Free The Girl on the Outside by Mildred Pitts; Walter Page A

took Tanya by the shoulders and drew her close. “I meant it, Tanya.”
    â€œWhy’d Daddy have the gun?” Tanya asked, still in Eva’s embrace.
    Eva stiffened. “He was protecting us.”
    â€œHow come?”
    Eva moved away from Tanya and busied herself picking up a cardboard puzzle. “Oh, because.…” She didn’t want to talk about it. Tanya didn’t need to be as upset and frightened as the rest of the family.
    â€œHow come y’ wanta go t’ that school?” Tanya asked.
    â€œOh, Tanya … it’s a good school.”
    â€œBetter ’n mine?”
    â€œIt’s bigger than yours. And when you’re bigger, you might wanta go there. I wanta go there so you can go there, too, okay? Now, let’s clean up so I can get ready and get out of here.”
    In an uncluttered room, Eva laid out what she would wear and dashed into the shower. She hated to rush, but she was glad to have shared supper with her parents. She recalled the laughter on the back porch and smiled, pleased that her mother had made them all laugh. Maybe things would be all right as her aunt said they would be. How could they not be with neighbors like Mr. Charles and a family like hers. She thought of Cecil and sang in the shower.
    She presented herself on the back porch in a pale yellow organdy dress with yellow and white daisies pinned at her slender waist above the wide flowing skirt. When her family looked her over from her pearl earrings to her white sandals, they were pleased.
    â€œHoney, that’s what y’ oughta be wearin’ t’morrow,” her aunt said. “Y’ look like Mis’ Lena Horne, herself.”
    â€œThis is a party dress, Aunt Shirley,” Eva said, feeling a bit self-conscious.
    She looked at her father and remembered when she was a little girl how she would ask, “You like my dress, Daddy?”
    â€œIt’s okay.”
    â€œYou think it’s pretty?”
    â€œWhat’s pretty?”
    She had learned to study his face to see if he approved or disapproved of what his womenfolk wore.
    Now he smiled. He was pleased and Eva felt good inside.
    â€œI’ll drop you off and pick you up later,” her father said. “I want t’ git back and listen to the governor. Y’ jist might not be goin’ t’ Chatman t’morrow, y’ know.”
    â€œNow, don’t go puttin’ the cart ’fore the horse, Roger,” her aunt said. “Don’t read the man’s mind ’fore he reads his speech. Let’s wait and see. Anyhow, now we done made that dress, nobody better not say she can’t go. I’ll take ’er up there m’self after all that work.”
    Eva laughed and said, “If anybody can do that and get away with it, it’s you, Aunt Shirley.”
    â€œEva, you go on and have a good time. If you as nice there as y’ look, Mama’ll be mighty proud.”
    Eva and her father left, laughing.
    Still waving good-bye to her daddy, Eva hurried up Mrs. Floyd’s walk to join Lisa and Roberta who were also arriving.
    â€œWe’re late,” Roberta said. They all called Roberta, Bobbie.
    â€œIf everybody else is here they’ll blame us for holding up the party,” Eva said.
    â€œNow they know we wouldn’t do that on purpose,” Lisa said. “Not me, anyway, the way I like to party.”
    Everybody else was there. Harold was off to himself looking at Crisis magazine. Ronald and Arthur were together talking about football practice at Carver, and the other girls, Janice, Mary, and Lillian, were in the kitchen helping Mrs. Floyd put together the sandwiches and punch for the evening.
    â€œWe can finish this later, girls,” Mrs. Floyd said. “Let’s go downstairs in the rec’ room and get the meeting over. Won’t take long.”
    â€œYou mean there’ll be no great decisions, today, Mrs. Floyd?” Eva