Read Online Freshwater Road by Denise Nicholas - Free Book Online
Authors: Denise Nicholas
Ads: Link
the way he kept turning toward her. She remembered Ramona's comment about the " high-yellow first line of defense"
at Howard. Was that where he was going with this, too?
"I been to Detroit, baby, I know. Yo' momma would shit a brick if she
knew someone as black as me even sat next to you. You a red-bone. That suntan ain't hiding much." He bumped onto the gravel shoulder, then bumped
back onto the pavement. Sweat pebbled across his dark forehead and began
to stream.
Celeste slashed him a look, then rolled her eyes so hard she thought
they'd lock into a hateful glare. "If we're fighting for rights, I guess that
includes my rights, too, hot pussy, red-bone looks, and all." She'd never
said the word pussy in her life, and now she'd said it to a honcho movement
guy. "You may be a big time civil rights movement veteran, but you sound
like a street thug to me." She gave him one more serious eye-roll and turned
to stare out the window, tears burning just behind her eyes. Shuck had
taught her well how to back people off of her, but it felt like she'd damaged
something of herself in the process. Shuck never wanted her to wear her
heart on her sleeve. Don't let 'em see you cry. All she could think now was
that she'd been in Mississippi a full week and not called him like she knew
she was supposed to do. Didn't matter where she was-she'd promised to
call and let him know she was all right.
On both sides of the highway, flat farmland spread as far as the eye could
see, vegetables wilting in the heat of midday. Giant live oaks cornered frame
houses with deep porches sitting at least a half-mile back from the highway.
Nothing moving but the car. Celeste never felt so alone.
Another sneaked glance from Matt. "Bet yo' daddy's a doctor, huh?"
"He's a numbers man. Owns a bar." The blustery air shredded her words,
and she didn't care. She mumbled, "If he was here, he'd kick your ass all the
way to New Orleans." No way he heard her, and good thing he hadn't.
Matt's head whipped around. "You jiving?"
"Why would I be jiving?" Celeste folded her arms across her chest, her
hair flying around her head, the ends slapping her in the face curling into
her mouth. Forget looking nice for her arrival in Pineyville.
"Yo'daddy's a gangster? Back-up a minute, let me take another look at
you." Matt's disbelief insulted and diminished who she was minus Shuck. "Girl, you hot. You got all kinda shit going on, sitting over there all quiet
and fine." Matt patted his hands on the steering wheel in time to some
unheard rhythm. "Bet he drives a Cadillac."
"Yeah, he drives a Cadillac. So what?" She eyed Matt quickly; suddenly
she wanted to say that as much as she loved Shuck, he wasn't the one riding
down a forlorn highway in the middle of Mississippi, laying his life on the
line for the cause. That Cadillac was safe and sound in Detroit. And so was
Shuck.
"Probably been in more gunfights than John Wayne. I love me some
gangsters." Matt nodded his head up and down, dropping the corners of
his mouth into a fake frown.
"You don't know what you're talking about." Celeste wanted him to shut
up, to get her to Pineyville in one piece and say a quick goodbye.
"Girl, you probably don't know your own father. He wouldn't tell you
everything. Want you to grow up all proper. Go to the right schools, be
around the right people." Matt was on a roll. What did his father do, she
wondered? Kansas City wasn't that far from Detroit.
"You gonna sit there and tell me about my own father? You need to quit."
She wanted nothing more than to get away from this movement honcho
who seemed like he wanted to break her down. Something in it sounded
like J.D. telling her he knew more about the blues than she did.
"All right, now, don't go getting huffy with me. We in Mississippi. I
might be the one who saves yo red-bone ass. Know what I mean?"
"I might be the one who saves yours, too." Celeste sucked her teeth.
She had wanted with all her heart
at Howard. Was that where he was going with this, too?
"I been to Detroit, baby, I know. Yo' momma would shit a brick if she
knew someone as black as me even sat next to you. You a red-bone. That suntan ain't hiding much." He bumped onto the gravel shoulder, then bumped
back onto the pavement. Sweat pebbled across his dark forehead and began
to stream.
Celeste slashed him a look, then rolled her eyes so hard she thought
they'd lock into a hateful glare. "If we're fighting for rights, I guess that
includes my rights, too, hot pussy, red-bone looks, and all." She'd never
said the word pussy in her life, and now she'd said it to a honcho movement
guy. "You may be a big time civil rights movement veteran, but you sound
like a street thug to me." She gave him one more serious eye-roll and turned
to stare out the window, tears burning just behind her eyes. Shuck had
taught her well how to back people off of her, but it felt like she'd damaged
something of herself in the process. Shuck never wanted her to wear her
heart on her sleeve. Don't let 'em see you cry. All she could think now was
that she'd been in Mississippi a full week and not called him like she knew
she was supposed to do. Didn't matter where she was-she'd promised to
call and let him know she was all right.
On both sides of the highway, flat farmland spread as far as the eye could
see, vegetables wilting in the heat of midday. Giant live oaks cornered frame
houses with deep porches sitting at least a half-mile back from the highway.
Nothing moving but the car. Celeste never felt so alone.
Another sneaked glance from Matt. "Bet yo' daddy's a doctor, huh?"
"He's a numbers man. Owns a bar." The blustery air shredded her words,
and she didn't care. She mumbled, "If he was here, he'd kick your ass all the
way to New Orleans." No way he heard her, and good thing he hadn't.
Matt's head whipped around. "You jiving?"
"Why would I be jiving?" Celeste folded her arms across her chest, her
hair flying around her head, the ends slapping her in the face curling into
her mouth. Forget looking nice for her arrival in Pineyville.
"Yo'daddy's a gangster? Back-up a minute, let me take another look at
you." Matt's disbelief insulted and diminished who she was minus Shuck. "Girl, you hot. You got all kinda shit going on, sitting over there all quiet
and fine." Matt patted his hands on the steering wheel in time to some
unheard rhythm. "Bet he drives a Cadillac."
"Yeah, he drives a Cadillac. So what?" She eyed Matt quickly; suddenly
she wanted to say that as much as she loved Shuck, he wasn't the one riding
down a forlorn highway in the middle of Mississippi, laying his life on the
line for the cause. That Cadillac was safe and sound in Detroit. And so was
Shuck.
"Probably been in more gunfights than John Wayne. I love me some
gangsters." Matt nodded his head up and down, dropping the corners of
his mouth into a fake frown.
"You don't know what you're talking about." Celeste wanted him to shut
up, to get her to Pineyville in one piece and say a quick goodbye.
"Girl, you probably don't know your own father. He wouldn't tell you
everything. Want you to grow up all proper. Go to the right schools, be
around the right people." Matt was on a roll. What did his father do, she
wondered? Kansas City wasn't that far from Detroit.
"You gonna sit there and tell me about my own father? You need to quit."
She wanted nothing more than to get away from this movement honcho
who seemed like he wanted to break her down. Something in it sounded
like J.D. telling her he knew more about the blues than she did.
"All right, now, don't go getting huffy with me. We in Mississippi. I
might be the one who saves yo red-bone ass. Know what I mean?"
"I might be the one who saves yours, too." Celeste sucked her teeth.
She had wanted with all her heart
Similar Books
