Page 123
"That's some costume." I told her. "I bet it took you a long time to get it on, didn't it. Gerta?"
Her eyelids fluttered.
"Gerta," Rose said, sitting beside her. "aren't you feeling well tonight? Do you need something? We're here to help you. We'd like to help you. right.
"Yes." I said quickly.
Ice, who was looking at the pile of records, suddenly turned toward her, holding one of the records in her hands, and began in to sing a soft voice:
" Put on the skillet, slip on the lid. Mama's gonna make a little short'nin' bread. That ain't all she's gonna do. Mama's gonna make a little coffee too.' "
Ice laughed.
"My mama used to sing me this one. 'Shortnin' short'nin', short'nin bread.' "
Gerta raised her eyes and slowly began to smile. Ice looked at us and went into the chorus,
" 'Mama's little baby loves short'nin'. shortnin. Mama's little baby loves...' "
Gerta cried. " 'Shortnin bread.' "
Together they sang, " 'Mama's little baby loves short'nin. "
And then we all joined in to finish with. '"Mama's little baby loves short'nin bread.' " Gerta laughed.
"I never had short'nin bread," she said.
"Well, we oughta go out and get some for her," Rose declared.
"I was supposed to go out today," Gerta said. "but it got canceled, so I decided to put on a different dress and hair."
"Where were you supposed to go. Gerta?" Cinnamon asked her.
"To buy new clothes."
Cinnamon looked thoughtful for a moment and then walked quickly back to the bedroom,
"Let's sing again." Gerta said. "Put on the record."
"Okay," Ice said.
"Everyone, come in here!" Cinnamon called to us. "One moment. Gerta," Ice said.
We joined Cinnamon, who was standing at the closet, the doors wide open.
"Look at this. All that's here are men's clothes: jackets, slacks, even men's shoes." She opened the dresser drawers, glancing in each one. "Except for some undergarments and a few nightgo
wns, she has nothing feminine."
"So with the exception of the costumes. which I'm sure she can't wear long, if anyone sees her dressed, he or she would think he had seen a man," Rose said.
"Exactly," Ice said. "And that may be why she stole your clothes. Rose, and yours. Honey," Cinnamon concluded.
"She wants to be who she is, but they're not letting her." I said.
"Maybe," Cinnamon said, her eves taking on that look of deep thought again. "And maybe there's some more deeply psychological reason. I've been through the effects of depression. remember. There are all sorts of reasons for some-thing like this."
Everyone nodded.
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118
- Page 119
- Page 120
- Page 121
- Page 122
- Page 123 (Reading here)
- Page 124
- Page 125
- Page 126
- Page 127
- Page 128
- Page 129
- Page 130
- Page 131
- Page 132
- Page 133
- Page 134
- Page 135
- Page 136
- Page 137
- Page 138
- Page 139
- Page 140
- Page 141
- Page 142
- Page 143
- Page 144
- Page 145
- Page 146
- Page 147
- Page 148
- Page 149
- Page 150
- Page 151
- Page 152
- Page 153
- Page 154
- Page 155
- Page 156