The Secrets of Silk

by Allison Hobbs

  CHAPTER 5

  Silk boarded the bus for Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania not knowing much about the place she was heading. She wondered if Pittsburgh was a fast-paced town like New York City with plenty of nightclubs and twinkling neon lights.

  After traveling a few hours, the bus stopped in Biloxi, Mississippi. Silk hadn’t banked on stopping until they arrived at her destination in Pittsburgh. Biloxi was too close to Louisiana for comfort, and Silk looked left and right, holding her breath in fear that Sheriff Thompson and his lawmen would bum-rush the bus and arrest her.

  She didn’t relax until every passenger had boarded and the bus pulled away. A woman with smooth, root-beer-colored skin boarded the bus, carrying a baby. Her suitcase was stored in the luggage compartment, but she was still laden down with several cloth sacks as well as paper sacks with handles. She moved awkwardly down the aisle, passing empty seats that were reserved for white folks. When she reached the back of the bus, she and her fussy baby sat next to Silk.

  “Boy or girl?” Silk asked.

  “A little boy. His name is Vernon…after his daddy.”

  “He’s a plump little muffin,” Silk commented. “By the way, are you headed to Pittsburgh?” She hoped the new passenger could give her the lowdown on the city she was considering settling down in.

  “Yes, I am.”

  “Me, too. You got family up north?”

  “My brother. And my nieces and nephews.” A troubled look appeared in the woman’s eyes. “My sister-in-law…her name was Ernestine. She was killed in an accident, and I’m going up north for her funeral.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry for your loss.”

  “She was only in her twenties, and she left behind five motherless children, including newborn twins.”

  “Twins! Now, that’s a sin and a shame for those poor babies to lose their mama before they even got to know her.”

  “It’s so sad,” she agreed, shaking her head. “My brother, Buddy…Well, his name is Richard, but we call him Buddy. He went up north eleven years ago and met Ernestine at church. They married right away. I never had the pleasure of meeting my sister-in-law, but that doesn’t stop me from mourning her loss. She was killed when a truck ran into the taxi cab she was riding in. The doctors had to cut those twins out of her. It’s a miracle they survived.”

  “What a pity. Are you gonna stay up north and help raise them?”

  “No, I can’t stay. I have a husband and two more little ones at home to look after. I’m going to stay until my brother finds a babysitter to take care of the children.”

  “Woo-wee. That babysitter is going to have a lot on her hands with three children and a set of infant twins.”

  “That’s another sad part of the story. The twins were born prematurely and they’re still in the hospital—in incubators. They may not make it.”

  “I’m gonna keep those little Pittsburgh twins in my prayers,” Silk said, practicing the name of the city she would soon call home. However, if Pittsburgh didn’t have the fast life she was looking for, she’d get out of there in a hurry and go to New York or Chicago.

  “Oh, my brother and his family don’t live in Pittsburgh; they’re in a city outside of Philadelphia—a small town called Chester. I have to transfer to another bus headed for Philadelphia when we arrive in Pittsburgh.”

  Silk hadn’t considered Philadelphia as one of her options, but it was a big city and most likely offered the bright lights and nightlife she yearned for. Perhaps Silk would also transfer to that bus going to Philadelphia.

  “By the way, my name is Clara; what’s yours?”

  Not having a fake name handy, and highly doubting if Sheriff Thompson would ever travel to Philadelphia to hunt her down, Silk went on ahead and divulged her real name. “My name is Silk.”

  “That’s an unusual name. It’s pretty, too. Nice to meet you, Silk,” Clara said, smiling as she rocked her baby.

  “Losing a wife suddenly must be rough on your brother.”

  “It is. And having so much to deal with while he’s grieving makes it extra hard. He has to make funeral arrangements and he also has to deal with all sorts of paperwork for the insurance claim. You see, Buddy stands to get double the money of Ernestine’s insurance policy due to her accidental death.” Clara readjusted the baby’s blanket and then peered at Silk. “So, where are you traveling to?”

  Double insurance money! Hot damn! Silk would be a fool not to get tight with the grieving widower and get a piece of that windfall. She took a deep breath and smiled. “It’s such a coincidence that we’re traveling in the exact same direction. I have a teaching job lined up in the same, small town—Chester, Pennsylvania.”

  “Are you kidding me?” Clara said, surprised.

  “I’ll be teaching at a private, Christian school for colored kids.”

  “My goodness! This is too good to be true.”

  Silk nodded enthusiastically and smiled back at Clara. “I’ve never been there before and I don’t know a soul. I hope I can count on you to be a friend.”

  “You certainly can. The long trip won’t be so lonely now that I have someone to talk to. I’ve never been up north before and it’ll be comforting to have a new friend along. The two of us country girls might have to lean on each other amongst all those city-slickers.” Clara laughed gaily and then covered her mouth. “Oh, Lord. I feel terribly guilty. My sister-in-law is not even in the ground yet, and I’m sitting here laughing like a fool.”

  Silk patted Clara’s arm. “You didn’t mean any harm by it. My mama always told me to rejoice for the dearly departed for their suffering on earth is finally over.”

  Clara nodded solemnly.

  “I’m sure those grief-stricken, little motherless children could use a little bit of sunshine in their lives, right about now. Wearing a long face isn’t gonna help anyone. It’s not gonna be easy, but if you can pretend to be cheerful, the better off those children will be.”

  “I think you’re right.” Clara looked Silk over. “I suppose being a Christian school teacher has taught you a lot about children and a lot about faith.”

  “It surely has.”

  “I would have never guessed you were a schoolteacher. To be honest, when I sat next to you, I thought you were an actress, on your way to the Big Apple or Hollywood to become a movie star.”

  “Me—a movie star? Imagine that!” Silk laughed and Clara joined in.

  After several more hours into the bus ride, Silk finally relaxed and stopped expecting Sheriff Thompson and his lawmen to flag down the bus and order her to get off at gunpoint. The ride to Pittsburgh was unending, but Silk used the time to find out everything she could about Clara’s brother. Clara loved to talk and eagerly shared the information. According to Clara, Buddy was a devoted, hardworking, family man who was soft-spoken and easygoing. He migrated to Chester back in ’51 when his uncle got him a job at a shipbuilding company. As a master welder and the supervisor of his department at the factory, Buddy had earned a good living and received excellent company benefits.

  It turned out that the paper sack that Clara had lugged onto the bus contained an assortment of food for the journey: Vienna sausages, Saltine crackers, canned sardines, thick slices of corn bread, and fried chicken wrapped in aluminum foil. She generously shared her food with Silk, who repaid the kindness by buying Clara soft drinks from beverage machines at the various rest stops along the way.

  “Do you have a boyfriend?” Clara inquired.

  Silk started to tell Clara that she was footloose and fancy free, but thought better of it. “Yes, my sweetheart’s name is Duke. He’s in medical school…you know, training to be a doctor. We’re going to get married when Duke starts his practice, and at that point, I’ll give up my teaching career to raise our children and be a good wife.”

  “You have your life all planned out, don’t you?”

  “Uh-huh. My mama gave me a big ol’ hope chest and it’s already filled to the brim with all sorts of household items that Duke and I wi
ll use in our future home.”

  “Are you planning a big wedding?”

  “Yes, indeed. Five bridesmaids and two flower girls.”

  “That’s wonderful; you’re a lucky girl. I wish I’d had me a big wedding, but I was already in the family way when I got married,” Clara said in a lowered tone of voice.

  “Oh, you had a shotgun wedding?” Silk teased. She could tell she’d struck a nerve by the way Clara flinched and began to fiddle with her wedding band.

  “My husband, Big Vernon, didn’t have to be forced to the altar. He wanted to make an honest woman out of me. But we didn’t have enough money for anything fancy, so we got hitched by the justice of the peace.”

  “Well, you’re a happily married woman, and that’s all that matters,” Silk said soothingly. Though it was in her nature to needle a person once she’d located their weak spot, it was in Silk’s best interest to keep Clara as a loyal friend, and so she let her be.

  As the bus drew closer to their destination, Silk stared out the window, observing the mountains, the muddy skies, the smoky air, and the sickly-looking trees. The effects of the coal-mining industry had left the city of Pittsburgh dark and depressing. Thanks to Clara, Silk wouldn’t be pitching her tent in such a dreary town.

  CHAPTER 6

  With the numerous rest stops and layovers, the bus ride to Pittsburgh had lasted almost twenty-four hours. Silk dreaded the additional five hours it would take to get to Philly. But motivated by the idea of putting even more distance between her and the lawmen of Louisiana, she purchased a ticket to Philadelphia and climbed on board the bus.

  The last leg of the trip was pure hell. Silk was hungry, but Clara’s food had run out. Making matters worse, Clara’s baby was fussy and starting to irritate Silk. Each time Clara asked Silk to hold the child for a few moments, Silk would close her eyes and pretend to snore. The only good thing about the bus ride from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia was that there weren’t any Jim Crow laws that forced them to sit in the back of the bus.

  At last they arrived in Philadelphia, and when Clara announced they had to catch a local train to get to her brother’s house in Chester, Silk was ready to haul off and slap Clara for giving her such bad news.

  In downtown Philadelphia, Silk was intrigued by the tall buildings and the many business establishments that were lit by neon signs in broad daylight. She was fascinated by the hordes of people walking at a fast pace like they were all in a big hurry to get somewhere. And she was particularly interested in a couple of colored sailors who had begun to give her the eye the moment she had stepped outside the bus terminal. Eager to explore the big city for a while, Silk decided that Clara and that big-headed baby of hers had suddenly become more of a liability than an asset.

  “I’m sorry, but I can’t ride any further—not today. My backside is sore and I’m gonna pass out for sure if I don’t get myself something to eat,” Silk said with her lips poked out.

  “What are you saying?” Clara asked nervously.

  “I’m saying…you go on ahead to Chester and get started with that funeral business; I’ll catch up with you in a day or so.” Distracted by the handsome men in uniform, Silk no longer had any interest in Clara’s brother or the insurance money he had coming. Continuing on to Chester was out of the question when Philadelphia seemed to have so much to offer.

  Clara’s eyes grew large with alarm. “I can’t leave you in this big city all alone. It’s too dangerous. If something happens to you, I’ll never forgive myself.”

  “Don’t worry about me; I’ll be fine,” Silk said, cutting her eyes at the sailors who were hanging around waiting for her to ditch Clara and her baby. “Listen, I’m gonna find me a room to relax in. I need a quiet place to study for the teacher’s exam at that private Christian school. So you go on, now. I’ll catch you later.”

  “How?”

  “How, what?” Silk wrinkled her brow in irritation. There was a lot of fun to be had and Clara was holding her up.

  “How are you going to catch up with me when you don’t even have my brother’s phone number?”

  “Oh, silly me! Give me the number and I’ll call you later.”

  Silk was forced to hold the squirming baby while Clara jotted down the phone number on the back of an old receipt.

  Carrying a suitcase, a diaper bag, and her baby, Clara ambled along. Wearing a fearful expression, she stopped and looked over at Silk several times. Impatiently, Silk motioned for Clara to move along. Finally, mixing in with the throng of people on Market Street, Clara disappeared in the crowd.

  With Clara out of her hair, Silk whirled around and flashed a smile at the two sailors who were waiting for her. “Hey, sailor boys,” she greeted boldly. “How would you two like to give me a tour of the city?”

  Taken aback by Silk’s brazenness, the sailors blushed and bashfully agreed to show her the area.

  “Feels like I’ve been traveling for a month of Sundays, and I’m nearly dying of starvation. I hope you boys plan on feeding me before you take me on a walking tour.”

  “Uh, sure. There’s a steak house a couple blocks from here,” said the cuter of the two. He was medium height, lean and muscular with mahogany skin that was complemented by jet-black eyebrows and bright, brown eyes. His pal was several inches taller and had broader shoulders, but he wasn’t nearly as good-looking as his bright-eyed friend.

  “Here you go; be a doll and carry my luggage,” she said, handing her beat-up suitcase to the less attractive sailor.

  “What’s your name?” asked the cute one.

  “Why don’t you try and guess,” Silk said with a devilish smile.

  He studied her with squinted eyes. “You look like you’d have a sweet name—something like Cookie or Honey,” he ventured.

  Laughing and enjoying the attention, Silk shook her head, swinging her bun loose, and causing her hair to fall past her shoulders. “Nope, it’s not Cookie or Honey.”

  “Give us a clue,” said the sailor who was awkwardly holding her suitcase.

  “My name begins with the letter ‘S,’ and while you’re trying to guess, why don’t you fellows tell me your names.”

  The cute sailor made the introduction. “I’m Julius and this is my buddy, Hank.”

  “Before we go to the steak house, why don’t you put your suitcase away in one of the lockers inside the bus station,” Hank suggested, looking embarrassed to be holding the battered piece of luggage.

  “Good idea,” Julius agreed.

  Silk frowned. “I don’t want to be separated from my possessions. This here is my piggy bank,” Silk said, lovingly stroking the dented suitcase.

  Julius and Hank exchanged puzzled looks when Silk referred to her suitcase as a piggy bank.

  “It’ll be safe inside the locker. I don’t want to be toting anything around when we take you out to eat and give you a tour,” Julius said, trying to convince Silk to ditch her embarrassingly shabby travel bag.

  “All right,” Silk relented. She and the two sailors went inside the bus terminal, and like a perfect gentleman, Hank paid the twenty-five cents fee to rent the locker. He handed Silk the key to locker 105. She deposited the key inside her pocketbook.

  With one arm linked in Hank’s arm and the other linked in Julius’s, Silk was escorted to the steak house with both men trying to guess her name.

  “Sybil…Sharon…Sallie,” Julius suggested.

  “Wrong answers! Listen, boys, I’ll give a kiss to the first one who gets my name right,” Silk said, sweetening the pot.

  “Stephanie!” Hank blurted, trying hard to win a kiss.

  “Nope.” Shaking her head adamantly, Silk swung her hair back and forth, tempting Hank to briefly unlock his arm and stroke her luxurious mane.

  By the time they reached the steak house, both young men had gone through every “S” name imaginable from Sapphire to Suzie. Silk was falling over giggling at some of the silly names the two sailors had come up with.

  “My name is Silk,”
she finally divulged when the waiter arrived with the menus.

  “That name suits you,” Julius said, and Hank nodded in agreement.

  Silk quickly scanned the selections and ordered a strip steak, salad, baked potato, and large Coca-Cola. Julius and Hank only ordered soft drinks, commenting that they’d already eaten.

  While Silk chowed down, her dates admired her looks and tried to outdo each other with the compliments they bestowed upon her.

  “I love the sound of your Southern accent,” Julius said. “Where’re you from?”

  “Biloxi, Mississippi,” she lied.

  “Your skin is so smooth and flawless, I bet you wash your face with nothing but Noxzema,” Hank offered, gazing at her adoringly.

  “Nope. I pamper my skin with a mixture my mama makes out of special herbs and castile soap. I follow that up with a mud mask made from Louisiana soil.”

  “Louisiana?” Hank questioned. “Didn’t you say you’re from Mississippi?”

  “The soil comes in the mail,” Silk responded quickly. She grew solemn, missing Big Mama suddenly. If Big Mama hadn’t tried to slow her down by asking for the special treatment, she wouldn’t have had to kill her. I’m sho’ gonna miss my mama, and I hope my beautiful skin can survive without her preparations.

  “You look sad all of a sudden,” Julius observed.

  Silk shrugged. “I’m feeling homesick, I guess.” She ignored the salad, but quickly polished off her steak and baked potato, and then stabbed through the chunks of ice with her straw, tilting her glass, and loudly sipping the last drops of cola. “Y’all ready to give me a tour of the city?”

  Julius and Hank scrambled to their feet, reaching in their pockets and tossing dollar bills on the table, both eager to pay for Silk’s meal.

  Outside on busy Market Street, Silk took in the sites. The marquee of the Fox Theater advertised the movie Gypsy starring Natalie Wood. She was mesmerized by the beautiful images of film clips that were displayed outside the movie house. Each time the door to the theater opened, she was struck by the delicious aroma of popcorn.