Negro Digest - Freedom Archives

"Oh, my hair i~ so curly, so curly ."
Janice looked like an animal
about to attack .
`"I really do have that good
stuff," Tina continued . "It's so
curly . Hey now, ain't I got curly
hair?" she marched across the
porch with Mike and Jim .
Suddenly I was acting crazy too .
"1'm glad to see you back from the
army front," I shouted .
``We thank the Lord for your
return," Tina said . She threw her
hands up in mock prayer . "Oh,
v~e're so blad to see you back from
the army front . Yes, Lord! We're
glad to have him back . Ain't we
glad to have him back? Yes, Lord,
we is ."
"I still love curly hair," Jim said
sadly . "I just love curly hair . Do
you love curly hair?"
"Everybody loves curly hair,"
Mike said .
"Shut up!" Janice screamed,
throwing her book on the floor .
"Shut up! You say one more word
about my mama!"
"Who's talking about your old
mama?" Mike asked .
"You just say one more word,
one more word," she whimpered,
`'and I'll knock the shit outta you ."
"I'm gonna tell your mama," I
said, impressed in spite of myself .
"You said a bad word ."
Janice enjoyed herself for a few
NEGRO DIGEST March 1968
minutes . "Be too late, after I knock
it outta you ."
"I'm really gonna tell now," I
said .
"You gonna knock the shit outta
me too?" Mike asked . He strutted
up to Janice and pushed his chest
out until his body touched hers .
"Go on, hit me, I dare you," he
said as he looked down into her
face . "Hit me, hit me, I dare you ."
"You say one more word about
my mama," she said .
"We ain't talking about your old
mama," Tina said .
"Yeah," I said, drawing courage
from the others . "We're just playir_g
a game . We're just playing
army front . Ain't we just playing
army front?"
Mike thrust his face into Janice's
and laughed . "I'm glad to see
you . .
Janice grabbed him by the
throat . He tried to pry her hands
away from his neck ; she wouldn't
let go . Then he hit her in the face .
She swung at him so hard that they
both fell on the floor .
"C'mon Mike," Jim shouted .
"Get her! Get her!" Tina
shrieked .
I was shocked . Mike was on the
bottom! Janice was sitting on his
stomach, bashing him in the face
with her fist. Jim couldn't stand it
any longer . He jumped on Janice's
back and pulled her off his brother .
Then Tina leaped on Janice and
the three of them wrestled her .
Janice bit, kicked and swung her
fist wildly . The noise grew louder,
59