Her shapely stature cracked the air with each step from her southern cooked body. She was gorgeously tall and spoke with girlish shyness. Since young times Negroes and White men say something fine under her clothes. In Sutton, Mississippi most Negro women share physical similarities, but not with Ruby Granberry. Her nice physical collectibles caused Negro men to thirst and their women to drown in anger. However, when she came to church, women stared evil thinking toward her mightily. For when Ruby worshipped; she wore heels.

Many Negro residents of Sutton refused the move north when the getting was good for work. Believing their white God would send them good riches, they remained south defiantly; waiting. However their God kept quiet about helping them through the years. That’s when outside folks saw traces of religious craziness after help never came.

The Negro church folks would ‘shake and bake’ their bodies to obedience every Sunday. Good old Baptist gospel folks referred to it as. Luckily for Ruby she left long ago, albeit not to escape holy conversion by gospel crazies; no…she left in a hurry because her scent was being closed in upon.
***
On Fridays, 20 miles out at Bessie Milton’s junk joint, men thirsted for Ruby more than the cheap liquor. She was fine as can be to any man who can see with good eyes no less. Never minding however this was marriage country amongst black folks. Women like Ruby need ought to be married or receive the evil eye and run off by married women.

Notwithstanding Negro men were rascals in the small town of 2,000. Oft chasing young girls helping them find their bodies all the time. Sutton churchmen were no different. Their hands search young women’s bodies more than the collection plates, if you could figure that. Being smart however, hitched women knew, nothing raised a Negro churchman’s excitement more than a fine single young churchwoman; who’s figuring out her working parts.

Neverminding, one thing Mississippi folks get in a stir about is an insider who becomes an outsider. Negroes are just the same as White folks in this matter. The single, 20-years old, fair-skinned vixen was surely an outsider now being caught red-handed helping the pastor lose his sanctification. She must go — the good Negro folks of Sutton, Mississippi figured; more so the women than men obviously. Some gals even wishing her better dead than just gone up north. However the men were always blinded by her beauty, they did not want her to go.
***
That’s a main reason why the churchmen never paid attention to Ruby’s bad voice in the choir. Her perfectly carved figure clogged their already waxed ears anyhow. The only sounds they cared about was her physical one and she was loud no less. Desired like fine chocolate and fleeting as like cheap bubblegum to most men; she done always had a thing for pastors no less.

The new Negro minister done only had been there a few days already and his body burned like a pot belly stove with grits atop it. His thinking thoughts about Ruby are unable to be spoken to good folks. Let’s just say they were private and adult like.  It is no secret around Sutton, a young single attractive church gal like Ruby drives Negro men wild.

The young pastor of God was crazy feeling about her. In fact, he done tasted her every Friday in the barn on the Wilson’s old plantation land since two months ago starting. When those Sutton Negro women done found out about her playfulness, they sought to get rid of her. Never minding however… Ruby long figured her young body makes men playful…
Just ask the deacons at that old Negro church in Sutton, Mississippi…in 1955.

Robert A. Williams