11
The image of my father, standing in the church-yard, clutching his hat and conscious of the eyes on him, will be with me forever!
“Run on home, Addie, and tell your sister to put them greens on. She better be there, too! And tell her I said she bet’not turn that fire up too high and burn them greens, like she did last time! Me and your daddy’ll be home directly!”
When I reached home, there she was.
I stopped her before she could explain. “Don’t talk to me!”
“Addie, don’t be mad at me... “
“I had to sing barefooted...I wasn’t gonna sing in these, old, ugly shoes. Sister Quinn had gave my song to Mozella Spriggs, and Pastor almost didn’t let me sing...!”
“Addie, I didn’t go to do it, but....”
“You knew I had the solo this morning! What shoes did you think I would sing in?”
“See, Addie, Fritz is home on furlough. I didn’t know he was gonna be at church and...”
“Daddy gonna say he’s too old for you, anyway! That’s why you ain’t brought him home.”
“Just hush about it, Addie! I’ll make it up to you! I’ll let you keep wearing my shoes...”
“Yeah, until Fritz come home on furlough! I don’t have to keep your secret no more.”
“What you mean...?”
“Daddy’s gonna buy me some new shoes!”
Both the absurdity of the idea, and the laughter, struck my sister at the same time! She laughed! At me!? Or at the idea of my father buying me shoes!? She treated what I’d said as a joke! That’s what made me want to fix her!
See, I could do more than just sing. I could mimic the voice of anyone in the neighborhood.