Free Betsey Brown by Ntozake Shange Page A

thinking on me.” He pecked her on the cheek. “See ya.”
    Eugene began to walk on down the street, but turned round to shout, “See ya soon, Elizabeth Brown.”
    Betsey watched her new friend till he was completely out of sight.
    â€œYou gointa turn into a statue, if ya stay there much longer,” Vida chided.
    â€œOh Grandma, you don’t understand.”
    â€œThat’s what you think. Now you go on and get out of that dress before your mama wakes up and finds out you’ve been entertaining on the street.”
    â€œOh Grandma, I was not. He came to see Charlie.”
    â€œCharlie’s not here, Betsey. Anybody could tell you that. So if the boy came to see Charlie, why was he so busy talking to you? You don’t look like Charlie. So don’t call something what it’s not. That little fresh boy came by here to see you.”
    â€œGrandma, that’s just not true.”
    â€œThat dress does more telling than your mouth’ll ever do. Now, get on with ya. I mean to tell your mother to give you a good talking to. Now these boys gointa come creeping around. There’s only so much a girl can do.”
    â€œGrandma, stop. Why do you have to say something to Mama. We were sitting here talking, that’s all.”
    â€œThat’s all for now. A girl’s got to think on her future.”
    â€œThink on my future? Grandma, that’s such a long way off. Let’s think on right now. I’m gonna change my clothes and you won’t say anything to Mama, okay?”
    â€œIf ya get a move on maybe, maybe not.”
    Betsey moved as elegantly as she knew how up the front porch, past her grandmother, past the cut glass in the front door, and up the same stairs she’d glided down to meet Eugene Boyd. In her room she laid her dress out as if it were covered with emeralds and pearls, diamonds and things. She might actually have a beau. Maybe Grandma was right, and Eugene Boyd had set his sights on little Miss Betsey Brown.
    Jane rolled over in her bed. She’d spent most of the day puttingher house back in order, missed work, missed her husband, missed her dreams of quiet and luxury, missed her version of mothering. Why do they have to be so much trouble? Why can’t they just act right? Why aren’t they lined up at the door in the morning all clean and silent? Oh silence. What she would give for an hour’s silence. Greer would never understand. He
liked
noise. That’s why he woke the house up with conga drums every morning. Tito Puente every evening for dinner music. Lee Morgan way into the night. No one in her house valued peace. Jane’d sent Charlie to the store for some Hershey’s chocolates, where was he? Why did that boy always take twice as long to do a thing as anybody else would? There was nobody else she could depend on, besides Betsey.
    â€œElizabeth, come see your mother,” Jane called down the hall. Betsey was lying next to her dress, imagining herself cheering for Eugene at the basketball game and then going to Mr. Robinson’s where everybody could see them.
    â€œWhat, Mama?” she whispered.
    â€œElizabeth, are you up here? Come into my room. I want to talk to you.”
    Of all the times to want to talk this was not one of them. Betsey’d been kissed. She didn’t want to talk, she wanted to hold her mouth still just like when Eugene had kissed her. It was amazing that Grandma could have figured out what had been going on. Amazing how anyone sides Betsey and Eugene existed at all. Betsey wondered if Jane had felt her kissing and that’s why she wanted to talk. Jane might have sensed it through the walls or the open windows, where the scents of dusk lingered and the laughter of the little children wrapped the screens in tinkling, bubbling surprises. Betsey ran her finger along the rim of her mouth to make sure it was there, right there thatEugene had kissed her. Kiss. She wanted to know more