Little Black Girl Lost by Keith Lee Johnson

trouble gettin’ in there, even with you. I hear tell that’s where all the coloreds from the ghetto and the upper class whites go to fornicate.”
    â€œThe Savoy it is.”
    â€œEarl, I want you to get those guys to hurry up with the house. I don’t want to stay in the hotel for a month. I’m going to need furniture and everything. Do you mind if I don’t get carpeting? I like the floors as they are. I prefer rugs. Is that okay?”
    â€œAnything you want.”
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    Entering the Savoy, they were greeted by a short, stocky colored man with a balding head. He opened the glass door for them and smiled a professional smile like he’d done so many times that it was second nature. As they walked to the front desk to register, he shook his head. When he was sure they were far away, he shook his head again and said, “What a waste. Beautiful black girl like that givin’ it up to the white man.” It wasn’t anything he hadn’t seen a thousand times at the hotel, but each time he saw it, he would say the same thing. He turned his attention to the guests now entering the hotel.
    The clerk was on the telephone when they reached the desk. He smiled and put his index finger in the air. A moment later, he hung up the phone and said, “May I help you?”
    â€œYes,” Earl said. “We want the best room this hotel has to offer.”

Chapter 22
    â€œFreedom”
    J ohnnie opened her eyes the next morning, refreshed from a good night’s sleep in the comfortable queen-sized bed. Earl, after dipping his pole in Johnnie, swaggered home to his wife and children in the middle of the night. Johnnie turned her head to the left, looking at the clock. It was 7:30. As she lay there, she thought of all the things she had to do that day. It was Friday. School would be starting in half an hour. It felt good to know she didn’t have to go.
    Let’s see. What am I going to do first? I think I’ll have breakfast downstairs in the café. Then I’ll check out the hotel and what it has to offer. Oh, I know. I’ll call Martin and see how my stocks are doing and give him my new address. I need to catch up with Lucas too. Maybe I can catch him on the way home from school. I’ll tell him about my new place. I need to go downtown to Sears and pick out some things for the house. I might as well shop there. That way I’ll be making money even though I’m spending it. I probably better call Mama. She’s probably worried sick about me. I gotta go over there today anyway. I should probably get there before school lets out, but let me call Mama first.
    â€œHello.”
    â€œHi, Mama.”
    â€œAre you okay?” Marguerite asked, relieved she finally called.
    â€œYes, Mama. I’m fine.”
    â€œWell, when are you comin’ home? And how come you ain’t in school?”
    â€œMama, I’m never comin’ home again. At least not to live.”
    â€œWhat do you mean you’re not comin’ home?”
    â€œI mean I’m not comin’ home, period. But if you don’t mind, I’d like to see your deed.”
    â€œSee my deed for what?”
    â€œWell, Earl is buyin’ me a house and—”
    â€œGirl, that man ain’t gon’ buy you no house. All men lie like that. Ain’t you learn nothin’ from me in all these years?”
    â€œMama, I’m not a child anymore. And yes, I’ve learned quite a bit from you; especially about men.”
    â€œIf you have, why would you believe that shit about him buyin’ you a house? They all talk that shit. I’m gon’ buy you this. I’m gon’ buy you that. They just a bunch of talk as long as you givin’ it up. Then when they got enough, they gone.
    â€œWell, Mama, Earl is different, he did—”
    â€œEarl ain’t no different. Do you know how long he begged me to have you? He been wantin’ you since