Free Have No Shame by Melissa Foster Page B

Daddy.”
    My father grabbed Maggie by the arm and dragged her outside. We remained at the table. Mama cleared her throat, wiped her mouth with her napkin, and lowered her eyes. A piece of me wished she’d stand up for Maggie, but I knew if there was one thing Daddy didn’t stand for it was disrespect, and if Mama had spoken up, Lord only knew what argument might follow. I’d been watchin’ Mama carefully since seein’ her with Albert’s mother, and I’d decided that she picked her battles. She may have been one of the smartest women I knew, and at that moment, while Daddy yelled at Maggie out on the front porch, and Maggie yelled back, I wished she’d taught Maggie that same tact. I don’t think I could have left the table if I wanted to. No one spoke to Daddy that way. Daddy wasn’t a hittin’ man, but the threat of losin’ Daddy’s favor was enough to usually keep my words in check. Bein’ in Daddy’s favor was like havin’ the sun shine down on you, radiatin’ with warmth and smothered in love. Mama and Jake never sassed him, either.  Mama was just raised that way, and I think Jake took his cue like I did, from whatever lay behind Daddy’s eyes when he was angry—a silent threat that hung in the air, and though I was never quite sure what was at the end of that threat, I was afraid for Maggie.
     
    That evenin’, as Daddy listened to the news on the radio and Mama read on the couch, Maggie and I remained in our room. Maggie paced, her arms crossed, her face tight.
    “As much as I love comin’ home to see you, Pix, I hate comin’ here because of how backwards this town is.” She didn’t give me a chance to respond. “Daddy wants to keep you here.” She grabbed my left hand. “Marry you off.” She pushed my hand into my lap and paced again. “It’s just…there’s so much—”
    “Haven’t you learned your lesson yet, sis? Daddy’s gonna come up here and whoop your tail.” Jake stood in the doorframe, arms crossed.
    Maggie spun around. “My lesson? Is that what you think this is about Jake? You’re just as bad as Daddy. Do you think I don’t know what you do out there?” Her hand shot out toward the window.
    Jake clenched his jaw.
    “Huh? Do you? You think you’re some groovy guy because you follow the other thugs in this town, beatin’ up coloreds and laughin’ while you walk away.”
    Jake came away from the doorframe and stood tall, squintin’ at Maggie, his jaw muscles workin’ overtime.
    “It’s not right, Jake. And look,” she pointed at me.
    I opened my eyes wide. Me? As much as I loved Maggie, I didn’t want Daddy yellin’ at me like that. Please leave me out of this.
    “Look at her, think of her,” Maggie continued. “Do you really want her to have a life like,” she paused, and then continued just above a whisper, “like Mama? Caterin’ to some man her whole life? Alison is smarter than that. She’s got her whole life ahead of her.”
    “She’s not that smart.” His eyes never left Maggie’s. As much as his comment hurt, I knew Jake was achin’ inside by Maggie’s comment, since Daddy had kept him home. I swallowed my own feelin’s in hopes of the whole hurtful conversation blowin’ over.
    “I know you hate me because they sent me to school, Jake, but the truth is, they didn’t send me over you. They sent me to get rid of me. I’m nothin’ but a pain to Daddy. You,” she rubbed her forehead, “you’re his meal ticket when he’s old and can no longer run the farm. You’re plenty smart enough to go to school outside of this crappy place, but he’ll never let you go.”
    Jake’s eyes changed from angry to interested in the space of a second. Maggie sat down on her bed, and covered her face. I thought she was cryin’, until she lifted her face from her hands and I saw her reddened cheeks and a fierce look in her eye.
    “I have to get out of here.” She stood up and began throwin’ her clothes into her suitcase.
    “What? Why? You can’t