Parting Butterflies

Parting Butterflies

Ms O’Riley be mighty pregnant when she stepped on that bus, six months gone she was. Nobody knew what was comin’. She stumble on with her shopping from the day, the bus packed. I was on my way home from workin’ at Ms Mack’s. Our section empty ‘part from old Ms Granger behind me and the two little O’Connors opposite me chucklin’ away to their Big Ma’s for the evening.  

I watched her waddle her way through the crowd, stand in front of some girls she know. “Mary, oh Mary, please make room I gotta sit down.” She gasped, pulled down by the weight of her bags and that big baby in her belly. I knows this Mary girl Ms O’Riley speaked to. Mary Fitz be the nastiest white lady in town, nobody with any sense mess with her.  

Ms Fitz tilted her head. “Loretta, you know I don’t talk to a cheater.” Ms O’Riley be sweating real good now, the heat of the Mississippi summer gettin’ to her.

“Mary, you must know that wasn’t true. You know I never cheated!”  

“I’m sorry, honey. Head of the Women’s Community Council can’t be seen with a slut.”

 Ms O’Riley gasped, “Mary!” The bus went quiet. All I could hear was Ms O’Riley’s deep, heavy breaths.  Ms Fitz stared up at Ms O’Riley. A mist of tension hung in the air, somethin’ like before a southern storm. But Ms O’Riley turned and shuffle her way through the white people to our section.

“Uh… Ms O’Riley you can’t do that!” A strong-lookin’ white man called out. “You’d be better off standing.” She turned to look at him.

“What do you mean Arthur?”

“You’ll catch diseases an’ stuff. Especially with that baby you carrying you can’t be too careful.”

She smirked, “Oh yeah?”  I looked at her as she walked past me. She was only young, already with two chil’un and another one comin’. This all she needs. She sat at the very back bench, moving to the end to see out the window. That when Ms Fitz start up her god awful shriekin’ laugh again.

***

A few months later, I done find myself working for Ms O’Riley after Ms Mack went off on a holiday with her girls.

After the day gone by, an’ I be setting the places for dinner, Ms O’Riley come back. I go get her coat from her and I be putting it in the cupboard when she ask me the daily question, “Any phone calls for me, Coretta?” She shuffled off her shoes and into her soft slippers.

“Oh yes, actually, Ms O’Riley. Ms Fitz done called around three o’clock.  She sound mighty urgent though, you betta phone her back quick.’ Ms O’Riley look doubtful but I give her the number and she agree to call her.

Later that evening just before I be leaving I popped my head round the sitting room door and say goodbye, reminding Ms O’Riley of her pendin’ phone call.

“Thank you, Coretta. Have a good evening.” She walked into the hall to the house phone as I slipped on my coat.

“Hello? Mary? It’s Loretta. You phoned earlier today and my maid Coretta –“

I rummaged around in the cupboard for my little black bag and hooked it onto my arm.

“Oh right, yes. It has been a while since we last spoke hasn’t it?”

So as not to disturb her conversation I looked back, caught her eye and gave her a little wave. She nodded and gave me a smile. But that smile faded and her white face paled as she heard Ms Fitz’s news.

“What?...No Mary! Really? No…No…Well… Oh my I just can’t believe it. I just can’t believe it…”

Slowly I slipped out, trying to dodge the conversation I got coming.

It be a nice morning the next day, I strolled to work with the sun beaming down on my brow. But when I walk in the door of Ms O’Riley’s she march straight up to me with her baby in her arms.

“Coretta, you know anything about that rumour Mary tol’ me last night, goin’ round about the lynching of Lee Roy James?”

 I put my bag and coat in the cupboard and took her little girl from her arms. “Don’t you worry ‘bout no rumours Ms O’Riley – “

 “Coretta. You’re gonna tell me the truth of that lynchin’ rumour right now and don’t you leave put any details.” I sighed a heavy sigh; this ain’t gonna come of no good.

 “Yes ma’am, you wanna sit down?  I’ll set you up a cup o’ coffee.” I placed her coffee on the table and wait ‘til she settled. ‘Now, I heard this chattin’ to ol’ Liz O’Connor when we get talking about the lynching. Ms O’Riley you done know in this day and age our people disappear by the hands of white men too often. But Lee Roy close to our hearts. I don’t like a rumour spreadin’ Ms O’Riley and I sure don’t like this one. There are a million butterflies in the summer months but there’s always that one that stay fluttering over yo’ head when you’re tryin’ to take an afternoon nap. This rumour like that butterfly, Mrs O’Riley. But it seems - I- mean it sounds like – people sayin’ that… Ms O’Riley the rumour ‘bout town is that… the killer be Johnny, Ms O’Riley. It was your son, Ms O’Riley.”

She asked me to quit the next day, tol’ me Ms Mack ready for me back. At first I argued against it. She be needing me at this time but she stopped me - said she won’t ever forgive herself or her son. And I say, ‘Ms O’Riley I wont ever forgive him either. But you done been a good mama. Nothing you could have done to stop it.’ She smile then, and a little tear that twinkled in the evenin’ sun touched her cheek. I was sad to leave her. She probably the unluckiest, nicest white girl I know. 

But then on the bus back from Ms Mack’s last week, I be sitting still tryin’ not to move too much ‘cus of the heat, when I see her again with bag loads of shopping, clutchin’ her baby girl to her chest as she squeeze through the evening crowd. And I see the empty seat she headin’ for when Mary Fitz be there again with two other girls chattin’ and squealin’. She get to the seat and look down at them. It been a while since everybody known whose boy lynched Lee Roy and ‘cus of that Ms O’Riley been struggling to find help. But I’ll never forget what happened that day.

Mary Fitz look up at Ms O’Riley and smile. She got a sickly smile that girl. She whispered to the girls next to her while Ms O’Riley be sweatin’ and pantin’. 

Then those three girls done moved apart. Room for Ms O’Riley and her baby.

But she stand still. Frozen. Then she looked down at her little girl. She looked down at the fair whisps of hair, the long eyelashes that lay around those big, bright, innocent eyes. ‘No way am I making the same mistake twice.’ She said to herself. She look back up to Ms Fitz, look her straight in the eye and smiled. Ms O’Riley smile her sweet smile and turned.

Ms Fitz began to shout at her, “Why, Loretta you’ll never learn! That the coloured section, you’ll get your new born covered in germs, you know and I heard that if-“

Ms O’Riley sharply turned her head and shook it gently. “Shut up, Mary.”

I looked at her as she walked past me. She sat at the very back bench, moving right to the end to see out the window. And I can’t help thinkin’ that that butterfly done flied away now.