The Outsiders Imagines and Short Stories

Proud Mary

𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒆𝒆, 𝒘𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒅𝒐 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒏𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒚
𝑾𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒅𝒐 𝒊𝒕 𝒏𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉

The Dingo was always a mess this time of day. Tulsa was finally getting used to integration laws and the end of Jim Crow. Mary Armstrong was one of the girls in town that lived between the North and East sides of town. She wasn't like the rest of them though, because she was one of the girls that grew up being discriminated against. Mary Armstrong was a 19 year old African-American girl that lived a few blocks away from the Curtises. Her mother and Mrs. Curtis were friends. Mrs. Curtis did a good job of making sure her boys understand that everyone was equal. The sixties were really a time to be alive. Nothing was ever easy being a poor black girl in Tulsa. But it kept things exciting. As a waitress in the Dingo, she was always able to overhear the latest gossip. Sure, it wasn't always the best job to have, especially with some of the older folks muttering insults or requesting a different waitress.

𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒕𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒍𝒆𝒆𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒈

𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 '𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒎𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏

Mary had spent many a sunny day or bored moment wondering how things could have been if folks weren't blinded by prejudice. After dropping out of high school in the ninth grade, she knew she had to get through life with real effort. Even if times were-a-changin', things wouldn't be smooth just as soon as Congress passed a law. Mary dropped out just when an interest for Darrel Curtis, a freshmen quarterback who played on the varsity team for Will Rogers, began to grow like a summer flower. With her mother being so occupied with three jobs because her father had died years before, Mary was left to care for her 5 younger siblings after work. The young woman had things to worry about, and worrying about what life could be like was distracting from her work.

𝑰 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒂𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒚

𝑼𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒍 𝑰 𝒉𝒊𝒕𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒅 𝒂 𝒓𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒃𝒐𝒂𝒕 𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒆𝒏

Mary was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on the poor side of the city. It was a large place, New Orleans. When she turned ten years old, her father passed away. Mary's mother decided to move all 6 of her children and herself to Tulsa, knowing they'd find better opportunities there. Mary had never seen a nice side of a city until she went to the Oklahoman city. It was because of a trip with Mrs. Curtis and her sons. Mrs. Curtis sometimes looked after Mary and the other children when Mary's mother wasn't home. The kindly woman was the one who gave Mary the nickname Proud Mary. It was because of the way the girl carried herself around the young boys. She never gave into their agitations and took pride in who she was.

𝑩𝒊𝒈 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒌𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈

𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒅 𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝒌𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒐𝒏 𝒃𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈

With each passing day, Mary wondered of the wonderful things headed her way. She was determined to work her way through life, get great jobs, educate herself on what to do in better jobs. Being a receptionist was a dream to her and not many others. Mary Armstrong, receptionist. It was a modest job, but Mary had big dreams and high hopes. Some of her big dreams and high hopes escalated when Darrel Curtis walked in for a coffee one morning. Mary was powering through a shift at the Dingo, burning through a night and early morning shift.

"Well look at what the cat dragged in." Mary said, putting a hand on her hip as she smiled at Darry

"Good to see you again, Mary." Darry smiled, sitting at the Dingo bar

"What brings you here this morning?" Mary asked, grabbing a pot of coffee and a pale mug. She poured Darry a cup of coffee, expecting his answer after he had a drink.

"Came to see an old friend."

"How're those kid brothers of yours?" She inquired, wiping a counter with her rag. Mary got to thinking and it'd been almost six months since Mr. and Mrs. Curtis had passed away, leaving Darry to take care of Soda and Pony. Perhaps raising younger siblings was a topic of conversation for the two.

Darry and Mary began to catch up, talking about everything they'd missed in the past few years. After Darry had left, Mary realized she really did like him. Darry was a good man, he had everyone's best interest at heart, no matter how hard-headed he was.

𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐧𝐨 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲

𝐏𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞

Despite Darry's morning visits that always brightened the morning shift or even the end of a double one, life still went on. With Tulsa's layout, the Armstrong clan lived near the river. They lived in an area filled with kind people that would give an arm or a leg to help you out. Mary heard about how Darry was having some money troubles and she decided to treat his brothers and him to dinner at her house. Mrs. Armstrong was there and it was a big reunion.

After the dinner, Mary sat outside enjoying a leisurely cigarette. Darry joined her outside, sitting beside her on the weak porch swing.

"You didn't have to do all that for us." He began, clearly searching for a way to express gratitude

"Darry, your family did more than necessary when we were young, I'm just returning the favor." Mary smiled, feeling proud of what she'd done for the Curtises

"You're a real wonderful lady, Proud Mary." Darrel grinned, looking over at her

"You're a good man, Darrel Curtis, any lady'd be very lucky t' have you." Mary said in her honey southern accent

"You wanna give us a chance?" Darry asked her, biting his lip nervously

"I don't think now's the right time." Mary said, her fifteen year old self screaming at her for declining an offer to court Darrel

"I remember a time when you loved me." Darry smiled, filled with nostalgia

Mary was surprised he knew, but it couldn't have been a terribly well-kept secret. "What's love got to do with it?" She asked with a smile

"Nothin'." He chuckled heartily, "Thanks for everything, Proud Mary. Come by any time you like."

Mary waved and watched him leave with his two little brothers. She put her cigarette out on the pavement and sighed to herself. She did the right thing, now wasn't a good time to focus on a relationship. Proud Mary had to put her family first.

𝑩𝒊𝒈 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒌𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈

𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒅 𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝒌𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒐𝒏 𝒃𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈