What About Love? A Color Purple Story

Chapter 4: The Dinner Party Part 2

CELIE 

We've said grace, and everyone is seated.  I am just about to sit down when I seen through the window by the front door, Shug's car pull in. 

"Shug's here everyone!" I holla with excitement and rush out the door to meet her. I's couldn't wait until she knocked on the door. I had to see her. 

"Shug!" "Hey baby!" We hug like we didn't see each other days ago. "Yous is late, we done already said grace and everyone is waiting for you." I tell her, grabbing her arms and leading her to the front porch and into the house. "I know. I am sorry I ran into trouble with...um..." "With who?" I turn my face back towards her. "Nobody, we can talk about it later." I pick my smile back up and bring Shug on in. 

"Well it's about damn time, Miss Avery!" Sofia jokingly yet seriously complains. "Half the food already went cold cause of you and yous know Celie don't let nobody eat until everyone is here." Sofia continues to laugh. "Sofia girl I'm sorry, but this kinda beauty don't just happen." "I think it do." I thought to myself. 

Shug sits next to me in the seat I saved to her. On the other side of me is Nettie and Olivia. Then on Shug's other side is Sofia followed by Harpo. Adam's family takes over half of the other side with Velma and Cheryl on the opposite end and Mary Agnes in the middle, across from Shug. 

"Hi Shug." Mary Anges says. "Hi Squeak." Shug's response is quick and sharp, kinda cold too. I's wonder why. They usually get along fine. 

"Miss Celie, these sweet potatoes might just be sweeter than any sweet thing I've ever had. I gots to have seconds, once again." Harpo tells me. Some things never change. "Mhm, he ain't lying Miss Celie, every time you cook it's like heaven in our mouths." Sofia adds. "I can't take alls the credit. Nettie helped." "Helped?!" Nettie laughs at me. "I did almost everything." "Almost." I had to clarify. "And only because I let you. Has been so long since we got to cook together." 

"This is nice though isn't it, Mama?" Adam starts. "Us finally getting to be together again." My heart gets real warm grabbing my son's hand across the table. "I's still wish we got more time before you go back home, Adam." "Soon Mama." We release hands. 

Velma, Cheryl and me joke around and catch Mary Agnes up on all the inside jokes and tom foolery that has happened at the shop the last few weeks. She keeps taking sick days. Nettie tells me more stories from Olivia's and Adam's childhood and their life back in Africa. Adam talks about how he met his wife, and more conversations too.

 Although Shug stay quiet mostly. As we's move from different conversations, I's take glances at her and she would speak here and there but I see something was on her mind. Something was bothering her. She usual be full of more life.  

I already knew what was bothering Olivia. So I's figured I'd break the ice. "Shug, Olivia here is thinking of being a singer and traveling the world like you's do." Olivia looks at me embarrassed. "Why, Olivia that sounds mighty fine to me! It's hard though you know." "I know, Miss Avery, but I don't know if I still want to chase that dream." Olivia tells Shug. Shug say "Why not? You're beautiful, still young-." "I am in my 30s." "That's young Olivia. Trust me it is." Shug chuckles to herself. "But if you do, you gots to be careful now. Life out in the real world can be mean, and harsh and down right ugly." "I understand." She says. Then she say something that almost made me want to drag my hand across her face. 

"I wonder if I get my love of music from my father. I wouldn't know since I don't know nothing about him though." She says it casual, like there's no depth to it, with her head buried in her plate. The table gets quiet. With a deep breath I say "Olivia... please don't start this again." "Why not? Is it not a fair question?" Her voice still calm, which confused me when her words made me feel the opposite. "Olivia please-" Adam says. She say to him, "You don't wonder, brother? You don't want to know?"