A Day to Pick Your Own Cotton - Michael R. Phillips [36]
“Then he’s wrong,” said Katie. “Mayme saved my life, Aleta. She helped me just like I helped you. She’s as nice a girl as you could ever meet.”
Aleta didn’t say any more.
“Do you want to hate people like your father does?” asked Katie. “Do you want to be like him?”
The thought seemed to sober her. She got up from her chair. “May I play with your dolls?” she asked.
“Yes,” answered Katie. “Yes … you may.”
Aleta left the kitchen and went upstairs.
CLEARING OFF A BILL
20
IN SPITE OF THE SUDDEN CHANGE IN OUR LIVES because of Aleta’s coming, the seven gold coins had got right into Katie’s brain. Once I’d convinced her that it would be all right to use it, she didn’t waste any time trying to figure out what to do with the money. It must have been working on her all night the way things do even when you’re asleep, because by morning she was ready to act like the mistress of a plantation with financial problems and do what she could about them.
Almost the minute Aleta was out of earshot, and not yet hearing anything from Emma, she spoke up about it.
“We’ve got to go back into town again, Mayme,” she announced.
“What for?” I asked.
“I want to pay off the bill at Mrs. Hammond’s store so she doesn’t come calling or visiting or pestering us about the money we owe her. And we could use some things too—like flour and sugar. And we’re almost out of bacon and bacon grease too.”
“But if we bought bacon, she’d be liable to be suspicious, wondering why you didn’t just have your own from butchering one of your hogs.”
“I see what you mean. But the main thing is I don’t want her fussing about the bill. She used to pester Mama something fierce, and I’d rather she wasn’t asking too many questions. And I want to pay off some of Mama’s loan at the bank too.”
“You don’t think Mrs. Hammond will ask questions about where the money came from?”
“She probably will,” said Katie. “But that would be better than having her snooping around here. I hope getting her money will outweigh her curiosity.”
“I see what you mean,” I said, “but how can we go into town again now that Aleta’s here? She would never stay with me for you to go alone—”
“I can’t go alone, Mayme,” interrupted Katie. “I’m not brave enough for that yet.”
“Then I don’t see what’s to be done with Aleta.”
“Couldn’t we take her with us?”
“Do you think she’d stand for it, going all that way sitting beside me? And what about when we got to town and people saw her? That would make Mrs. Hammond all the more curious!”
“But maybe somebody would see her that knows her,” said Katie, “and then we could find out who her father is and she would be able to go home.”
“Maybe,” I said, thinking about what Katie said. “But then what would they think about us? How would we explain ourselves? And Aleta would be bound to tell them there were no grown-ups at Rosewood.”
“But we can’t just keep her here forever. What about her father?”
“I don’t know. I’m just concerned about your safety, Miss Katie.”
Katie took in what I’d said and mulled it over in her mind for a while. A few minutes later Emma came in holding William, and that put an end to our conversation.
But it didn’t put an end to Katie’s determination to go into town and spend at least one of those gold coins. As soon as she’d poured Emma some milk and had her seated at the table eating some bread, she brought it up again.
“Emma,” she said, “I’ve got to do something and I need for you to be real brave for me if you can.”
“What dat, Miz Katie?” said Emma, getting a worried look on her face.
“Mayme and I need to go back into town again, and—” “You’s not gwine make me stay down in dat cellar agin, are you, Miz Katie?” she said, getting a scared look on her face.
“I have another idea, Emma. This time you and William can stay down in one of the cabins where our slaves used to live. How would that be?”
“Dat be right fine by me, Miz Katie,” said Emma in relief.
“You’ll be out of sight there, and if anyone should come, I’ll show you a place to hide, just like before.”
“Not in no cellar?