Della Mae: Childhood and Early Motherhood

Della Mae

• Della Mae had Journey Lee's baby when she was 14 years old.
• Della Mae and Journey Lee lived in the projects after their baby was born.
• Della Mae remembers her youth as a bad dream.

Childhood

• Della Mae lived in the country in a "shotgun" house between two small towns.
• Her family had a small garden with tomatoes and cucumbers.
• Della Mae's mother warned her not to let the weeds overtake the cucumbers.
• Her family moved to a nice apartment on Broad Street in the housing project when Della was about nine.
• Della Mae's mother met and married Mr. Jonas after they moved to the city.
• Della Mae's mother had less time for them after Mr. Jonas moved in.
• Della Mae's mother took a job when Della turned twelve to make ends meet.
• Della Mae's mother worked two jobs: Miss Judy's house and Miss Martha's beauty shop, leaving Della Mae to babysit her four siblings.
• Della Mae's siblings were one year apart in age, like stairsteps.

Early Motherhood

• Della Mae's mother gave her orders on what to cook, where money was for, and what to wash.
• Della Mae's siblings got on Della's nerves.
• Della Mae's mother did not allow her to see her classmate, Marsha.
• Della Mae promised herself that she'd do things differently when she had children.
• Della Mae looked forward to going to the convenience store at 5:00 every day to buy Sunkist orange soda and baby supplies.
• Della Mae's real father was a lady's man before, during, and after each pregnancy.
• Della Mae's mother started bugging her about her hair when she turned thirteen.

Meeting Journey Lee

• One day in early spring, Della Mae met Journey Lee Smith at the convenience store.
• Marsha had warned Della Mae about Journey Lee, saying he cut her cousin up something bad.
• Journey Lee started coming around at eight o'clock at night, bringing candy and Sunkist sodas.
• Journey Lee didn't want Della Mae to go anywhere and see anyone but him.

Abusive Relationship

• Journey Lee talked about taking Della Mae away.
• Della Mae moved in with Journey Lee and another woman with a baby of her own.
• Journey Lee got mad when Morris, Jr. visited Della Mae.
• Journey Lee mumbled "Don't mess with me, woman," when he was mad.
• Journey Lee assaulted Della Mae with an empty Sunkist bottle.
• Journey Lee leaned on one buttock, took a pistol from his jacket pocket, aimed it at the bottle, steadied himself, and pulled the trigger.
• Della Mae said "God, help," and slumped unconscious.

Aftermath

• Della Mae woke up in a hospital-like setting, hooked up to tubes and restrained to the bed.
• Della Mae talked to the woman in white.
• Della Mae remembered the violent assault and began to twitch uncontrollably.
• Della Mae wanted to be close to her child, Latasha.
• Della Mae had a hallucination involving Journey Lee.
• It seemed that Journey Lee was moving towards Della Mae.
• Della Mae tearfully remembered what might have been.