Miss Clean South

Bobby couldn’t wait to get home from school that day, he was beyond overjoyed that he had made a new friend. Now Bitty couldn’t make fun of him anymore. He had finally arrived to his home, a small house that always smelled like cinnamon and autumn. The first thing he heard once he stepped inside was yelling, as per usual. His momma and his daddy always fought, his Uncle Rodger was the peace keeper in the family.

“Every day, Caroline, every God damn day!” He heard his dad angrily yell.

“Robert, don’t you dare say the Lord's name again in this house!”

The happy mood had been killed once Bobby caught sight of his mother yelling at his father, her curlers were a mess and the vein in her neck was popping out. “You better pray tonight that Jesus forgives you,” she spat at her husband.

He watched them carefully with sad eyes, he hated it when they fought.

With a deep breath Robert tried to calm down and collect his thoughts. He’d gone down to the drug store to buy a packet of cigarettes and the man behind the counter said they didn’t sell to “his kind”. Such arrogance. He was a paying customer, wasn’t he? “I’m sorry,” he said quietly, looking into his wife’s eyes. It was odd seeing a man like Robert so soft. He was a tall and built man with calloused hands and scars on his body. Any sane person knew not to mess with him. All he wanted was to be accepted and not her the N word aimed at him the moment he stepped into a room.

“You know I don’t mean the things I say,” he murmured. Caroline sighed and set her hands on either side of his face. They were small, like the rest of her. Teeny tiny. She pecked his lips quickly and rested their foreheads together, his burly arms wrapped around her middle and pulled her close. “I just wish we were accepted, I wish the kids were accepted.”

With a simple nod and another soft kiss Caroline said, “I know baby, I know. One day we will be, I promise you that.”

The two adults didn’t even see their boy pass by the kitchen and into the room he shared with his brother and sisters. He was the second of four kids. There was Bitty, him, Eleanor, and Reggie. Sometimes they fought, sometimes they held each other when the other cried. There was a lot of crying, especially with Eleanor and Reggie. Bitty and Bobby had grown used to the name calling and sometimes the more physical fights, but Reggie and Eleanor were only three. They didn’t understand why the other kids didn’t like them or why the grown ups didn’t let them play with their kids. Heck, Bobby and Bitty didn't get it.

Bobby plopped down on his bed, Bitty looked over at him with a bright smile on her face, “Uncle Rodger got us all presents today!” She ran over to the bed and handed him his gift. His heart swelled as he looked down at the baseball. It was old and a bit ratty, but he loved the sport. “What did he get you?” He looked up from his ball and over at Bitty who was busy running around the room. “I got a doll! She’s so pretty, I’m namin’ her Princess Barbara. Ain’t she pretty?”

He smiled once he caught a look of it. The doll had long dark hair and tan skin with a red, green, and white dress. “She’s real pretty.”

On the nicer side of town Demetria sat on the kitchen counter while her momma put a tray of biscuits in the oven. "Momma," she asked, "why's it so important that I know how to make biscuits?" A small chuckle escaped Lou Ann's perfectly painted red lips. "Sugar, have you learned nothing? Charlotte why is it important for a Southern Belle to make biscuits?"

Over on the other side of the kitchen sat Charlotte, her fine blond hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail, "'Cause biscuits are the way to a boy's heart." She recited. "Exactly," Lou Ann said. "You wanna get married one day, don't you Demetria? Bake 'em some biscuits and you're sure to get 'em."

Demetria sat there and thought about it. Of course she wanted to get married. She'd get married, have babies, and be the classiest lady out there, just like her momma. Her nose scrunched up when she thought about it, boys are gross; they're icky, sometimes mean to her, and just downright rude. Girls were nice though. Girls always complimented her dresses and her hair, surely they could stay up all night and talk about their dreams and give each other makeovers, they'd be so much easier to marry.

"Momma, what if I married a girl?" Demetria's curious eyes looked over at her momma and grew confused, she was stiff as a board but soon tried to laugh it off. "That's cute baby, real cute." She shook her head, blond curls bouncing as she did so. "Demetria I'm gonna tell you this and I'll only tell you once, so listen up." Her naturally light voice turned sharp. Lou Ann turned to look at her daughter, she'd never seen her this serious before. "A boy with another boy or a girl with another girl is wrong and disgusting. Thoughts like that will send you to Hell. Do you understand me?"

Demetria just nodded her head, she wanted to know why it was so bad. She knew not to ask another question, it was obvious how upset she made her momma. "I'm sorry," she said weakly, although unsure for why she was apologizing. It was only a question. Slowly she slid off the counter, being extra careful since she wasn't always the most graceful. Lou Ann just stood there and watched her youngest daughter walk out of sight. "Hope you heard that too Charlotte," she said in an unusually calm voice. Her back was faced to the other confused girl. "For I will not repeat it again. I will not tolerate any more talk of that in my house."