six
six The Olivers’ party was only two weeks away, the day before Halloween . Cammy had invited her sister, Louise, and her brother-in-law, David, as well as the actors she’d met at a party in London a few weeks earlier. The actors were in the middle of rehearsals for a play, called The Greener Pastures, at the Grand Theatre, which was to open the week before Christmas.And one of them, Richard Berry Harrison, Cammy told her, a Negro man who’d been born right in London, was world famous. A Negro man? Lexi had never seen a Negro; well, not up close so that he might seem real. On the train ride out, she’d seen some from a distance. Lexi’s face must have registered her surprise because Cammy laughed. “He told me he also played ‘de Lawd’in The Greener Pastures, at the Mansfield Theater on Broadway. Can you believe it? It’s a play about the Bible.” Lexi was shocked.A man playing God.A Negro man.Papa would… she wasn’t sure what Papa would do or say, it was so shocking, so…unusual . Cammy sat in the kitchen while Lexi worked, as she often did. She’d talked on and on about the actors for the last three weeks, but had done nothing to prepare for the party. She sent Lexi on silly errands, such as buying another twelve very expensive new linen table napkins at Goudie’s department store when they already had dozens of perfectly fine ones. She’d also begun chewing her fingernails and constantly popping up in odd places, smoking furiously. When Lexi went down to the fruit cellar for more apples or a jar of canned peaches or pickles, she would hear Cammy behind her on the basement steps and, when she turned, Cammy would laugh a silly laugh and wait to follow her back up like a child. Or she’d come into the bathroom as Lexi was bathing Sally and sit on the toilet seat, reading a children’s book in a loud voice. A week before the party, Lexi was standing at the kitchen window laboriously drying dishes, the children perched on two kitchen chairs 54 Annie Jacobsen jacobsen_text 8/27/07 10:05 Page 54 beside her, when a black, beetle-like car rolled into the driveway.A tall woman with very thin legs got out. She was wearing a dark fur coat and a blue feathered hat folded around her curled auburn hair like a claw. The woman walked with an exaggerated stride, swinging her hips from side to side. The front doorbell rang. Cammy ran down the front stairs. “Louise!” The children immediately jumped off their chairs and ran into the living room. Lexi watched from the doorway as the sisters kissed each other on both cheeks. Simon and Sally ran up to their aunt and she kissed each of them loudly on both cheeks too. “Hi, darlings!” “Auntie Louise, did you bring us anything?” asked Sally. “What do you think, poppet?” “I think you did!” said Simon. “Well, you’ll see, won’t you. Look in my bag.” She tossed her large leather purse onto the sofa and the children ran to it. Louise threw her coat on a chair in the foyer, and she and Cammy sank down side by side in front of the fireplace. The children had found a paper bag in their aunt’s purse and were noisily sucking on sugar candies from inside it. “Upstairs, darlings,” said their aunt with a wave of her hand. Crestfallen, the children slowly left the room. Lexi had hung up the fur coat and was about to follow the children upstairs when Cammy motioned her over. “Lexi, come here. I want you to meet my sister, Mrs. Atkinson.” Cammy took her sister’s hand. Mrs. Atkinson drew back slightly. “Louise,” Cammy’s sister said. She walked towards them, acutely aware that she was wearing a pair of Cammy’s pants and one of her cotton blouses. “Well, nice to meet you, Lexi.” Mrs.Atkinson pried her hand away from Cammy’s grasp and held it out to her. It was cool and slim and slipped away in an instant. Mrs. Atkinson glanced at Cammy. “Lexi, could you get us a couple of scotches? You know what bottle that is,” said Cammy, slouching more deeply into the couch, her mouth in a pout. Watermelon Syrup 55 jacobsen_text 8/27/07...
OR
