The Other Parts

IV.

It took the better part of an hour for Olivia to convince her mother to let her go to Eve's. Her father agreed as soon as she asked, but he also advised her to ask her mother. Olivia knew it would be a struggle. She loved her mother, but she was so hellbent on preserving Olivia's soul that she was a pain to deal with. Olivia couldn't understand why her mother was so wary of Eve. She thought maybe it was because of what Eve revealed earlier, but she was afraid to ask. After a little help from her father, Sadie relented. Her mother couldn't deny her father anything, and when her father intervened it left her mother soft and loving. Olivia sometimes wished she could get half of what she saved for him.

Olivia slipped on a plain striped shirtwaist dress. While she brushed her hair up, her mother walked into her room. She simply stood behind Olivia as she neatened her hair at her mirror. She chanced a look at her mother and smiled a little. They could be twins. Her mother, seemingly reading her mind, smiled too.

"I was so pretty, men would stop and stare at me when I was young like you," her mother remarked. She reached up and took the brush from Olivia and continued smoothing her daughter's thick hair.

"You still pretty, Mama," Olivia countered.

"When I was carrying you, I used to pray to God: Lord, please make my baby ugly. Please. Life hard for a pretty negro girl. He didn't listen, now did He?" Sadie said, chuckling dryly. Olivia was unsure how to react. Her mother put down the brush, reshaped some of her curls, and looked at Olivia lovingly. She would give up all her pay to have her mother look at her like that all the time.

"You seeing a boy?"

"No, Mama," Olivia answered. Her mother searched her face. Sadie's sharp, green eyes were startling in contrast with her dark skin and they missed nothing.

"Not now anyway. I reckon you'll be bringing one by here soon though."

Olivia immediately thought about Robin.

"Would that be so bad?" she asked, her eyes pleading a little.

Her mother looked at her thoughtfully, her eyes softened. Olivia wanted to tell her mother about Robin, ask her advice.

"No, if yall do things the right way. He gotta ask me and your Papa to court you. Have you back at decent hours. Keep his hands to hisself. Wait until yall married to do... things. You understand?" Sadie explained. She looked as if mentioning Olivia dating hurt her. Olivia didn't know why, but she bust out laughing. Sadie frowned and crossed her arms.

"What's so funny child?"

"You, Mama! I'm 19 years old. You ain't gotta tip around it like I'm a child."

"But you is a child! My child! Always will be, even when you good and grown. Don't forget that. You always be mine. Nobody can take you from me," Sadie said, her voice tapered off in a fierce whisper. Olivia nodded, and her mother hugged her so quickly it stole her breath.

"Now I know you going to Eve's, God help her. But let that be the only place you go. You be back here by 11. Not a second after. Me and Mose gon be waiting. And be careful. Mind your speed when you driving," Sadie rattled off.

"I will, Mama. It's okay." Sadie, remembering she has a good daughter, nodded. Satisfied. And with that, she left. Olivia sighed. Her mother hadn't hugged her in a year.

Elizabeth answered the door when Olivia knocked. She hadn't seen her since she first went off to Tuskegee, and Olivia had grown to be so tall and beautiful. Elizabeth dramatically gawked. Playing along, Olivia batted her eyelashes. The two fell into each other laughing and hugging then.

"You look good, girl" Elizabeth remarked.

"So do you. How long you gonna let all this hair get?" Olivia said, pulling the long ponytail resting on Elizabeth's shoulder. Despite her honey-brown skin, Elizabeth's hair was close in texture to a White person's. Elizabeth was beautiful, intelligent, funny, and outspoken like Eve.