THESE DYNAMIC BOOKS ARE SURE TO LIFT YOUR SPIRITS

​Book excerpt from: "Emma Jeanne And Ralph" (Page 38 - 41)
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Emma Jeanne’s best friend Mary offered her advice. She told her to “Think of Ralph as a door; “if the door doesn’t open, then it’s not your door.” She also reminded her that Rev. Fitzgerald taught them that “You can’t change the way people feel about you, so don’t try.” She went on to say, “Just live your life, be happy and forget him. That’s what we do.”

Emma Jeanne learned some powerful lessons from having a child out of wedlock. She learned that no matter how many things she did right in her short life, it was the one thing she did wrong that people focused on and judged her by. She also learned that sometimes the bad things that happen in our lives that put us directly on the path to the best things that will happen to us. 

CHAPTER 9 - HOW EMMA JEANNE AND JOE MET

Emma Jeanne needed to get Joe’s attention. Her advisors were “The older women” in church called the Itty-Bitty Committee. These women, Fanny Lou Harris, Mildred Whitfield, and Maxine Yates gave Emma Jeanne explicit instructions about how to make Joe her husband. They advised Emma Jeanne to sit next to Joe and formally introduce herself, so she did. She was then instructed to clap her hands to the upbeat tempo of the hymn. While clapping her hands and moving her body, she was told to make it appear that raising her skirt two inches above her knees was an accident. She did exactly as she was instructed, and it got Joseph’s attention. 

“Oh, wow!” Joe thought to himself as he looked at Emma Jeanne’s thighs. He really liked what he saw, and he wanted to see more. His imagination went a little wild. He wanted to know what the rest of her looked like under that beautiful long pleated dress. He couldn’t stop thinking about her. 

The older women advised Emma Jeanne to continue this behavior, clapping her hands and feeling the spirit. She did exactly as she was told, and it caught Joe’s full attention. Joe’s eyes stretched wide as he gazed upon her beautiful, plump, soft, caramel-colored thighs. He was mesmerized by her beauty. She followed the instructions and gave Joe an innocent look while quickly pulling her dress back down.

The next Sunday, Emma Jeanne followed the instructions of the Itty-Bitty Committee to sit with them while holding her baby on her lap. Joe couldn’t help noticing her holding a baby and thought, “Wow! She has a baby. I think I could be a good stepfather.” 

The following Sunday the church, choir began singing those fast tempo, upbeat hymns. Those songs made members feel good. It made them want to and clap their hands and stomp their feet. When they started singing, everyone in the church clapped their hands. Some members felt so good, they did a little shout. You wouldn’t do this in the white churches. Their church services were more subdued and controlled. It is widely believed that shouting in church is a spillover from black people’s West African worshiping roots. When members started shouting, it is said that the Spirit of God hit them and they were feeling the Holy Ghost. 

Following the church service, Joe went to Emma Jeanne’s house and knocked on the door. Fred answered. “Well hello, Joe. What brings you this way?” 

“Hello, Mr. Jones,” Joe replied. 

“Come on in,” Fred said, motioning him to come forward. “How can I help you?” 

“I want to know if your daughter, Emma Jeanne, and I could start taking company.” 

In the 1950s, visiting a girl and wanting to make her your girlfriend was the first step in a relationship. It was called “Taking Company.” 

“C’mon in and have a seat over there,” Fred said, directing Joe to the large living room sofa. 

Before giving their permission to allow Joe and their daughter to start taking company, Fred and Henrietta wanted to know a little more about him and what kind of person he really was. This time, they wanted to help their daughter make a good decision about the man she would bring into her life and get involved with. 

Once Joe entered the house, Fred introduced him to Henrietta, who was sitting in the middle if the sofa. 

“Hello, Mrs. Jones,” Joe replied. Then he turned to say hello to his love interest, Emma Jeanne. 

She gave him a big, welcoming smile and said, “Hi, Joe. You enjoyed church today?” 

“Yes, I really did,” said Joe, as he kept his focus on this beautiful woman. Things were a little awkward because each of them were fishing for the right words to say and make pleasant conversation. He didn’t like having her mother sitting between them. He wanted to sit next to Emma Jeanne like they did in church. He also wanted some alone time with her, but her family wasn’t having that because it was too early in the relationship. So Henrietta sat between them as they talked to each other. Fred sat across from them in his big easy chair. He kept a steady eye on Joe. He felt it was his duty to get to know who Joe really was, and he wanted to protect his daughter from another mistake.