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
I couldn’t tell him none of these niggahs would believe him, give him the time of day. There was calluses on his hands, a scar over by his chin, and real nappy hair on his head. Liliane tried to talk to him. Granville moved her out of the way. He, at least, was still colored. But the ladies of the house, who sat so prim and proper judging me, didn’t ask Granville what he was doin’ with Danny’s girl. They asked was he invited and by whom. Danny was bein’ held off Granville and away from Liliane by this security guard looked like a punch-drunk ex-fighter who kept grinnin’. You expected him to smile “Yes, massa” any second to the fathers of these children who appeared from nowhere. Liliane tried to talk to Danny over the ruckus, tryin’ to find out what he was doin’ there and all. Danny didn’t betray me, didn’t say I had invited him or nothin’. Then one of the ladies, the one with processed blond hair and a passel of what must be real jewelry, ordered one of the other mothers to call the police.
I know Liliane pleaded with Danny to leave peaceably. I know after she said that she went off with Granville, her head on his shoulder like she was exhausted from all this colored mess. Danny was just standin’ there, surrounded by the fathers and the guard. The police came, talked police talk about trespassin’. I didn’t look back once. I put that ring on my finger and went to catch the Q-44 with Danny. They didn’t want the ring cause it wasn’t real enough. They didn’t want us cause we was too real. Our feelings was really hurt, you know. Liliane always stood up for us when her papa was round, or her mama. Liliane’d never made fun of a soul we knew or looked down on anybody we knew. The night was sickening still, foreign like Granville’s accent. The bus was takin’ a long time. Cars slowed when they passed like those folks could decide from lookin’ if we should even be on the corner. I’d started to cry a little, but Danny kicked a trash can, leapt up on a tree limb hangin’ by our heads, singin’:
I’m sendin’ out an S.O.S. because I’m in so much distress
And if you see my baby if anybody sees my baby
Stop her on sight
Hey hey hey I’m sendin’ an S.O.S.
Hey hey hey I’m sendin’ an S.O.S.
—EDWIN STARR
Room in the Dark VIII
——— Well, I guess I finally started to straighten some of this mess out.
——— I didn’t know things were crooked.
——— Awright, let’s lighten up on the “cute” factor, here. Okay?
——— It’s your session, Liliane. But “cute” or “ugly” is of little significance.