Free Dollbaby: A Novel by Laura L McNeal Page B

stir the butter in with your spoon.”
    A few moments later Queenie appeared again. “Yes, Miss Fannie?”
    “Can you bring me a pencil so I can mark today’s horses?”
    “Got one right here in my pocket.”
    A few minutes later Queenie was back again. “Yes, Miss Fannie?”
    Ibby piped up. “Grandma Fannie, how does Queenie always seem to know when you want something?”
    Queenie heaved up her bosom. “I guess I been working here so long, I just know.”
    “Look under the table.” Fannie pointed at her foot. “There’s a button in the floor. Every time I press it, a bell rings in the kitchen. Something left over from the olden days, when people had servants.”
    “Yeah, left over. When people had servants,” Queenie said as she left the room.
    Two seconds later she was back again. “What you want now?”
    “You left before I could tell you,” Fannie said.
    “Oh, guess I did. What you want?”
    “Look at this. The paper says there was a scuffle down at the Woolworth’s, and there’s a picture of a woman sprawled on the floor . . .”
    Queenie peered over her shoulder, her eyes wide. She grabbed the paper from Fannie and hid it behind her back.
    “What’d you do that for?” Fannie asked.
    Queenie thought hard for an answer. “Got a recipe in there I wanted to try today.”
    “I didn’t see a recipe.”
    “Oh, it’s there all right,” Queenie said.
    “Let me see. Which one?” Fannie held her hand up.
    “It’s gone be a surprise.” Queenie winked at Ibby.
    Fannie turned to Ibby. “Queenie’s full of surprises. So tell me, Queenie, what do we have planned for Ibby today?”
    “We? Thought you might have some ideas of your own.” Queenie put her hand on her hip as she shoved the newspaper into the pocket of her apron.
    “Why don’t you take her over to the swimming pool at Audubon Park? She might like that.”
    “Can’t do that, Miss Fannie.”
    “Why not?” Fannie asked.
    “You know why not.” Queenie crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot.
    “No, I don’t.”
    “Yes, Miss Fannie, you do.”
    “Remind me.”
    “’Cause, Miss Fannie, you know darn well they closed the pool last summer.”
    “It was a nice pool,” Fannie sighed.
    Queenie narrowed her eyes. “Sure it was. I wouldn’t know.”
    “Then why’d they close it, for God’s sake?”
    Queenie was beginning to look put out. “You don’t remember, do you?”
    “Just tell me, please. I’m getting a headache.”
    “The city closed it ’cause they didn’t want colored folks in the water mixing with the white folks, dirtying it all up. So rather than integrate like they supposed to, they closed the pool.”
    Miss Fannie closed her eyes. “I guess I just haven’t been paying attention.”
    “Guess you haven’t,” Queenie said as she went back to the kitchen.
    Fannie turned to Ibby. “So what are we going to do with you today?”
    Queenie came back into the dining room, looking a little exasperated. This time she just crossed her arms and waited.
    “Why don’t you take Ibby on down to Honey Friedrichs’s house? She’s got a daughter about Ibby’s age, Annabelle, I think her name is.”
    “I’ll have Doll walk her down soon as she finished the ironing.” Queenie gave Ibby a nod and left the room.
    About a minute later Queenie pushed the kitchen door open and looked into the dining room.
    “I didn’t call you,” Fannie said.
    “I know, Miss Fannie, but Mr. Henry already here with the groceries.”
    “Tell him I’ll just be a minute.” Fannie stubbed her cigarette out and left the table hurriedly.
    “Run on up and put some clothes on, baby,” Queenie said to Ibby as she picked up the empty plates. Then she mumbled to herself, “I sure hope Annabelle Friedrichs don’t bite Miss Ibby’s head off. She’s about as stuck-up as they come.”
    When Ibby got to the second floor, she noticed the bedroom door to the left of the stairs was open a crack. There was an intermittent sound of a