The Darkest Child

Mushy and Hambone take the other kids to Stillwaters. Hambone asks Tangy to dance and flirts with her. Tangy drinks beer for the first time. Hambone asks what Tangy thinks of Bakersfield. She says it’s fine, but Hambone argues she just thinks this because she’s never been anywhere else.

Mushy encourages Tangy to sing a song with the band. Tangy impresses everyone. Velman appears, and Martha Jean holds his hand. Hambone and Velman argue about how to handle temporary employers who don’t pay what they promise. Sam and Harvey complain about low, unfair pay, but they don’t mention that they give their pay to Rozelle. Hambone wants to leave town, but Velman and Harvey don’t. Hambone says Harvey just wants to stay because he’s in love with a girl named Carol Sue. Mushy says she plans to drink until she stops seeing her mother’s face in her head.

It’s Tangy’s 14th birthday; she eats cookies with her siblings on the porch. They discuss Martha Jean and Velman’s status. Mushy thinks Martha Jean is in love. Tarabelle says that Rozelle claims nobody will ever marry Martha Jean because she’s deaf and nonverbal, and nobody will ever marry Tangy due to her dark skin.