News of the jook joint raid looked her dead in the face the morning after once she made it to Mrs. Clark’s home. It laid out on the marble table, next to her husband’s cup of coffee. Her eyes quickly roamed it, thirsty for the information it held. 

    “Georgie! Come here!” She straightened up, smoothing out imaginary winkles from her grey uniform dress before she headed towards the voice. Mr. Clark stood in the kitchen, arms crossed. At her appearance, he cleared his throat. 

    “Mrs. Clark want her breakfast in the sunroom this morning. She doesn’t want any eggs today but will take an extra biscuit or two with extra honey and butter.”

    “Yessir.” She said with a curtesy, eyes on the ground. 

    “I’ll take my breakfast normal.” 

    “Yessir.” He eyed her a bit longer than was necessary and cleared his throat again, straightening up. 

    “Hurry up now before Mrs. Clark get mean.” She nodded and carefully walked past him. Before he left her, he said something that made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. 

    “You know Georgie…you look awfully nice in your uniform. Keep it pressed.” She gripped the stove until she heard his feet leave. 

    Letting out a breath, she licked her lips. You can do this Kira girl. Just… just mind your business and keep your head down. All of this was for a purpose she reminded herself. Even as they insisted calling her a name that was not hers. As they talked real mean to her. It was all for a reason. Her fingers pried themselves off of the stove burner and she began to start breakfast, the light of the sun not yet up over the horizon. 

*** 

    “June Bug, you been quiet and that’s not like you.” He looked up to find Lily standing against the door. 

    “Jus’ thinkin is all Lily Bean.” She smiled and came to join him on the porch, letting her feet swing over the edge. 

    “Thinkin bout?”

    “Where I want Kira and I to go from here.”

    “And where’s here?”

    “Limbo.” Lily kept quiet for a while, opening her toes to let the air sift right on through. 

    “I don’t think y’all in limbo at all.”

    “No?” 

    “You made it very perfectly clear what you want. Daddy told me you did.” 

    “Mm.”

    “Said you wanted to marry Kira. Do you?”

    “Of course.”

    “A’right then. So, you put your intention out there.” He didn’t reply, instead leaned back against the porch, arms behind his head. 

    “It’s simple what you gotta do. Go out there, get her a ring and propose to her. You know, I know, hell even Mama and Daddy know she gon say yes.”

    “Who gon marry us Lily?” At that, she had no response and he sighed. 

    “What preacher you know gon marry a Negra and an Oriental? You think good an hard bout that one.” She didn’t say anything, instead leaned down to lay her head on his chest. 

    “Y’all gotta go up North to get married.” He clenched his jaw. 

    “I wish it wasn’t the case. I wish we could get married right here at home.”

    “I know Joon. But you know it can’t be done.” His eyes stared up into the clouds. 

    “Up North is the only option we have. But I’m tryna figure out where. New York is an open state. They ain’t got no anti-miscengation laws.” He lifted an arm to drape across her shoulder. 

    “I was thinkin bout Chicago.” Lily lifted her head with a tender smile. 

    “Well now you just answered ya own question.” He looked down at her. 

    “But will Kira be willin ta go is the real question.” Laying her head back down, Lily closed her eyes and took a nice deep sigh. 

    “I imagine anywhere you go she’ll be willin to go there too.” He smiled to himself and inhaled the warm air. 

    “Can’t hurt to ask her June Bug.” Pulling away from him, she stretched, lifting her arms up above her head. 

    “Maybe y’all should consider givin this ol hate state the boot. I mean…if Chicago will give y’all the life y’all deserve then I say go for it.” 

*** 

    Bending low, she tied her shoe strings tight before lifting to reach for her coat. 

    “Where are you headed to so soon?” Jumping, she looked into the face of good ol Mr. Clark, who had traded his once formal suit for a pair of relaxed trousers and cotton shirt. She felt her heart start to pulse and grabbed her coat. 

    “I’m leavin for the day Mistah Clark.”

    “You sure all of your chores are done?”

    “Yessir.” She didn’t like the way he was looking at her and quite frankly, she wasn’t in the mood for any foolishness. His dear wife had tried to throw a cup of hot tea on her and rip her cap off of her head. She’d been insulted and degraded enough for one damn day. She just wanted to go home. 

    “You know I never realized how pretty your hair is underneath that cap. It’s a shame you have to wear it at all.”

    “Mistah Clark-”

    “Ben. Call me Ben when we’re like this Georgie.” She looked up at him and found that he was starting to come towards her. 

    “Mistah Clark please. Think of your wife. She wouldn’t like you doing this.”

    “I ain’t done nothin yet.”

    “And you won’t. Have a great day.” She headed towards the door but he made it to her faster and snatched her up, shoving her against the wall. 

    “Now where the hell you think you going huh? I haven’t told you you could go any damn where. I ain’t done with you.” She could smell whiskey now that he was closer to her and felt her nostrils flare up. 

    “Let me go you pale faced bastard!” At her indignant tone of voice he grinned, forcing her arms above her head. 

    “There’s the pretty lil thing I wanna see.” She felt disgust rise up in her throat as he put his nose against her hair, inhaling it. 

    “You got a lotta fight in you and I wanna see more of it.” He tried to kiss her but she yanked her head away and lifted her knee, pleased in the pained wail that rose up from the much larger man. He let go of her arms and instead grabbed his crotch. 

    “Nigger bitch!” He hissed, curling up into a ball. She didn’t stop to see what happened next, yanking open the door and high tailing it out of there. She ran until she couldn’t run anymore. All the while tears welling up big and fat in her eyes. 

*** 

    That was the last day I worked for Mr. and Mrs. Clark. I couldn’t will myself to go back to that house, not while that woman’s vile husband made eyes and advances at me every chance he got. I knew that my days of workin as a domestic might come to an end… at least in Mableton. White folks had a way of  flaunting their influence in a disgustingly arrogant way, making sure to blacklist any poor Negro or Negra from work. As I sat in the Colored section of the train station, I tried to stop my heart from near trying to come out of my chest. To my surprise, when I made it to the train station, I saw a familiar face standing there waiting for me. 

*** 

    “J-June Bug?” Looking up into her beautiful face, he smirked at the surprise on it. 

    “One and only darlin.” 

    “W-What are you doin here?” 

    “What does it look like? I come to take you home.” She blushed somethin fierce and clutched her tiny purse tighter. 

    “How’d you know to come get me?”

    “Who else but Lily Bean?” She seemed flustered and jittery and he lifted an eyebrow. 

    “You gonna come get in the car or am I gonna hafta come put you in it?” Licking her lips, she kept her gaze on her feet, ever so mindful of the white people that surrounded them. Saying not a word, she got in the car. Closing the door, he slid into the other side and started the engine. When they were far enough away from the train station, he glanced at her. 

    “What happened?” Lost in her thoughts, she jumped and turned to look at him. He had an intense look on his face as he waited for her start talkin. 

    “What happened?”

    “Somethin happened in Mableton didn’t it?”

    “Why you say that?”

    “You actin different. Jumpy.” She could feel herself start to sweat and gripped the handle to her purse. 

    “I just wanna get home is all.”

    “Don’t tell tales lil gal. What happened?” She inhaled unsteadily. 

    “The husband at one my houses today tried to come on ta me.” He took his eyes off of her and focused them on the road, jaw now tight. 

    “What’d he do?” 

    “Joon it don’t matter now let it go.” 

    “Answer me or I swear I’ll turn around and head straight to him.” Looking at her hands, she finally answered him.” 

    “Tried kissin me when I went to leave.”

    “What else?”

    “Joon,”

    “What else.” His fingers gripped the stirring wheel tight. 

    “Commented about my hair and dress. That’s all.” He didn’t say anything for a little while and it damn near gave her anxiety. 

    “Today’s the last day you work for them you hear me?” Licking her lips, she nodded. 

    “Yeah. I-I can’t go back there.”

    “Where do you work as laundress?”

    “Beale Street.”

    “What time you get off?”

    “Quarter to three.”

    “I’ll be picking you up from now on.” She leaned over to lay her head against his shoulder. 

    “I don’t want you wastin your gasoline comin to get me Joon.”

    “It ain’t a waste and I’m gonna do it regardless. Seems I can’t let you outta my sight.” Smiling softly, she glanced up at him, pleased when he relaxed, fingers loose again against the wheel. 

    “I’m trouble ain’t I?” A whisper of a smirk teased his lips. 

    “A whole lotta trouble.” Lifting hands, she wrapped them around his arm. 

    “Thank you for comin to get me. I appreciate it.”

    “Don’t worry bout it sweetheart.”

    “How was your day since we on the topic?” He sighed. 

    “Good but long. Spent most of my time in Atlanta.”

    “Oh you go out there?”

    “Mmhm.” Glancing down at her fingers, she took a breath. 

    “That mean you try your hand at passin?” He pulled over to the side of the road, now full dirt. He didn’t say anything, just looked at her. 

    “It’s alright if you do. I mean… you gotts do what you have to June Bug. Besides, you’d look real funny only takin care of Negros.” 

    “On the contrary. I don’t try to pretend to be anythin or anybody other than what I am. They know just what I am and who I am.” 

    “And?”

    “It drives them crazy. You can see it in their eyes. It drives them crazy not knowing how to approach me. They know I’m qualified to take care of them but they can’t discern if they want me to or not.”  Lifting one of her hands, she brought it to his cheek. 

    “If they don’t then that is their loss. You make one hell of a doctor.” 

    “I got my color to thank for everything I’ve got this far. But the one thing I won’t let it do is take me away from you Kira.” He took her hand from his cheek and pressed a kiss to it. 

    “I’ma always be me and when I can’t be, I’m going to find somewhere else where I can be.” 

    “Mm.” Smiling some, he wiggled his eyebrows. 

    “Now, I want you to drive us home.”     

    “What? Now?”

    “Yes now. Move that rump.” He grinned, opening the door. She blinked as he pulled her hand, helping her to get out.

    “You’re a straight fool.”

    “Call me whatever you want to darlin. You’re still drivin.” 

    “You know I ain’t got the hang of it.”

    “And that’s why I’m here.” He said with a laugh as she pushed him. 

    Shut up gettin smart.” 

    “Make me.” 

    “Quit playin now…” The playfulness on his face started to wan and he trapped her against the car door, hands pressing flat against the hood. 

    “If you want me to shut up you gotta make me.” She gripped his shirt.

    “What if somebody drive by and see us?”

    “Then they see us.” 

    “I…I…” 

    “You gon learn that sometimes ya mouf get you in a lotta trouble.” She squared up her mouth to talk back but he caught her chin in between his fingers. 

    “Joon,”

    “Hush.” He spoke low against her jawline. He pulled one of her lips in between his, tongue darting out to tease it. He slipped hands up her thighs, lifting her dress the closer he got to her hips. She shivered against him, a weak moan of protest warming his mouth. 

    “I know you’re burning baby. I’m burnin just the same.” He breathed against her neck, taking a deep inhale. She found herself breathless and unable to say anythin back, gripping onto him for dear life. He took her mouth again, kiss deeper than before. 

    “I promise we won’t be waitin too much longer. Then we can put the fire out.” He pulled away from her, leaning down to kiss her collarbone. She didn’t say anything, cheeks too warm and throat too dry to even utter a word. Sliding into the seat, she gripped the stirring wheel as he cranked up the engine and soon they made it down the road, tufts of dust springing up the entire way. 

*** 

    “I wish they had been born in this generation so bad! They wouldn’t have as many problems as they were facin.” Tani lamented with a childish pout on her face. Fronnie’s eyes dropped to the spread of pictures that still laid scattered across the wooden attic floor. Pictures of their great aunt Lily, their Gam together, with June Bug, with those she presumed were Scat, Dipp and Frog. Smiling to herself, she motioned for her sister to hand her the journal. 

    “They’d have been a riot. That’s for sure. I can see June Bug now… some rough bad boy type with the heart of a kitten if he really liked you. And Gam… well… just Gam. Timid around others but comfortable and feisty to those she know well. Still dressin modest and feminine, careful not to let the boys see too much skin. Great aunt Lily woulda still been that wild girl… definite party type.” Tani laughed at her sister’s description of them in the present. 

    “Yeah I can definitely see her as a bonafide womanist, arm wrestlin grown men half her size and bein a total tomboy.”

    “Yeah but a tomboy that is open with her feminine sexuality. Great aunt Lily wasn’t afraid to be sexual even back then. So I don’t see that changin much if they’d been born now.” 

    “Yeah you right Fronnie but I see June Bug as more like the annoyin boy in school that make funna you and get on yo last nerve but truth is he really like you.” The girls laughed in unison before sighing. 

    “Tangie girl, what we gon do bout ol Gammy?” Tani plucked at her pajama pants. 

    “Ion know but whatever it is, it gotta be good.”

    “Mm.”

    “Her life was so rich. It makes me wonder… had she not married granddaddy. Had she still been with June Bug…how you think they woulda turned out?” Fronnie sat back against the cluster of pillows. 

    “I think they both woulda still been up to their ol schenanigans. June Bug was quite the prankster wasn’t he?”

    “See? That’s what I’m sayin!” 

    “Yeah but he also serious too and I think it’s gonna get more serious as we keep readin.”

    “You think so?”

    “Well he already settin up the stage. Being more intentional with Gammy and everythin. Even talkin with Great aunt Lily about them gettin married.”

    “You think they gonna get married soon?” 

    “I think so.”

    “Oh goody! I wanna get to that part. I’m tired of Gam and June being repressed. All they want to be in love. That wasn’t so bad.” Fronnie smiled as she picked up the heavy book and without delay or warning, she began to take the two of them back… back through Gam’s eyes. 

*** 

    “June Bug sit still fore I swat you with this comb!” Grinning, he tried his damndest as she part his hair straight down the middle with the fine tooth comb. It seemed like just another summah day in good ol Georgia. It definitely seemed that way didn’t it? Like so many times before, he sat in between Kira’s legs as she checked his head for any lice or bugs that maya come from up North. He made sure to keep clean but he wasn’t gonna refuse her… not like this anyway. In the sweltering heat, she’d peeled off her dress and sat in her shift, the thin white fabric stickin to her skin. He sat in just trousers, his shoes and socks by her pair of short heels off by the door. 

    “How short you want it?” She asked, runnin the comb through his hair once again. He’d been reckless and let it grow out, the strands touching his shoulder tops. 

    “Close to my neck as you can get it sweetheart.” She breezed fingers through his hair which was damp with water from its earlier washing. 

    “A’right I can do that.” Soon, the sounds of his hair being clipped sounded and he sighed in contentment. 

    “Gettin ya hair clipped ay June Bug?” Snapping eyes open, he turned to see Mrs. Burnett leanin against the door, smile on her face. 

    “Yes ma’am.”

    “Kira real good with them clippas. Far as I know you always preferred to have her clip ya hair than anybody else.”

    “That’s cause he like seein me like this Mama.” Kira teased, pushing his shoulder. He chuckled, cheeks growing pink. 

    “Kira just does a nice job. That she does Ma.” Mrs. Burnett smiled knowingly, delight deep in her features. 

    “When y’all git done, I got dinner cookin. Pa should be home in anotha hour or so. Think y’all be done by then?”

    “Yes ma’am.” They both agreed to the woman’s retreating back. 

    “You fixin to get me a whippin Kira girl.” He said, turnin to face her, June Bug grin in full effect. She pursed her lips, lifting his hair back from his forehead. 

    “I reckon you’ll get one a those all by your own doin.” He leaned down to press a kiss to her bare thigh, face laying against the smooth soft skin. His hair tickled her, making her grip his shoulders. 

    “Still, what you said wasn’t a lie.”

    “Mmhm I know. Now come on here, let’s get this ova with. I’m bout ready to eat.” Chuckling, he lifted and she got to clipping again. 

*** 

    “She’s grown up mighty good hasn’t she?” Standing by the door, he smoked a cigarette, watching as she went over to the well, lifting water up. 

    “Yessuh.” Her father came to stand next to him and asked for a cigarette which he gladly obliged, striking the match to light it up. 

    “Since you been back home, she look better. She get awfully blue when you away.” 

    “She does?”

    “Been that way since she was a chile. She always would ask where her Joo Buh was, snaggle teeth and all.” He laughed at the image, his little gal poutin when she wouldn’t get the answer she wanted. 

    “She loves you mighty hard Joon.” Glancing at her again as she dipped her hands into the bucket of water and spread it across her hair covered thighs, he inhaled the nicotine a bit too fast, bringing a cough to him. 

    “A’right there son?”

    “Yessuh…” He coughed again, licking lips that’d suddenly gone dry. 

    “You gone travel again?” He cleared his throat and inhaled much much slower this time, eyes following her hands as they drifted up into her shift. 

    “Right now I’m not entirely sure. I been workin down in Atlanta now and haven’t heard any news of my being wanted anywhere else.”

    “Ah.”

    “But, I been thinkin suh.”

    “Thinkin bout?”

    “A lotta things.”

    “Like what son?” She was working on the other leg when he glanced at her again. 

    “I hear doctors have more success up North. S’pecally with me bein an Oriental doctor, I can’t see there bein any real demand for me down here.” 

    “Mmhm.” 

    “Perhaps I’d have better luck up North.” 

    “I say go for it Joon. You deserve to be successful.” 

    “Thank you.”

    “You worked hard for that degree that you did. And if being away from us will give you an opportunity of securing that then I have no complaints about it.” 

    “Would you if I wanted to take Kira with me?” At that, James Burnett Jr. grew quiet. They both watched as she finally dumped the bucket over her saturating her entire body, cleaning off hair she’d missed and sweat. Her Mama came and quickly covered her with a blanket. She smiled in thanks, lifting to wring out water from her glossy wet curls. James Burnett Jr. sighed. 

    “I can’t tell her where to go or what to do. Kira gotta mind of her own and she gon do what she feel is best.”

    “But she also respects you and Ma more than she might let on. Your opinion carries all the weight in the world to her.” James smiled, a sight not seen often. 

    “I reckon it would be selfish to want my baby girl to stay with her Mama and I.” 

    “Not at all.” He disagreed as his eyes found his little gal again and this time their eyes met. She blushed a delightful shade of rouge and dropped them. 

    “I want her to be happy and if she’s with you then I know she’ll be safe.”  The two men watched as the two women headed towards the porch. 

    “She can go with you Chanjoon. Wherever your travels take you, you have my blessing.” He flicked the stub of the cigarette over the porch and reached for another one. 

    “I uh…I actually wanted your blessing for somethin else too.” James looked at him, still working on that one cigarette he’d gave him. 

    “Say it.” Inhaling, he felt a bead of sweat inch its way down his temple. 

    “I want your blessing to take Kira’s hand.” James smiled again, two times in one day and it set his heart a beating against his chest. 

    “That’s somethin I always liked about you boy. You were neva afraid to come to me man ta man.” He calmed his pounding heart with a swallow and another deep inhale of nicotine. 

    “I was honestly wonderin when you were gonna ask me.”

    “I wanted to make sure I had everything together suh. I needed time to get myself in order to take care of her the way I wanted.”

    “As any real man should.”

    “I wanna take her up to Chicago…get married there since it’s a free state for interracial mixing. And then bring her back here at home and have a weddin with alla y’all.”

    “Seems you been plannin it all out huh?” He laughed sheepishly, lifting a hand to rustle his freshly cut hair. 

    “Yessuh.” James turned to look at him and for the longest time, he just stared at him. His heart got ta thumpin but he held his gaze nice and steady like a champ. 

    “You’re worthy enough for me to hand my daughter ova to.” He let out a breath of nervousness and inhaled sharply through his nostrils. 

    “You have my blessing Chanjoon. Had it been anybody else than you I be an kilt em.” He  laughed to that, more than believing his word. Not many people could handle James Burnett Sr. But then again, not many people could handle Kira Burnett either. He did a swell job of handlin both. He outstretched his hand and shook James’ hand real firm. 

    “Thank you suh.”

    “Regardless of yo color, appearance or where you say yo people from…you always gon be one of us and you always gon be family Chanjoon. Don’t let them crackas tell you any different.” He nodded as the man pulled him close, clapping him on the back. 

    “Make my baby girl happy hear?”

    “Yessuh. I’ll do my damndest to make sure she is happy.”

    “Good man.”

    “James Burnett Sr.!”

    “Yeah honey?”

    “Bring that boy in here and stop torturing him. It’s time ta eat.”

    “Sure thing honey.”

    “Let’s go an eat huh?”

    “Yessuh.” 

*** 

    “He’s gonna marry her!”

    “All that playin they doin, they shoulda.” The girls giggled. 

    “I think it’s so cute. They want to be with each other so much but tryin to be proper bout it.”

    “I think June Bug failin.”

    “Actually, I think he’s doing a good job! He ain’t completely tackled her yet.” Fronnie said with a grin. 

    “That makes me happy. And explains why Gammy talks bout Chicago so much sometimes.”

    “Yep.” Tani yawned and began to snuggle underneath her plethora of blankets. 

    “I’m gettin sleepy.”

    “Well then go to sleep.”

    “Yeah but what if you read after I’m sleep and I miss somethin.” 

    “I just tell you bout it when you wake up.”

    “Nun uh. I want us to read together.” Fronnie sucked her teeth. 

    “Fine.” Getting underneath her covers, the two sisters snuggled close together and fell asleep, much like they’d done when they were little.