What About Love? A Color Purple Story

Chapter 2: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

That same night... like 25 minutes later...

CELIE

With each moan between each kiss and the soft tender moments where me and Shug check in on the other, I don't think I have ever felt more safe before in my life.

I have also grown to feel quite beautiful through the years. But nothing make me feel more beautiful than when i'm with Shug.

It's around 11:00 at night. Shug finally stopped crying about Grady. Me and Shug think we's hear my Nettie come through the store door then upstairs to the house. We get a little antsy even though we weren't doing anything but kissing.

Then I remembered a lie I told Nettie earlier that Shug was singing at a venue tonight and wouldn't be around. I could've created a new lie, but I wanted to give my sister the least amount of clues possible to what me and Shug had going on. Shug continues to kiss me though, putting her hand on my chin signaling me to bring my focus back to her. "We's just paranoid." Shug says leaning in. We then hear the sound of Nettie's muffled voice from downstairs.

Without even's thinkin' I push Shug off of me. Stunned and slightly impressed she half smiles at me and says "Ow! Miss Celie!" "Shhhh" "Did you just-" "Shhhh." I repeated. "I think my Nettie here."

Shug got it then. Me and Shug stood up with swiftness and she said "Go greet her!
I will sneak out." She grabs her pocketbook and heels and goes down the backstairs that we never use.

Nettie gets inpatient with excitement.
"Come here sister, I bought your favorite ingredients to cook with, for tomorrow!" "I'm coming!" I shouts back, racing downstairs.

"Mama!" I heard Olivia's voice pierce my ears. She sounded so happy. I's still wake up and pinch myself that I gets to hear that sound, live in my own body and not just with my spirit. I ran down the steps and hugged my daughter like it was the first time I'ves seen her. Alls our hugs been that way in the last few months.

"Me and auntie gots greens, sweet potatoes, black eye peas and some chicken for frying." Olivia looks at me like she's waiting for my approval. "That sounds wonderful baby, thank you."

"Mama?"

"Yes baby."

"Was Shug Avery just here?" She asked me. I was a bit frozen. Not sure if I should tell the truth or not until I just decided to lie. "Um no, she wasn't.
Why you asking?"

I'd occasionally check on Nettie's face as I lied to my daughter, just to sees what she might be thinkin. She looked calm somehow. Like she knew everything and was okays with it.

"Oh cause, I noticed her car parked around the back but wasn't sure." "Yes! That's her car! I borrowed it while your Auntie took mine." Quickest lie of my life. Olivia beings to explain herself. "I guess I was hoping you'd say yes. See I wants to sing like Mrs Avery does. And travel the world like she does and wanted to talk to her about some things."

I begin to open my mouth to respond but before i coulds Nettie interrupts. "Shug Avery will actually be joining us for dinner tomorrow night! You can talk to her then, Olivia." Nettie says it with a huge and suspicious smile.

Olivia with glee goes upstairs to the guest room.

Now it's just me and my Nettie. "Can we talk?" I nervously ask. "Always." She says.

I sat her down in the family room. My hands are shaking and my heart feels like it's going to fall straight out if my chest. "I don't want you to think differently of me. Or- or hate me, Nettie." Suddenly, Nettie's face grows concerned and sincere. "There's not one thing in the universe, that would make me stop loving or liking you, Celie. Nothing but death." I's exhale sharply at her response. A little relived but still nervous.