The Boy She Illegally Brought To The Lavender Field (bwwm)

Page 6

"Mama, I'm real nervous." Annie snickered as she fixed her hair up.
"Nothin' to be nervous about. You'll be alright."

Johnny said, before he went back home after eating with Marshall, that he'd get Annie an hour before sundown. If they spent too much time at night, they might run across the wrong people.
That exact reason was why Annie was happy Johnny had a car.

She finished her hair and just stared in the mirror in one of her nicest dresses.

"How do I look?" she asked.
"Absolutely beautiful." Diana replied sweetly.
Annie smiled.

They heard a knock at the door.

"Do you think that's him?" Diana asked.
"I hope not." Annie joked about her nervous jitters and her mother laughed fondly.

Annie walked to the door and opened it.

Johnny stood there with a flower in his hand.

He lifted it to her. "Hi." he greeted.
She smiled as she took it. "Hi."
"Well isn't that sweet?" Diana said from the living room.
"Mama!" Annie laughed.
"What? I'm nosey."
"Good evening, Mrs. Moore." Johnny greeted her.
"Hi, Johnny." she replied.

"Are you ready?" Johnny asked Annie.
She nodded and the two went on their way.

They climbed into Johnny's car and he drove off.

"Where are we going?" Annie wondered.
"I thought we could see a movie. Unless you'd like to do something else?"
"A movie is good."
"Okay."

•~~~•

Daniel was in the kitchen fixing himself leftovers from what Diana cooked them the night before.

Even her leftovers were better than anything his mother had attempted to make.
Nancy tried cooking multiple times in an act to get the men to stop liking Diana's food. She tried to prove that she could cook just like her but when her husband and son were disappointed, she felt shameful. Diana offered to teach her a few dishes and Nancy ignored the opportunity, refusing to have a negro teach her anything ever.
She frowns when the men devour their plates of Diana's food so quickly without a breath of air, the unbuckling of Stephen's belt once his belly hung happy and full always made Nancy a bit tense.

The front door opened and Daniel heard his parents walking inside.

Like usual, they went their separate ways. Nancy walked upstairs towards their bedroom and Stephen found himself in the kitchen.

"What's that?" he asked his son.
"You should know. It was here yesterday." Daniel replied. Ribs, macaroni and cheese, and sweet potatoes was on the menu. One of Daniel's favorite meals from Diana.

Part of him wondered if her daughter cooked like this.

Not that he ever planned to find out.

He started to warm up his plate.

"Smells good." Stephen pointed out.
"What do you want from me?" Daniel asked. He was back to his natural way of speaking when it came to his parents. Educated and neat or else he'd receive a smack on the head for appearing improper.
"I've spent all day with your mother nagging in my ear, I can't come home and expect a conversation that isn't someone complaining?"
"I didn't complain. I asked you what you wanted."
Stephen rolled his eyes. "I guess nothing." he sighed. "Where's Diana?" he asked.

Daniel froze as he knew exactly why his father asked such a question.

"You don't know your girlfriend's work schedule? She's off today." Daniel answered.
"Excuse you?" Stephen snapped.
Daniel didn't respond.
"What did you just say to me?"
"Don't act like you don't grope her like some psycho every time she walks in here. I watched with my own eyes you reaching for her-..." Daniel felt a strong slap against his cheek.
"You shut your fucking mouth." his father grunted.
Daniel looked at him. "Whatever you say...nigger lover."

His father's fist balled before it swung into Daniel's face.
Again and again, angrily. He swung like he'd forgotten Daniel was his son. Stephen grabbed onto his hair and forced his face into the kitchen cabinet door.

"I didn't teach you that bullshit. Your bitch of a mother did because she knows I'd take that negro woman over her any day." Stephen threw his son's head away from him and Daniel just stared at the floor.
"You say that word in my house again and you'll be out on the street." Stephen threatened. He left the kitchen.

Daniel continued staring at the floor, letting the pain in his face linger.

~•~

Annie and Johnny made it to the theater and were a quarter of the way through their movie.

Annie sat with her popcorn that Johnny bought for her and ate a piece.

It wasn't her first date but the rest happened when she was around 16 and 17. It had been a while since the last time and she didn't know what to do. She couldn't talk during a movie. That was rude. She wondered if it would be too soon to hold his hand. They'd known each other for a while, so maybe not. Being at the movies didn't feel like a true date because you had to be quiet. Dates seemed like a time to get to know the other person better. Being forced to be silent wasn't helpful.

She looked at his hand on his armrest and gently slid hers into it.
He held it.
She smiled to herself, pleased by the outcome.

Her eyes found the movie screen again. She just tried to sit back and enjoy the moment.