Mama Said

Chapter 3

I saved my money all summer to buy school clothes; I wanted more grown-up clothes than what Ma Ma was going to buy me. Even though I knew I would have to wear socks, and I could buy me a pair of shoes other than those black and white oxfords.

School started and I ran into Andrew again, He was light skinned with good hair, he was a cutie pie. He started calling me again, we'd talk about what we would go see if we could see each other through the phone because I would be in the bath tub sometime when he called. I thought I was in love. After all, he was the first boy that had stuck his tongue in my mouth. We snuck off during the night time football games and French kissed. He would feel me. I enjoyed hugging and kissing , but when he would lift my dress up and rub his body on mine, I would feel this hard rising in his pants and thought something was wrong with him. It reminded me of the hump that raised when my uncle would give me a pony ride on his knee. I asked him what was wrong, he'd say nothing but what ever it was, I knew was not right.

Eventually , Andrew and I graduated to Saturday afternoon spin the bottle parties at Suga Pie's mother's house. She worked all the time and couldn't check on her kids , so Suga pie gave parties. We would sit around in a circle on the floor ,put a Pepsi or Seven Up bottle in the middle of the circle,and flip a coin to see who would spin first. I think it was a two headed nickel, because Suga Pie always got to spin first. Andrew was my boyfriend, so when it was my time to spin , I would close my eyes and wish for him. But I'd always get this boy by the name of JC. He was black as the ace of spades, with big lips and kinky "don't ya touch" hair. Not bad looking though , he had a kiss that wouldn't wait. I got to the place where I tried to place the bottle so it would stop on him.

Andrew noticed , we stopped going. One Friday after school, Suga Pie told me she was going to have a dancing party. I really wanted to go, but I didn't want Andrew to go. I knew Mama wasn't going to let me go. I decided I wouldn't tell Mama. I said I was taking the boys to the movie and gave Andrew the same story. I told him their mother was coming along, so he shouldn't show up. That Friday night seemed as though it would never end. I wanted to learn how to slow dance. I had gotten the kissing down pretty good. I got up Saturday morning, snuck my gym shorts out and hid them. Suga Pie told me all the girls were wearing shorts and this was my only pair of shorts. Mama's religion didn't believe that females should wear pants or shorts.

Mama came out of her room looking puzzled. "What's wrong with you girl? Why are you up so early?"

"Just wanted to get my work done. Got to take the boys to the show today."

Mama would wake us up at 6:00am sharp every morning, singing in that crystal clear soprano voice of hers. "Rise and Shine. It's a beautiful morning. Get up, make your bed, wash up, come to breakfast. Get your work done cause if you don't, you'll be crying crocodile tears cause you ain't going anywhere until you do." That morning she didn't get a chance to. I had already started the work, cleaned my room, and was half way through the living room when Lacy came out.

"You make me sick girl, maybe this morning Mama would have let us sleep longer." Lacy was a few years older than I, a Missy Prissy, who everybody thought was the smartest and prettiest of the girls. I passed right on by her. Not today, you want me to get put on restriction, I thought. Lucy was daddy's favorite. Anything she told him, he believed and if I messed around with her, a whipping or months of restriction was in store. "What you up to?" she said as I was going to tell her.

"Just going to the movies."

"You're up to something. I know."

"How come I have to be up to something?" I shot back

"This is nothing unusual, is it?"

"You never help anyway."

I was the one that always had something to do or somewhere to go. Lacy was always with her Godmother learning to sew or going shopping for clothes on Saturdays. If the work didn't get done ,I didn't go , but if Lacy's Godmother came, she went, whether the work was finished or not. Mama respected Miss Juanita; she was a college graduate and a socialite. Mama wanted Lacy to go to go to colleage and be in society like Miss Juanita. On my way back by her, as I passed, I happened to touch Miss Whiny Mae. She started yelling I had pushed her . "Dixie girl get in here and leave her alone"

"Here I am Mama, I didn't do nothing to her, she's always trying to do something to get me in trouble." I had two hours before the party started, so I decided, no matter what Lacy says or does, I would not fall into her traps. I went outside to hang the sheets and sat watching them flap back and forth in the light wind that had started up.

Puggie, the girl who lived next door saw me and came over."

"Hey girl, you going to the party"?

I was trying to hush her up before MaMa heard her. "Yea, be quiet"

"You have to slip?" She asked.

"Yea, you know my Mama's not going to let me go to no party."

"But it's a day time party."

"I don't care if it's a morning party , my Mama ain't going to let me go to no party, unless it's a kids party with party hats and balloon, so be quiet and don't even whisper about it." Puggie had been going to night-time parties, so it made no sense to her that I couldn't go to a day-time one. "Go home before you mess me up. I'll see you there."

"You wear'n shorts."

"Please shut up and go." One hour before I was to go to the party, one of the ladies from the church called and asked if I could babysit for her daughter, they needed a sitter from 6:00 until 11:30 that night. She promised MaMa they'd see me home safe.

"It was for Miss Flowers daughter Dora's two children. I told her I was going to ask your Daddy and call her back." A night time babysitting job and a chance to go to a real girls and boys party. This was to much to take. Dang it. How am I going to work this ? MaMa is going to want to pick me up, but then again Daddy's proably going to say no. To my surprise he said yes .I knew right then , I better hurry up and make a plan .

So I Iied telling Mama Dora called back asking if I could babysit while she slept, she had an important date and she didn't want to be tired for the evening . Mama went for it, even hurried me along so I would not be late. Dora lived only two blocks away. I was allowed to walk to her house. "Be home at 5: 00 , I have to take you to Miss Flowers your Daddy said you can only sit there."

"Ok." I hugged Mama , I was nervous about lying to her, but mostly nervous cause this was it no turning back . I bathed and called Andrew, told him I had a night time job. He asked if he could come over.

"Call you when I get there."

"Call me, what do you mean? I'II come watch and wait until they leaves and you let me in."

"I'll call you, I got to go." I finished dressing , yelled to Mama I was leaving .