The one word was a greeting meant for both of them.
“Follow me,” Bessie said with a striking giddiness. “I’m gonna show you where to put the tables.”
Honoree stared in disbelief. Was she flirting with Jeremiah? Goodness. Lately, she darted from teary-eyed and belligerent to chatty and playful in a heartbeat. Jeremiah was very different from Ezekiel. He kept silent in the company of others, unlike his big brother.
There were three sturdy tables loaded into the cargo bed of his pickup truck. One table he carried into the alley and deposited near the foot of the stairs. Another, he lugged up two flights and pushed against the railing on the platform in front of Honoree’s door. Then, after moving a rocking chair into Kenny’s flat, he dragged the last table into the kitchenette.
“We still need more room,” Honoree said in a mild panic.
Jeremiah looked from Honoree to Bessie. “Ma’am. The cot?”
“What about it?” The two girls spoke in unison.
He lifted the cot and stood it on its end, careful not to hit the ceiling. Then he placed it in the corner next to the sewing machine.
Honoree squeezed Bessie’s hand. “Excellent, Jeremiah.”
“Ma’am.” Another one-word response, which Honoree took asYou’re welcome.
“Thank you, Jeremiah.” Bessie grinned.
Jeremiah hooked his thumbs on his suspenders. “Ma’am.”
Honoree winced. One morema’amand she’d smack him upside his head. But then, she might have to tussle with Bessie from the adoring look in her eyes.
“What do you think, Bessie? How does the place look? Didn’t Jeremiah do a great job?”
“He sure did. A perfect job.” Bessie’s smile was as smooth as melted butter. “Looks mighty spiffy. I’d say Jeremiah is a swell egg.”
* * *
Partygoers arrived around nine o’clock, dropping their nickels into the bucket Honoree placed outside her front door. People she could trust, like Bessie and Kenny, collected the money. Every few minutes, they emptied the bucket and brought Honoree the loot. In between, Bessie traipsed behind Jeremiah wherever he went while Kenny wandered through the party, taking photos with his Kodak.
The weight of the coins pulled down Honoree’s coat pocket, making her happy but also sad. Was she going to move? Leave the only home she remembered and the memories of the family she’d once had?
Distracted and melancholy, she stayed in the alley, enjoying the comfort of the bonfire Jeremiah had built—as the temperature hovered near freezing.
Bessie joined her. “I think we made enough money for the down payment and a new stove and an icebox.”
Honoree’s chest closed. “Maybe. Maybe not.”
“We could be in a new house by January.”
“More likely not until spring, but—” She eyed Bessie’s belly briefly. “No worries, we’ll move long before your baby is born.”
Bessie smiled. “I can’t believe this is happening.”
“Neither can I.” Honoree paused. “How’s the bar in my place? Has Ezekiel run out of booze yet?”
“He’s gone through three crates. I helped Jeremiah toss the empties into the bonfire.”
Between the bonfire, some food, and dancing, she should thank Ezekiel for helping out. “I’ll go see how he’s doing.”
As Honoree entered the kitchenette, Ezekiel stood behind one of the sturdy tables Jeremiah had carried up the stairs. A crowd surrounded him, and they oohed and aahed like watching a boxing match. Rising onto her tiptoes, she saw him hunched forward, his head down, looking at the tabletop. Still, she couldn’t see.
She eased by a couple of large-boned fellas and a scantily dressed flapper until she stood across from Ezekiel. That’s when she got a clear view of what he was doing—a whopping surprise.
Ezekiel was performing a card trick—three-card monte and with flourish and flair. No wonder the crowd had gathered. His sleight of hand was flawless. A smile brightened his face, and his eyes sparkled, his enthusiasm visible from where she stood. He ended the trick and bowed to an enthusiastic round of applause.
