LITMIR.BIZ

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college to learn,” Melody’s father said, looking steadily at Yvonne.

      Daddy paused, and Melody saw Yvonne take a deep breath.

      “Seems like you are learning,” Daddy continued. “To follow your own mind, and make justice and equality grow.”

      Yvonne let out the breath she’d been holding and smiled. “Thanks, Dad.”

      “However,” Daddy said, leaning forward so that his arms rested on the table, “I want you to be careful in Mississippi and to be safe.”

      Yvonne laughed. “I know, Dad.” But when Daddy gave her a stern look, Yvonne said, “Yes, sir.”

      Melody smiled, hoping she could have just as much courage in her choice for change as her brave big sister.

      “What about you chicks?” Big Momma said to Melody and Val. “What are you going to do with your gift?”

      “Us?” Val replied. “Did Pastor Daniels mean kids, too?”

      “Of course he meant kids, too,” Melody said excitedly.

      “He certainly did,” Big Momma said as the grown-ups around the table nodded and smiled.

      Suddenly, Yvonne slipped her arm around Melody’s shoulder. “Speaking of gifts, somebody should be thinking about her birthday gifts.”

      “That’s right!” Lila slapped the table with her hand. “Dee-Dee is officially ten years old!”

      “I am,” Melody said, realizing that she’d just stayed awake past midnight for the first time ever. The New Year had begun, and it was her birthday. As she blinked away sleep, she thought about Pastor Daniels’s challenge and wondered what great big idea would come her way.

      Double-Digits Birthday

       CHAPTER 3

       n the afternoon on New Year’s Day, Melody sorted through the neat stack of records in the living room to find just the right music for her birthday celebration. As she flipped past names she’d heard on the radio or seen on TV, she imagined one day picking up a record with Dwayne’s name on it. Today would be absolutely perfect if only he were here, too, she thought.

      Melody was only halfway through the stack when the doorbell rang.

      “Happy Birthday to yooouuu!” Sharon and Diane sang as Melody opened the door.

      “Are we too early?” Sharon asked, peeling off her coat and hanging it on one of the hooks by the door. “My dad wanted to drop us off before his football game came on.”

      “My daddy’s upstairs right now listening to a game on the radio,” Melody laughed. “And you’re right on time.”

      “What’re you doing?” Diane asked, hanging her jacket over Sharon’s. She gave Melody a tube-shaped package tied with yarn at either end. It looked like a big piece of candy.

      Melody put the package on the coffee table and motioned toward the record player. “I’m trying to find some music.”

      “Wouldn’t it be great if your brother and his group could be here to sing?” Sharon asked.

      “Yeah! A live concert would be so cool!” Diane said.

      “It would,” Melody nodded. “But The Three Ravens aren’t in Detroit. They sang at a New Year’s concert somewhere in Ohio last night.”

      “Too bad,” Sharon said, sorting through the records lying on the sofa. “Hey! Here’s Little Stevie Wonder’s ‘Fingertips.’” Melody put the record on the turntable and carefully moved the needle arm to its edge.

      “This is birthday music!” Sharon hopped up, and the girls began to dance.

      Sharon was right. The sounds of the harmonica and Stevie Wonder’s 12-year-old voice made Melody want to move, laugh, celebrate, and sing. They danced their way across the floor and into the dining room.

      Melody barely dodged the kitchen door as her mother opened it, carrying the triple-chocolate cake on a blue glass plate.

      “Whoa, there, birthday girl!” Mrs. Ellison said, placing the cake safely in the center of the table. Melody stopped. Sharon and Diane froze.

      “Sorry, Mommy!” Melody said, still bopping her head to the music.

      “Sorry, Mrs. Ellison!” Diane chimed in.

      “Me, too!” Sharon said.

      Melody’s mother gave them a hard look, but then smiled and shook her shoulders and bopped her head a few beats, too. Sharon burst out laughing.

      Mrs. Ellison shrugged. “Who can keep still when it’s Little Stevie Wonder?” she asked.

      As if the music had stirred the entire house into movement, all at once Daddy, Yvonne, and Lila trooped downstairs. Then there was a knock at the front door, and at the same time the telephone rang and someone was coming into the kitchen from the back door.

      Mommy went into the kitchen to answer the phone as Yvonne answered the front door. In came Melody’s grandparents and her cousins. In the blink of an eye, the dining room was filled with people. Melody didn’t know which way to turn first.

      “Happy Birthday, chick!” Big Momma was first to give Melody a hug.

      “Big Ten!” Cousin Charles said. “Congratulations!”

      “Happy Birthday, baby.” Cousin Tish gave Melody a kiss. “Love that hairstyle!” she whispered, fluffing Melody’s curled bangs. Val, peeking from behind her mother, rolled her eyes and grinned. When she stepped forward, Melody saw that she was holding a small box with a bow on it.

      “This is for you,” Val said. “Happy, Happy!”

      “Gee! I forgot your present!” Sharon said, rushing to the hooks by the front door to dig into her coat pocket. She came back with a soft, tissue-paper-wrapped package. “Sorry, it got a little squished,” she said.

      Melody didn’t care. She was so pleased to have all—nearly all—of her family and friends together on her special day that everything felt pretty wonderful.

      “How about we get some candles for this cake and celebrate our birthday girl?” Melody’s father rubbed his hands together and winked at her. He loved Mommy’s triple-chocolate cake just as much as Melody did.

      “Here we go!” Yvonne placed ten tiny blue candles atop the chocolate frosting in a circle, and another in the middle.

      “To grow on,” she laughed.

      “Ready to sing, everybody?” Lila pulled Melody to stand right in front of her cake, and Daddy lit the candles.

      “Where’s Mommy?” Melody looked over her shoulder.

      “Here!” Her mother stepped in from the kitchen, breathless.

      “Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday, dear Melody. Happy birthday to you!”

      Melody was beaming. She loved when her family sang together—it was almost like they had their own choir, the way all their voices blended and harmonized in just the right ways! She took a breath but didn’t blow out the candles yet. In her family, there was one more verse of the birthday song to sing. Melody smiled and looked around at all their faces, waiting. Suddenly, a solo voice came from the kitchen. It was a high tenor, almost like Smokey Robinson’s.

       “How o-old are you? How o-old are you? My kid sister, Dee-Dee…”

      “Dwayne!” Melody squealed,

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