Jocelyn's River

Jocelyn's River: Chapter 5

        “My, my, my, that is one good-lookin' white boy,” Denise commented as she watched River descend into the woods.  At least there was something we agreed on.  The result of her comment was a jealous and enraged glare from Ray.  She paid him no mind. 

        “Jocelyn?” she said as she turned around in the passenger seat to give me a curious expression.  “What's been goin' on between y'all?”

            Our relationship was something Denise would never come to understand, but instead of telling her this, I said, “None of your business.”

            “Yeah, whatever you say,” she said and turned around in the seat.  “O-o-o-o...Jocelyn's growin' up.”

            “Well,” Ray broke in, “I sure do hope you know that nothin' good's gonna come out of that relationship you got goin' with him.  All of the white folks that live here ain't nothin' but devils.”

            “Hush that fuss, Ray!” Denise silenced him.  “I swear yo' daddy tell you the worst stuff.  Good Lawd!”

              I did not quarrel because Ray was speaking out of rage.  He could not prove his belief because he did not know all of them.  From here on, it was silent throughout the rest of the ride home.  Ray parked the car in the driveway and we lingered while we struck up a nerve.

            Lying through my teeth was not my specialty, but I had to keep my parents from stressing out.  They were distraught when they witnessed me limping into the house with my arm around Denise's shoulders.  Ray did not come in.  We wanted to dodge further questions and Ray's black eye would make inquiries rise.  Ray was not in favor of my decision.  Prior to entering the house, Denise whispered in his ear and he relaxed.  I could only imagine what she said to him.  

            Just as Denise almost blurted out our issue, I sneakily elbowed her in the side.  In a rush, I explained to my parents that Ray rescued me from the water when my foot got caught in the rope.  Luckily, Denise went along with it.  Mama believed it and sauntered over to embrace me.  Over her shoulder, Daddy skeptically examined me.  He knew me all too well.  For this reason, his sermon at church service the next day was directed towards me.  He would never inform us of what his sermons would be about, but I knew that on this Sunday, it would be aimed in my direction.  It was by the last line of the sermon that I was positive.  Every now and then he would steal glances at me in the congregation. 

            “And we find the best last because we try everything else….before we try Jesus,” he finished with a long and concentrated stare at me.

****

            On Monday, I was taken to the hospital.  Dr. Allen who was a member of Daddy's church informed us that it was not a serious injury.  He examined my ankle, prescribed some pain medicine for me, and wrapped it in a white cast. 

            The following day, my parents went to work.  When my father wasn’t in his office at home or at the church, he was selling insurance and when my mother wasn’t in the kitchen, she was cooking and cleaning for the Harrington’s.  I was home all alone.  At four o’clock in the afternoon and I was sitting outside in the swing on the porch, reading a book.  It was definitely a hot summer day.  The sun beamed down and the pure white clouds swirled in the cerulean sky.

What I was doing right now was what my friends and my cousin Denise would think of as tedious.  I was a homebody, I didn’t get out much and I had very few friends down here.  Actually, I didn't have many friends in Chicago either.  Some thought of me as snobbish and anti-social.  I was more of a thinker and not a talker.