year. Nobody even knew she was pregnant until she gave birth in the family’s bathroom one night.
Ruby was not worried about any of the busybodies she knew noticing her expanding stomach. When and if they did . . . well, she decided that she would worry about that when and if they did. She was thankful that her bout with morning sickness had only lasted a few weeks.
Another thing she wasn’t really that worried about was the fact that she was eating even more than usual. Since she had always eaten like a big hog in front of everybody, she saw no reason for anybody to ask why she had suddenly started to eat like an even bigger hog. But her nosy brother-in-law Arlester asked her at the very next Sunday dinner!
Of all the comments for that meddlesome fool to make, he had to say the one that almost made her wet her panties.
“Ruby Jean, why do it seem like you eatin’ enough for two people these days?” he wanted to know. He gazed at Ruby with both of his bushy eyebrows raised, and one of his crooked knuckled, bony fingers aimed in her direction.
“Who me?” Ruby managed, her mouth stuffed with food.
While everybody else at the table remained silent, looking at Ruby with curious stares, Arlester continued.
“I ain’t never seen you eat no five pieces of fried chicken durin’ the same meal,” he declared. His seat was across the table from Ruby’s, so he had a direct view of her horrified face. As he chewed with his slack jaws twitching, his eyes rolled down from her face to her chest. “My Lord, you lookin’ mighty thick these days. . . .”
Before Ruby could respond, her sister Lola came to her rescue. “I keep tellin’ you the girl is growin’ up—and out. By the time she’s eighteen, she’s goin’ to be just as plump as the rest of us Upshaw females.” Lola chuckled, patting her stomach, which was almost as big around as her large pear-shaped bottom.
But Lola’s husband was not through with Ruby yet. “You ain’t courtin’ yet, Ruby Jean?” he asked with a suspicious look on his face.
Damn his soul to hell! Ruby thought. She hadn’t mentioned boys or anything that had to do with courting in months to her parents. She didn’t want to do or say anything that might make them keep closer tabs on her activities.
“Ruby Jean ain’t thinkin’ about no boys yet, praise the Lord,” Reverend Upshaw offered. “If she is as smart as she looks, she’ll finish school and go on to that colored college in Bayonne, be a school teacher or a nurse, before she ties herself down with a husband and babies.” He tickled the side of Ruby’s cheek. “Ain’t that right, baby girl?”
“Um-hmm. That sure enough is right,” Ruby mumbled, nodding as she reached for another piece of chicken.
According to Ruby’s calculations, her baby was due to arrive some time in early July, only a month away. She hoped that he or she waited until after the Fourth of July holiday, which was also Othella’s birthday. That was the last day in the year that Ruby wanted to be out of commission.
CHAPTER 9
R UBY WASN’T ABOUT TO LET THE THREAT OF A TORNADO stop her from sneaking out of the house through her bedroom window tonight. She wanted to help Othella celebrate her birthday and the holiday.
But that wasn’t all.
Ruby hadn’t had any beer or sex in over two weeks, and it was beginning to get on her nerves. She knew that she could get both at Othella’s party.
“Ain’t no tornado or nothin’ else in the world goin’ to keep me from comin’ to your house tonight,” she had assured Othella earlier in the day. “And I do mean nothin’ .”
“Oh, I ain’t worried about you not comin’ to my party,” Othella told Ruby. “You ain’t never missed one of my parties. If your mama and daddy can’t stop you from associatin’ with me, I know no storm can’t neither. Don’t forget to wear somethin’ that’ll keep the boys’ attention on you. That low-cut dress I stole for you last week ought to do the
Ruby was not worried about any of the busybodies she knew noticing her expanding stomach. When and if they did . . . well, she decided that she would worry about that when and if they did. She was thankful that her bout with morning sickness had only lasted a few weeks.
Another thing she wasn’t really that worried about was the fact that she was eating even more than usual. Since she had always eaten like a big hog in front of everybody, she saw no reason for anybody to ask why she had suddenly started to eat like an even bigger hog. But her nosy brother-in-law Arlester asked her at the very next Sunday dinner!
Of all the comments for that meddlesome fool to make, he had to say the one that almost made her wet her panties.
“Ruby Jean, why do it seem like you eatin’ enough for two people these days?” he wanted to know. He gazed at Ruby with both of his bushy eyebrows raised, and one of his crooked knuckled, bony fingers aimed in her direction.
“Who me?” Ruby managed, her mouth stuffed with food.
While everybody else at the table remained silent, looking at Ruby with curious stares, Arlester continued.
“I ain’t never seen you eat no five pieces of fried chicken durin’ the same meal,” he declared. His seat was across the table from Ruby’s, so he had a direct view of her horrified face. As he chewed with his slack jaws twitching, his eyes rolled down from her face to her chest. “My Lord, you lookin’ mighty thick these days. . . .”
Before Ruby could respond, her sister Lola came to her rescue. “I keep tellin’ you the girl is growin’ up—and out. By the time she’s eighteen, she’s goin’ to be just as plump as the rest of us Upshaw females.” Lola chuckled, patting her stomach, which was almost as big around as her large pear-shaped bottom.
But Lola’s husband was not through with Ruby yet. “You ain’t courtin’ yet, Ruby Jean?” he asked with a suspicious look on his face.
Damn his soul to hell! Ruby thought. She hadn’t mentioned boys or anything that had to do with courting in months to her parents. She didn’t want to do or say anything that might make them keep closer tabs on her activities.
“Ruby Jean ain’t thinkin’ about no boys yet, praise the Lord,” Reverend Upshaw offered. “If she is as smart as she looks, she’ll finish school and go on to that colored college in Bayonne, be a school teacher or a nurse, before she ties herself down with a husband and babies.” He tickled the side of Ruby’s cheek. “Ain’t that right, baby girl?”
“Um-hmm. That sure enough is right,” Ruby mumbled, nodding as she reached for another piece of chicken.
According to Ruby’s calculations, her baby was due to arrive some time in early July, only a month away. She hoped that he or she waited until after the Fourth of July holiday, which was also Othella’s birthday. That was the last day in the year that Ruby wanted to be out of commission.
CHAPTER 9
R UBY WASN’T ABOUT TO LET THE THREAT OF A TORNADO stop her from sneaking out of the house through her bedroom window tonight. She wanted to help Othella celebrate her birthday and the holiday.
But that wasn’t all.
Ruby hadn’t had any beer or sex in over two weeks, and it was beginning to get on her nerves. She knew that she could get both at Othella’s party.
“Ain’t no tornado or nothin’ else in the world goin’ to keep me from comin’ to your house tonight,” she had assured Othella earlier in the day. “And I do mean nothin’ .”
“Oh, I ain’t worried about you not comin’ to my party,” Othella told Ruby. “You ain’t never missed one of my parties. If your mama and daddy can’t stop you from associatin’ with me, I know no storm can’t neither. Don’t forget to wear somethin’ that’ll keep the boys’ attention on you. That low-cut dress I stole for you last week ought to do the
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