What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day

Ava waits at the Grand Rapids airport for her sister, Joyce Mitchell, to pick her up. She has another drink and writes in her journal. The last time she kept a journal was when she left Michigan for Atlanta, Georgia, in 1984. Atlanta wasn’t what Ava expected, but she ran a successful hair salon there. However, things changed in the wake of Ava’s diagnosis. After she was diagnosed with HIV, she wrote letters to the men she’d slept with over the last 10 years, despite Joyce’s warnings not to. Shortly thereafter, the wife of one of Ava’s former lovers stormed into the salon and made a scene, screaming that Ava had AIDS. The business suffered as a result, forcing Ava to sell it and move home. She plans live in Idlewild on the money from the sale while preparing to move to San Francisco.

Joyce is glad that Ava is coming home as Ava is the only family she has left. Joyce’s two children and husband, Mitch, died in tragic accidents. Joyce and Ava’s mother died by suicide on Joyce’s wedding night when Joyce was 18. Afterward, Joyce and Mitch became like Ava’s parents.

Joyce sends Mitch’s old friend, Eddie Jefferson, to pick up Ava. Meanwhile, Joyce is helping a woman named Eartha, who arrived at her house in labor earlier. Ava understands because Joyce likes helping people.

Eddie and Ava reconnect on the way home. Ava has known him for years, but she doesn’t recognize this version of him. Eddie explains that he’s driving Mitch’s old truck because Joyce gave it to him to fix up after Mitch’s death. Ava tries asking what Eddie has been doing for the past years, but Eddie only reveals that he moved back to Idlewild permanently. As they drive back into town, Ava remembers the day she left.

Ava recalls the stories about Idlewild’s history. Although Idlewild is “an all-black town” (16), its founder was an Indigenous American. Years later, well-off Black citizens moved to Idlewild and claimed it as their paradise in Michigan’s North Woods. Ava also remembers the story of a man known as The Rajah, who ran a restaurant in Idlewild with his white wife until his wife called him the n-word in front of their customers. These stories remind Ava that wherever a person goes, they cannot escape themselves.

Ava and Eddie stop at the liquor store, per Ava’s request. Outside, they witness a young man beating up his girlfriend. Eddie intervenes and gives the woman and her child a ride home. Afterward, Eddie explains that he learned to fight in the army and that the family from the store is related to Eartha.

Eddie and Ava arrive at Joyce’s house, Ava’s parents’ former home. Ava reflects on her parents’ dreams for their life in Idlewild. Her father wanted to open a nightclub but died from complications associated with alcoholism shortly after arriving in town. Ava is happy to be home but agrees to have dinner at Eddie’s because she doesn't want to be alone in Joyce’s empty, blue house.

Ava scans Eddie’s record collection while he makes dinner. They chat about Idlewild and the past. Eddie remembers Ava telling him not to fight in the Vietnam War at Joyce and Mitch’s wedding. He wishes he’d taken her advice as going to Vietnam was one of the worst decisions he ever made. Ava says she’s made bad ones too, and they agree to exchange stories someday.

Joyce runs outside when Eddie drops off Ava. While Joyce updates Eddie on Eartha’s baby girl, Ava studies their dynamic, deciding that they’re just friends. After Eddie leaves, Ava and Joyce catch up. The sisters remark on each other’s appearances. Joyce knows she’s gained weight since Mitch’s death but argues that eating has helped her survive. Ava wants Joyce to tell her she looks good because Joyce has been worried about her since the diagnosis. As Joyce leads Ava inside, she talks more about Eartha, who is HIV positive and addicted to crack cocaine. She also mentions the other women she’s helping through her Sewing Circus but withholds further details.

The hospital calls to say that Eartha’s baby “tested negative for HIV” and “positive for cocaine” (34). They also inform Joyce that Eartha disappeared. When Joyce says Eartha is trying to run from her diagnosis, Ava reflects on her response to her own diagnosis.

Ava and Joyce visit Eartha’s sister, Mattie, to talk about Eartha and the baby. Inside, Ava is surprised to see the young man from the liquor store, Frank. He and Mattie insist they don’t want their sister’s baby. Before Ava and Joyce leave, Frank gives Ava a message for Eddie.

Ava and Joyce try to get the crack smell from Mattie’s house out of their noses. They sit outside drinking tea and discussing the Sewing Circus. Joyce explains that the group is for young women like them. The community has been struggling, particularly given a recent string of burglaries. Originally called the Sewing Circle, the Sewing Circus is a women’s group at Joyce’s church, New Light Baptist. After Mitch died, Joyce returned to church and revitalized the group. Through the group, she reaches out to local young women and encourages them to take care of themselves. Joyce used to be a social worker and believes that people fundamentally want to care for themselves and their families. She hopes the church will fund the group and help them grow. However, the new pastor, Reverend Jonathan Anderson, and his wife, Miss Gerry, dislike the group. They believe abstinence is the best way to keep women from contracting HIV and getting pregnant. Joyce believes education and support are more important.

When Eddie stops over, Joyce goes inside to take a call from the hospital. Meanwhile, Ava tells Eddie about visiting Mattie and Frank and Frank’s message for him. She then asks about his dreadlocks. Mitch was the inspiration, and Eddie has grown them ever since.

Ava wakes up from a sex dream. She’s been masturbating recently because she fears having sex with anyone given her diagnosis. She lies in bed thinking about her sexual history. After her diagnosis, she attended an HIV support group that helped people living with HIV meet each other. At home afterwards, Ava regretted that she’d never really made love to anyone before. Joyce fell in love with Mitch in high school; he was her only sexual partner. Ava can’t imagine this lifestyle. To quell her sexual urges, she took up running after her diagnosis.

Ava tries to enjoy the silence of home before Joyce brings Eartha’s baby home. Joyce wants to foster the baby given Eartha’s disappearance and Mattie and Frank’s indifference.

While Joyce is out, Gerry and her grandson, Tyrone Anderson, stop over to see Joyce. Tyrone gets high outside while Ava talks to Gerry. Gerry gives Ava an opened envelope that came to the church for Joyce and tells Ava that Joyce has been bad.

Joyce is happy when she gets home because Child Protective Services is letting her foster the baby. She plans to name her Imani, Swahili for “faith.” After exclaiming over the baby supplies Joyce bought for Imani, the sisters discuss Gerry’s visit. The envelope contains pamphlets about living with HIV, which Joyce ordered for the Sewing Circus. She explains that Reverend Anderson and Gerry are determined to shut down the group. Ava reflects on others’ responses to her HIV diagnosis.

The sisters decide to get into shape together. Ava remembers Joyce’s visit to Atlanta after her diagnosis. They bought meditation guides and paraphernalia, but Ava hasn’t used any of it. Then Joyce suggests t’ai chi, a Chinese martial art that Eddie practices. She tried to do it after Mitch’s death. Joyce still misses Mitch but is glad Ava is home.

Eddie brings homegrown tomatoes over for dinner. Ava is surprised to learn that he gardens and cooks. Joyce gets sentimental seeing everyone together and expresses her gratitude about Ava’s homecoming again.

Joyce and Eddie chat with Ava while cooking. Later, outside, they reminisce about the sisters’ father and his knowledge of stars. The conversation then turns to church and faith.

Ava accompanies Joyce to church. In the nursery before the service, she meets one of the Sewing Circus members, Aretha Simmons. During the service, Ava is overwhelmed by the music and singing. She’s particularly impressed by Gerry’s voice.

Ava doesn’t like Reverend Anderson’s sermon, which focuses on hell and judgement. However, the congregants seem moved. Afterwards, word spreads of another burglary last night.

Ava dreams about Eddie and his garden. In the dream, he shows her his new tomatoes.

Ava accompanies Joyce to her meeting with Gerry and Reverend Anderson regarding the Sewing Circus. Ava wants to know more about the couple as well as their grandson’s history and friendship with Frank. She feels bad for boys like Tyrone and Frank but knows how dangerous they are.

The reverend doesn’t attend the meeting. Gerry informs Joyce that the church is shutting down the Sewing Circus because its activities don’t align with New Light’s beliefs. Joyce feigns understanding, insisting the next meetings will solely involve nursery planning.

While Ava does Joyce’s hair, she recalls her salon days. Meanwhile, the sisters chat about Aretha. Joyce believes Aretha is one of the girls in the group who has a chance of escaping Idlewild. Joyce is hopeful she’ll get into Interlochen, a boarding school for talented students. The conversation makes Ava think about her younger self.

Eddie shows up at the house with a crib while Ava is meditating. While he builds the crib, they talk about Imani’s arrival. His manner makes Ava understand the old stories about Eddie’s charm.

Ava encounters Reverend Anderson at the liquor store while buying wine for dinner. She’s curious about his purchase, his interaction with the clerk, and the young boy in the car with him.

Ava is surprised by how quiet Imani is. She seems happy that somebody is taking care of her, even if they’re not her family. Ava is even more taken with Imani when she holds her. When Eddie arrives, Ava feels sad that she may not survive to see Imani grow up. She tries to retain the happy feeling of being with her family at home.

Joyce teaches the Sewing Circus girls how to use a condom at their next meeting. She uses hot dogs and skewers for the demonstration. Gerry arrives in the middle of the lesson. She accuses Joyce of lying to her and teaching the girls sinful things about sex. Afterwards, Ava and Joyce laugh about what happened.