A chapter from childhood

After raiding the candy jar tucked back in the corner of that third shelf in the pantry, we broke out of the house like gangbusters, too hot to catch the screen door that slammed behind us waking up Auntie.

I had just made it out of the yard, and was closing the gate behind me when I looked up and saw her standing on the steps with her housecoat open, bra and panties showing; eyes bloodshot from anger and a six pack she murdered.

"Gitcho ass back in here!" she cussed through gritted teeth, and I ain't had no choice. I looked in vain at the backs of the others disappearing round the corner, and sunk down in my shoulders.

"And close that got damned gate!" she spit as I started that long walk up the broken pavement to the house.

"Running in and out this house... I told y'all asses I'se trying ta sleep." She broiled as I flinched, squeezing past her through the screen door. The color on her chipped toenails looked like dried blood.

"Now you can sitcho ass up in here." she said, pointing at the couch. "An if I hear another muthafucka run in and out this house, I'm taking a switch ta all y'all asses." she decreed, flipping her housecoat behind her like a cape, and disappearing into the darkness of her bedroom.

I sat my ass there til the clock sucked all the light out of the room, staring at the knobs on the television I couldn't turn on.

I don't remember falling asleep, but when I woke up, I had slobbered all down the front of my t-shirt. A lamp was on in Auntie's room and she was on the telephone. Through the curtains I could see the street lamps starting to flicker on. I could hear the rest of them through the open window. They were probably sitting on the porch eating candy and cracking jokes.

I leaned forward to look through Auntie's bedroom door... to see if she could see me... to see if she had forgotten about me... to she if she would feel sorry for me and tell me I could go out front with the others. She wasn't thinking about me. I heard her pop and peel back the tab on a can of beer as she laughed and fussed with someone on the other end of the phone line.

I had to go pee, and started rocking on the couch, wondering how long I'd be able to hold it. I knew not to get off that couch without permission.

While I concentrated on holding it in, Auntie startled me, appearing suddenly in her bedroom doorway. "Tellem I said git they asses in here." she said calmly, after taking a puff from her cigarette. "Y'all eat them leftovers in the frigerator, but you mothafuckers bet not touch my sweet potato pie." she pointed her cigarette at me.

I slid off the couch looking scared and made my way to the front door as she took another drag from her cigarette and walked back into her room.

"Yo ass got caught! Haaaaaaaa!" they all laughed when I walked around to the front. They were all gathered on the steps, swatting mosquitoes and breaking off the glowing part of lightning bugs they caught.

I ignored them and looked to see who still might have had some candy left over. Bug was the only one with a sucker in his mouth, so I asked him if he had any candy left.

"I just got this one..." he frowned, mean mugging Yvette. "She made me give all mine to her.

"Boy, shut up! You too young for all that candy anyway!" she yelled at him, breaking her neck the other way to ignore him.

I hated every last one of them. Ain't nobody saved me no candy. My lip started to quiver, but I tightened my jaw so I wouldn't cry. I took a deep breath and let it go slowly. As I let it out, a bright idea filled that space between my ears and I started grinning.

Only person knew what that meant was Yogi, and when he saw it, his eyes got paranoid. When he saw me walk around to the side door, he climbed off the front steps like a sneaky little possum and followed me.

I walked in the house and walked right up to Auntie's bedroom door. She was sitting on the edge of her bed with a beer and cigarette in one hand and the phone in the other. I knew not to interrupt her and just stood there waiting. Yogi didn't dare stand behind me and risk being seen, so he climbed up on the couch and kept quiet.

It dawned on me that Auntie hadn't been talking and I thought it was a long time for her to be listening to someone. Then I realized she wasn't even on the phone. She looked up and asked absently if we had eaten. I took a deep breath and lied.

"Vette and them said they ain't feel like coming in yet..." I said, my face getting hot with fear.

It didn't seem to register at first. She got up slowly and put the phone back on the base and set her beer on her dresser with about three or four other empty cans. Then she opened up her drawer and my face started stretching at the corners of my mouth. She pulled out a belt and slid her feet into her fluffy house shoes before walking past me and out the door.

Yogi sat wide eyed knowing what was about to go down. I could've counted the heartbeats, but I didn't. I just ran to the open window and pressed my ear against the screen. Suddenly all hell broke loose. Screaming and cussing and tumbling and scrambling. In my mind I pictured what it looked like and got giddy.

Served 'em right for not saving me no candy.