One Crazy Summer Chapter 16 Summary

Big Red

  • Fern has a stomachache—like, a bad one.
  • So bad that Delphine decides to take matters into her own hands and take charge of dinner tonight.
  • All they've eaten for dinner every night since they gotten to California is Lo Mein.
  • She leads her sisters to the grocery store and buys ingredients for cooking.
  • Vonetta and Fern would have settled for pizza, but Delphine is determined to make "real food."
  • Anyway, in order to cook, Delphine first has to get into the kitchen, which means it's time for another showdown with Cecile.
  • This time, at least, Cecile and Delphine are calm, and when it's clear that Delphine's not backing down, she's allowed to enter (so long as she doesn't make a mess… or else).
  • So Delphine sets to work with some baked chicken and potatoes.
  • Even though Vonetta and Fern put up a stink about the food not being like Big Ma's, Cecile joins her daughters for the meal, nibbling every bit of meat off the chicken bones.
  • And then she makes Delphine clean all the dishes, too. Gee thanks.
  • Before Delphine can finish the dishes, Cecile gives her some final advice to be selfish once in a while.