[INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC]
JAMES: LET'S TALK ABOUT MISS DEVINE.
CHERIE: MISS LIZZIE DEVINE.
JAMES: MISS DEVINE WAS A WIRY LADY.
SHE WORE SUMMER DRESSES, SHE HAD A BANDANA AND A STRAW HAT,
AND SHE WAS THE ONLY PERSON I KNEW
THAT HAD MORE POWER THAN MY GRANDMOTHER.
CHERIE: SHE WASN'T A MEAN PERSON, SHE WAS STERN.
JAMES:STERN, YES, VERY STERN.
CHERIE: AND YOU KNOW WHEN SHE SAID SOMETHING,
RIGHT. SHE MEANT EXACTLY WHAT SHE SAID.
IN FACT, SHE WAS OUR SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER.
THE ONLY THING THAT WOULD KEEP YOU FROM GOING TO SUNDAY SCHOOL,
YOU HAD TO HAVE ONE FOOT ON A BANANA PEEL
AND THE OTHER IN THE GRAVE. ABSOLUTELY.
THAT'S THE ONLY EXCUSE. THERE'S NO EXCUSE.
YOU HAD TO GO. HAD TO GO.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU PRAYED FOR WHEN YOU WAS IN DEVINE'S CLASS,
WAS "LORD, PLEASE LET ME GET OLD ENOUGH TO GET OUT OF THIS CLASS."
SHE DID THE CATECHISM, (LAUGHTER)
"WHO MADE YOU? GOD. WHERE IS GOD? EVERYWHERE!"
(LAUGHTER) SHE WENT THROUGH, AND WE SAY,
"OH LORD, HAVE MERCY, PLEASE."
THIS MISS DEVINE WOULD COME IN ON SUNDAY MORNINGS
TO TAKE US TO SUNDAY SCHOOL.
AND WHEN I SAW HER COME, CHERIE,
I THOUGHT THE LEAVES WOULD BE BLOWING OFF THE TREES
AND THE SKY WOULD GO BLACK AND THE CLOUDS WOULD COME IN.
SHE COME IN THE HOUSE ONE MORNING AND SAY,
"GOOD MORNING, CHILDREN."
AND EVERYBODY, MY MOTHER ON DOWN SAID,
"GOOD MORNING, MISS DEVINE." AND SHE SAID, "IT'S TIME
TO GO TO SUNDAY SCHOOL THIS MORNING, CHILDREN."
I SAID, "MISS DEVINE, I CAN'T GO TO SUNDAY SCHOOL TODAY."
SHE SAID, "NO?" I SAID, "NO MA'AM."
SHE SAID, "WHY NOT?"
I SAID BECAUSE, I SAY, "MY MOTHER DIDN'T BRING
ENOUGH CLOTHES FOR ME TO GO TO SUNDAY SCHOOL THIS MORNING."
SHE SAID, "OH NO?" I SAID, "NO, MA'AM."
SHE SAID, "WHAT DO YOU HAVE? WHAT KIND OF CLOTHES DO YOU HAVE?"
I SAID, "ALL I HAVE, MISS DEVINE,
ARE MY PAJAMAS AND MY TENNIS SHOES."
SHE SAID, "WELL, THAT'S OKAY, HONEY.
PUT YOUR TENNIS SHOES ON. WE'LL GO TO SUNDAY SCHOOL."
I LOOKED AT MY MOTHER AND SHE LOOKED AWAY, CHERIE.
(CHERIE CHUCKLES) MISS DEVINE MADE ME WALK TWO BLOCKS
IN MY PAJAMAS AND TENNIS SHOES.
I HAD TO SIT IN CHURCH WITH MY FRIENDS DURING SUNDAY SCHOOL
IN MY PAJAMAS AND MY TENNIS SHOES.
I TELL YOU CHERIE, I NEVER LIED AGAIN. (LAUGHS)
MISS DEVINE WAS ALWAYS THERE TO TAKE CARE OF US. RIGHT.
BUT WHEN MISS DEVINE BRAIDED YOUR HAIR,
YOUR EYES WENT UP LIKE THIS.
[LAUGHTER]
YOU HAD TO SLEEP ON SOFT PILLOWS, BECAUSE I MEAN,
BOY, SHE HAD IT TIGHT. MMM-MMM.
AND MISS DEVINE HAD MANGO TREES ALL OVER HER YARD,
BUT MISS DEVINE NEVER BROUGHT YOU A MANGO
UNTIL IT WAS ROTTEN.
[LAUGHTER]
IT WOULD BE, IT WOULD SMELL LIKE LIQUOR. (LAUGHTER)
THAT'S WHEN SHE BROUGHT YOU A MANGO.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, THAT'S THE KIND OF STUFF
THAT WE GOT GROWING UP, AND I NEVER FORGET THAT.
[INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC]
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