“But that ain’t what I came up here to say,” Miss Jasmine continued. “I got something to say to Larry, publicly. Larry, please stand up,” and he did.
Miss Jasmine continued, “Larry, it’s been an honor to have you sleeping on the couch these nineteen years. It has been an honor to know your love for books, and from time to time to hear you reading to Kenneth. I know people like to diss you and Kenneth both. Diss, that’s a young people’s word. Kenneth, they diss you because you can’t read. Larry, they like to diss you about cleaning toilets and claiming you’re a librarian.
“But a lot of those people don’t respect books, maybe never been in a library, and they don’t know you got fired because you were busy reading all the books and didn’t clean the toilets.”
People in the restaurant tittered. “Imagine, getting fired from the library for reading too many books!”
Then Miss Jasmine said, “But that’s not my main point either. This week it’s been great with Sam, Kenneth, you, Whale, and now Rosemary. So that’s what I want to ask you, son, what do you think of Rosemary?”
Larry said, “Now, Miss Jasmine, you know it’s embarrassing to ask me that in front of all these people.”
“Larry, that’s the whole point. You have a chance now to tell Rosemary what you think, in front of all these people. And since you’re so shy, I’ll ask you some questions.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“What can you tell me about Rosemary?”
“Well, of course she’s tall, taller than everybody in this restaurant, even taller than me.”
“And?”
“She’s got a good heart. She made fun of me that first time we came here, but then she came to the house and apologized.”
“And?”
“She’s smart. She graduated from Spelman.”
“Anything else?”
“She’s funny, and fun to be with.”
“And?”
“She’s not first place in the bosom department. But not last either.”
Rosemary laughed.
“That’s a fact. What else?”
“At first, I thought she liked Jackson Jackson. Even though he’s only about five-eight and twenty years younger.”
“Uh-huh?”
“I mentioned that to Kenneth, and Kenneth just laughed and laughed. Then he told me that Mr. Jackson Jackon likes boys.”
“I won’t lie about that,” interjected Jackson Jackson.
“Nothing wrong with that,” said Larry. “But I was jealous.”
“Well then,” said Miss Jasmine, “Let me ask Rosemary to stand up,” and she did. Rosemary was easily two inches taller than Larry.”
Miss Jasmine said, “Now, Rosemary, I want you two to look each other in the eye.”
They did, but Rosemary had to look down a little bit.
Then Miss Jasmine said, “Rosemary, do you have anything to say to Larry?”
“Yes, I do. Larry, first, you are short. Second, I already heard from Jackson Jackson about how you rescued Miss Jasmine. I know you cleaned toilets in the library and read all the books. I know you’ve been sleeping on Miss Jasmine’s couch for nineteen years so you’re a bum like me. I know you read Lord of the Flies, Green Eggs and Spam, and all about civil rights, and I know you read that Portuguese translation to Kenneth numerous times, so he could appreciate his aunt’s gift. And read him Lord of the Flies.”
“Rosemary, is that all?”
“No, ma’am.” She looked at Larry a bit sternly and said, “Larry, I want you to kiss me, you damn fool. In front of all these people.”
Larry said, “Yes, ma’am,” and they kissed. In front of all those clapping people. Then Jackson Jackson said they should slow dance, and he had the perfect song queued up and started to sing:
You and I must make a pact
We must bring salvation back
Where there is love, I’ll be there…
They danced, and some of the couples in the restaurant got up to join them. Miss Jasmine was so happy. Whale exuded cuteness at her feet. Officer Downs was kind of a romantic, and he sobbed, as Miss Beverly did too, and they hugged each other as he squeezed up against her comforting bosoms before they got up and slow-danced.