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

Page 10

Annie finally found a spot to sit and get some writing done.
Underneath an abnormally large magnolia tree.

Across from her, Daniel, who'd followed her from ten feet behind the entire way there, walked to a picnic table horizontally parked in front of the tree that Annie sat in front of. The picnic table she ignored because it was too in the sun. He knew nobody should see him talking to her so he kept his distance.

The table was ten feet away, much like his walk, and the two attempted to ignore one another although Annie found his persistence humoring. She just hoped he wasn't persistent in the wrong thing.

She took out one of her pens and opened her notebook to begin writing.

Daniel watched her, in her neat red dress that reached the center of her shins, her knees up to be a table for her journal.
He looked away down the street.
But it didn't hold his gaze long before he looked back at her.
He felt embarrassed or annoyed. Even a bit disgusted.
Then he looked away again.
But he never got up to leave.

He cleared his throat. "What're you writin'?" He picked up a stick he saw on the ground and began digging up dirt with it rather than looking at her.
"About my days. What I hope to happen tomorrow. And what's already happened yesterday evening." Annie answered with eyes still on her book.

Daniel continued drawing up the dirt.

Annie looked at him. Wondering why he insists on being there.

"Are you trying to make sure I don't do anything I'm not supposed to?" she wondered.
"Yea..." Daniel lied. "Y'all are known for steppin' out'a line."
"Hm."

She went back to writing.

I keep running into the white boy from the tulip field. I can't lie and say he doesn't make me nervous. I remember that day he and his friends tormented Marshall. I don't want any parts of that. Am I supposed to get on his good side?

She looked at him poking at the dirt.

So far he just asks me questions and tries his hardest not to look at me. I should be careful and hope nobody sees us too close. I wonder if I ask him questions, will he answer me too...

"Do you write anything?" Annie wondered.
"No."
"Why not?"
"Why would I?"
She brought her legs down and looked around in thought. "Well...I do it to be able to put my emotions somewhere and not bottle them up. My mama says that makes people angry. I don't wanna be angry so I write when I don't have anybody to talk to."
Daniel didn't respond but he was listening.
"I guess that means you always have somebody to talk to, don't it?" Annie reasoned.
"No." Daniel replied.
"No?"
He didn't answer.

He just went into his pocket and opened his pack of cigarettes.
He took one out along with a lighter from the other pocket, lit it properly, and smoked.

He finally gave up on his stick and dirt antics then leaned back against the table. He looked to the right instead of straight ahead at Annie who was too strung up in her writings.

"Your mama work as a nanny?" he asked after removing the cigarette from his lips.
"That's right."
"Yea. She works for us."
Annie's eyes shot up at him.

Daniel still looked outwards.

"You're the mayor's son?" she questioned.
"That's right."
Annie packed up her things and stood up.
She caught Daniel's attention as she began walking away.
"Hey, where ya goin'?" Daniel called. He put his cigarette back between his lips then got up to catch up to her.

"I can't be seen with no white man, especially not the mayor's son. They'll hurt me for sure." Annie panicked and kept walking.
"Hurt you why? Ain't like you could beat me up." Daniel scoffed and followed from a good distance behind her.
"They'll say I tried to seduce you or...or I was tryin' to trick you and whatnot. Or maybe even that I was gonna attempt to hurt you. And my word won't matter." she explained as she walked quickly. "I don't want what happened to Johnny happening to me."

Daniel sighed and stopped walking behind her.

Annie picked up the pace to head home.

He looked at his watch.
2:35pm.

"Hey!" he yelled after removing the cigarette.
Annie stopped walking.
"Nobody comes here! It's too out the way! We haven't seen a single car drive past here!"
She wondered why he was telling her this.
"You come back here at 2 tomorrow!"

She didn't respond.

"I won't hurt you!" he added. "Promise."
She thought about it and looked up and down the street, making sure no one was outside.
"An hour!" she replied. "That's all!"
Daniel grinned and looked to the ground to hide his face while Annie walked off.

He rubbed his hand over his mouth to fix his expression. Then placed his cigarette back between his lips to smoke.
Annie was twenty feet away now and he shoved his hands in his pockets to casually follow behind and walk to his truck.

•~~~•

"Y'all heard about the Wilkes boy?" Jermaine asked.
"What happened?" Clarence replied.
Jermaine looked at Sirius.

"Come on na, we should be workin' not gossipin' like the women do." Sirius responded and continued his job.
"Ain't gossip if it's a warnin'." Jermaine argued and hopped down from his ladder.
"You gon' tell us what happened or what?" asked Tommy.
Sirius sighed. "The boy walked too far on the wrong side of town. My daughter was with him. Some white boys in a pick up truck got out and beat the boy 'till he couldn't scream no more."
"Some say he died." Jermaine added.
"That boy ain't die! Stop speakin' foolishness! He in a coma." Sirius corrected.
"That's damn near dyin'." Tommy replied.

"Why was he walkin' out on the wrong side a town anyway? Don't no nigga with sense walk down there at night. 'Specially not in Mississippi." said Rufus.
"Him and my child just came from a date. They wanted to talk a little more before headin' home. My daughter's a talker. Could talk before she walked. They wasn't payin' direction no mind."
"How's she holdin' up?" Tommy asked.
"She'll be alright. She strong like her mama. Stayed in them white parts yellin' for help. Refused to just run and leave the boy there. She was more afraid of what could happen to him than what they'd do to her."
"How Johnny got to the hospital?" Elroy wondered.

Sirius froze.

He looked at the men. "That I don't know. She just said somebody helped her."