Going Solo (New Song) Read Online Free Page A
Author: Brenda Barrett
this morning looking impeccable. Now they looked as if they had been thrown into a washing machine with dirt instead of detergent.
They lived quite far from the Cedar Hill community, so they usually had lunch at church and stayed for the evening service. To reach home they would either get a lift from one of the generous church brethren who had a car, or walk the seven miles to Norwood, an informal settlement where the poorest in Montego Bay lived.
Delores was talking to a fellow resident of Norwood, Emilia. She had come to church that day at Delores' invitation and she had liked it. She found the fellowship and the warmth both unexpected and welcomed. Emilia was new to the area, having come from rural Trelawny to live with her youngest child's father, Leo "Blue" Chapman. Blue was a gardener at the Palm Tree Hotel and had settled in Norwood. Emilia had not yet found work.
"Let us walk down." Delores said, indicating to her fidgeting boys to follow her.
"Have you seen Alice?" Emilia looked at the boys, "She was right here before you boys showed up."
"I'll find her." Carson volunteered, running off. He had not told her thanks for suggesting the song or for cheering him on in Sabbath School that morning.
"Don't loiter around!" Delores warned him as he ran back to the church. The choir was rehearsing for a funeral the following morning. He looked through the window.
He saw her sitting in the second bench from the front, her eyes fixed on the choir. She was nodding and singing along with the choir.
He went to the door and tried to get her attention but he had to actually walk over and touch her before she jumped and looked at him frightened.
"Sorry," he mumbled. Her little shoulder felt bony under the dress and he could feel the tremor of her body through the thin fabric. Why was she so jumpy though? It was just a tap on the shoulder.
"Your mother is ready," he said, holding out his hand for her to take it. "We are going to walk down."
Alice got up reluctantly and put her hand in his, following him outside.
"You like singing and all of that stuff?" Carson asked her, not quite knowing what to say to her. Alice nodded to his question. She was a self-possessed little girl. Her eyes were big and solemn. She felt as if she were much older than he knew she must be. How old was she? Ten? He wondered.
"How old are you?" he asked to be sure.
"I will be ten," she said, "on January the first. Mama said nobody can forget my birthday ever."
Carson chuckled. At twelve, he felt as if he were much older than her. She was just a baby, he thought. He should not like her but he found that he did.
"Thank you for suggesting the song this morning. The pastor asked us to come and practice for a band. Me and the guys are going to learn instruments and all of that stuff." he said boastfully to fill the silence as they neared the bottom of the grassy slope, heading toward their parents.
She stopped and spun around, her eyes wide with excitement. "Can I come too?"
"No girls allowed," he snorted. "Pastor Keen wanted just us," he added; though he did not know if that were true.
"I am coming too," Alice said defiantly. She dragged her hand from his.
"No, you are not!" Carson said, regretting that he told her. When they reached their parents, the first thing that Alice did was announce that she was going to be practicing all summer in Carson's band.
Xavier gave him an astonished look and Carson shrugged. What would it hurt if the little girl tagged along anyway? It would not hurt anybody.
Chapter Three
Alice sat at the poolside of the Apple Motel in the early morning. The sun had just come up. The day was still somewhat cool. The motel was situated on a hill and had a lovely view of the Caribbean Sea, and she inhaled slowly, taking in the beauty of the sunny day and the gentle, surreal, bright blue sea in the distance. She pinched herself again. She could hardly believe that she had finally taken the major step of buying herself a
They lived quite far from the Cedar Hill community, so they usually had lunch at church and stayed for the evening service. To reach home they would either get a lift from one of the generous church brethren who had a car, or walk the seven miles to Norwood, an informal settlement where the poorest in Montego Bay lived.
Delores was talking to a fellow resident of Norwood, Emilia. She had come to church that day at Delores' invitation and she had liked it. She found the fellowship and the warmth both unexpected and welcomed. Emilia was new to the area, having come from rural Trelawny to live with her youngest child's father, Leo "Blue" Chapman. Blue was a gardener at the Palm Tree Hotel and had settled in Norwood. Emilia had not yet found work.
"Let us walk down." Delores said, indicating to her fidgeting boys to follow her.
"Have you seen Alice?" Emilia looked at the boys, "She was right here before you boys showed up."
"I'll find her." Carson volunteered, running off. He had not told her thanks for suggesting the song or for cheering him on in Sabbath School that morning.
"Don't loiter around!" Delores warned him as he ran back to the church. The choir was rehearsing for a funeral the following morning. He looked through the window.
He saw her sitting in the second bench from the front, her eyes fixed on the choir. She was nodding and singing along with the choir.
He went to the door and tried to get her attention but he had to actually walk over and touch her before she jumped and looked at him frightened.
"Sorry," he mumbled. Her little shoulder felt bony under the dress and he could feel the tremor of her body through the thin fabric. Why was she so jumpy though? It was just a tap on the shoulder.
"Your mother is ready," he said, holding out his hand for her to take it. "We are going to walk down."
Alice got up reluctantly and put her hand in his, following him outside.
"You like singing and all of that stuff?" Carson asked her, not quite knowing what to say to her. Alice nodded to his question. She was a self-possessed little girl. Her eyes were big and solemn. She felt as if she were much older than he knew she must be. How old was she? Ten? He wondered.
"How old are you?" he asked to be sure.
"I will be ten," she said, "on January the first. Mama said nobody can forget my birthday ever."
Carson chuckled. At twelve, he felt as if he were much older than her. She was just a baby, he thought. He should not like her but he found that he did.
"Thank you for suggesting the song this morning. The pastor asked us to come and practice for a band. Me and the guys are going to learn instruments and all of that stuff." he said boastfully to fill the silence as they neared the bottom of the grassy slope, heading toward their parents.
She stopped and spun around, her eyes wide with excitement. "Can I come too?"
"No girls allowed," he snorted. "Pastor Keen wanted just us," he added; though he did not know if that were true.
"I am coming too," Alice said defiantly. She dragged her hand from his.
"No, you are not!" Carson said, regretting that he told her. When they reached their parents, the first thing that Alice did was announce that she was going to be practicing all summer in Carson's band.
Xavier gave him an astonished look and Carson shrugged. What would it hurt if the little girl tagged along anyway? It would not hurt anybody.
Chapter Three
Alice sat at the poolside of the Apple Motel in the early morning. The sun had just come up. The day was still somewhat cool. The motel was situated on a hill and had a lovely view of the Caribbean Sea, and she inhaled slowly, taking in the beauty of the sunny day and the gentle, surreal, bright blue sea in the distance. She pinched herself again. She could hardly believe that she had finally taken the major step of buying herself a
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