QUEENOLA BELL CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 5

Monday morning when Aunt Sybil wakes me up, I’m so excited I’m up and dressed in ten minutes. Aunt Sybil is sitting at the kitchen table when I come through the house. She tells me to sit down while she drinks her coffee. She says Queenie here are the rules. When we go into the chicken house you will work the right side while I work the left. If there are chickens sitting on the nests pull them off and get the eggs. Do not leave any eggs, get them all. When you go down the isle getting eggs always look up under the nests in the floor cause sometimes they fall out. She said I’ll pay you thirty dollars a day but you’ll be working from 8:00 in the morning until 6:00 every day, except for Saturday, but today we will do the first house and we’re leaving to go to the library. We’ll go back to work when we get back.

Well we start down to the chicken houses. Aunt Sybil has four houses, two in front and two behind if that makes any since. We get to the first house when Aunt Sybil says, oh my God. She takes off running towards the second house. I take off behind her. Someone had opened the door of the chicken house and there were chickens running around everywhere, so here we go chasing chickens. Aunt Sybil yells for me to keep on catching chickens while she goes in the house and calls the neighbors to come and help.

When the neighbors get there everyone was chasing chickens around the yard. We were trying to herd the chickens back to the chicken house. I would walk up to the chickens and say shoo then wave my hands; the chickens would take off running in all directions. I went around the lower chicken house and see David standing there, he’s all bent over, I walk up and say David what are you doing. When he raised up he was laughing, he said you are so funny, I’ve never seen anyone herd chickens like that, you really make me laugh. I’m standing there teed off at David for laughing at me, and I say well you just do it yourself then and I stomp off. David laughs real loud then.

Aunt Sybil comes and asks me if I’m ready for work after we finally got the chickens we could find back in the chicken houses. I go in the egg cleaning room with Aunt Sybil, she hands me a bucket and a pair of gloves, the gloves are cloth, she tells me to wear the gloves when I work. I ask why? She said you’ll see why when you get started. We walk out where the chickens are there are nests on each side hanging by big long rods from the ceiling. The nests are in rows, there are four nests on a row and I can’t even count how many rows are down each side, but all the way down the middle is empty. It’s like a big hall. Aunt Sybil tells me to go ahead and start on my side she would walk with me through the first few rows to be sure I knew how to get the eggs. I start on the first row. I reach in the nest for the eggs, there is more than one, I get them all, and then I do the next three the same way until I get to the end, and I walk back to the big hall, to the next row and do the same. I put all these eggs in my bucket and fill it up, and then Aunt Sybil shows me how to put the eggs in plastic flats and how to stack the flats four flats high. When I empty my bucket I had forgot where I had stopped so Aunt Sybil shows me how to mark my spot when my bucket is full so I can start where I left off. I marked it by handing one of my gloves on the side of the aluminum nest.

Well I’m going down the chicken house doing real well. I thought, then I got to a nest with a chicken sitting on the eggs. I reached in like Aunt Sybil showed me, I was pulling the chicken trying to get her off the eggs, she starts cackling real loud and pecking my hand, that’s when I know what the gloves were for. So I put them on and grabbed the chicken again, when she starts cackling again. This big rooster is standing on top of the nest he starts pecking my head and trying to jump on me. I get scared, I scream, drop my bucket of eggs and haul butt up the big isle, tripping and falling over chickens the big rooster is still behind me. I ran towards the end where the door is and just as I got at the door I trip over the flats of eggs Aunt Sybil sits in the isle. I can feel myself falling when David reaches out and catches me; he puts both arms around my waist and stands me up like I’m a rag doll or something. He starts kicking and yelling at the rooster, the rooster finally gives in and runs away. David says, are you okay? I said yes he smiles at me and told me that I had to show the rooster whose boss, don’t let them know you’re scared. I said, David that’s easy for you because you’re a lot bigger than I am. I really notice how big and strong David is when he picks me up that way, he’s tall I know, but I didn’t know he was that strong. I went back to work, we’d finish one chicken house then start on the other until we finished all four.

When it’s time to get off Aunt Sybil tells me I can go on home and take a shower. I went to the house. I walked in the bedroom to check on Lisa, she asked if Aunt Sybil was going to take her home. I said yes, she’s still pretty sick. I told Lisa to call me when she gets home, to stay in touch. I went into the bathroom to take a shower. I got undressed to step in the shower when a mouse runs out from behind the toilet, I scream and grab a towel, to put around me then I take off down the hall. David had heard me scream, he comes running up the hall and we clash head on. We both stagger and I almost hit the floor. David grabs me and asks what’s wrong. I say a big rat is in the bathroom, so he goes in the bathroom. I hear him banging around awhile then he comes out with a little mouse holding it by the tail. David looks at me and says some rat, then I notice him staring at me up and down. I remember that I only have on a towel, I get very embarrassed, said excuse me, go in the bathroom and slam the door. I can hear David laugh all the way down the hall. I finished my shower, put on a T-shirt and panties. The shirt was almost to my knees so I just wore it around the house. I was too tired to do anything so I saw no need in getting dressed. I’d had a rough day.

Aunt Sybil comes in and asks David and me if we can throw us together some supper because she has to take Lisa home. We say sure. Aunt Sybil take a shower and puts on a jogging suit, gets Lisa ready to go home, when she starts out the door, she turns to me and says Queenie sorry we didn’t make it to the library for those books, maybe we’ll go some other day okay? I nod okay then she leaves.

I notice David standing across the room looking at me again, he always does this. I’m standing here with wet tangled hair, long ugly T-shirt and just don’t care. I say David, what are you looking at? All he said was, what books? I’m getting ill by this time because I’m tired and I don’t feel like talking. I said David if it’s any of your business Aunt Sybil is going to find me some books about the birds and the bees. David looks shocked. He asks me why? I say I don’t know, she says I need to read them. He then asks me if I’ve ever been kissed by a boy. I said yes by my daddy. David wrinkles his brow and just stands there looking at me, this makes me mad and I say David why are you looking at me? He says Queen have you ever been on a date, I say no why? He said well if you have never been kissed and never been on a date it means that you must still be a virgin. I said yes I am so what? I think it’s okay to be a virgin. David said Queen its fantastic, then he walks over to me, puts his arms around me, hugs me then backs away and says Queen stay that way as long as you can okay?

David says lets cook supper, I say okay. We start looking in the fridge for something to cook. We found chicken strips, we cooked them in the deep fryer then we cut up potatoes for fries and cooked them. David looked at me and asked what I want for dessert. I said strawberry shortcake. After we ate the chicken and fries we get out some angel food cake, strawberries, and cool whip. I told David that I would fix it, he said okay I’ll watch. I cut the cake, and poured strawberries (which were frozen, we had to thaw them in the microwave) over the cake and then I put the cool whip on top but as I shake the spoon to get the cool whip off, it splatters in David’s face, I thought he looked funny sitting there with cool whip on his face, I laughed at him. He says oh you think that’s funny huh, then he picks up the bowl with the cool whip puts his hand in it and scoops out a hand full, he walks over to me and smears the cool whip on my nose, then on my checks, then my forehead, he just stands there smearing cool whip on me. When he’s finished he sits back down. I get up walk around and pick up the cool whip bowl. I scoop a hand full, walk over to David and just smear it all over his face. David gets up grabs the bowl from me gets a handful smears it all over my clean hair. Anyway, before it was over we had cool whip from head to toe. Finally we stop wasting with the cool whip and just stand there laughing at each other. David walks over to me and puts his arms around me again and squeezes me almost making my bones pop, he says we need to get this cleaned up before mama gets back.

When we started cleaning up we hear a car pull up in the yard. We thought it was Aunt Sybil, we still had cool whip all over us. We started to clean faster. We heard a knock on the door, David said come in and Faye walks in. She starts to laugh the minute she sees us. David tells her what we did. Faye looks at me and said that is so childish. I just drop my head and keep on cleaning. David asks me if I would finish up he wanted to take a shower. I said sure I’ll finish.

David takes a shower and comes back to the kitchen, I’m almost finished now, he takes down two glasses and puts ice in them, then he gets the wine from the fridge and pours him and Faye a glass. He looks at me and asks if I want some and I shake my head no. He goes to the den and watches a movie with Faye. I walk to the door and peek around and they are doing some God-awful stuff on the couch, kissing and touching each other. I almost pass out; I’ve never seen this in person before. I felt funny and I didn’t know why. I was mad at David, I finished the dishes, and I’m surprised I didn’t break half of them the way I slammed them around. I try to sneak through the den to go to the bedroom. I tiptoe across and make it to the hall when David says where you going Queen? I said, I’m going to take another shower do you mind? He said okay come back and watch TV with us when you finish. I heard Faye say no David I want to be alone with you. Before they could say anything else I got to the bedroom and shut the door. I sat on the bed thinking that Faye is mean to me I’d like to knock a knot on her head. I say to myself Queenie you can’t let this girl get to you like this, yea she’s tall, skinny and beautiful but she’s only human just like you. I get up take a shower put on my robe and go back to the den, feeling proud. David sees me come in, Faye never notices because she is so wrapped around David you can’t even tell where she stops and he begins. David asks if I’m ready for a glass of wine now. I hesitate for a minute then say sure I’ll drink a glass of wine (having never drunk before, I’m kind of nervous about this) David unwraps himself from around Faye and goes to get my wine. Faye is still on the couch and I’m sitting in the oversize love seat across from her, she looks at me and says. You didn’t bring any clothes with you? I say well I did but there’s no need for them so close to bedtime. I knew Faye was just being hateful but I ignored it. David walks back in with my wine. I take the glass and smell the wine it smells strong. I turn it up holding my breath and drank the whole glass of wine down. Faye smarts off at me and says, God girl what are you an alcoholic? David said shut up Faye she’s thirsty that’s all, he comes over takes my glass and whispers to me. Sip it Queen don’t drink it so fast. I say okay, David gets me another glass of wine. I almost have to hold my nose to drink it; in fact I did hold my nose when I took the first sip. Faye & David crack up laughing and I start to feel the effect of the wine and I can hardly keep my eyes open, but I keep sipping. David jumps up off the couch grabs our glasses and sticks them behind the love seat, where I was all relaxed and stretched out on it now. We ask what he’s doing he says, mama just pulled up. Queenie pretend you’re asleep. I close my eyes and pretend I’m asleep when Aunt Sybil comes in. She asked David what’s going on. Faye speaks up and says I was just leaving and David was walking me to the door, good night and Faye leaves. David and Aunt Sybil walk back into the den and Aunt Sybil asks what I’m doing on the love seat David tells her I fell asleep watching a movie and he would wake me up before he goes to bed. Aunt Sybil said just make sure you get her in bed okay. I’m going to bed myself because I’m beat. Aunt Sybil goes to her bedroom and shut the door. David comes over and puts his hands on my leg he asks if I’m asleep. I open my eyes and smile he said that was close, and then he gets the wineglasses and puts them back up.

While he’s putting up the glasses, I lay here and wonder what the feeling is between my legs. When David touched my leg, I felt like I was on fire down there, but I guess it’s the wine.

I’m feeling real good but I’m so sleepy. David comes back in the living room he comes over picks up my legs and sits under them, my legs are in this lap, he starts picking at me, he tickles my feet, pulls my toes just silly stuff like that. David asked how I liked my job. I say I like it but my feet sure did hurt from walking and running all day. David starts rubbing my feet gently and he asks me how it feels. I said David it feels good but why do I have this funny feeling every time you touch me? He said what do you mean? I notice David is rubbing my legs now, below the knees of course. I told him that my stomach feels funny and I get sort of shaky. I feel like I’m hot all over. David, what does that mean? David takes my hands and pulls me up to sit by him, he turns sideways on the love seat and takes my face in his hands, and he leans forward and kisses me on the lips. I started to lose my breath and I was feeling dizzy from the wine. I started to jump up and run but I started falling. David catches me and picks me up, he takes me to my bedroom and puts me in bed, he leans down to kiss me and says, and you’ve never even been kissed before have you? I said no not like that, he runs his fingers through my hair and said you have beautiful hair. David seems to be breathing hard and he’s talking so quietly. David tells me he’s never met a girl like me before, I said David you’ve known me all my life, he smiled and said yea but I never really knew you, then he kissed me on the head like my daddy does, he tells me I’m special. David gets up and walks out turning the light off and saying good night my Queen.