The Dry Grass of August(48)

“Then we’d have to take Puddin and Davie,” Mama said.

“I’ll keep them out of your way,” said Mary.

“I can get the cakes for you. How about that?”

“Yes, ma’am. Want three fruitcakes.”

“Is that all? No problem whatsoever.”

“With citron, those yellow pieces that has such a fine sharp taste.”

“I know what citron is.” Mama started out the door again.

“Not all fruitcakes has citron. I particularly favors it.”

“Most of them do.”

“No, Mama,” I said. “Some signs say ‘No Citron.’ ”

“Oh-h-h-h.” Mama turned to leave. “Let’s not get things too complicated.”





At Claxton Fruit Cake Company, Mama ordered ten tube cakes, five pounds each, in holiday tins, and arranged to have them shipped.

“Okay, girls, let’s go.”

“Mama!” She’d forgotten.

“Yes?”

“Mary’s cakes.”

“Oh, my goodness. Thanks, Jubie.” She turned back to the man behind the counter. “Three one-pound cakes, please, in a bag. We’ll take them with us.”

I asked, “Are you sure she doesn’t want bigger ones?”

“I wouldn’t think so.”

Mama was in a hurry to get back to the motel, in case Daddy had gotten there; she walked way ahead of me and Stell.We took our time.

From the truck the store displays had looked full of interesting things to buy. Up close, the windows were streaked, the merchandise faded and dusty. The leaves of the dying flowers hanging outside the millinery store had bug bites in them. There were only five things in the display case: two white straw picture hats, a pink cloche, a blue beret, a yellow pillbox.

Burnett’s Grocery, with baskets of produce on the sidewalk, had a hand-lettered poster in the window:



TENT REVIVAL!

Friday, August 13, 8 PM.

The Reverend Brian Samuel Cureton preaching.

The Campground at New Smyrna AME Zion Church.

COME TO JESUS!





“I want to see a tent meeting,” said Stell Ann. Mama was almost a block ahead of us.

“You’re crazy. Mama and Daddy wouldn’t be caught dead in a colored church.”

“I wasn’t going to invite them.”

“They won’t let us go alone.”

Stell walked up to a man who was napping in a chair in front of the barbershop. “Sir?”

The man’s eyes popped open.

“Could you tell me how to get to New Smyrna AME Zion?”

“That’s a Nigra church.”

“Our girl wants to know.” Stell lied smoothly.

“It’s a ways out Zion Church Creek Road.”

“Could she walk there?”

“Easy. It’s not but maybe a mile.” He closed his eyes and sat back in his chair as we walked away.

“Mary will take us,” Stell said. It was settled.





Mary, Davie, and Puddin were at the swing set in the courtyard. I ran to Mary. “Hey! We got your cakes!”

Mama came up behind me. “With citron, just what you wanted.Two dollars and forty cents. Do you want to pay me or should I take it out—”

“No, ma’am, I’ll pay you.” She looked in the bag. “Oh.”

“I’m going over to my cabin.You can give the money to Jubie.”

“All right.”

“What’s the matter?” I asked her.

Mama turned around.

“Nothing. They just so little.”

“Well, Mary,” said Mama, “the big ones are awfully expensive.”

“Yes, ma’am. These’re fine.”

“Good,” Mama said brightly, and went to her cabin.

I sat in one of the swings.“Okay, so what’s wrong? Really.”

“I was going to give one to my friend for a present. One for our church party, one for me and the kids. Thought they’d be big, not them weedy things.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“It’s all right.”

I jumped to my feet. “I’ve got it! We can go to the fruitcake store tomorrow morning. Stell will stay with Puddin and Davie if we explain to her.You can get all the cakes you want.”

She grinned, the gold on her front tooth gleaming. “That’d be real fine.”





I was in our cabin, searching for my Wonder Woman comic to read by the pool, when a car door thumped shut. Puddin yelled, “It’s Daddy!”

I peeked through a gap in the Venetian blinds where a slat had broken. Daddy had Davie, swinging him high, talking to him. Mrs. Bishop from the motel office was in her driveway, looking toward Daddy and smiling. His hair was sun-streaked and he had a good tan, like he’d been playing golf regularly and fishing at Lake Wylie. He propped Davie on his shoulders, which were so broad Davie looked like a doll. Stell stood several feet away from him. I was sure she was thinking about Aunt Lily. Daddy turned to her, and the sun glinted off his glasses. She shrugged at something he said and pointed toward Mama’s cabin.