Coffee Will Make You Black by April Sinclair Page A

me my first bra. It was a size AA. She said if I took after her, one day, I’d be wearing a D cup. That was hard to imagine.
    Anyway, I felt grown-up wearing my new bra, but I also felt fenced in, like I was giving up something. Now, I could never walk around the house without a shirt on. I couldn’t run or jump without a bra because my breasts would bounce. Young men on the corner who had never noticed me before were saying, “Hey, mama,” or “Hey, baby.” I always spoke and tried to smile so they wouldn’t call me a bitch. But I got tired of jokers asking me how I was doing or if they could walk with me. When I complained to Mama, she said, “It’s all part of being a female. Men like to meddle, always have, always will. So long as they don’t put their hands on you, just smile and keep stepping. Wait until you hit thirty-five, you’ll be glad to get a little attention then,” she added.
    I still thought breasts might be more trouble than they were worth. Growing up reminded me a little bit of Hide and Go Seek. When it was your time to grow up, Nature said, “Here I come, ready or not.” And Nature could always find you.
    Carla’s thirteenth birthday was coming up right after Easter. She was definitely having a party and I was definitely invited. Carla had asked me what boy I hoped I got to kiss when we played Spin the Bottle. I’d told her I didn’t know what boy I wanted to kiss, but I could sure think of a few boys I didn’t want to have to kiss. Linda and Melody had worried me to ask Carla if they could be invited too. When I brought their names up to Carla she’d said, “Sho, if they’re friends of yours, okay.”
    It wasn’t cold enough to play Squeeze the Lemon anymore. Now it was Double Dutch weather. Last week Carla had asked me to be her Double Dutch partner. Of course I’d said yes. Tanya and Patrice were going to be partners too, and we even let Linda and Melody play. I had taken my allowance money last Saturday and bought a brand-new plastic clothesline for us to jump with. I knew a lot of girls looked up to me now on accounta my rope.
    We were on the playground jumping Double Dutch at afternoon recess. Linda and Melody turned the rope and sang as me and Carla jumped. Patrice and Tanya stood waiting for us to miss.
    â€œFudge, fudge, fudge, boom, boom, boom, call that, judge, boom, boom, boom, boom. Mama’s got a newborn baby, boom, it’s not a girl, boom, not a boy, boom, just an ordinary baby, boom, wrap it up in toilet paper, send it down the elevator, kick out.” Me and Carla kicked our feet out. “Shirley Temple went to France to teach the girls the Watusi dance, first on the heel then on the toe, then split the rope and around you go.”
    I felt something wet on my thigh that I could no longer ignore as I crisscrossed my legs. There was a strange heaviness in my stomach as I tripped on the rope.
    â€œY’all missed!” Tanya shouted.
    â€œY’all ain’t missed, Stevie missed.” Carla groaned. “How come you messed us up like that, girl? We usually get all the way to I like coffee, I like tea, I like the white boys and they like me. What happened?”
    â€œShe missed, that’s what happened. Here, hurry up and give us our turn before the bell rings.” Patrice handed Carla the rope.
    My panties felt wet. Suddenly it hit me that I had started my period.
    â€œI think I just started my period!” I felt happy and scared at the same time as I watched the smiles on the other girls’ faces.
    â€œDon’t worry, you can’t see nothing. But you better go straight to the nurse,” Carla warned.
    I tied my sweater around my waist to be sure.
    â€œShe’s lucky it ain’t summertime and she wasn’t wearing white pants, you remember Peaches and them white pants, don’t you?” Tanya asked the others.
    â€œWho could forget Peaches