Read Southern Gods for Free Online Page B

love and they became friends, the daughters of servant and landowner. They had grown up together under Alice’s mother’s watchful eye, until the day that Alice had grown old enough to assist her mother and Maggie needed to go home to Memphis to attend her parents.
    Sarah exited the car. Alice ran down the steps, and they hugged fiercely, holding each other for a long while. Alice said, “Ooh, girl. It’s been too long since you been back. Come on inside, I’ve made your favorite. And who might this be?”
    Alice broke from Sarah and turned toward the car; Fran stood frozen on the white gravel of the drive, a hesitant smile curling her lips.
    “Alice, let me introduce you to my daughter, Franny.” Sarah nodded from woman to child and said, “And Franny, this here’s Alice, who I told you about.”
    “Mommy says you talk in your sleep.”
    The women laughed, and Alice said to her while looking at Sarah, “Only when your momma ain’t here to kick me. But, Lord, girl, are you fair.” Alice reached out and touched Franny’s shining hair. “Child, you look like you swallowed a hundred-watt bulb.” Alice squatted on her knees and whispered, mock theatrical, “Franny, can I tell you a secret?”
    Franny nodded, her eyes big.
    “There’s some kids hiding on that side of the house,” Alice said, flipping her head toward the corner. “And they’ve been waiting to show you the peafowl.”
    Squeals and laughter came from the side of the house, children caught hiding. Then, with yelps and high-pitched whoops, two children rounded the corner of the old house and barreled toward the driveway, jumping and waving their arms. Franny ran to meet them, squealing too. When she neared the two older children, she stopped short, like a puppy encountering a larger, unfamiliar dog.
    The girl put her hands on her hips proudly, while the boy did a nervous dance, hopping from one foot to the other.
    “My name’s Fisk, and she’s—”
    “Fool! I can introduce myself. My name’s—”
    “Lenora,” Fisk said, beaming. “She’s my sister.”
    “And he’s my idiot brother, Fisk.”
    Fisk turned on his older sister. “It gonna be real funny when Fran watches me knock you on your butt.”
    Lenora stepped away, and looked at Fisk, down her nose. “Yeah. Go on and try it, lil man. Fran here’ll be laughing when I put you on your back.”
    Lenora raised a fist as though she was going to hit her brother in the face; Fisk stared at her, unblinking.
    “You gonna do it?” he asked. Lenora turned away, shaking her head. Franny turned to glance at Sarah with a look that said, “What am I supposed to do here?”
    The children, caught in a patch of sunlight, took turns shaking Franny’s small hand, grinning big. They matched, somehow, the dark-skinned brother and sister and the bright, luminous little girl.
    Fisk jittered, moving left and right, hopping.
    “We got some peafowl,” he said, sticking out his chest.
    “We ain’t got no peafowl, Fisk. Her gramma do, and we just take care of ’em.”
    “Well, there’s some peafowl here. You’re gonna love ’em, though don’t mess with the big boy, Ole Phemus. Only got one eye, and he’s meaner than the Devil.”
    Franny asked, “Peafowl?”
    “Yeah, you know. Peacocks? Big fan tail, all green and blue and pink. Come on, we’ll show you.”
    Franny looked at her mother again. Sarah mouthed the word “go,” giving a shooing motion with her hands. The children dashed off, running back around the house, flapping arms, singing, laughing.
    Alice called, “Stay by the Big House, y’all! And there’s a yellow jacket nest by the shed! Make sure Franny don’t get near them! You hear me Fisk? Lenora!”
    Sarah followed Alice up onto the porch, into the house, walking through the quiet rooms, footfalls soft on the ancient weathered rugs. She’d heard those soft sounds a million times before but now they seemed new. She looked at her old home as if she’d never seen it before.