They were more like honey in a wolf’s body, arsenic in a chocolate. As a Jr. G.C., Indigo’d put those children in their places. What would they do, if she were at a party with them?

Sassafrass just wanted to go. Some Negroes. Three hours of solid Negro conversation. Not having to explain to anybody what it was she actually meant. A dance. A dance with somebody who knew the rhythm of the song. A hand that was not afraid to touch hers. She wanted to go.

Cypress kept saying the word “wassail” over & over in her mind. “ ‘Wassail’ has nothing to do with where I’ve been. I don’t think. ‘Wassail’ is non-alcoholic for these children. How can Mama expect me to go have some wassail with some rich little colored children. I’d rather see a grown man or Giselle.”

Hilda Effania knew her children. She knew Indigo was a little nervous that her escapades with Spats & Crunch would spoil her entry to society. She knew Sassafrass didn’t give a damn what kind of Colored she saw, so long as she saw a colored somebody. She knew Cypress knew too much.

Indigo’s freshly curled & pressed hair was standing all over her head when she came in the door. “Mama, I danced with Charlie, Edward, Butch, Skippie himself, and Philip.”

“That’s not all she did, Mother. She invited Spats & Crunch into the Schuylers’ house,” Cypress slurred. “They seemed to have a good time, with their hats on.”

“Oh, they did. We all did. Didn’t we, Sassafrass?” Sassafrass was on the porch tongue-kissing Skippie Schuyler’s second cousin from Richmond, who was also a doctor’s son.

“Mama, you know none of the Wheeler girls had on a specially made for them dress. Can you believe that?”

Hilda Effania gave Cypress one of those looks that means you-&-I-will-talk-later. That child had gotta hold of some liquor somewhere. In the meantime, Hilda Effania was experiencing being tickled. Her girls were great successes. They knew. Everybody else knew it. She knew it. She tried to be very serious as she called Sassafrass in from the porch, but it was all so exciting. Sassafrass finally came in from the cold.

“Aw, Mama, isn’t love wonderful?”

Cypress stood in the corner doing battements with the grace of a panther. “Mama, I want to go back to New York.”

“Mama, I think I need to go see Aunt Haydee. She tol’ me one time that all I had to do was watch the moon. & I couldn’t even see the moon tonight.”

“Don’t worry ’bout that, darling. Tomorrow we’ll all have our Christmas. We’ll see what we have to do, after Santa pays us a visit.”

“Aw Mama, not Santa Claus.” All three together.