A Jazzful Heart

Chapter 3 - Sadie Meets Aunt Ruby

A/N - I'm so sorry I haven't written in a while, I had to talk myself into writing again.  Hopefully you all forgive me.  In the meantime, this is an older image of Ruby Dee from Google Images.

As Sadie found herself in need of housing and soon, she looked again at her mother's diamond ring now shining on her middle finger.  Her small hands almost didn't fit around the ring, but for some reason, it made Sadie feel more secure and strong.  She felt that she had her mother along with her for once in her life.

Shaun meantioned that there was a Church nearby and that maybe they would have some kind of sanctuary.

Sadie looked in a nearby store window to check her appearance.  She didn't want to go to the Church looking like a ragamuffin.

Her hair was still tied up but Sadie pushed more of her curly tendrils out to make her look older than she was.  Her dress was still in one piece but Sadie wanted to flatten it out a little and take off any of the images from the bar that were still in her mind.

Sadie's young green eyes looked again in the shining image of the glass.  She forced herself to smile and said to her image "You look fine girl, just go ahead and knock on the Church door, they aren't going to turn you away."

Sadie then went to the Church door but found it locked.  Well, it would be, it was before 7 am, way before the first Mass started, Sadie sighed to herself.  All at once, she heard footsteps coming behind her.

"You lost child?" a lovely African American lady asked her sweetly.

"No Ma'am," said Sadie with her best smile, "I'm lookin' for a place to stay."

"Oh sweet child, this ain't no place for a young thing like you to stay, plus it's a Church, so there ain't no beds." The African American lady smiled and her white pearly teeth shone like the shining diamond on Sadie's hand.

"Oh, I'm sorry to bother you, it's just I have no where else to go." Sadie was just getting ready to cry, she could feel it boiling up in her stomach.

"Oh girl, now don't you cry, I got to clean up the mess!" the lady sighed, "I'm Aunt Ruby, well, just Ruby really, but everyone calls me Aunt Ruby, I have an extra room to spare if you want to stay a while."

"Oh, that's real nice of you Aunt Ruby, but I don't want to imposition you." Sadie really didn't want to be a burden on this nice lady who she just met, but yet, she didn't know what else to say.

"Well now, you remind me of someone that helped me once, I figured it would be I owed her one, so now I'm helping you."  Aunt Ruby smiled again at the young girl who was figeting quietly with her dress.

"I guess if you don't mind me living with you, I'm willing to do chores or whatever needs to be done to help out." Sadie figured this was one way to pay this amazing woman back.

"Oh honey child, don't you worry none, I got lots of chores for both of us, but in the meantime, we got to clean up this Church and fast, Father Bill won't be pleased too none if he sees the mess still here."  Aunt Ruby walked past the big doors, and into the Church.

The inside of the Church was bright, white and had big blue columns on all sides.  The stained glass windows peaked out the different colors.

What caught Sadie's eye though was the huge Organ and the pipes that were in front of her very eyes.

"Wow," Sadie was just amazed at how large everything in the Church seemed to be, "does the Organ work?  I know how to play piano a little bit, is it the same?"

"Oh honey, you need to ask Father Bill that, he's the Organ player really, he's the best one to talk to.  Ain't you never been to Church child?" Aunt Ruby was just amazed at this pretty young red head that looked in awe of everything. 

"Well, not after momma died.  Her second husband never did take me.  I think my older brother took me once, but then my step daddy found out and he was mad, and made me do more chores around the bar."  Sadie was just letting the truth flow through her mouth.  She didn't realize how much she had kept inside for so long.  It felt kind of good to get that off her shoulder.  Like some kind of weight had been lifted off of her.

"Oh my child, you been through so much huh, you know I think I knew your momma.  She have red hair like you?"  Aunt Ruby looked again at this young woman seeing something familiar in her eyes.

"I think so, but I never knew her, so I really don't know."  Sadie looked at her watch, "I think we best start cleaning up soon though, I think we're close to 8 am mass."

"Oh darlin', you so sweet, come on, let's get crackin' and sweep this place up!" Aunt Ruby smiled her marvelous smile and Sadie smiled for the first time in what she could remember for the longest time.