A thump came from behind them. Rae Lynn spun around and saw the broad back of Otis scurrying through the house, hands clenching his head like he thought it might come off. He ran outside. Alarmed, Cornelia gave Rae Lynn a terrified look before she ran after him.
“Otis!”
He’d seen Cornelia kiss her. He would kill her. That’s what he’d do. He’d kill her.
Otis was in the front yard, arms thrown wide, shouting at the sky. “I can’t believe it! What’s this world a coming to?”
He charged one way, then the other, hands back on his head, while Cornelia followed him as he stormed about the front yard. She tried to grab his arm, but he shoved her backward, and she barely caught herself from falling. A few coloreds stopped what they were doing and began to watch the commotion.
Otis paused in his tirade long enough to point at Rae Lynn, who was in the doorway of his house. His entire body shook as if afflicted with some illness.
“You ain’t right! You got to get the hell outta my house!”
Cornelia said, “Otis, calm down. Listen to me.”
He ignored her, his attention solely on Rae Lynn. “You . . . you . . .”
Meanwhile, more coloreds crowded doorways, while others stood in their yards, watching from afar. To make matters worse, Crow, the one person she never cared to see again, came toward them. Rae Lynn hurried over to stand with Cornelia, who’d given up trying to talk to Otis. When Rae Lynn approached her, Otis was like a bear and shoved her so hard, she fell to the ground. He stood over her, one beefy hand pressing down on the top of her head. She twisted to get away, but he gripped her hair, making her eyes water.
Wheezing, his color gone ruddy, he yelled at Crow, “Do you know what I caught her doing? Kissing my wife! I seen it with my own eyes.”
Saying it brought a renewed anger, and Rae Lynn heard her roots tearing as he clenched her hair. She put her hands over his in a futile attempt to loosen his grip.
She tried reasoning with him. “She didn’t mean nothing by it. It ain’t what you think.”
Otis yelled. “She! You’re the one come here dressed like a man, going round trying to act like one. Everything was fine till you got here.”
Rae Lynn let out a small scream.
Cornelia’s pleading voice broke through her pain. “Otis. Please. Don’t.”
Crow acted nonchalant about what was going on.
In a calm tone, he said, “Hell, it don’t surprise me none. I had that one pegged from the start. I knew she won’t right. Goes the other way, if you know what I mean.”
Cornelia tugged on Otis’s hand, trying to pry it off of Rae Lynn’s head, but he only yanked harder, making Rae Lynn cry out. Her scalp was on fire. Cornelia collapsed by her side, and Rae Lynn put her arm around her. At that, Otis let go of Rae Lynn’s hair and tried dragging Cornelia away. To his surprise, she bit him. He yelped and then struck her in the face, but he let them alone.
Crow said, “They have no shame. You gonna stand for such?” He goaded Otis. “Your wife, damn, she’s got to learn respect.”
Rae Lynn said, “Leave her alone. It’s my fault.”
Crow said, “Now, ain’t that a twist. She admits it. Hell, I got just the thing for this situation.”
Crow walked away and Rae Lynn bowed her head, shut her eyes, while Cornelia continued to try reasoning with Otis.
“Otis. Listen to me. He ain’t the boss of you, is he? You’re your own man.”
Otis ignored her, then he chuckled and said, “Hey, now, look a there.”
Rae Lynn opened her eyes. Crow came toward them carrying a bucket where tiny puffs of smoke rose from the top. She began trembling, felt like she was going to be sick. Dread filled her, and her hand tightened on Cornelia’s.
She whispered, “Cornelia.”
Otis said, “Don’t you talk to her!”
She tried to get up, but Otis slapped his hands on her shoulders and held her down. Rae Lynn shut her eyes.
Otis yelled at Crow, “Hurry it up!” then at Cornelia, “Move away from her!”
Cornelia gripped Rae Lynn’s hand tighter. “No!”
Several things happened at once. To Rae Lynn’s left the blast of a shotgun rang and the hot spatter of tar, like black raindrops, fell, stinging the arm she’d put around Cornelia. Above them, Crow yelled, “Sonofabitch!” and Cornelia’s sudden cry of pain made Rae Lynn believe she’d been shot. Instead, half of Cornelia’s head and face were slathered in the hot tar, and it ran in slow motion over her beautiful dark hair, her cheeks, and her neck. A glob of it fell into Rae Lynn’s lap. Mouth open, soundless, Cornelia lurched to her feet, flapping both hands like a bird trying to take flight.