Tobie Girl

By Sheila Crowder and Omowale Crowder

Tobie Girl follows a little girl's life in the inner city 1950's under the watchful eye of her gaurdian angel Ma'ki'al.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Omowale Crowder
• Release date: Jan 2, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224293414

Book preview

Chapter 1 Tobie Gets The Measles

Saturday Morning- 1953

Peggie Sue, Helga, Uncle Josh, and JJ are in the second bedroom of Peggie and Helga’s. They are laughing and making jokes about their jaunts in the bars last night.  The whisper of liquor, cigarettes and coffee float through the air on the gentle summer breeze, blowing in through the window.  Adeline does not allow alcohol in the house, {because she is a Christian, or so everyone thinks} so Peggie and the others are pouring shots of alcohol in their cups of coffee. Three-year-old Tobie is lying on the cot fast asleep; that is until their laughter invades her dreams. When she awakens, she lies very still, knowing that if she appears she is awake; JJ will, most likely make her get up and they will go home. She is taking advantage of the thin but soft mattress; something she does not have at home, where she lives.

It is a rare occasion Tobie spends the night last night at Adeline’s house. It is an even rarer occasion getting to see Uncle Josh and Peggie Sue. They are rarely home at Adeline’s, now that they are grown. However, she knows why, {she has heard Uncle Josh cussing about it, many times}

The smell emanates from Helga’s bed. A smell that is slowly taking on a life of its own. It is sluggishly infiltrating its way to the stairwell, and is threatening to work its way down to the dining room. However, the smell is pooling at the very bottom of the steps, and when one walks to the steps; it smacks you, dead in the face.  Peggie Sue and Uncle Josh care not to introduce their new friends to this unhealthy odor. Most people would not understand. the house is clean, but by the dining room steps, it smells like an out-house, leaving you scratching your head. Peggie Sue lives on campus, and Uncle Josh lives ‘wherever’ or with whomever. No one’s knows for sure, but he has a house somewhere, sharing it, with his many friends.

The only people they allow to come to the house are the people who grew up with them, who know about Helga; and tolerates the odiferous dining room steps. {Nevertheless, no matter how you cut it, normal people would call it a matter of pure laziness on the part of Helga. Yep! Helga, a grown woman, pees in the bed!}

The only reason Tobie had gotten to spend the night, is that yesterday, when JJ had come to get her, Uncle Josh, and Peggie Sue were at the house visiting, and they were cooking one of their magnificent dinners. JJ comes in the house, she speaks to Uncle Josh and Peggy Sue, they josh around a bit about nothing; and then JJ yells for Tobie. Tobie! Tobie runs to the kitchen and answers, huh?

Get ready, it’s time to go! Tobie’s shoulder’s drop; she wants to stay for dinner. Uncle Josh pipes up, JJ why don’t you stay for dinner? It’s almost done, and I already promised her she can eat when it’s done! JJ looks at Tobie, oh, that’s alright, we will get something to eat on the way home. Peggie Sue says, aw JJ let the girl eat dinner with us; she’s been here smelling it; she may as well eat. JJ replies, It’s alright, she can eat at home! Uncle Josh hollers at her, Oh whore, you ain’t gotta nuthin’ to do, sit yo’ nigga sit your fancy ass down and wait; and if you don’t wanna eat, I know Tobie does."  When everybody has eaten the fantabulous dinner, Uncle Josh comes up with the bright idea that they all go out and ‘paint the town ‘red’.  However, after what happened early this morning; it may be a long time before Adeline allows Tobie to spend the night again, anytime soon.

Earlier Saturday morning:

The grownups had gotten home very early Saturday morning, and they all go to bed. JJ sleeps on the same cot as Theola and Tobie, over by the window, next to the wall. Who knows how much later Tobie begins to cough and it gets progressively worse.  After nearly 15 minutes of her ragged continuous coughing, the evil one (Adeline) bounces into the bedroom with a glass of salt water for Tobie to drink. The salt-water stays in Tobie’s stomach less than a minute before it all comes back up. Being hit with the fragments of the debris, Theola bellows like a stuck cow and Adeline comes vaulting out of her room.  In the small hallway, she reaches up, turns the light on, and sees the mess on the cot.  Oh my lord, she hollers out; then she  calls JJ to wake up; JJ, JJ get up and get that girl out of the bed and hurry up; she done vomit all over the place! Get up! Before it gets all over the floor!

Then Adeline’s barks out instructions to JJ, we gon’ need a bucket and water, get up! Get up girl! I’ma go downstairs and get some newspaper and the bucket...blah blah blah...! Sleepily JJ slowly gets up, she angrily pulls Tobie off the bed by her arm, hollering at Tobie, get up girl and move out of the damn way, go on! Move it!  Before Adeline goes downstairs, she turns, in a softer voice, she tells Theola, Theola, you go over and lay down on Peggie Sue’s bed until we get done." Theola had been standing on the side of the bed. Theola walks over and lie down at the bottom of Peggie Sue’s bed and goes back to sleep.

Adeline grabs Tobie and pushes her out of the way, and over to the bathroom door; telling Tobie, go on over there out the way girl!  Tobie stumbles to the door and stands there looking. JJ take that sheet off that bed and put them in the tub, so you can wash it out.

Adeline bounces down the steps to her stack of newspapers she has been saving from the beginning of time, and grabs a big stack. She grabs the bucket from under the sink and fills it with water. Upstairs, she goes to her stash of old rags in a bag on the steps of the attic sorting out the one’s she will give to JJ.  Dropping off the rags and newspapers to JJ, she tells her, JJ start wiping off the bed with some of this newspaper. Hurrying to the bathroom, she grabs her handy dandy Lysol and pours some into the bucket.

Coming out of the bathroom, she gives the bucket to JJ, Here, now clean up that mess.  She stands in the middle of the room, making sure JJ cleans the bed to her specifications. 

Once the bed is clean, she helps JJ spread two layers of newspaper on the cot. She returns to the attic steps, finds a raggedy sheet and spreads it on the cot.  When everything is nice and clean, she gives JJ another rag, now go in the bathroom and wash that mess off that girl. She walks away.

JJ looks hard at Tobie, she yells at her, get your ass into the bathroom, and take off those damn clothes. Tobie walks into the bathroom, takes off her clothes, and stands by the sink. Adeline comes in and gives JJ a rag, here, use this. JJ roughly washes Tobie off. She tells Tobie, Now go back in the room, and lay down.  Adeline is there with a pair of Theola’s old underwear and gives them to Tobie. Tobie puts them on, and climbs on top of the paper, and the sheet laying down without a cover.

Turning around, to Peggie Sue’s bed, Adeline bends over Theola. Theola, you can get up now.  Theola is now angry and she whines loudly, I don’t wanna sleep in that nasty old bed! Adeline says, I know, you can come and sleep in my bed. JJ sits in the chair against the wall and falls back to sleep.

Back to the present:

Tobie finally decides to move on the bed and the newspaper crinkle and crackle loudly beneath her. She rises up off the bed on her knees, and her small arms go up in the air as she yawns. Dropping her arms, she looks over at the grownups, and they are looking back at her. Uncle Josh bellows, out leaning over and squinting his eyes at Tobie. He points at Tobie, JJ!  Look at that heifer’s stomach, what’s all those bumps...measles? JJ looks over to Tobie, she laughs and says, Oh boy shut up, that girl ain’t got no measles! He excitedly replies, I bet she does, go look at her! but before JJ can get up; Adeline rushes in from her room, going straight to the cot. Bending over Tobie, she pushes the girl down on the bed, making her stretch out flat on the cot. Roughly, she begins turning Tobie this way and that, raising her head, looking over her eyeglasses at Tobie’s body.

Finally, she straightens up, and gives her diagnosis. She looks over at JJ, JJ, these are measles; and I want y’all out of here. I don’t want Jared catching no measles.

{when Tobie hears this comment, she blinks out,; her heart sinks. she knows this is not going to go well for her. she’s going to have to leave sooner than usual; and she will not get to eat breakfast.}.

Helga chimes in with her insensitive raggedy voice, that’s right JJ, ‘cause I don’t’ want her around me either! I don’t need no damn measles! staring at Tobie, Adeline says, that’s right, JJ, Helga ain’t needin’ ta get the measles either! Uncle Josh speaks, aw momma, it ain’t nuthin’ but the measles! All of us done had ‘em measles before!

Annemarie:

Through the thin plaster walls in the bathroom, Annemarie is listening to the conversation. She raps hard on the wall, yelling, Adeline! Adeline! All the talking stop, when they hear the pounding on the wall. Adeline rumbles herself into the bathroom as she hollers out, what you want Annemarie? 

Adeline! Tyrone got the measles too!  Why don’t ya let Tobie come over heah and stay with him? Adeline does not really want this to happen, but she replies, Well... I don’t know Annemarie; they just need ta g’on home! Annemarie shouts back, Awww Adeline, let that girl com’on over heah, she ain’t no problem!  I knows that’s what ya thinkin’! After a few seconds, Adeline hollers out, Let me see, just hol’t on a minute! She wobbles back into the bedroom. Before Adeline can say anything, Helga blabs out.  Momma that girl don’t need ta be next door! She still going ta be around here! Uncle Josh yells out, Oh heifa shut the hell up. Yo’ ass don’t even gon’ be next door; ya lazy whore!

Oh shut up-you ol’ fool! Helga barks back at him. Then Peggie Sue interrupts, Momma, I don’t see how it can hurt anybody if Tobie goes next door, she will be out of the way of daddy and Helga. {Oh- oh, the princess has spoken; and it is a wrap}

Adeline lumbers back into the bathroom, she call out. Annemarie?

Yeah Adeline!  Ok, I guess she can come over and stay.  then she says, JJ, get ready ta go; but first, run that girl some bath water, she caint be gon’ over theah stinkin’ like some dog!"

{JJ clearly is not happy about this new occurrence; she does not know how this has happened! preferring to go home, she is being corralled into going next door and she is not impressed}

JJ grudgingly gets up, walks into the bathroom, turns on the water, and calls Tobie. {Meanwhile, Tobie is takes in everything said, and she is excited; albeit, she knows not to show it} Tobie, get yer ass on in the bathroom. Tobie hedges off the bed and runs into the bathroom. She climbs into the tub and stands, looking down at the water fill in the tub. All of a sudden, she hears Uncle Josh yell, JJ tell that whore to take her underwear off before she sits down in the water! 

After her bath, she gets dressed; and she and JJ go downstairs. Her face lights up when she smells food cooking. {They are going to eat!}  Sitting down at the table, she finds Adeline is stingily giving them breakfast on pre made plates.  She looks at the snack, but she gratefully eats it. She also knows she cannot ask for seconds; Adeline will tell her, "The rest of them has to eat. {It’s her usual answer to Tobie, she never says no. she just makes Tobie feel as if she is trying to eat up all the food; so Tobie has long ago stop asking}.

JJ tells Tobie, put them dishes in the sink and wash them off; but as Tobie gets up; the evil one intercedes, Don’t...just put ‘em in the sink and go on.

On their way out the door, Adeline tells them, I’ma send yawls dinner over soon’s I cook t’nite; so y’all ain’t got ta be eatin’ up all ‘a Annemarie’s food. She got ‘nough people ta feed as it is. 

Adeline’s House:

Adeline’s house is a medium size, side by side double. It’s an old wooden structure covered completely with sparkly grey tar shingles except on the front porch. On the left of her house sits a large building that houses a laundry mat with two apartment on top. Next to this building is the neighborhood store Sam’s, which is on the corner of the street. It is a small ‘mom & pop’ family owned store run by Sam and his wife Rachel.

On the right side of Adeline’s house, is Swartz’s bakery, {German; makers of the best bakery products ever}. Directly across the street from Adeline’s house is a small white stucco neighborhood church complete with a small steeple on top; having just about 10 members. Next to the church, on the corner, is a small neighborhood gas station. This gas station does what has become tradition,’ on Easter Sunday. They give away baby chicks to the community. Every year, Tobie gets two baby chicks, but they always die within two weeks. However, one year, one of her chicks actually lives!

A funny story about the one that lived: The Rooster: Tobie is four years old.

So, Tobie goes over and gets her usual two chicks; and after two weeks, one of them is still alive; and Tobie is so happy! She tries to nurture it, hoping it will grow up to be a big chicken. {Her thinking is that it is a hen (not that she knows} but her idea is that this one will contribute eggs for Adeline, forcing Adeline to like her}. However, Tobie finds out that her chick is a rooster, because it grows a red cowl; and Uncle Josh tells her that this chicken will not produce eggs.  Later, it becomes the holy terror of the back yard.

The rooster has grown into a sneaky cranky, monster rooster Grinch. He would hide under the back door steps; or anywhere you would never think to look for him; and when he hears the screen door open, and the victim shows their leg, he rushes out and pecks the mess out of your ankles, or he flaps his wings and pecks your butt.  The rooster is such a prick he puts everybody on guard. If they go outside, they ease the screen door shut hoping that the grand rooster of the back yard would not hear it shut. Then creep to where ever they had to go.  It got so that anyone who went outside has to ease the screen shut, and then creep around so maybe the rooster will not hear them.

Nevertheless, it did not work; the old bastard somehow knew that someone had come out of the house; and the rooster would chase him or her.  Poor Uncle Josh had gotten so; he would hide a bat by the side of the house and swing it at the rooster when he enters the back yard coming home from work. The rooster did not get a chance to peck Peggie Sue, because, the golden child, gets to enter the house by the front door; and has no reason to go out the back door. {The front door is off limits to everyone else}  The rooster did not peck JJ, even though she uses the back door. {The rooster probably recognizes a fellow meanie} and Helga {probably the odor emanating off her, keeps it away}.

He had to learn not to peck Adeline, the hard way. {Oh No no-no, -today, that rooster would not touch her with someone else’s beak. It is a funny story}

{One fine sunny Saturday afternoon (laundry day) Adeline is outside hanging up laundry up on the clothesline.  It is on this day, the rooster makes its almost fatal mistake of setting his sights on Adeline. See, Adeline is making the constant motion of bending over picking her clothes up out of the basket on the ground. The rooster is hiding under the backdoor steps, where he diligently is waits for his next careless victim.  Well, she must have hypnotized him into befuddlement, because the rooster takes one step, then another and then...at the crucial time as she bends over, he flies over { she has a very big wide bum (butt)} and he lands one- smack dab on it. 

Adeline has a look of shock on her face, staying in that position for seconds before she lets out a cuss word. Oh shit! {Christian that she is} slowly, she straightens up, and turns to meet her stupid attacker. Quicker than she has ever moved before, her meaty hand reaches out and grabs the rooster’s neck. The rooster, eyes bulging, begins squawking, and flapping his wings, and squawking some more.  His life flashing before his eyes, as Adeline now is trying to wring his neck off. In the end, she throws him clear across the yard, and he lands by the fence. 

As he lands hard on the ground, flapping his wings to right his self, the rooster has a clear Epiphany that Adeline had his life in her hands. After that he and Adeline has an understanding of sorts; he does not peck her, and she would let him live. He gives her wide berth from then on; until one day, he is dinner}.

Back to the neighborhood:

The sidewalks in the neighborhood are made of red brick (German influence) and the streets are made of a tar that melts under your shoes in the summer. Her front porch has a wooden banister separating the two sides, and there is a huge picture window on the front of the house. Adeline’s porch has a large couch size swing, sitting right beneath the window and her private folding chair, positioned to the right of the front door {in which no one is allowed to sit}.

Four steps lead down to the front yard, and onto a 5’ slab of cement. A small step leads onto the sidewalk. At the bottom of the step is a thorny rose bush,  Tobie will always believe Adeline planted there to get her, because no matter how careful she is – the thorns prick her. {And no body, nobody else ever gets stuck.}

Annemarie’s side of the porch is empty of furniture. They bring chairs outside when they want to enjoy the weather or socialize. The front yard big, and bounded by those timeless, stinky yellow and orange marigold flowers.

Indoors, Adeline’s front room is carpeted a pale beige. A plastic covered couch sits against the wall on the right side of the front door and a huge armchair sits to the left beneath the picture window.  An old wood sheet playing piano graces the entire wall adjacent to the chair and window. A coffee table sits in front of the couch, and two end tables, with lamps; on beside the couch at the front and one on the other side of the chair complete the setting.  At the end of the couch, a small three-foot hallway leads into the dining room. In the dining room, on the same wall as the piano, is a very small closet tucked inside of the wall. The dining room floor is hardwood; a small potbelly stove is in the far corner slightly to the right, but nearly adjacent to the upstairs steps; and grandpa’s rocker sits just to the side of it; a cot against the wall and a foot stool in front of the cot finishes this small area. Going into the kitchen, four feet before getting to the door, on the right, is a desk phone. (A one-piece desk, a phone on top, with a chair connected). In the kitchen right as you come in,  there is a large kidney shaped table with a lacquered red shiny top along with  eight large size chrome trimmed chairs with shiny red plush cushion bottoms and backs, fitted with plastic covers.

A white dinosaur refrigerator sits to the left, on the dining room wall, along with a high barstool chair tucked neatly in beside it just inside the doorway.  The stove is on the wall to the left of the refrigerator and 5 feet away from it- is the country style sink. The back door is straight across from the dining room doorway. It’s a kitchen that looks like it’s taken out of picture of a 1950 cafe’. A large back yard finishes off the house with a tall wooden fence that is in serious disrepair that borders the end of the yard separating the next family’s yard towards the alley. 

Inside the house, two flights of stairs (L-shaped) leads you upstairs to a small foyer, which has a small window on the outer wall and beneath it sits another desk phone. The door to the attic is inside of the small hall foyer. At the top of the steps to your right is Adeline’s master bedroom and across the foyer is Peggie Sue and Helga’s bedroom. Inside the room are two windows; one on the first wall of the bedroom and the next window, catty corner to the first wall (L-shape) A chair sits beneath the second window, and the cot that Tobie slept on is beneath the second window. To the left of the entrance is Peggie Sues bed and 5 feet adjacent to it- is Helga’s bed. A space heater is 2 feet away from Helga’s bed, and then there is the bathroom.  The walls of the whole house is painted a sickly color of vomit-ity lavender.

Chapter 2... Tobie goes next door

Annemarie

{Definitely Annemarie is a different sort of human being than her sister, Adeline Theola {Booger nose.} Everybody loves Annemarie; she is outgoing, funny and she makes fun things happen. When you see her round yellow face, there is either a smile upon it or a big ol’ laugh coming out of it. And even though she hardly ever goes to church; she’s more of a humane, and descent person than either Adeline’s self-proclaimed  Lord of the Christian Community or her Christian friends who wouldn’t miss a Sunday of church for fear of Christian Excommunication.  Annemarie respects everyone, without judgment.

Being around Annemarie guarantees you of having a fun non-stressful day. She is tall, and stout in stature, maybe a little on the heavy side {many call it big boned}. Annemarie has been married once but she does not live with her husband, reasons unknown.

Annamarie’s Children; Annemarie has three daughters and one son.

Pearly Mae (the baby girl): 18

Pearly Mae is the quiet, but dangerous one. She says very little but carries a big stick, and when provoked, the stick presents itself. Pearly Mae is short, petite and stocky. A light complexion, as her mother’s; but morose in nature; as if she never has had a shiny day in her life; waiting for something bad to happen.  At 23, she marries a 6 foot 5" light complexion man; a mean, mean man, rumored to be a woman beater. They have three children, two girls and a boy; the boy looks like he’s albino with blond hair.

One day she and her husband are in the kitchen of their home; he is beating on her as if she were a man.  It must be her big stick day, because she quietly stabs him in the back and leaves him on the kitchen floor.  The other humane action she does, is call his mother and says, You better come and get your son, he gotta knife in his back and he is on the kitchen floor. she leaves the house never to return.

The only time she comes alive is when she is around Uncle Josh, because being around him, you cannot be silent or morose. He ain’t havin’ it and he forces her to engage in the fun. 

Petra: second eldest: 22

Petra 17, tall and light skinned as  her mom. However, she is loud and controlling, unlike her mom.  Years later, she will have three girls, and rules them with an iron fist. When her girls grow up, the one she treated the worse (the baby) becomes a lesbian, one a church thumper, and the other a workaholic.

Lola: the eldest: 24

Twenty-one, Lola is dark, short, squat, and mean... a very mean person.  Her face is a mass of crunch-ness, as she never smiles; {well, maybe if she tries very hard, her lips may crinkle a little}.  Her eyes are slits with black beady, lack luster coals for eyeball pupils. She has one son,  as time goes on, and these girls get older; they will make gorilla shit look tame, and even throw their ‘shit’ bettern a gorilla does.

Brother Keith-20 

He’s probably 5’8,’ short for a man; dark skinned, but quiet, in a good way. He enjoys people, and he plays with the kids, {something his siblings do not do}, he laughs and jokes with around with everybody. He is a free spirit, much like his mom. At 26, he marries a short, light skin hellion, a man-eater and as mean and hateful as her sister-in-law Lola. He will have three girls and a boy. However, the marriage falls to pieces. Maybe because Dorilla (his wife) marries him in a blood red dress which at the time, {as far as superstition goes}, it meant the marriage would not last. In the end, Keith gets sick, and Dorilla begins to ignore him; and finally she puts him in nursing home-turns her back and leaves him. It is there, in the nursing home, is where he passes away. As time goes on, Dorilla gains at least 400 pounds and she too passes away, a miserable old woman}.

Back to the present...

{The phone call....and oops, Adeline’s dinner plans go awry}

Being next door is not so bad for Tobie; actually, it turns out to be the best time of her life. However, this is where the dreaded ‘grandma Susie’ lives, the mother of Adeline and Annemarie. The woman is just plain mean; she has a sharp tongue, and no nonsense attitude that inspires one to walk carefully around her. She carries a cane that she uses for more than just walking! Yep. She uses that cane to as a disciplinary measure for whoever daring to commit any transgression in the house. 

The Front Room:

In Annemarie’s house, linoleum is the choice of floor covering. In the front room, there against the wall, sits a small sparkly red couch {harmonious to Annemarie’s character} and on the wall of the front door, a sparkly red chair, without plastic covering. There is a small coffee table in front of the couch and two end tables; both on either end of the couch.

The Dining Room:

Grandma Susie {as everyone calls her} sits in her rocking chair every day in the dining room watching TV {her soap operas, and the time when no one is allowed to breathe loudly}. She has one eye on the TV and the other eye watching, waiting to attack with her cane... She is an old surly, uncompromising woman; one can tell that Adeline is her daughter; Adeline has taken notes as a kid.  Tobie avoids her.

In the dining room, the only furniture is Gramma Susie’s rocking chair near the wall by the steps. Against the outer wall, there are two long windows, {the only windows in the dining room} and between the windows, sits the largest TV ever made in America {Tobie’s view} leaving a huge area in the floor that permits everyone to look at it without crowding.

The Kitchen:

Annemarie’s kitchen is about the same size as Adeline’s kitchen. It houses a huge refrigerator on the sidewall, to the left as you come into the kitchen. In the middle of the floor is a large silver and white table seating at least eleven people.  With mismatch chairs. The huge country sink is on the wall that that divides the house; and the stove is near the refrigerator on the same outer wall. Annemarie’s kitchen is crowded, seemingly small, compared to Adeline’s kitchen.

Upstairs.

For some reason, Tobie tries not to remember much of what the upstairs looks like; but we know that she has seen it, because she has had to wash up and use the bathroom. {Actually, Tobie hates going upstairs, not because it is dark, as Adeline’s is; but she thinks she is invading their space. She never really looks around, and that may be because it is terribly junky upstairs, terribly junky. Tobie does know that there are clothes all over the place, and nothing is normal looking, as far as what she is used to over at Adeline’s house.  The upstairs does not coincide with Annemarie’s nature and Tobie knows that Adeline would look down on Annemarie if Adeline knew what the upstairs looks like...  To Tobie, Annemarie deserves better, and Tobie blanks out the scene. It is Annemarie’s children keeping it this way.  Everybody except Annemarie lives in the cramped space of the one bedroom.  Tobie thinks that Gramma Susie sleeps with Annemarie in her bedroom. Tobie feels very sorry and embarrassed for Annemarie, because Annemarie is such a happy person}.

The Present: The phone call

That evening around five o’clock, the telephone rings and Annemarie answers it, hello?

Hello Annemarie, {its Adeline} I’ma be sendin’ JJ and Tobie’s dinner for tonight in a little while. Josh will bring it.  Oh girl, Annemarie says, That’s ok, they can eat here wit us! You ain’t gotta go through all that trouble!  Adeline pauses... so long that Annemarie speaks, Adeline, you still there? 

Uh...yeah, but Anne, you ain’t gotta go feeding ‘em nothin’! {Adeline is slightly put off, she does not like not having control, and really it’s because of Tobie and JJ.  She hates that they will be getting special treatment at Annemarie’s house. Adeline a bitter woman and her bitterness is against JJ and Tobie.}  Nevertheless, Annemarie laughingly continues, Adeline, I said, it ain’t necessari’, we got ‘nough food...blah...blah...blah!

Adeline is listening to her sister babble on about feeding JJ and Tobie.  and if you were sitting beside Adeline there is steam piping out of her ears. Right now, she is ticked off at her own sister! 

Swallowing the bile in her mouth, Adeline says, But Anne, I can feed them kids, I don’t want ‘em eating you outta house and home girl!

Still being humorous, Annemarie says, Now Adeline, we’ll be ok.  Swallowing more of her bitterness, Adeline squelches out, you ain’t gotta... interrupting, Annemarie assures her I’m telling ya, its ok gal." Adeline finally relents, and they both hang up.

The net evening, Sunday, Annemarie announces they will eat dinner in the dining room, in front of the TV. The Ed Sullivan show will be featuring a new Black group called ‘The Four lads’.

That night, with their plates in front of them, they eat and enjoy the show; the grownups whoop and holler at the performers, who go on before the Black group take their turn; and many of them are raging ridiculous acts. There are dog acts, circus acts, puppets, opera singers; and a variety of miscellaneous acts, before the ‘Four Lads’ came on.

Sitting there, Tobie notices that Annemarie’s family is having more fun together, than she has ever seen, while eating, sitting around the television set. For the first time, she is not the butt of ridicule from Adeline and Helga; and most of all, she is not alone. Tobie is having fun just listening to them argue about the acts, cuss, and scream, while judging in their own way, the performers.

After everyone has eaten dinner, Annemarie goes in the kitchen and pops popcorn for the rest of the show. She puts the popcorn in four large brown paper bags, so there is enough for everyone.  Keeping watch, she has to force Tobie to keep eating the popcorn because Tobie seems to be afraid to keep grabbing handfuls of the corn like everyone else is...(that is except for JJ; the popcorn theme is not one of JJ’s things to do.) Tobie truly is afraid to keep taking popcorn from the bag, afraid that JJ will give her ‘the look’, which means, ‘no more’.  Annemarie hollers, Tobie! you get some of that popcorn!  Tobie tries not to connect eyes with JJ, as she reaches inside the bag.

During Tobie’s stay at Annemarie’s house, she is both happy and sad at the same time; wishing that this time would never end, also wishing her life could be like this. Even though this family is not always this happy, {no family is} it is more than she ever has experienced at her house.

When the Ed Sullivan show is over, Keith, Lola, and JJ decide to go out to the neighborhood juke joint. Somebody calls next door for Uncle Josh, because it just would not be the same without him, and they leave. Tyrone, {Lola’s son}, brings out some of his toys, to play with. {Whenever Tyrone plays with his toys, it shocks Tobie that he has so many.  he has more toys than in a toy store.}

Everyday life is good for Tobie while she is at Annemarie’s’ house; she hopes with all her heart that her measles stays on her forever. She has the luxury of eating three meals every day also knowing that JJ is home when she wakes up in the morning.  Nevertheless, after, roughly 10 days, they both are getting over the measles. Getting the once over everyday, Tobie desperately hopes that, the bumps are still visible. 

Tobie’s Humiliation: Tyrone, the Moron and his stupid-stupid mother.

near the end of the second week, Tobie’s measles pretty are pretty much gone.  However, Tyrone looks like a spotted cow. He cannot stop scratching his bumps even though Annemarie has told them both not to scratch. He has scratch every bump on his body into a bloody mess, leaving horrible scabs.  In the interim, Annemarie smears some white stuff on them to keep the bumps from itching; but it has not helped.

It’s Friday and JJ decides time to leave... the good life.... (Not her good life though, she is not used to all this merriment with ‘family’, and most of all, she misses being in the streets). 

On the day they are to leave, Tobie and Tyrone are in the dining room playing with his toys on the floor, while Lola and JJ are talking in the front room.  Gramma Susie is upstairs; and everybody else is at work.

It gets hot on the linoleum, what with the sun shining directly through the two windows After a while, Tobie sits up off the floor, and says to Tyrone, I’m hot and thirsty, I’ma go ask JJ if I can get some water.  He does not answer. Scooting on her bottom, to get up, she walks to the doorway of the front room. She stands there waiting for JJ to acknowledge her. JJ is sitting on the arm of the red sparkly chair and Lola is standing in the front door. {Tobie has learned the hard way not to just interrupt JJ while she is talking}. Lola looks from the front door and sees Tobie, which makes JJ look over her shoulder at Tobie. JJ scowls and asks Tobie, what you want now Tobie?

Stumbling on her words, Tobie says, Ca-ca-can I ha... ha...have some water please?

JJ barks, Yeah, go on and get some! JJ is always irritated to be asked anything especially when she is ‘busy’. Hesitantly Tobie continues to stand in the same place for a moment more waiting for JJ to come with her to the kitchen.  {Tobie knows she is too little to reach the faucets, and she thinks JJ will get up}. However, JJ does not move. Turning away from the door, Tobie mumbles, ok. 

Even though the kitchen is not large, it is to three-year-old Tobie. It looks like a huge cave. The huge table seems to have a million chairs surrounding it, taking up most of the space, not to mention the monster refrigerator and stove; all struggling for its own space in the kitchen.

Tobie slowly approaches the mini submarine sink; she stands there looking up at it. The giant metal swan neck faucets greet her, staring down at her in their opulence; waiting to peck her hands were she to touch them. Reaching over to the drain rack, she gets a glass. Standing in front of the sink, Tobie is figuring how she will get her water.  The lip of the sink and her small chest are at the same height. She goes to her tippy toes straining her arms, to reach the faucet; only the tips of her fingers can touch them. Standing down, she tries to figure out how she will get to the handle of the faucet. {You may wonder why she did not get a chair. Adeline has slapped her for standing in one of her chairs. She thinks the same rule applies here.} Putting her glass inside the sink, she grabs the lip of the sink and jumps up off the floor, hoisting her torso over the sink; oww she complains, as her chest meets the metal, quickly, she jumps back down off the sink. Taking a big breath and grabbing the sink, she takes a big jump and hoists herself way up and over the edge of the sink.  Straining her arms her fingers barely touch the slender handles, so she twists her body up more over the lip of the sink and manages to grab the handle. In that instant, in her peripheral vision, she notices Tyrone creeping into the kitchen; trying to be undetected by her. Trying to ignore him, she continues to grasp the handles.

Seeing him sneaking, she feels uneasy, but she is helplessly dangling in the air. She tries to stop his advance by calling out to him. Youuu want some water tooooo Tyroonne? He does not answer her, so she continues talking to him. Well Ge...Ge...get a glass and I’ll get you some!  Her voice is trembling because of the pressure on her chest, and scared of Tyrone.

Saying nothing, Tyrone advances towards her. When he gets close, Tobie immediately jumps down off the lip of the sink, hurting herself in the process. {There is something about Tyrone’s vibe that disturbs her... she makes no show of her chest hurting} she bends over from the hurt, and she asks him again. You want some water? Go and tell your mother to come and get us some! But Tyrone says, Awww you can do it, just reach up!  Frustrated, she shouts to him, Why can’t you tell your mother? She will do it for you! Nevertheless, he does not move.

Turning back toward the sink, she tries again; standing on her tiptoes she hoists herself up and strains her arms to the faucets. Then in a matter of split seconds, Tyrone rushes her, and put his hand inside her pants! She hollers out his name, and jumps off the sink; but before Tobie can get his hand out of her pants, Lola is in the kitchen doorway, and all hell breaks out. {For Tobie}.

Lola sees Tyrone’s hand in Tobie’s pants and she sees Tobie struggling to remove his hand from her pants; but she completely ignores that part of the scene. 

Lola’s Treachery.  Immediately Lola starts hollering, JJ, JJ! Come in here and see what Tobie is doing!  JJ arrives in the kitchen LoIa continues, I just caught her lettin’ Tyrone go inside her pants!  Yep, just standing there lettin’ him."

JJ is mortified she is embarrassed.  Tobie stands there wide-eyed in shock at listening to Lola! Tobie does not say anything because Lola is screaming taking all the air out of the room. Tobie tries to implore a pleading look of innocence towards her mother. Seconds later, Tobie finds her voice and cries out, no-no I didn’t!  Uhhh unnnn, no I didn’t JJ!  Calmly, Lola cuts in. JJ I saw her, she wasn’t stopping him, and she was just standing there talking to him, telling him to do it.

Tobie’s eyes glaze over; {she is going into a blackout}. Lola is telling a story on her and it leaves her brain numb. { Not saying anything more, she looks like the cat with the canary in its mouth; who is trying to lie about it...and inadvertently pronouncing herself...guilty}.  In a little voice, Tobie continues to try and speak her innocence, no...no...I didn’t...do anything...Tyrone did. but no one is listening to her. Then JJ turns from listening to Lola and yells at her, you little slut, come ‘mere! Tobie looks at Tyrone, he walks over to Lola and he says nothing; Lola comforts him, putting her arm around his shoulders, protecting her innocent lamb from the 4-foot harlot!

Tobie turns getting the glass out of the sink; all the while, JJ is shouting and cussing. Put that damn glass on the fu*&*ing table! JJ screams. Tobie turns towards the table, she is shaking so badly that she misses the table and the glass crashes to the floor shattering.

Now JJ is mad. You stupid ass bitch, get yo ass down there and pick up that shit right now! Tobie stoops down picking up the large broken pieces. she puts the big pieces of glass in the trash can; JJ yells again, now get the broom and sweep up the rest of that got&^$ glass you little bit&h! Tobie walks over to the door, opens it and gets the broom from behind the door. Tobie looks around for something to sweep up the glass. Lola spits out.  "The dust pan is under the sink Tobie.’ Tobie walks to the sink, bends over and grabs the dustpan. She desperately but awkwardly tries to maneuver the large broom handle, and the dustpan to clean up the glass. Doing the best that a three year old can do; she finishes and before she can put the broom and dustpan back where it belongs; Lola walks over and grabs the dustpan and broom out of her hand and sweeps up the bits of glass she left on the floor. This makes JJ even madder.

JJ reaches and grabs the top of Tobie’s hair and slaps her face. ‘Slap, slap’, This will teach you to do this damn shit; then she bends over, takes her shoe off and beats Tobie all over her head and body. Tobie tries not to cry, but JJ continues to beat her unmercifully; and the tears slide down her face and she cries. Shut the f&^&* up." JJ shouts to her. Tobie quickly stifles herself; but JJ keeps on beating her with the shoe and Tobie stares into darkness.

When JJ is satisfied, {or rather when she thinks she has satisfied Lola}; she throws her shoe down on the floor and slips her foot back into it.  She gushes out, now get yer ass in there and get your shit, its time to go.  Tobie, wipes her eyes with the back of her hand and quickly walks into the front room where her clothes are, picks up the bag and stands by the door...hanging her head down in shame. JJ turns to Lola and tells her. girl, we getting’ ready ta go, I don’t know what’s wrong with that girl. 

Tyrone, Lola and JJ walk into the dining room and Tyrone breaks away and runs upstairs.  Lola and JJ say their good-byes, and JJ turns to Tobie Get your ass out that door.

{They introduce tobie to injustice and humiliation; well, not really, because Adeline is Christian butt introduces this on a regular basis. However, this is different; Tobie is the receiver of manipulation.  The writing of Shame upon her face, getting a beat-down for someone else’s behavior. }

Outside walking, Tobie’s eyes tear up again at the thought of what just happened, but she does not spill them. She refuses to let the tears leak out of her eyes. {Hurt changes into the anger of hell, and it consumes her.  She vows to herself if Tyrone ever-ever touches me again, I will kill him dead, promise}.

A wee bit ’o History and the future of Lola and her son, Tyrone

{Tyrone is an obnoxious overly sexual being, even at his young age. Most likely, he has seen and heard too much too soon.  Lola had him at eight-teen. Lola is a mean tyrant, but she gives Tyrone anything he wants or needs; but mostly what he wants. In this day and time, parents cuss their children out, as a way of disciplining them.  Lola uses these words against Tyrone quite often. Especially if she is perturbed at his dad. A dad, who does not act the way Lola, wants him to act towards her.

Closed off , unbending wrapping herself in a cocoon, wearing spite upon her face everyday is Lola’s M.O.  Tyrone’s dad is 6’6, tall, very dark, and handsome to a fault.  Chisel features of perfection, large brow, and beautiful curly black hair.  The armed forces is his uniform and in it he completes the Black Adonis picture.  Tyrone’s dad is what the old folks say about a service man who is in the navy. Only he was not a sailor; but the stigma applies to him.

The old folks say, Don’t trust a navy man cuz he has a girl in every port.  True to form, Tyrone’s dad has a woman in every state, and sometimes two or three in the same city. 

Lola and Tyrone’s dad look like beauty and the beast, with Lola being the beast.  When they are together, they look like it is impossible to believe that he would ever have a relationship with her.  He met her on leave, had a romp with her and she got pregnant.

Because of her looks, {short, squat, and featureless} Tyrone’s dad is never there for her.  (More than likely, he is with another woman; a pretty, other woman.)

Not being stationed in Ohio, he only comes here when he is has time off, on furloughs and leaves. when he is here, he is mostly out partying, and not with Lola. 

He comes to Ohio and he rents an apartment after his discharge. They move in together; and it is mainly for his son.  He goes out of the house, leaving for days or weeks, at a time; and Lola becomes mission bound, trying to ‘track’ him down. In the meantime, Tyrone stays at Annemarie. This goes on for years.

Even though they both neglect Tyrone, they both buy him everything a kid could want or need except the love Tyrone wants. Tyrone has enough clothes to clothe five boys, and toys enough to fill a store.

Once Tyrone’s dad buys Tyrone, a train set that takes up a whole area in their apartment; and Lola puts the brakes on Tyrone playing with it, and Punishing him if he lets anyone else play with the train. On the off times, Tyrone’s dad comes back home and stays for a minute to visit his son. Then he is back out in the streets. Rumor has it that he is out in the street being a ‘playa’.

The Detroit Move

When Tyrone is 14, his dad leaves the city and moves to Detroit (wonder why)? A few months later, Lola packs her bags and she too, along with Tyrone, and her cousin’s son, whom she takes with her as a babysitter, and who is 3 years older than Tyrone is make the move with her.

In Detroit while again, Lola goes on her mission to ‘get’ her man back.  Lola leaves Tyrone and the cousin to their own devises. Three years later Tyrone’s dad marries another woman and Lola knows it is over. Tucking her tail between her legs and comes back home; she is now, a bitter disgraced woman.  Coming back, Tyrone and the cousin...Well they are now addicted to heroin. 

At seventeen, Tyrone finds out that his mother has been hiding a brother from him, causing Tyrone to spiral deeper into depression, and using heroin, on top of hating his mother.  As an adult, Tyrone is tall and handsome; but he has become a mean cold-hearted pimp. He produce many children, and an abuser of women. {He has children by them, beats them up, and one woman, he actually breaks he arm with a baseball bat; and he’s still a heroin addict} All of his children are by different women and at last count, he has six} But through it all, he keeps a job at one of the largest automobile corporations in America. A  Demon of his childhood pain, depression, and unhappiness sits on Tyrone’s shoulders at the right time; and Tyrone dies in the bathroom at 48 years old, with a needle in his arm, while getting ready for work}

Chapter 3...Back to the Present.

Going home:

On the way home, JJ stops at a pussy willow tree in the yard of someone’s house. She taking out her switchblade reaches over the fence, cutting off a couple of the long branches. {A tradition she performs whenever she is being particularly nasty}. Many times Tobie wishes that the owner would come out of their house and yell, get yo’ ass out of my yard!’ oops, that never happens. Turning to Tobie JJ says, Now walk and I better not catch up with you not once."  Tobie has been hit nine times By the time, they reach the store in the neighborhood where they live.

Eleven am, and they go into the store.  JJ walks to the meat counter and tells the grocer, Yeah, I want 2 slices of bologny and 4 slices of bread. the grocer fills her order and asks,’ is that all? JJ replies, Yeah, that’s it. JJ pays the man 35 cents. In the meantime, Tobie is standing by the large glass candy case gazing at all the shelves of candy - wishing she could get some, but she knows that JJ will never buy her any candy. 

As they are leaving the store, the grocer calls out, aaah...hey, hey little girl! Tobie looks back, and the man is holding out his hand full of candy! Seeing that it is something free, JJ pushes Tobie towards the man. Tobie stumbles up to him and he gives her the  candy. Tobie says,.  Tobie says, Thank you so very much!’  The man’s mouth drop open; he was not expecting such perfect manners from Tobie. He says, "why yo’ welcome! Meanwhile, the squatters in his store crack up laughing at the owner’s face.

When JJ and Tobie arrive at their house, JJ walks up the three broken cement steps, gets her key out of her pocket and opens the door. She steps just inside the doorway, throws the bag of food towards the table, {misses}, and says, There’s yer dinner, now, I gotta go take care of something. I will be back in a minute, {the lie Tobie knows her for} before leaving, she tells Tobie the mantra she never fails to say, and you bet not open this g#$#da#$ door for nobody yer hear me?  Tobie also says her mantra, Yes ma’am." as Tobie opens her mouth to ask JJ something... but she is too late; JJ quickly takes a step backwards and shuts the door; leaving Tobie standing in the room looking at the closed door. Tobie says aloud, ‘but, it’s not my dinner time!’

Tobie turns around and around in the floor until she is dizzy. She is mad. After the dizziness passes, she walks to where JJ had tossed the bag and picks it up off the floor, placing it on the table. Tired and filled with defeat, Tobie goes over to her corner of the room to where she stores her found books, pencils, and paper; it is where she sleeps. Picking through her stuff, she gets the one book she wants. Standing up, she sighs and takes them to the chair, and places them in the seat. Picking up the chair she takes it over by the one window they have in the room opens it and starts practicing the symbols out of the book. 

The symbols she writes are from an old secretary’s shorthand book Tobie finds one day while snooping through the stuff on the floor of the closet while trying to fill her time doing something or just anything. Now she reads it religiously, and {oops, she can’t read}  at night, one can always find Tobie with her little head buried in the book, a pencil in her hand, concentrating on making the symbols.}

Tobie’s Past

{A long time ago, when Tobie was two going on three is when JJ begins to leave her at the rooming house alone. In the beginning, Tobie would cry herself into exhaustion, stop, and  cry some more. She cries so much, that sometimes she feels like she can’t breathe and she gets dizzy in her head.  It was scary sitting in the dark, and especially so, knowing that roaches and water bugs are crawling rampant the room.

A few days of sitting in the dark room, being scared to her wits end; Tobie decides to open the door allowing the foyer’s light to shine into her room; pushing back some of the darkness that scares her so much. She knows she is disobeying JJ’s mantra, ya betta not open this door!  Oh, how she hates that phrase she, but now, she does not care anymore.

As the days go by, Tobie knows she has to accept her situation and she quit crying. Her mother did not seem to care about her. Tobie figures out by intuition, if JJ will return at night and when she would come home in the daytime; she has figured out that she does not always get to eat every night, or in the morning depending on when JJ finally gets home.  When JJ does come home, she brings the same two slices of bologna and bread; then she falls on her bed and sleeps until she goes back out into the streets again. 

Because of JJ’s inconsistency of feeding Tobie, Tobie only eats one piece of meat and two pieces of bread when JJ does bring her food. Tobie had learned that she should save half of her meal, in case JJ does not come home by nightfall or the next day.  Sometimes it goes awry; JJ does not come home at night or in the morning.

It is on one of these days when Tobie is so hungry that she sneaks out the front door and goes around to the backyard, hoping to find something to eat. {Maybe someone left something on the ground. {She is desperate}}. Never having been in the backyard before, she sees the steps to the back of the house and sits down. Her stomach growling so badly that she bends over to stop the cramping pains. With her head down, she turns her head and spots some vines on a fence. There are a few green grapes hanging from the vines. Getting up she picks off a green grape and pops it in her mouth; but she can barely chew it because it is too sour against her teeth Then she decides to try the vines. {No one has told her she could eat these vines, she just takes a chance; God is with her}. She breaks one off from the fence. Putting it in her mouth, she chews it and finds it is bearable. Tobie’s eyes squeeze tight as the bittersweet juices spreads across her tongue, and run down her throat.

Opening her eyes, Tobie says, whew! That was good! eating more of the vines; she fools herself and her stomach by thinking that it’s food and she is full.

The Rooming House; a place of residence where the only reference needed, is money to pay.

Yes, .JJ and Tobie live in a rooming house the same place JJ acquired when she was nineteen, two years before she gives birth to Theola.

The House: Hunger Prevails:

The house was built in the late 1860’s . The whole house cores is a central spiral staircase that lead to the rest of the residents

Tobie wakes up and she is sooo hungry; JJ has not been home for two days; and her stomach is growling so hard, she is literally getting sick. The front door is open and she smells someone cooking bacon and that making her dilemma of being hungry even worse.  Tobie is so desperate, that she does the next best thing...she goes begging. {Truly, it is a blessing for Tobie that she picks the right people to talk to and to beg from.  She did a very good job for a three year old; and this is when she meets the ‘Teacher’ and the young man who lives just above her room}.  

Standing up out of the chair, she walks to the door and stands in her doorway.  Straight ahead, across the foyer, is a door to another apartment room; but no one lives there. She walks out of the doorway and stands in the foyer staring up the stairwell where the food smell is coming from.  She grabs the banister  and starts climbing up the stairs. The first flight of steps ends on a platform at a window, which allows you to see the side of the next-door house. Scared because she has to ask for food, she stands there a second and looks out the window, trying to get her nerve up. 

The Occupants, the 17-23 year-old & the Teacher her Posse’dant {her friend and savior}

Turning away from the window, she goes up the next flight of steps and she comes to another platform and four more steps.  She runs up them and to her right, there is a door open. Peeking around she sees a man {17-22 years old}, and she walks up to his doorway.