A/N: hello again, everybody. Here I am with Chapter 2 of A Sweet Evening With Sweetback. I had meant to publish this recently, however things have been quite busy these past couple of weeks with work, life, et al. Yet here I am with my latest installment. Here, I reintroduce the castaways since being rescued from the island. I will be This is Us-ing my writing going forward, with vantage points set on the island, others away from the island. And a special addition has been made to this saga, giving us four couples here. I also wish to give a special homage to Miss Bridget Sharpe, whose influence has inspired me to follow her lead on so much of what she was so brilliantly written thus far about Gilligan's Island. BMAG AND Pinger are here. And, wherever you are, Miss Tara Burgundy. Thanks, always, for everything. Well, enjoy everybody. Back with more later as always. :)
The seven former castaways from the S.S. Minnow were all reunited for a special movie night as set up by none other than Thurston Howell, III, who, along with his wife, Lovey, had rented out a large movie auditorium for a special showing of Sweet Sweetback's Baaadddddaassssssss Song. They were on their way to the theater, all traveling together inside of a long, stretch, black Cadillac limousine. They were all together, joined by Skipper and his girlfriend, Maria-Odilia Herandez Ortega, an attractive Latina lady with brown hair past her shoulders, light-brown eyes, and distinct features about a solid-albeit busty frame with a nice, fine, shape and sturdy legs. Like Skipper, she served in the Navy, as well, first as a WAVE, during World War II, and then, eventually, made a brief career in the actual Navy after the War ended, before going on to a successful career, as a female executive in the automotive industry. Besides the Howells, Skipper and Maria were the Hinkleys, Professor Roy and his very pregnant actress wife, the former Ginger Grant, and William Gilligan and his wife, the former Mary Ann Summers. They were all taking about going to see this film by Melvin Van Peebles.
"Wow, I still can't believe you all went along with my suggestion," William said in the back of the limousine.
"Neither can I, little buddy," Skipper said, clutching his girlfriend's hand.
"To think, we are all going to see a Rated X movie," Mrs. Howell said.
"As rated by an all-white jury," Mary Ann said sardonically, (as the advertisements of the film so brazenly said, per reviews which had led to this film being rated accordingly) more freely expressing such things now as an interracially married Black woman not afraid of saying so, having become more outspoken on such things as a result since being rescued with the rest of the castaways. Despite, or maybe because of, her new-fangled confidence, they all loved her more for it. Her husband had her back unconditionally.
"I know, right?" Maria said, smirking in unison with Mary Ann while clutching her boyfriend's hand. They were the only people of color inside the vehicle: Maria-Odilia, Mexican; Mary Ann, Black. The women hit it off when they first met and got along well with one another. Maria and Ginger also got along with each other, as well.
"Of course, you two cuties would bring that up," Ginger said, licking her smiling lips while looking at the two beautiful women of color.
"Well, why not? It's on the poster, Gin," William said, as factually noted to his and his wife's girlfriend, whose bare feet he held in his lap to help ease whatever swelling may be going on in her lower extremities. William massaged Ginger's feet as he did Mary Ann's during the latter's two pregnancies to great ecstasy, using a skill William inadvertently picked up during his time in the Navy. This did not go unnoticed by Ginger, who insisted that William sit across from her in the limousine and massage her own feet, as Ginger's hands were being held by her husband, folded atop her pregnant belly.
"Which is what attracted me to this film," Mr. Howell said. Not wanting to pass up an opportunity to make some money, as well as treat his adopted family to a fine night out on the town, Mr. Howell had all the arrangements made for the eight of them to enjoy a fine night out together.
"Well, I have to say, Gilligan," Roy said, "this suggestion of yours may lead to an evening we will all remember." Though the reviews had been mixed, the film was selling out over the place in the limited cities it had been presented—the only places willing to exhibit the film. Other cities eventually picked up the film. Somehow, the worse the reviews, the more compelled people were to come and see the film for themselves. Once he saw how much there was to be had, particularly at the box office, Mr. Howell decided to get in on the action—and fun, as well.
Once the limousine pulled up to the curb, right where the passenger door met the red carpet, the chauffer got out of the car to let the passengers out. There was a velvet rope on golden posts adorning both sides of the carpet. First, Ginger and Roy exited the limo. Ginger was very pregnant with twins and on the verge of delivering inside of a month. Ginger's titian-colored hair was down to her back, her make up sky-blue eye shadow with pink lipstick, as she had on a long yellow gown along with a blue long-sleeved sweater, and pink satin slippers; Roy had on a tan corduroy blazer with brown pants and a white shirt with an open collar and brown loafers. The married couple kissed on the red carpet, deeply in love with each other and looking forward to having their babies. The flash bulbs went off for her as she was a true movie star in her own right.
Then came Skipper and Maria-Odilia. Skipper had his signature captain's hat on, along with a navy-blue blazer, khaki pants, loafers, and a blue dress shirt whose collar was open. Maria-Odilia had on a leopard dress, hemmed just above the knees, which was black in the back, with a leopard throw over her shoulders, while wearing brown patent high heels. She loved the attention also. The couple walked the red carpet arm-in-arm.
Then came the interracially married pair of William and Mary Ann Gilligan. William had on a gray tennis hat (from which his longer brown hair protruded underneath from), a black rugby shirt, together with grey bellbottoms and black buckled shoes. His wife was wearing a chocolate figure-hugging rayon mini-dress, draped by a long, dark brown rayon sweater, with a deep, plunging neckline, showing a lot of cleavage on her maternally-ampled breasts, featuring a black chocker with a pam-African Camay around her neck, barelegged with brown strap-on, opened-toed shoes with a 3" block heel, and her toenails freshly painted red, matching her fingernails. She had on slate-colored lip gloss and brown acrylic earrings shaped like sideways squares matching her glasses, which matched her large, square-shaped turquoise glasses, which adorned her medium-sized afro hairdo. A lot of people were shocked to see Mary Ann with her husband, being that they are interracially married. Yet, they held hands and kissed openly on the lips, in the middle of the carpet, giving the patrons something else to talk—and, for some patrons, to cheer—about. She embodied what Curtis Mayfield was singing about in a song from his 1970 eponymous solo LP debut, called, Miss Black America.
Mary Ann Gilligan truly looked like a beauty queen in every sense of the word.
As when they first took their wedding vows before being rescued from the island they had been on, just William and Mary Ann did not care who saw—or what other people thought of—them, their island family notwithstanding.
Now that they were married, as well as parents, they were stronger and more serious about their love than before.
Then came the Howells, the hosts of the evening. Mr. Howell dressed in a basic black tuxedo with black tie; Mrs. Howell dressed in a two-piece sterling silver pantsuit with matching pumps. She wore no hat on this evening. She had red lipstick on with blue eye shadow and rogue blush.
The Howells, by the way, arranged for babysitters to watch the young Gilligan children.
The party of eight had made it inside of the theater.