Chapter 4

When I finally turned 17, I visited my Granny again for the summertime ... just like always...

I was so bitter because all my friends from school talked of how they were leaving to go here and there. I wasn't allowed to leave the Bayou. My parents insisted that I visit Granny's and also learn the value of a dollar.

I got a small cashier job at the market in town working for a church friend of Granny's, Mrs. Delacroix.

Cousin Hap had come back home for the summer vacation, he'd been away at college. I hadn't seen him in almost two years, and it bothered me. I wondered if he remembered me ... or anything that had happened between us that went way beyond what cousin's were "supposed" to do...

He was my first, and I couldn't forget that.

I wanted to forget...

I started secretly seeing a 19 year old Cajun boy who would come by the market in his daddy's old blue pickup truck to drop off fruits and vegetables. Louisiana still had its ways when it came to mixing ... especially my community. Creoles always found it most acceptable to stick with other Creoles. Being with a Cajun man wasn't really seen as an awfully bad thing, depending on what Cajun family he came from. Me with a Cajun boy was not considered "WONDERFUL" at all in my own family, nor in most of our community...

Especially a Cajun boy that came from the seed of a racist tyrant daddy like Pierre Broussard.

He was nothing like his daddy and I loved when he came by the store. He was sooo handsome! A couple of times I heard Mrs. Delacroix quietly commenting to some of her friends in the store about how he made her skin feel hotter than a fire.

He was tall, blue eyed and had wavy dark blonde hair ... his name was Antoine. He had

such thick beautiful dark eyelashes like a pretty babydoll ... and a cute little straight nose that reminded me of Hap's...

I sat on the tall wooden stool, with my elbows resting on the counter top near the register. It was so hot, I could barely feel the cool air blowing from the loud rickety window fan. I looked around the store with bored eyes, at all the boring canned goods, and the rows of fresh fruit in the wood crates along the walls. The front door was wide open, bringing in the hot sunlight and the smell of dust from the road. The heat in the air was making me sleepy, and just as my eyes were starting to slightly doze off ... I heard the familiar sound of a loud truck motor coming down the way. A smile went across my face as I jumped off the stool to smooth my sundress down, and brush the loose strands of my hair away from my sleepy face.

I saw the blue pickup truck pull up out front, the large tires making dust fly in the air outside like crazy.

Antoine came into the store with three large wooden crates in his smooth arms. I ran to pull the emtpy ones out of his way, just as he was about to let them fall neatly in place with the others.

"Hi" I smiled, as he pushed them back further against the wall with his dirty work boot.

"Bonjou" he winked.

I could feel myself blushing shyly. We both stood there for a really long time not saying anything...

"Wheres the ole Misses?" Antoine asked, his blue eyes scanning the room for Mrs.Delacroix.

"She went home for a spell. Wanna go out back and talk?" I grinned...

Antoine nodded his head with the biggest grin on his face, and grabbed my hand ... pulling me out the front door with him. It was so bright outside, and we ran around to the back porch of the store, where it was shady...

and we kissed. His lips were soft against mine ... and tasted like honey molasses. He pulled away for a second, his hands touching my face...

"Beb you so beautiful" he said quietly, his intense blue eyes looking into mine.

"I need to go back inside before Mrs. Delacroix comes back" I said, looking around the side of the building and across the back road.

I ran back inside the store, out of breath. My heart was racing with joy from the sweet kiss Antoine had given me.

Antoine came back inside the store and leaned up against the counter. He was still smiling over at me, as he grabbed a fresh apple from one of the side crates.

"You gonna pay for that?" I laughed. He bit into the apple, and rested his elbows on the counter directly in front of me.

"When can I see ya?" he asked, still chewing pieces of apple in his mouth. I stared at his lips, noticing how full they were.

"Youre seein me now" I said, avoiding his real question. I felt fidgety, afraid Mrs. Delacroix or Granny might come in the store.

"No. I mean, when can I see ya away from here. I wanna take you riding in my truck" he said.

"You know I can't go no where. My Granny wouldn't allow it" I said.

Antoine tossed the remainder of the murdered apple in the waste basket, and leaned up against the counter again ... taking my hand into his. His hands were large and slightly tanned, with a few callouses on them from hard work on his daddy's farm. His hands stroked mine slowly and put them to his soft, juicy lips ... and kissed them.

"Let me take you for a ride beb. Come on ... We can sneak. Doncha wanna be wit me?" he whispered.

"Yea, I really really like you" I smiled feeling butterflies in my tummy.

"Well then its settled. When you get off work today, instead of riding with the Misses I'll give you a ride. We'll ride all around the back roads and have a good time" he grinned.

I wasn't really used to going off with boys, I never was allowed to really. It sounded like so much fun, and I really wanted to!

"Okay!" I said.

He kissed the back of my hand, right when I heard the sounds of a car pulling up outside on the gravel. I quickly snatched my hand away, as Mrs.Delacroix walked in with her snobby niece and some other lady.

"Bonjou!" Mrs. Delacroix smiled at Antoine.

"Bonjou Madam" Antoine said, slightly backing away from the counter.

"Ohhh it looks like you brought some really fresh ones today" Mrs. Delacroix giggled, bending down to pull out the new crates from the floor.

"Yes maam" Antoine said, his eyes still looking over at me.

"Tell your Pa thanks, okay cutie pie" she winked at him.

"I sure will maam. Yall have a lovely afternoon" Antoine said walking backwards, his eyes still on me like gravy on cornbread.

I looked away smiling at the counter...

I heard the pickup truck driving off as Mrs. Delacroix came over to the counter...

"Did anyone come by here today from church" she asked, her chubby hands adjusting her clip on earring.

"No maam" I said.

"Okay. Well, we are going to be in the back. I'm sure the store is in good hands with you sugar" she smiled, patting me on my narrow shoulder.

I sighed in boredom as they all went in the back room, gabbing on and on and about stuff.

Janie showed up on her little pink bike with the white basket, running quickly into the store "HEY!"

I grabbed a wrapped cherry sucker from the candy jar and handed it to her...

"Merci" she smiled, sounding out of breath and brushing the reddish strands of her hair from her eyes.

"Guess what?" she grinned with bright red cheeks.

"What" I asked, looking at her little boney frame wearing my old yellow shorts and the matching top.

"Cousin Hap is coming over tommorow! Hes gonna do some yard work for Granny" she laughed.

I sighed "So what!"

"What do you mean so what? Thought you liked him?" she had a puzzled look on her face.

"Yes I do, but not as much as YOU KNOW WHO!" I grinned.

"That cute White boy? You know Granny won't allow it. Nobody will. I even heard his pappy don't like his dating anything but solid white" Janie said, plopping the sucker in her mouth.

"Don't care what his pappy likes or anyone else really. I'm goin riding with him today" I whispered, after looking around to make sure Mrs. Delacroix didn't hear me.

"What? You can't do that? You know Granny wouldn't allow it. She get the strap on you" Janie whispered in a loud pitch ... and started biting her chipped fingernail.

"Shhhh! Do me a favor. I want you to tell Granny I stayed late at the store" I said.

"But what if you take too long to get back? Then what? If youre not back for supper, she'll have a cow you know!" Janie frowned.

"Come on, just tell her and I should be back way before supper. I just wanna go riding with him" I said, sitting back on the tall stool.

"I wanna come! Its so boring at the house!" Janie huffed with disappointed slanted eyes.

"No! Its like a date or something. Just me and him" I said.

"Okay" Janie pouted, heading for the doorway "But you better hurry up, cause Granny will tear your legs up with that strap!"

The afternoon dragged on slowly, until it was time for me to leave. I ran outside and waited for the blue pickup truck to show up. I was thinking of just running off without saying a word to Mrs. Delacroix...

but then I thought it might cause her to run straight to the phone and call Granny. I went back inside the store and watched plump Mrs. Delacroix grabbing for her car keys in her pocketbook.

"Maam ... you dont have to drive me home today. I'm getting a ride home" I said.

"From who?" she asked, looking up suspiciously.

"A friend from school" I said.

"Okay then. Want me to call your Granny and let her know?" she asked.

My heart almost jumped right out of my body! "NOO! no thanks maam. I will tell her myself"...

"Okay then sugar. You take care then" Mrs. Delacroix smiled, giving me a slight peck on the cheek, and going to the back room of the store.

I ran back out front to see the blue pickup truck in the distance. I ran down the road a bit, not wanting it to end up directly in front of the store. I ran in the grass on the side of the dusty road, waving my arms around.

The truck stopped, Antoine was smiling in the drivers seat...

"Hop in Beb" he grinned, his arm hanging out the open window.

I ran over to the passenger side of the truck, opening the large squeaky door. He reached over me to shut it. His arm was smelled like fresh soap instead of sweat and wood this time.

"You cleaned up?" I asked.

"Yea, I finished up everything today. Thought I'd shower early since we were gonna be spending time together. And you always smell so sweet ... Wanna impress you always" he grinned, pulling out a cigaret.

"Want one?" he asked.

"No, I don't smoke" I said, surprised he asked me such a thing.

He grinned, putting it back into the red carton...

"Ca c'est bon! You are a sweet girl" he winked.

We were driving for a long time on the long dirt road, which started winding into twists and turns as we got further away from the store. We reached a remote area, with nothing but trees and bushes.

"How about some sugar" Antoine smiled over at me, pulling me closer to him.

I kissed his lips, feeling his arms holding me much tighter than before. We must have been kissing and touching for hours because I swore I saw the sun starting to go down...

"I need to get back to Granny's" I said, sitting up and fixing the top part of my sundress.

"But we were only kissing and playing around? It couldn't be that late Beb" he said, kissing the inside of my wrist...

"Mmmm Fanny, you taste so sweet" he murmured into my wrist.

"Its getting late! Take me to Granny's please Antoine?" I pleaded, smoothing down my sundress with one hand.

I noticed the bottom half of it had gotten some soot on it from the floor. Antoine was always hauling all kinds of dirty equipment and stuff in the truck, and sitting it on the floor.

"Alright alright ... I'll take ya. But only if I can see you again Beb ... When can I see ya?" he asked.

"I don't know. Soon though" I said, kissing him on the cheek.

He smiled "Good enough for me"...

I was starting to panic as we got closer to Granny's house, and I was watching the sky get darker. I knew that I'd missed supper, and I was going to have to hear about it.

"Here's fine!" I yelled "See ya Antoine!" As I jumped out of the truck so fast and started running towards the house, I heard Antoine call out something like "Love you Beb!"...

I wasn't sure if I was imagining it or not, but kept on running without looking back. I smiled to myself, soooo happy that he might have said he loved me! As I got closer to the house, my heart started beating so fast.

The large steps to the porch seemed to be one thousand miles long as I slowly walked them, out of breath now.

I unlocked the door and went inside, dreading my Granny's strap.

"Where ya been girl?" Granny said, standing in the livingroom doorway with her hands on her aproned hips.

"Uhmmm ... stayed late to help Mrs. Delacroix" I said.

"Pinky and I went by there to check up on you and she said you got a ride with a friend. Who ya run off with?" she asked.

"A boy" I sighed. I knew there would be no getting out of this one.

"A BOY? What did you say girl?" Granny stamped her little foot on the tiled floor, I knew I was in hot water.

"A boy" I said nervously.

"Get in the kitchen and get some supper now! Youre not leaving this house until Monday!" she shouted while raking her firey green eyes over me.

"But Granny, please! Can I please see if Mrs. Delacroix might need some help at the market?" I asked.

"GET IN THE KITCHEN NOW, FORE I LOSE MY PATIENCE CHILE!!!" her face had turned redder than a beet, as she stood scowling at me.

I was sighing in quiet relief that she didn't get the strap or pull a switch from one of the trees out back. Instead she made me eat supper and go straight to bed.

Janie was really quiet as she slipped into the backporch bedroom...

"You okay?" she asked, smoothing her curly reddish hair down with her hands.

I lay across the bed, feeling sad that I'd made Granny mad ... and also feeling awful because I'd gotten caught. It was my own fault for coming back so late.

"So hows the cute White boy?" Janie grinned, sitting on the bed next to me.

"Hes okay" I said, sitting up with my legs folded.

"Did ya kiss him?" Janie winked, her eyes filled with excitement.

"Yea. Let him touch me too" I grinned, hugging my arms around myself.

"MMmm ... wish a boy would kiss me right now. Last boy who kissed me was an ugly boy from church. That was a year ago. I wish he'd even kiss me again, because it felt so nice being kissed" she said, looking off into space.

"Well, Antoine is definitely not ugly. I wish I could see him again" I smiled.

"Did he feel you up?" Janie whispered quietly, hoping Granny wouldn't hear us.

"Yea! I let him feel me up a little bit, but mostly just alot of kissing" I whispered.

"Kissing where?" Janie asked, her eyes widening in excitement.

"On the lips dummy. And the rest of none of your business anyhow" I whispered.

"Well dont matter ... Can't see your white boy cause your grounded" Janie said, sticking her tongue out at me.

"Shut up" I said, throwing myself on my back ... making the bed bounce like crazy...