MISS MINNIE AND THE JERSEY MANEATER
Flash Fiction--Can’t wait for Shark Week? Here is a flash fiction inspired by a true event to whet your sea legs.
July 1916 was a sweltering month, and as the train rolled into Matawan, New Jersey, the heat seemed almost tangible, hanging in the air like a thick, sticky blanket. The doors creaked open and out stepped Minnie Thompson, a striking black woman in her early thirties. Her confidence radiated through her impeccable white summer dress and matching wide-brimmed hat. She had come to visit her cousin, Ida Mae, and get away from the bustling streets of Harlem for a bit of peace—or so she thought.
Minnie wasn’t just any woman; she was a renowned vaudeville performer known as "Miss Minnie, the Queen of Comedy." Her humor could light up any room, but she carried the weight of the era’s racial tensions and personal struggles beneath the laughs. She knew her visit to a predominantly white small town might raise eyebrows, but she was used to standing out. She had her charm, and she knew how to use it.
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On her second day, while enjoying a lemonade on Ida Mae’s porch, she overheard a group of townsfolk talking in hushed, anxious tones. Minnie’s curiosity was piqued.
“What’s got everyone in such a tizzy?” Minnie asked Ida Mae.
“There’s been talk of shark attacks down the coast, near Spring Lake and Beach Haven,” Ida Mae replied. “They say a shark might have made its way into the creek.”
“A shark? In the creek?” Minnie raised an eyebrow, her disbelief evident.
“I know, it sounds crazy,” Ida Mae said, “but some boys went missing recently. Folks are scared.”
That evening, the town met at a local church to discuss the recent disappearances. Minnie and Ida Mae attended, standing out in the sea of white faces.
Sheriff Thompson, a stout man with a graying mustache, addressed the fearful crowd. “We need to take precautions. No swimming in the creek until we know what’s going on. And I need volunteers to help patrol the area.”
Minnie could feel the weight of the townspeople’s stares as she raised her hand.
“What you doing?” Ida Mae snapped, tugging at Minnie’s arm.
“Hush, Ida Mae,” said Minnie, pulling free. “I’d like to help,” she said, her voice clear and steady.
There were murmurs of surprise and skepticism; black folks rarely stuck their necks out for whites, and vice versa. Sheriff Thompson was as much concerned about letting a woman join them. But Minnie stood firm and determined, causing Sheriff Thompson to nod and say, “Alright, Mam. We can use all the help we can get.”
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The next morning, Minnie joined the patrols. Her humor and charm quickly won over some of the initially wary townsfolk, but she knew many still doubted her capabilities. One of the volunteers, a young man named Tom, seemed particularly hostile.
“What’s a vaudeville performer gonna do if a shark shows up?” Tom sneered.
Minnie smiled sweetly. “Well, Tom, if a shark shows up, I suppose I’ll just have to charm it into submission.”
Tom rolled his eyes, but a few others chuckled, easing the tension.
While patrolling near the creek a few days later, Minnie and Tom heard a commotion. They rushed to the water’s edge and saw a boy struggling in the water, a fin slicing through the surface behind him.
Without thinking, Minnie grabbed a nearby oar and waded into the water, swinging the oar with all her might at the shark. The creature thrashed and turned away, disappearing into the murky depths. Tom pulled the boy to safety, his face pale with fear.
“You... you saved him,” Tom stammered, his earlier hostility replaced with awe. “How did you do that?”
“Tell you the truth, I got no idea,” Minnie said, trying to catch her breath and keep her legs from trembling.
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Word of Minnie’s bravery spread quickly through Matawan. People who had looked at her with suspicion now approached her with gratitude and respect. Even Tom, who had been her harshest critic, began to see her in a new light.
“I misjudged you, Minnie,” Tom admitted one evening as they patrolled the creek together. “You’re braver than I could ever be.”
“It’s not about being brave,” Minnie replied. “It’s about doing what’s right, no matter what anyone thinks.”
COMING SOON: “Whispers On The Savannah,” a serialized novella. Please subscribe to stay updated and support my work.