“She sure did. She was a good dancer, too.” Queenie eyed Ibby as she took a glass from the cupboard. “You been drinking an awful lot of lemonade lately.”
“It’s hot in my room.” Ibby grabbed the package from the table and started toward the dining room.
Queenie called out after her. “Miss Fannie says she needs to talk to you when she gets back. About your dress, the one Doll’s gone make for your party.”
When Ibby got up to her room, she put the lemonade on the bedside table. Now that there was an adjoining room to hers, she’d spent the last several days rearranging the furniture. The first thing she did was move one of the twin beds and all the birthday dolls into the turret room. She’d swiped a clothing rack from Doll’s sewing room and moved all her clothes in there as well. She shoved the chest of drawers up against the wall where the twin bed had been, then moved her bed sideways up against the window. She looked around, pleased with the new arrangement.
She put her new album on the record player, one by The Moody Blues called In Search of the Lost Chord, and danced around the room, wishing her daddy could be here, singing the words along with her. She loved The Moody Blues, the way they spoke in a low monotone in some of their songs instead of singing the lyrics, making you feel ethereal and otherworldly. The band had become her connection to her father, a connection no one could take away. She’d listened to the album Days of Future Passed so many times she thought the walls of her room could repeat the lyrics to “Nights in White Satin” back to her.
When the album was over, she poured a glass of lemonade before reaching over and opening the window. She stuck her head out and watched T-Bone for a few minutes. He was wearing white overalls, a painter’s cap, and dark sunglasses as he hummed and waved his paintbrush around.
“You thirsty?” she asked.
T-Bone’s head swerved around.
“I’m sorry,” she said, “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
He wiped his brow with a rag he pulled from the back pocket of his overalls. “No, no. Guess I was just lost in what I was doing.”
“I brought you some lemonade,” she said, holding the glass out to him.
“Right nice of you, to keep bringing me lemonade, Miss Ibby. A person gets mighty parched out here working in the sun all day.” He downed the lemonade and handed the glass back to her.
“What were you humming just now?” she asked.
He shook his head. “Not anything you’d like.”
“How do you know?”
He gave her a sideways glance. “Just a guess. What kind of music you like?”
She shrugged. “The Beatles, the Doors, the Supremes, Moody Blues. You like The Moody Blues?”
“Well, I really can’t say,” he said.
“That means no. So tell me, what kind of music do you like?”
He began painting again, then stopped and put the brush on the lip of the paint can. “Funk. I guess you could say I like funk.”
“Funk?”
“It’s kind of like soul music but with more beat to it.”
“Is that what you were singing just now?”
“Yeah.” He tipped his cap and scratched the top of his head. “You probably gone hear it on the radio anyway. It’s gotten mighty popular. The song, it’s called ‘Say It Loud—I’m Black and I’m Proud.’”
“Oh,” she said, feeling her face flush.
“By the godfather of funk, James Brown, also known as Mr. Dynamite or Soul Brother Number One. He’s one cool brother, and he really knows how to dance.”
“Show me,” she prodded.
T-Bone looked down at the ladder, then back at Ibby. “Don’t know if I can do it on this ladder.” He tried to move his knees in a dance move but almost lost his balance. “Naw, can’t do it on this ladder.”
“Get off the ladder and come show me then,” she said, pointing over her shoulder toward her room.
He looked at her and shook his head. “You heard Doll. She say she catch me in your room again, we all gone be in trouble.”
“You scared of your big sister?” she teased.
“Well, no, not really, but she got a point.”
“Aw, come on, please? Come show me how to dance.” She held out her hand to him.
T-Bone looked around to make sure no one was watching. “Well, okay, maybe just for a minute. But don’t tell nobody.” He crawled in through the window. “Not much room in here. You’re gone have to step aside so I can show you how it’s done.”
“Okay.” She sat on the bed and pulled her knees to her chest. “Go ahead.”
T-Bone took off his hat and sunglasses and placed them on the bedside table. He stood back and started shuffling his feet around as he bowed his knees and stuck his elbows out. The next thing she knew, he put his heel out and did a 360 in place, before jumping to the ground in a half split.
Ibby’s jaw fell open. “Wow, you can really dance.” She hopped up from the bed. “Teach me how to do it.”
He jumped up from the floor. She was standing so close to him that the smell of his sweat mingled with paint was almost making her giddy.