Silent Girl

Silent Girl by Tricia Dower Read Free Book Online

Book: Silent Girl by Tricia Dower Read Free Book Online
Authors: Tricia Dower
Daddy? I know the number.”
    Lionel grabbed his bundle of clothes and stood. “You’re a real comedian. Can you imagine what he’d do to me if I told him I know where to find you?”
    â€œDon’t say your name.”
    He stepped into his shorts and jeans. “He’d trace my call, have me arrested.”
    â€œI’ll tell him not to.”
    â€œYou must’ve been laughing inside all this time, letting me jabber on, pretending you didn’t understand.” He finished dressing.
    Matsi could see Lionel in his yellow bus, bouncing along with the bumps on the road, steering with one hand while turning on the wipers. “If you don’t help me, nobody will,” she said so quietly he might not have heard. The marble was back in her throat.
    â€œIt’s like you were eavesdropping. I’m deeply disappointed.” He turned away without kissing her hand, without promising to come back. She wanted to rip her voice out of her throat for saying all the wrong things.
    When she returned to the contest room, T-Henry and Maw-Maw stood side by side. They looked but didn’t say anything, didn’t hit her for causing Lionel to leave before his time was up. There were no more contests that night. No more men arrived.
    â€œDoan worry bout de turnout,” Maw-Maw said later when she put the girls to bed. “No fines tonight. T-Henry gone to town, tellin all de boys bout our Hurricane Special. Next time you wake up, de place be chock a block with boys waitin f’you.” Matsi curled into herself, thumb in her mouth. How long did it take to grow up and be able to punish people for hurting you, for making you want to die? If she were the real Empress, she’d hurl lightning at Lionel, banish him to the moon.
    They laughed when she asked, Where’s my suitcase, my backpack? You’re an actress, they said, in the game, now, no need for clothes. Smile for the camera, be sexy. See the others? See how they smile? One man cocked a gun and she smiled. The gun didn’t get in the picture.
    Look at you, a movie star, they said, making her run, jump, hopscotch on one foot. She shook with shame. It was wrong to be naked with strangers. They took pictures of men touching her, men clutching her, men sticking their fingers wherever they liked. Men rude as temple monkeys wanting only bananas, making you scream, Mummy shouting: Throw them the bunch.
    Lionel had set everything off kilter. Maw-Maw woke the girls earlier the next day. Matsi was sure of it because her stomach wasn’t yet rumbling. Maw-Maw hurried them through their baths, didn’t fix their hair, didn’t get them into their costumes, and didn’t line them up behind the door. She brought them out naked and timid into the contest room where eleven men stood around a radio one man held. Matsi tried not to look for Lionel.
    â€œHow all y’all doin?” Maw-Maw said.
    â€œStorm’s coming,” someone said. “Get on with it.”
    â€œYeah,” said another, making his knuckles go snap.
    â€œOkay, okay,” Maw-Maw said. “Sit youself down, settle in real good. You face be red tomorra when dis bit o rain blow clear over de Guff.”
    No one sat. The air felt crackly, dangerous.
    â€œYou lucky tonight. F’one low price, averbody can have go-go wit all but two a de dahlin. May have to wait you turn, but nobody lonely tonight.”
    â€œHow much?” one man asked, taking a seat.
    â€œHold you water. I gettin to dat. F’you boys wantin sometin to member dis li’l bitty rain, Maw-Maw got two contest tonight, each a one f’two dahlin never done go-go afore. Boat a dem tight as Chinee finger puzzle. You aver seen one of dem puzzle?” Maw-Maw put the tips of her middle fingers together and pretended to struggle to pull them apart. The men laughed, ugly laughs that made Matsi shiver.
    Maw-Maw turned to her. “First on the menu: Li’l Lotus

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