on the doorknob. “Mother?”

  “Go ahead, Deza, bring him back, I don’t want either of you leaving this room.”

  I heard squeals and giggles coming from the backyard. A girl about six or seven years old was getting pushed in a swing by a woman. Jimmie was sitting on another swing.

  The girl dragged her feet so the swing stopped. “Are you Jimmie’s sister?”

  “Yes, my name’s Deza.”

  Her nose twisted. “That’s a funny name. My name’s Eppie, but my real name is Epiphany.”

  I said, “That’s a beautiful name, it means you’re like a light coming on all of a sudden.”

  The little girl had a very fresh mouth. “You’ve got a weird name and don’t know nothing, I’m named after a song, not no light.”

  Jimmie said, “ ‘Sarah’s Epiphany’?”

  The woman said, “How’d you know that song?”

  I said, “He’s a singer, ma’am, he knows just about every song in the world.”

  “Y’all from Chicago?”

  “No, ma’am, we’re from Gary.”

  “You must be kin to Marvin or that sad excuse for a woman.”

  “No, ma’am, we’re just staying here for a few days before we get a ride to Flint.”

  “In Michigan?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “That’s north of here, right?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Ooh, girl, how old you think I am? You gotta quit calling me ma’am. I’m Miss Carter.”

  “Sorry, Miss Carter.”

  “Flint anywhere near Detroit?”

  “It’s geologically located sixty miles northwest of Detroit.”

  “So y’all are going through Detroit to get to Flint.”

  “I think so.”

  “Who’s carrying you to Michigan?”

  Jimmie said, “I might ask Marvin how much he’d charge to take us in that big Buke.”

  She started pushing Eppie again. “Don’t do it. The sooner you get away from that character the better. But if you hear of someone else going that way let me know. There’s suppose to be lots of work in Detroit.”

  “You’re leaving too?”

  “Child, as soon as I can. The friendlier Marvelous Marvin gets the meaner that woman does.”

  I asked, “What will you do if you can’t find anyone to take you?”

  “If nothing else comes up in a day or two me and Eppie won’t have no choice but to ride the rails. We did it before. I’d rather get drove, but you gotta do what you gotta do.”

  Jimmie said, “Ride the rails! You really hopped a train before?”

  “It’s not like we jumped on no moving train. This is Chicago, son, there’s a million boxcars sitting at the yard and someone always knows where they’re going.”

  Jimmie’s eyes met mine.

  What choice did we have but to try to get Mother to go along?

  After Miss Carter and Eppie went back to their basement, Jimmie and me sat on the swings and talked about how we could get Mother to hop a train with us.

  Jimmie said, “What do you always tell me, Deza? The truth is the best way. We just gotta ask her what other choice we have if we’re gonna get to Flint and Pa.”

  “You’re right.” But it wouldn’t be that easy.

  When we went back into the room Mother hugged Jimmie and apologized.

  Jimmie said, “It’s OK, Ma, I know you’re just worried. But, Ma, we gotta get outta here.”

  “Yes, son, we do.”

  I explained about Miss Carter and the train. We were both stunned when Mother said, “Let’s talk to her and see what we have to do.”

  Miss Carter stood in our room and looked at our boxes. “The main thing is, you have to travel light.”

  Mother said, “We only have these seven boxes.”

  Miss Carter said, “You each can carry one blanket full of only the most important things.”

  Mother sighed. “Well, let’s see what we can leave.”

  Uh-oh. Even though a dictionary and thesaurus were the most important things to me, they wouldn’t be for most people. And how many essays could I take?

  We set our boxes on the bed and Mother took three blankets and spread them out. We emptied the boxes and started putting things in a blanket or back in a box to stay in Chicago.

  A few pots and pans went in Jimmie’s blanket along with the kitchen clock and some knives, spoons and forks wrapped in towels.

  Miss Carter said that anything made out of glass, like the plates, the drinking glasses and the bowls, would have to stay, they’d just end up breaking. We took three tin cups.

  Miss Carter said, “Most camps have cans you can use for plates, but it’s best if you find some tin plates and hold on to them.”

  Mother said, “We don’t really intend to spend any time in a camp.”

  Miss Carter smiled. “Believe me, no one ever does. But, sweetheart, better safe than sorry.”

  The last box on the bed was opened and Jimmie pulled Father’s old work boots and some of his trousers and shirts and winter coat out.

  Miss Carter said, “Whose are these?”

  Jimmie picked up one of Father’s boots. “They’re Pa’s.”

  “Is he waiting for you in Flint?”

  Mother said, “We’re not exactly sure where he is, but …” Miss Carter said, “You gotta leave ’em, only take what y’all need.”

  Jimmie wouldn’t let go of the boot. Mother took it from him and said, “I’m sure your father has plenty of things in Flint, Jimmie. We’ll have to leave these.”

  She set Father’s boots on the floor.

  She said, “Well, that’s it.”

  “Wait! There’s one more box. My essays and dresses and shoes.”

  We looked around. There was nothing.

  I slapped both of my hands over my mouth and felt like the ceiling was crashing down on me.

  “Oh, Mother! I left my box under the bed in Gary! We’ve got to go back and get it.”

  Even before Mother could tell me what we all knew, I heard, “Well, kiddo, the best-laid schemes of mice and men …” The pain that ripped through my heart and soul shut the bad brain right up.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Riding the Rails

  If you could forget about the way the boxcar smelled like a toilet and ignore the heat and the darkness and the hard floor and the flies you could say it was pretty comfortable. You could say that, but you’d be telling one of the biggest lies ever.

  We sat with our backs against the front of the boxcar on old pieces of cardboard. There were two other families sitting at the other end. Ji
mmie and Eppie left me alone with Mother and Miss Carter. They wanted to sit closer to the huge, half-open door to watch Illinois, then Indiana, then Michigan zoom by.

  Miss Carter said, “Breathe out your mouth till the train moves and air starts circulating.”

  Mr. Steel Lung’s truck was bouncy and bumpy, but compared to this train it was like riding in a brand-new Buke.

  It would take eight hours to get to Detroit. Miss Carter said then it would be easy to find a freight to Flint. If we felt up to it we could even walk there in a day and a half.

  As the train got moving air swirled through. The flies stopped buzzing, and once we were in the country, breathing got a lot easier. We rolled through green fields, past farm after farm, and every time we went by a road we could see cars waiting for us to pass. Bells warned people that our train was barreling east.

  I was glad Epiphany wasn’t sitting with us. Not only did she have a very fresh mouth, she was also very verbose. And not in the good way.

  She was leaning a little too far out of the door when my second brain said, “Ooh, kiddo, one quick kick and ‘Bye-bye, Eppie!’ ” That was the first time the bad brain ever made me smile.

  Mother said to Mrs. Carter, “Julia, isn’t this terribly unsafe?”

  “Shoot, girl! Yeah, it’s all unsafe. You gonna have to be extra careful when you get to camp, that’s unsafe too, if you don’t know what you’re doing.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “It’s just like anything else, there’s just enough bad folks in camp to make it so you got to keep your guard up at all times. It’s especially hard on women, and even worst for little girls.”

  She looked at me and a shiver went through my heart. “You just gotta keep your wits about you and don’t let no one in on your business. Keep it to yourself why you’re on the road alone.”

  Mother’s 1-1-1 lines jumped out.

  “Always let folks think your husband or your brother is with you, always tell ’em that he’s gonna be back later tonight. There’s strength in numbers so let folks think there’s a lot of y’all. You’re a good-looking woman, you gonna have to be careful not to draw a lot of attention you don’t want.”