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
“Lollie does not need no garden of love. I’m tryin’ my best to keep her truck-farmin’, and you should do the same.” My mama was doin’ her very best to keep from stompin’ on Bliss’s flowers, leaves and all. S. Bliss moved very slowly like women do when they are about to do the tango:
“Aurelia, I am not always going to be here. I’m not always going to be married to Parnell, either.” Then, she stood so tall with her chest opened like a classical dancer taught right. She looked round the garden, all them damned flowers and funny-shaped leaves, and she continued: “I have never been what anybody expected, or wanted for that matter: I’m not even what I wanted.”
My mama doesn’t care where she is right now. She cocks her head, hand on her hip:
“Sunday Bliss LaFontaine, have you lost your mind? ‘Not what you wanted.’ Your whole life’s not about anythin’ but what you want! Don’t put on with me. I’ve known you all your life!”
Mama was tryin’ to keep track of what she was sayin’, she was so beside herself, but I noticed somethin’ that tripped me right out. I realized as they walked along that square sections of Bliss’s garden gave way to diagonals that kept pace with the slope of the land, and ended up in the shape of a cross. I’m tellin’ you no lie. S. Bliss, that bitch, designed a Eden that turned into her crucifixion. And my mama’s walkin’ around in it with her. Ain’t that nothin’?
When they finally got to the gazebo, at least I was relieved. Aurelia didn’t have enough sense to tend to her ownself. She’s up there askin’ Auntie Bliss questions bout her private life:
“Well, Bliss, are you sure there’s nothin’ you want to tell me? There is nothin’ the family hasn’t heard before, believe you me. You know I mean it. You can tell me anythin’.” Then, my mama, she laid back on the latticework of the peach-toned gazebo like she’d done all she had to do. And Auntie Bliss, she’s waltzin’ around like she still has one of those flowers in her mouth:
“Parnell is Parnell. That’s a constant factor. But Parnell isn’t nearly as progressive as you’d like to believe he is.”
“Bliss, I don’t want to believe nothin’ about your Parnell. I just want to believe whatever you tell me.”
“What I’m tellin’ you, straight off. There’s nothin’ Parnell Lincoln’s got that I want. Nothin’.” I see Bliss get up in my mother’s face like she got no shame at all. Bliss hisses:
“I’m sick of it. I’m sick of all of it. The posturin’, and frontin’, the fuckin’ grandeur of it. I’m sick. I’m sick and tired of it all. Do you understand me?”