Free Victory Over Japan by Ellen Gilchrist Page B

that, don’t you?”
    â€œIf you say so,” he said. “Now, listen, Miss Rhoda, did you hear what I said about going fishing?”
    â€œWhat about it?”
    â€œI want to take you fishing. I’m famous for my fishing. I won a fishing rodeo one time.”
    â€œWe don’t have to do it tonight, do we? I mean, I have other plans for tonight as I just told you.”
    â€œWe’ll pretend we’re fishing,” he said. “How about that?” He was laughing at her but she didn’t care. Black people had laughed at Rhoda all her life. All her life she had been making black people laugh.
    â€œWhat are you thinking of?” he said.
    â€œI was thinking about when I was little and my mother would take me to Mississippi for the summer and if I wanted attention I would take off my underpants and the black people would all die laughing and the white people would grab me up and make me put them back on. Well, I guess that’s a racist thing to say, isn’t it?”
    â€œYou want to see if it makes me laugh?”
    â€œYeah, I do. So hurry up and finish eating. When I think of something I like to go right on and do it. In case they blow the world up while I’m waiting.” Earl took a piece of French toast and buttered it and laid it on her plate. “Are you sure you aren’t married, Earl? I made a vow not to mess around with married men. I’ve had enough of that stuff. That’s why I’m getting a divorce. Because I kept having these affairs and I’d have to go home and eat dinner and there the other person would be. With no one to eat dinner with. That doesn’t seem right, does it? After they’d made love to me all afternoon? So I’m getting a divorce. Now I’ll have to be poor for a while but I don’t care. It’s better than being an adultress, don’t you think so?” She picked up the bread and put it back on his plate.
    â€œWhy don’t you stop talking and finish your quail?”
    â€œI can’t stop talking when I’m nervous. It’s how I protect myself.” She pulled her hand back into her lap. Rhoda hated to be reminded that she talked too much.
    â€œI’m not married,” he said. “I told you that on the phone. I’ve got a little boy and I keep him part of the time. Remember, we talked about that before. It’s all right. There isn’t anything to be afraid of.” He felt like he did when he coached his Little League baseball team. That’s the way she made him feel. One minute she reminded him of a movie star. The next minute she reminded him of a little boy on his team who sucked his glove all the time. “We’ve got plenty of time to get to know each other. We don’t have to hurry to do anything.”
    â€œTell me about yourself,” she said. “Tell me all the good parts first. You can work in the bad parts later.”
    â€œWell, I’m the oldest one of thirteen children. I worked my way through Mississippi Southern playing football. Then I spent three years in the Marines and now I’m in insurance. Last year I ran for office. I ran for councilman in my district and I lost but I’m going to run again. This time I’ll win.” He squared his shoulders. “What else? I love my family. I helped put my brothers and sisters through school. I’m proud of that.” He stopped a moment and looked at her. “I’ve never known anyone like you. I changed shirts three times trying to get ready to come and get you.”
    â€œThat’s enough,” she said. “Pay for this food and let’s get out of here.”
    â€œMy grandmother was a free woman from Natchez,” he continued. They were in the car driving along the Avenue. “A light-skinned woman, what you’d call an octoroon. She lived until last year. She was so old she lost count of the years. Her father was a man who fought with