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“It did. But it took time. Since they don’t take Negro children.”
“How did you do it?”
“Mike, he…he worked there. Or maybe you knew that, too.”
Miss Alice shook her head. “Andie’s daddy? Well, that’s something now isn’t it?”
Cat still couldn’t believe it herself. Pittsburgh was such a small village in so many ways.
“Well, see then. It works out. He helped you—high time he did. You deserve all the help with that child. It’ll take time to help her get better and you won’t have time for this club.”
Miss Alice grasped her hand. “Look honey. We doing you a favor. Reason you singing in a club like this, is to find you a good man like I found John. You taking all this time, means other girls don’t get no chance to find husbands for themselves.”
The brown skinned girl put the plates down and went back to ironing the tablecloths.
Cat picked up a fork and started stabbing at the potatoes on the plate, willing herself to eat, but she couldn’t hardly taste anything. The potatoes were a paste in her throat, threatening to shut off her voice for good.
Miss Alice didn’t touch her plate, a reason she stayed a nice size despite her age. “It’s time you were getting a father for Andie.”
“I tried that last year, remember? And he beat on me.”
“That don’t mean you should give up. George was an idiot. Pretty woman like you, you still got looks a man could appreciate.”
“I need a job, Miss Alice.”
“You need to be married, sugar. Get yourself up out of this nightclub life. You need to be married and taken care of.”
“Miss Alice, you work in the nightclub.”
Miss Alice set down the tablet she was working with. “I’m here because this is John’s club. I help my husband in what he do. You got to do the same. Both you and Andie get taken care of. That’s what you deserve.”
The chicken tasted like sawdust, but she needed her strength, so she ate it. How much more would God assault her? Mike, her brother, and now Miss Alice. How much more betrayal should she have to take in?
“I don’t see it that way. I need a job to support us.”
Miss Alice shook her head “The job is only to get you a husband to take care of yourself until the husband comes along. You already made one mistake. Don’t compound it. You need a man with a lot of money to help you to take care of your crippled child.”
“There’s no need to insult Andie.”
“What will happen on the other side of this Cat? You got to see reason. Look, we can hold onto some clothes for you in the upstairs closet, but you’ve got to move on. Why don’t you go back to your mother in the meantime?”
“Miss Alice. You know I haven’t spoken in her in years.”
“Well, maybe it’s time. Maybe it’s us who’s been keeping this hostility going and a family apart. Go on back to your mother and she’ll help you until you find your husband.”
Cat put her fork down. She had enough. For all sorts of reasons. She stood. “I’ll make arrangements for a truck to get my stuff. Thank you for all of your help.”
Miss Alice reached her hand out and although it galled Cat, she shook the older woman’s wiry hand. “Let me count out a little to help you take care of Andie.”
“I don’t want any of your charity.”
“Look, it’s the least we can do to help. Call it leaving money.”
Miss Andie counted out a hundred dollars and handed it to her. Cat took it. She wasn’t no fool.
“Thank you.”
“Go to your mother. Things are different now.”
