Sparkle Page #4

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will you bless the food, please?

Sister's not here yet.

She said she was coming.

Sparkle, those who do, do, baby.

Pastor, thank you.

Please, bow our heads.

Our Father in heaven...

...for this meal you have given,

we want to say thank you.

And...bless the ones who prepared it.

And, Lord, as we share it,

will you stay with us...

...and be our guest of honor?

But not just at this meal,

but God in our waking...

...God in our speaking,

God in our playing...

...God in our digesting...

...God in our working,

God in our resting.

In a world where so many are lonely...

...may we share this friendship

with joyful hearts.

- Amen.

- May this food, so fresh and fragrant...

...call forth reverence for you

in our souls.

As you give this strength

to our perishable limbs...

...so give us grace

for our immortal lives.

And let's not forget the blessings

on this family, Father God.

Lord, we thank you. Amen.

Amen!

Now, that's why black folks

can't get ahead, right there.

Not because we lazy.

It's because we're too busy praying

over 40 acres and a mule.

Now, by the time

black folks get to "amen"...

...the mule is dog food...

...and the 40 acres is sold

from underneath us.

Because we too busy praying.

Mom, this is Satin.

- Pleasure.

- Pleasure is mine, all mine.

Two dollars say

he doesn't make it to dessert.

Five says he doesn't get food on his plate.

Look at Mama's face.

- This is Mrs. Waters.

- Pleasure.

- And Tune Ann.

- Hey, Tune Ann.

- My sisters.

- Hey.

And this is the Reverend Bryce.

What do you say, Rev?

Satin Struthers.

Yeah, yeah, I seen you on TV.

You were pretty hard

on the folk in Detroit after the riots.

Well, I was telling the truth, you know.

It shows a lack of intelligence...

...for someone to loot

their own neighborhood.

Well, people were angry.

At white people.

- Hell, go tear up they sh*t.

- What--?

Definitely not making it to dessert.

Excuse me. I'm sorry. Hail Mary.

That's Catholic.

It's still Christian, right?

I mean, come on.

I understand, I understand.

I was trying to get black people

to see it from a different perspective.

Burning and looting your own

neighborhood may be misguided...

...but at least those people out there

were trying to fight to change the system.

Now, with all due respect...

...you just trying to

make a dollar off their pain.

I bet you know a little bit more about

making dollars off of people's pain.

You packing them

into church every Sunday.

Giving them a show,

got them hooting and hollering. Yeah.

You know what, Rev?

The only difference

between me and you...

...is you collect your fee at the pew...

...I collect mine at the door.

Well, Ms. Anderson...

...I guess now is a good time

for me to let you know...

...that I asked your daughter

to marry me.

Surprise.

He asked me last night.

Got down on one knee and told me

that he couldn't live without me.

Sister, you're going to marry this man?

He disrespects our home,

the reverend.

Oh, he's a comedian.

He was just trying to make us laugh.

He's a really good man.

Even goes to church sometimes.

Granted, it is for material,

but I am there...

-...and God knows my heart.

- Stop.

- I got a good heart.

- Stop.

He tithes.

Child, I think enough of you

to introduce you...

...to dentists and doctors

and accountants.

But, no, not you.

You want to whore with this coon.

- Mom!

- Sparkle.

Ms. Anderson,

I'm probably more of a Sambo.

I coon from time to time,

but Sambo's my go-to.

Baby, think more of yourself.

I know you're worried about getting older

and who's gonna marry you.

But get older, not desperate!

Desperate?

I'm doing a whole lot better

than you ever did.

Just keeping a man

is a whole lot better than you ever did.

- Ladies, please. I think--

- No, no, no, Reverend.

Let her get her attention.

She doesn't have much else.

- Maybe this is a conversation--

- Me getting a husband is not about me.

It's about her. It's not my fault

that she got knocked up at 16...

...and is trying to convince folks

she's the perfect mother...

...raised some good girls.

Sparkle's gonna follow up behind you...

...and be a little church mouse

and make dresses.

And if she's lucky,

she'll be a preacher's wife.

Dee's gonna be a doctor,

and I'm just supposed to marry one?

Funny thing is,

maybe I could have snagged one...

...if you'd sent me to school

like these two.

But instead, I was at home,

raising your kids...

...while you were laid up

in your own vomit.

Sister...

...if you gonna tell my tragic story...

...give me the honor

of getting it correct.

Yeah, I passed out a few times.

Sure, I've had my moments.

But you've never, ever, ever

seen me laying in my own vomit.

Whatever you say, Mama.

The fact is, I was desperate back then.

Right now,

I'm trying to get myself out of here...

...and get myself more than

a color TV and half a room.

It's okay.

Well, we better go.

Ms. Anderson, thanks for what looked like

could have been a great dinner.

We better go.

Sister!

You leave my house,

there's no coming back.

Not this time.

Sparkle. Sparkle!

Are you still gonna be

part of the group?

That's not exactly

what was on my mind, Spark.

Yeah, sure.

Dee, say something.

Congratulations.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Come here.

I love you, Spark.

It's okay.

Where you want to go?

Anywhere.

Close your eyes.

Okay, you can open them.

Your cup of coffee, sir.

I appreciate it, baby.

You know, Daddy got to wake up

a little faster and a little stronger.

You'll be surprised with

what this gonna do when we make love.

Can't be any better than it already is.

- Are you catching a cold?

- No, I'm fine.

Okay, from "You bring out

the woman in me."

Five, six, seven, eight.

Can you not hit my hand every time?

Okay, come on, come on.

Five, six, seven, eight.

Y'all ain't got to go home...

...but you know the rest.

Oh, they were just leaving.

Baby, you got some

cab fare for them?

Cab fare?

You the one opening for

Aretha Franklin.

I mean, hell, if I had any sense,

I'd be living off your ass.

- I'm funny, Sparkle? I'm funny?

- Yeah.

So you laughing at me

like them white folks that I coon for?

- No.

- Satin.

Well, you should.

That's how I'm paying

for all this heat you sucking up.

- Satin, I'm just--

- Let's just go. Come on, just go.

Grab your book.

Ready for TV, Ms. Sparkle?

Oh, my God, Ms. Franklin!

Hello.

Today ain't the day

to be fashionably late.

You're fine.

Stix says Ms. Franklin's not here.

Running late.

I'm worried because that's gonna

cut it close to us getting home.

Sure is.

Do you have any more pins?

I'm running out of mine over here

and I need some more.

I can't get this thing on.

What happened to your face?

Oh, it ain't nothing.

He did that to you, didn't he?

I had an accident.

Oh, so, what,

you tripped and hit his fist?

Get out.

Excuse me?

I told you to get out of my face.

He's beating you,

and you're taking it out on me?

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