Chapter 17
17
B utts, Mississippi – August 1949
“Let me look at you,” Aunt Janey murmured, her smile warm as she cupped Kathy’s face in her hands.
Kathy stilled beneath her touch, blinking up at the woman who looked so much like her mother that it stung . The shape of her eyes, the soft curve of her cheeks, even the way she tilted her head—it was like Brenda in the flesh, only younger, livelier. And Lord, even her smile was the same.
Tears pricked Kathy’s eyes.
Jane kissed her brow, then they pressed their noses together, the gesture so tender it nearly undid her.
“Last time I saw you, you was just a wee thing,” Jane said, voice thick with affection. “Then I seen ya again when y’all came down to Jackson that summer. You were eight then, weren’t you?” She sighed, shaking her head. “I should’ve seen ya more. That’s on me. That’s Aunt Janey’s fault.” She tilted Kathy’s chin up. “You an Elliot, through and through. No matter how much Henry’s blood in ya, I see my mama in those eyes of yours. You’re made of tough stuff , girl, sugar and spice. You know that?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Kathy whispered.
“Aww, shucks. Come here! ”
Aunt Janey pulled her into another tight hug, rocking her slightly. “I should’ve never stayed away. I love you so much, sugar.”
Kathy held on, letting herself enjoy Janey’s embrace. She felt Janey’s breath at her temple and felt her fingers rubbing slow, soothing circles against her back.
Tears slid down Kathy’s cheeks, silent but heavy.
Big Mama shook her head from her chair by the kitchen doorway. “ Lawd, ” she muttered, sighing. “I’ll start breakfast. Y’all gon’ need it after all that cryin’.”
Janey didn’t let go until Kathy’s breathing steadied. She guided her gently to the sofa, sitting down beside her.
Kathy wiped her face, sniffled, then looked at her with hungry eyes. “Where do you live? Where have you been? Mama’s tried to find you so many times . She misses you, Auntie. She really does.”
Janey smiled, brushing her thumb over Kathy’s cheek. “One question at a time, baby girl.” She leaned back, throwing one arm over the sofa. “I been everywhere , from Paris to New Orleans, suga.”
“Don’t be fillin’ that gal up with your lies , Janey!” Big Mama hollered from the kitchen.
Janey laughed, bright and carefree. “Ain’t no lies! I got the travel papers to prove it.”
Kathy laughed too, wiping the last of her tears.
“Well,” Kathy said, voice steadier, “Mama misses you.”
A shadow crossed Janey’s face.
“We had a terrible fight,” Janey admitted. “Years ago. She kept throwin’ that Bible of hers in my face.”
“She should’ve hit you upside the head with it,” Big Mama bellowed from the stove.
Kathy gasped, but the giggle slipped through anyway. Aunt Janey slapped a hand over Kathy’s lips, shaking her head like they were sharing a secret.
“She’s right, though,” Janey muttered, winking. Then she sighed. “It’s my fault I keep running. But we sisters , no matter what. We always love each other.” She looked Kathy straight in the eye. “You know that don’tcha?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Kathy said softly.
“I live in California now,” Janey went on, smoothing out her dress. “Took me a long road—and a couple’a stops—to get back to the Delta, I tell you that. But when I heard you were here, I had to come.”
Kathy’s heart squeezed.
Janey took her hands and held them gently. “Me and your mama, we’ll talk. We gon’ fix things . I promise you that.” Then she tilted her head, studying her. “But first, let’s tend to you . Are you okay?”
Big Mama’s voice cut in from the kitchen. “Of course she is! Ain’t nothin’ wrong with Butts! This here is home for all you Elliot girls. It’s in your blood , no matter where you run off to! Hmph! ”
Janey rolled her eyes, then winked at Kathy. “Yes, ma’am. Meant no disrespect. I just wish it hadn’t happened like this.” She replied. “Kathy needs her schoolin’ .”
Kathy perked up. “How long are you staying? We building a schoolhouse. I’m gonna be a teacher for a spell.”
Janey smiled, slow and knowing. “As long as you need me to.”
She stood, smoothing down her fine silk dress—the kind that didn’t belong in Butts, Mississippi. Somebody had driven her there; she sure as hell hadn’t walked those muddy roads in those shoes. Her blue dress shimmered iridescent under the dim light, catching Kathy’s eye like the scales of a rainbow trout.
The dainty white gloves.
The stylish pin curls.
The bright red lipstick.
Kathy finally saw her aunt, really saw her.
All of Brenda’s sisters were mulatto women, fair-skinned with hair that curled or waved with the right pin set, eyes in shades of brown and hazel. But few of them were as fair as Janey.
Janey was the one who could pass.
It was something always whispered about when her name came up. Kathy had heard it growing up, she had seen the way Aunt Claudia pursed her lips whenever Janey’s name was mentioned. The rumors said she floated around passing for white , slipping in and out of places where a woman like Big Mama wouldn’t have been welcome.
Sure, Janey tanned in the summer, got a little more color on her skin, but in winter? With the right powder, the right rouge, you’d never know the difference.
And that was Janey’s weapon.
She never denied the whispers. Never confirmed them either. She just smiled, knowing it gave her an edge in a world where one shade lighter could mean everything.
Kathy studied her aunt now. The shoes on her feet were too pretty for walking Butts’ muddy roads.
Somebody had driven her there.
Aunt Janey looked like a woman of money and means .
So why had she stayed away so long?
And why now—after all this time—was she back?
Before Kathy could ask, Janey turned toward Big Mama, planting her hands on her hips. “Big Mama, you think Jensen can take on one more? I’m good with my hands.”
Big Mama emerged from the kitchen, her apron dusted with flour, hands on her wide hips. “You here to stay or play ?”
Janey pouted. “Why are you always so hard on me when I love you so?”
Big Mama squinted, unimpressed.
“Sure,” Janey said with a grin. “I’m here to stay —for a spell. Was hopin’ you had a room for me, too.”
“What trouble you bringin’?”
Janey gasped, pressing a hand to her chest. “ Me ? No trouble! Like I said, I was in California. Then I heard from my sister Izzie that Brenda done sent her baby girl back home. So, I was on the next train. Had to stop in New Orleans to see a friend first, but now I’m here.” She smiled at Kathy. “I know your mama would want me here with you. I can keep an eye on you, give Big Mama some rest. Maybe take over the cookin’.” She nudged Big Mama playfully. “You know we Elliot girls can bake a mean pound cake.”
“Mmhmm.” Big Mama folded her arms. “Butts quiet now, Janey. Don’t come ‘round here sass-mouthin’ white folks or waggin’ your tail at their husbands. I ain’t here for it.”
Janey threw her head back, laughing like that was the funniest thing she’d ever heard.
Kathy didn’t laugh.
She knew her mother loved to cook and bake, but she’d never heard her say all the Elliot girls were good at it. And there was something else… something unspoken in the exchange between Janey and Big Mama.
Though Janey smiled and spoke with respect, there was tension beneath it. And Big Mama—who was as fair as they come —kept cutting the words she threw back at her with those sharp little remarks.
There was a history here that Kathy didn’t understand.
Before she could dwell on it, Aunt Janey twirled toward Big Mama. “I can work at the laundry house! Kimmy’s leavin’ soon, big and pregnant. That’s what I heard. She got a husband, ain’t she?”
Big Mama exhaled, rubbing her temples. “ Lord help me, she already know womens business. ”
Janey grinned, throwing her arms around her, planting a kiss on her cheek.
Big Mama pretended to be irritated, but she smiled .
“I mean it, Janey,” she warned. “You start trouble and?—”
“I’m on my best behavior!” Janey swore, raising her hand. But behind her back, Kathy saw it—her fingers crossed.
Kathy’s eyes stretched.
Debbie had always pushed back against boundaries… but Janey?
Janey was something else entirely.
Things were about to get interesting .
* * *
“Hi, fellas!” Kathy called out, halfway up the dirt path.
Janey strolled beside her, spinning a lace-trimmed umbrella to shield herself from the sun. Kathy carried two heavy picnic baskets, her arms aching from the long walk. Janey, of course, carried nothing but her air of ease and elegance.
She had changed into a crisp white blouse tucked into a pair of blue shorts, her legs long and smooth, her flats the same ones Kathy had seen in Ebony Magazine last month. But what drew attention most were the sunglasses perched on her face, adding an untouchable quality to her beauty.
The moment the men saw them, their chatter died down.
Several of them smiled, shifting their stances. But soon, all eyes were on Janey.
Kathy had convinced her aunt to make the three-mile trek to surprise Ely and the work crew with lunch. Janey had only agreed when she heard Ely had a truck and could drive them back. She told Kathy stories of Parisian nights and champagne breakfasts the entire way, making her blush more than once.
“Ely!” an older man, Milton, called out. “ Come out here, boy! You gotta see this! ”
Ely came running, along with a few other men, wiping sweat from their brows as they approached. But as Kathy watched the way they stared at Janey, her stomach twisted.
The men barely noticed the food she had lugged all this way. Their eyes were all on Janey.
And worst of all?
Most of them were married.
Ely stepped down from the platform, flashing a smile. “Hi, Janey. You back in town?”
Janey grinned. “ Look at you— all grown up! Give your Aunt Janey a hug.”
Ely hesitated, glancing at Kathy for permission.
Kathy shrugged.
Ely stepped forward, and Janey wrapped her arms around him, pressing him close. The men snickered under their breaths.
“What are you ladies doing here?” Ely asked, clearing his throat.
“Big Mama made you boys a late lunch,” Kathy said, lifting the heavy baskets. “I got everything in here—fried chicken, biscuits, and sweet tea.”
“Well, damn,” Ely muttered, eyes turning back to the men.
Janey had drifted toward the other men, starting conversations with a few, her smile warm as she recognized some of them.
Kathy swallowed hard.
For a moment, she felt like the only girl in the world under Ely’s gaze.
She dropped her eyes.
“Here, let me take that,” Ely said, reaching for the basket. “That must be heavy.”
“Sure is. That was a long walk,” Kathy admitted. “Had to stop a few times.”
“I bet,” Ely chuckled. “I guess Janey couldn’t help, what with that umbrella and all.”
Kathy smirked and shook her head.
Over near the men, someone dragged out a rickety wooden chair for Janey to sit in. She plopped down with a dramatic sigh, fanning herself and complaining about the heat.
“She said she’s here to stay,” Kathy murmured.
Ely’s brow lifted slightly. “ Really? That’s interesting.”
“Hey, Milton,” Ely called, “start passin’ this out to the boys.”
“Sure thing!” Milton said, grabbing a basket.
Ely turned his attention back to Kathy, lowering his voice. “You don’t need to be walkin’ in these woods by yourself,” he warned. “Not only will the boars and wild cats get you, but the spooks too.”
He winked.
Kathy nodded, understanding his meaning instantly. The black folks in Butts were deeply religious, but where there was faith, there was also fear—superstition woven into the very fabric of their beliefs.
These farms had once been plantations, the land soaked in blood, and the woods beyond them held stories no one dared to speak too loud.
Too much suffering. Too much death.
At night, the fireflies flickering through the trees weren’t just bugs—not to the old folks. They were watchful eyes, souls lost in the darkness. Some said they were the spirits of the enslaved, still searching for a way home. Others swore they were the ghosts of those who had it coming—bastard landowners who had vanished into the night when the misery they created became too much to bear.
Out in these woods, there were things both real and whispered in fear.
Either way, Kathy wasn’t about to test the theories.
As the men gathered around for food, Janey held court like a queen, laughing lightly, making them all feel like they were the only one in the room.
Kathy, needing space, wandered toward the schoolhouse.
The walls and roof were up, but most of the work left was inside.
“What color we painting it?” she called over her shoulder.
“White,” Ely answered, mouth full of biscuit.
Kathy frowned. “It should be blue.”
The men around Ely snorted.
Ely shook his head, grinning. “Ain’t no schoolhouse the color blue. It’s white or red.”
“ Blue! ” Kathy insisted. “This is our schoolhouse. It’s better than the shack they had for our people. The kids should feel special when they come here. We do it our way. Blue. Not some ugly blue, either. The blue from the rainbow—bright and shimmery.”
The laughter died down.
Ely stopped chewing, watching her.
She walked along the edge of the schoolhouse, hands clasped behind her back, her curls bouncing on her shoulders. She was a vision, just like Janey.
Ely’s lips curled into a slow smile.
Adam, one of the younger men, leaned in. “She sure is somethin’ pretty. But Janey… damn . Ain’t no woman in Butts more beautiful than an Elliot girl no matter the age, they stay the same.”
Ely’s jaw tensed.
“Watch your tongue,” he muttered.
Adam smirked. “Oh, you sweet on Kathy?” He lowered his voice. “Y’all grew up together in Harlem. She yours?”
The truth was too bitter to say out loud.
Kathy had gotten a letter from Debbie, he was there. The way she walked around for days as if she were stomping on clouds, he suspected she had finally got the news she wanted from the Italian boy.
She wasn’t his.
She was still love-sick over another man.
But Ely knew the truth. That boy wasn’t coming to rescue her. He couldn’t protect her in this world. Only Ely could.
Maybe God hadn’t sent Kathy back to Butts as a punishment—maybe he had sent her as a gift.
One day, he’d marry her.
He’d give her the life she deserved.
And he’d wait until she saw the future he secretly planned.
“She my family,” Ely said, voice firm. “And none of you look her way. Ever. ”
The men exchanged glances, then shrugged off the warning.
Before Ely could say more, Janey’s voice rang out.
“Ely!”
She stood, brushing invisible dust from her shorts, her hips swaying as she strode toward him. The men all fell silent, watching her move, their attention hanging off of her like she’d cast a spell.
Ely quickly swallowed the food in his mouth. “Ma’am?”
Janey tapped her umbrella on the ground. “Can you take a break and drive us back to Big Mama’s? I’m melting in this heat.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Ely wiped his mouth, turning to Milton. “You in charge.”
Milton nodded.
“C’mon, Kathy!” Janey called, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “Time to roll!”
She turned back to the men, flashing a knowing smile. “See you boys later.”
“Bye, Janey,” they all chorused, practically drooling.
Kathy rolled her eyes and ran over, jumping onto Ely’s back.
He laughed, catching her with ease, carrying her to the truck like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Once inside, Ely started the engine, about to pull away when Janey leaned forward.
“How about we go for a ride instead?”
Ely and Kathy’s heads turned, surprised.
“What? It’s Saturday, ain’t it?” Janey smirked. “You should be able to.”
Ely hesitated. “Where?”
Janey’s smile faded.
“The Elliots’ place. Mama’s cabin. I know it’s still there.”
The air in the truck thickened.
“Docker boys run it now,” Ely muttered. “They run all of Butts.”
Janey’s gaze hardened.
“They wouldn’t dare burn it down,” she said. “Would they?”
Ely exhaled.
“As far as I know,” he muttered. “We go, we see it, we leave . No trouble.”
Janey’s lips curled.
“Sure,” she said sweetly. “No trouble.”
Kathy smiled. “Me too. I want to see it too.”