Chapters (31)
- Cover
- Title Page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Room in the Dark I
- Fawns of the Diaspora Court Liliane in Paris, While Tabou Combo Whispers “Coq Qualité” in Her Ears
- Room in the Dark II
- “I Usedta Drink, Smoke and Do the Hoochie-Koo,” or What’s a Girl to Do When Her Mother Looks Like Ruth Brown
- Room in the Dark III
- “El Bochinche” es que only Fe Cortijo Knows or All the LeBron Brothers Know If Victor-Jésus María Sang Lili to Her Freedom
- Room in the Dark IV
- And Where Is Garnett Mimms?
- Room in the Dark V
- I Know Where Kansas City Is, But Did Wilbert Harrison Ever Get There?
- Room in the Dark VI
- Zoom Went the Strings of Liliane’s Heart, But Arsenio Rodriguez Could Have Told Her the Music Sounds Just as Sweet When We’re Blind and Still We See
- Room in the Dark VII
- I Know Where the E Train Stops But I’m “Sendin’ Out an S.O.S.” and I’m Not Edwin Starr Either
- Room in the Dark VIII
- “Happy, Happy Birthday, Baby” or Wouldn’t It Be Great If the Lead Singer of The Crests Wasn’t a White Boy and I Could Be My Mother?
- Room in the Dark IX
- Every Time My Lil World Seems Blue, I Just Haveta Look at You and Learn Eye-Hand Coordination
- Room in the Dark X
- “That’s Why I Love Her So and Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, I Want to Know” or Why Jackie Wilson Died in Silence
- Room in the Dark XI
- There’s No Use Cryin’ “Forever” or Hyacinthe Returns from a Very Blue Holiday for Real B(l)ack at Ya
- Room in the Dark XII
- Lollie Struts Her Stuff Thru “The Sea of Love” or the Brides of Frankenstein Catch the Bouquet
- By Ntozake Shange
- Acknowledgments
- Copyright
“And, so what are we supposed to do? Why do you all laugh at her so?” I’m mad now. I don’t like nobody to make fun of a simple colored girl. “So why were you all laughin’? Tell me.”
“We weren’t laughing at her, so much as letting her know we know something about the feelings she’s having, and that she’s not alone. You know, when Hyacinthe is not close to Sawyer she’s more likely to have fits like this.”
“That’s why I said shouldn’t we call him, now?” That Roxie just won’t give up, you know what I mean.
“Uh, yes. I think, now’s a good time to give Sawyer a ring. If he’s not at home, which he very well may not be, I’ve got an emergency number for him in East St. Louis.”
“Oh, no, you don’t either, Lollie.”
“Oh, yes, I most certanly do. We take care of our own where I’m from.” Lollie smiled a slow grin, most crazy as Hyacinthe’s, took a slug of brandy, called for Liliane and Hyacinthe to come on out to the kitchen. “We’re all going to talk to Sawyer, Hyacinthe. Liliane, bring her on, now. I don’t want to have to drink all this pear brandy by myself. Where’s Rose Lynne. Get her, too.”
Jesus Christ. Well. Moms, my mama, told me from the getgo that I was gonna have an experience, but I sure was glad I was not part of the “our own” that Lollie and Roxie looked after.
“Hey, Bernadette, aren’t you goin’ to have a drink with us?” Roxie asked. “If you sip a little, makes rollin’ your eyes much easier,” Liliane joked.
“Liliane, you quit mocking Bernadette, you hear. Just leave her alone. She’s not used to us, just yet,” Rose Lynne said with a silly smile.
I looked round the kitchen. We was all there in our nighties like in Seventeen, but it was only our pajamas let me know I wasn’t as mad as Hyacinthe and the others. Then, I changed my mind when Roxie went around the table like a half-dead chicken: “Hyacinthe, we got Sawyer on the phone for you. He’s wanting to talk to you. Right now.” How Hyacinthe grinned and bucked them eyes with glee. Now, you know, I ain’t never bucked my eyes like that and don’t wanta know how, neither. Lollie spied my attitude, started singin’ with Hyacinthe’s head on her shoulder:
“That’s why. That’s why
that’s why I love her so,
That’s why that’s why
I love her so and yeah, yeah, yeah
I want the world to know.”
—JACKIE WILSON
Room in the Dark XI
——— So what have we here?
——— A woman too tired to talk, that’s what.