The Ocean’s City

“There’s uh, there’s sweet thang. Come in, get dry. Jr! find dat garl som clothes.”

“yes, Ma!”

“right now uh!”

“sir thang, Ma”

She walked me across the creaking wooden floor through a door that led to a small kitchen. Everything was worn down and old but neatly placed, like the kitchen was the woman’s pride. Then, we walked around the dining table through an archway that led to a living room. It had a fireplace on one side that gave the whole room a warm glow. The other side had a ratty old couch and a crooked armchair.

Jr. hurried past us to another door, where his mom followed, guiding me along. There were two mattresses pushed side by side on the floor. Jr kneeled on one with his dirty overalls and fished through a discolored green crate till he pulled out an oversized, holey blue shirt with a faded design and basketball shorts. He gently handed them to me with boyish excitement. “They clean, ladyuh.”

“Thank you.” I took them from his hands and felt they did seem clean despite the swampy scent I could smell without putting them to my nose.

Jr.’s mom gave an encouraging pat on my back. “Come on, Jr., let the gal change. Hers lips blue, gots tuh warm da poor ding.”

Jr. laughed awkwardly as he followed his mom out of the room. The door closed, and I breathed air I didn’t know I was holding in. “Dalton, where are you?” I whispered to myself as I plucked the strings of my now-soaked clothes.

…

The fire crackled from inside the house. My feet were propped as close as I could get to the flame without burning myself. A colorful knitted blanket weighted my shoulders down, giving me a sense of warmth. The wooden floor creaked as the caring woman handed me a bowl of stew. I took it in my hands, welcoming the warmth and happy to be dry again.

“Thank you,” I practically sang at the sight of the food.

She gave me a motherly smile, patted my back, and headed to the kitchen. “Jr ah!!! Ya best been back to work!” she chastised.

“But Ma!”

“Don’t you Ma me, boy.”

“ugh! Love ya, Ma,” he groaned; his voice was followed by a kiss, then the door swung open and banged closed.

The woman made a tsk sound between her teeth and stood in the archway between the living room and kitchen. She wrapped her arms around herself. “How’s da stew?”

I swallowed the bit in my mouth, wiping my lips before speaking. “It’s delicious, ma’am.”

She arched an eyebrow. “yuhs best calls me Ma, now,” she said, then walked to sit on a run-down sofa. “Who’s are yah?”

“My name’s Silvie.”

“but who’s are yuh?”

“I um…?”

“How’s yuh end up in the swamp?”

“I uh don’t remember.”

“yuhs a fibb’in me. Yuh’s one dem gals in dat fancy house.”

“Fancy house?”

“Up the swamp. No odar purdy gals is uh livins here uh.”

“Could you take me there? I’m looking for my um.. sister.”

“Ya sistuh? I knews yuh is a fibb’in me. Yuh come far for yuhs sistuh huh?”

“I um.. I..”

“No worries, honey. Yuhs secret is safe uh. Eyes help ya.”

My cheeks burned as I smiled and slurped some more of the stew. “It’s terrific.”

Ma gave me a loving nod and then patted the couch beside her. “Yuhs rest here. Eyes need work.”

I nodded, slurping more stew, watching as she walked away. I finished half my bowl before I caught myself yawning and warm enough to get up from the fire and crawl onto the couch. Mold had formed on the fabric, but it didn’t deter me from resting my head and falling asleep…

…

The fire was still blazing in the room when I woke up. It would crackle every once in a while, giving me a sense of security. I slowly opened my eyes to see I wasn’t the only one in the room. A man about the same age as Jr. leaned down only an inch or two away from my face. Startled, I pushed myself as far into the couch as I could.

“Hi’s uh, Silvie!”

“Um… hi?” I responded, sitting up, trying to create space for him.

“Yuh’s purdy.” His eyes drifted down my body, making me feel uncomfortable sleeping in Jr’s oversized shirt and boxers. “eyes is Dan, Jr’s’ brothuh.

“Nice to meet you,” I swallowed.

“Yeah,” he gave a big boyish grin, then stuck out his hand for me to shake. I politely complied. “yuhs hands soft” I’m sure I gave him an uncomfortable smile and try to take my hand from his but he gripped tighter.

The door that led outside suddenly swung open, and an oversized, burly silhouette came storming in from the darkness. “Yuhs cants touch her.”

“whys no?” Dan turned, shouting back at his significantly taller and bulkier brother.

“Mas says hers mine!”

“Yuhs? Whats yuh do’in with her?”

“Hers mine!”

“Um… Hi! I’m not anyone’s. Ma said when you returned I would be taken to the fancy house?”

“yuhs no go’in tuh no fancy house! Yuhs stay’in here!”

“hers no wants yuh!”

The men’s anger grew. I pulled the knitted blanket closer to me for protection and watched and Jr’s giant hairy fist collided with Dan’s face. Then Dan broke out like a wild animal and leaped on Jr.

I watched in horror as they seemed to fight to what seemed like the death. I got up and began creeping out of the house. Hoping that Dan’s boat would be where he had tied it last.