Chapter 36: Annie

Niecy drives Annie and Babydoll in Franklin’s pearl-and-black Cadillac, a wedding gift, toward an appointment secured through Marylinda. Franklin, wary, watches them depart. As Niecy navigates nervously, Annie wrestles with guilt, recalling failed home remedies and fearing the danger of the procedure she seeks.

Taking a “scenic route,” Niecy points out Atlanta’s Black landmarks and success stories, underscoring Annie’s sense that luck concentrates in this city. They park near a fortress-like church and walk to a bustling laundromat, the address on the torn slip. The smell of soap triggers Annie’s memories of Lulabelle and violence, freezing her until her friends guide her inside.

At the counter, a stern woman—who insists on being called “Miss Ma’am”—confirms their connection to Marylinda and tells them they are early; a white girl is ahead, and Annie’s turn won’t come until later. The trio waits, and Miss Ma’am forces them to look less conspicuous by washing a basket of clothes.

As they sort laundry, conversation brushes Bobo’s new girlfriend, pricking Annie’s longing. Suddenly, three Atlanta policemen enter, then three more including a Black officer. The helmeted leader demands access to a back room and orders a battering ram when Miss Ma’am denies its existence, spewing a racial slur that rekindles childhood memories for Niecy and Annie.

Understanding the threat, Niecy drops the laundry, and Babydoll steers Annie through the panicked crowd. With officers advancing and the ram coming in, the women try to flee, Annie’s procedure now imperiled and their safety precarious.