Later that morning, she packing melons and had a vision where the fruit done split itself in half and growed a giant slice that turnt into a red mouth. First the mouth smiled at her but then when it start talking it tattled on her, got some pink juice spilling over its green and white lips, seeds popping off its red tongue like li’l fleas. Then a entire field of melons busted out laughing, along with the paranoia chickens and the real chickens of Delicious till the ridicule done got thick as mud. To be honest, I had been hanging out with some damn strange substances during that particular time. I ain’t even sure who they was. Darlene suspected that PCP or LSD had become real chummy with me. But maybe Delicious finally did have her losing her mind. Plan D meant keep working and pay off her debt and then asking to leave someday. Maybe.
A couple days after they clocked TT, while she waiting on the daily money, Darlene out on a detail and strolling down a row of cornstalks by herself, not too far from the depot and within the reach of the crew. The only sound come from the rustling of the cornstalk leaves, and she thought it’s that growing sound again, like some kinda creaky rustling, or that breathing. But then she saw a building she ain’t notice before, sorta in the distance, and she decide to test out how long the leash on her just to see.
She get out to this path that’s by a broke-down shack. Three grackles landing behind her one after the other, and a fourth one in the front, like a li’l militia ’bout to arrest her ass. Them birds would sometime come after her on days when she had to carry sacks of grain that was heavier than children out to the livestock feeders. They’d squint at her with they judgy-ass faces, probably expecting her to slip and scatter a easy meal for they ass, but on this particular day she ain’t had nothing on her that she knew they wanted, and since she knew they ain’t want nothing, it made her flip out a little.
She stared down the row of cornstalks at the place where it look like they nearly touched and spilled out into the sky. That rickety old barn be on her left. She could hear Nat whistling underneath just ’bout anything she notice at the time, surrounded by radio static. She recognize the song “Love Won’t Let Me Wait.” Nat had wanted to make that they wedding song. He loved that jam and thought it had a romantic mood but wasn’t much interested in the lyrics. Darlene thought it sounded too sexual and she objected and finally he agreed to “Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me.” But Nat kept on joking with her ’bout that first song; he couldn’t see the sexual part even though people be moaning in the middle of the song. He said it had a honeymoon feeling to it.
She stop and hunt in the sky, almost like she expect the Lord to throw him down to her at last, but today the sky staring back like a just painted ceiling. But when she drug her eyes over the ground, she saw the main grackle plant hisself in front of her, maybe tryna keep her from going no farther. Was he in cahoots with How? He made his chest all round, sticking his feathers out and opening up that spiky beak wide as a change purse. It seem to Darlene like the song and the static pouring out his wobbly throat. The whistling done become the original singer voice, like the bird had a radio stuck down his li’l windpipe.
The time is right
You hold me tight
And love’s got me high…
Please tell me yes
And don’t say no, honey
Not tonight…
I need to have you next to me
In more ways than one
And I refuse to leave
’Till I see the morning sun
Creep through your windowpane
’Cause love won’t let me wait…
Darlene did not know what the hell going on; she couldn’t make no kinda sense outta this, so she skipped right past the effort and braindanced with me instead, closing her eyes and swaying to the saxophones as they caressing her and wrapping theyself around that singer sexy confession. She stopped feeling all self-conscious. The idea that Delicious had fucked with me left her mind. She even forgot to wait for her pay. All the sensations of her wedding night done came right the fuck back—the beautiful droop of the train on her gown, the stiff lace going round her head, the smiling faces of they few loyal friends and relatives, how they all had to keep Eddie out the pictures so she ain’t looked like a Jezebel, the short pile of shiny gifts sitting by the entrance to the church, Nat’s warm hand pushing against her knuckles as they cutting that spongy deep chocolate cake.
When the song got done, the bird start talking. He only got a couple words out before Darlene heard Nat’s voice. She screamed with joy and the bird snapped his beak shut. She froze, put her palm to her face, then put herself onto the dirt in front the grackle and crawled toward him with her arms outstretched, begging to hold him. The bird hop-flew backward and away, without no fear. His friends was moving around Darlene; she thought they’s chuckling at her while they making they bizarre noises, but she ain’t give a shit. She put her eyes on the leader, tryna see her husband in his place.
Nat, it’s you! Praise the Lord. What did you say?
All sharp and tight, the bird turnt its head sideways and tried out a bunch of poses where he could peep at Darlene. He wagging his beak left, then right.
He sighed. Darlene, sweetheart, I can’t stand to see you like this.
But if it brought you back to me—
You know this isn’t what I want for you. Or for Eddie. You’re worth so much more.
At those words, Darlene started weeping. She tried to ignore her emotionality and talk through the sobbing, but that shit ain’t work. Nat, she said, I’d rather be with you. Why’d they take you away? Why? How could God let that happen? Please forgive me for the migraine and the shoes and the everything.
Darlene, I said. Darlene! Stop talking to that bird. That bird ain’t your husband. It’s just a damn bird. When I’m the voice of reason, you know shit is fucked.
She reached out again, faster, and grazed part the grackle shiny feathers with her fingertip before he like, hippity hop out the way.
It’s not the same, the bird said. You’ll crush me, Darlene.
If I die maybe I could be a bird too.