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

Page 32

Annie looked towards the entrance as the front door of her home opened.

Marshall, Jenny, and Samuel all entered exhaustedly.

"Welcome back." Annie greeted.
"Anything happen while we were gone?" Marshall asked.
"Mama says Mr. Robert's funeral is tomorrow. That's all."
"Hm."

"How'd it go?" Annie asked.
"We were chased out. They called the cops."
Annie stood quickly. "Are y'all alright?!"
"We're fine. None of us got hurt. But a lot of people did." Samuel answered.

Annie sighed. "I wish y'all wouldn't have gone."

"You should be happy we told Johnny he couldn't come. If we wouldn't have made it out, I don't think he would've survived." Marshall stated.
"Johnny wanted to go?!"
"Yep. And I told him no. He argued with me for about two hours on it."
"How did you convince him?" Annie wondered.
"Told him that only one of us could go because somebody needed to protect you in case the other didn't make it. And I'd already promised these two I'd go, which meant he had to stay home. So really he only stayed because he agreed you needed somebody." Marshall explained.
"Hm..."

Annie left and walked to her room.

She shut her door then laid on top of her bed and stared at the lamp on her nightstand.

"Knock knock..." Jenny said.
"Come in." Annie permitted.

She did as told and eased her way in then shut the door behind herself.

"What's wrong, Annie?" Jenny took a seat on the foot of the bed.
"Who said anything was wrong?" Annie questioned.
"Well...you seemed sad at the mentioning of Johnny. I know you two like each other a lot, are you upset he almost went?"
Annie didn't answer.
"I haven't been around recently after my family moved, it's been hard on me and Marshall too, but me and you used to talk about everything. Do you wanna tell me what I've missed?"

Annie sat up and she sighed.

"I like a boy." she began.
"Right."
"And it's not Johnny."
"What? You've liked Johnny since we were young. You told me you were gonna marry him when we were little. What happened?"
"Well I still like Johnny but not as much as this one. I think I found someone better..."
"Better than Johnny? How?"
"Well...he's tall too. He has a pretty smile like Johnny does. He's stronger than Johnny is. Johnny is sweet and all but he's all skin and bone, this boy was able to throw me over his shoulder like I weighed nothin'. I've held both of their hands and his hands are stronger too. They both make me smile but this boy makes me laugh. We haven't known each other very long but he got me a birthday gift. Johnny's only gotten me gifts that were his mama's idea and she put all of the family's names on it. This boy got me a gift on his own and it even had thought put into it but you'd have to be one of us to get it."
Jenny sat there and listened.
"I really like him..." Annie stated.
"So then why aren't you with him?"

Tears erupted out of Annie's eyes as if she'd been holding them in for weeks. She cried into her knees once she'd lifted them up to rest her head on.

"Annie, what's the matter?!" Jenny sat next to Annie and moved her head onto her shoulder. She gave Annie a side hug and rubbed her arm while Annie's tears leaked onto the shoulder of Jenny's dress.

"Jenny..."
"Yea?"
"Remember how we used to keep secrets and never tell a soul?" Annie sniffed.
"Yea, I do."
"I've kept all of yours for the life of me. Haven't told anybody."
"And I haven't told anybody yours."
"Can I tell you one more?"
"Yea."
"You promise you won't get mad or tell anybody? Not even Marshall?"
"I promise." Jenny held out her pinky like they did when they were little girls.
Annie intertwined her pinky with Jenny's and the two shook.
"Go ahead." Jenny insisted.

"The boy I like?"
"Mhm."
"He's white."

Jenny froze.

Annie wiped her tears with her hand.

"A white boy bought you a birthday present?" Jenny asked and looked at Annie.
Annie lifted her head, "He's done much more than that."
Jenny's eyes widened.
"Not that!" Annie clarified.
Jenny relaxed.
"Well...not yet anyway."
Jenny's eyes widened again.

"He's kissed me. My cheek. My hand. My lips. He's kept me safe from some other racist white boys. He visits me at night and we talk for hours."
"And how do you know he ain't racist to the rest of us?"
Annie looked at Jenny. "What?"
"Like...Marshall's the only man I'm kind to because I don't trust the rest of them. How do you know your white boy ain't like me? How you know you not the only negro he's fond of?"
Annie looked down.
"Did you think about that? That all this time maybe he's one of the ones that called the police on our march? That he's got friends convincing him to hang us like tree ornaments? Does he march for us? There were white people marchin' with us, was he one of them? Or does he not think it's important enough?"
"I don't know..."
"You don't know? He wants a negro girl but ain't walkin' for her rights?"
Annie was beginning to feel ashamed.

"I won't tell anybody. Promise. But I can't say I agree with it either." Jenny kissed Annie's head and got up to leave the room.

Annie sat there on her bed and thought.

Daniel did still have racist friends.
He didn't even know there was a march, let alone did he go.

She wondered, if she asked, would he go?
Would he care enough?
Does he like her enough to care?
Is she the only negro he cares about?

She laid back down and stared at her lamp.