Color Purple, The - Alice Walker [54]
I got children, I say. Being brought up in Africa. Good schools, lots of fresh air and exercise. Turning out a heap better than the fools you didn't even try to raise.
Hold on, say Harpo.
Oh, hold on hell, I say. If you hadn't tried to rule over Sofia the white folks never would have caught her.
Sofia so surprise to hear me speak up she ain't chewed for ten minutes.
That's a lie, say Harpo.
A little truth in it, say Sofia.
Everybody look at her like they surprise she there. It like a voice speaking from the grave.
You was all rotten children, I say. You made my life a hell on earth. And your daddy here ain't dead horse's shit.
Mr.??? reach over to slap me. I jab my case knife in his hand.
You bitch, he say. What will people say, you running off to Memphis like you don't have a house to look after?
Shug say, Albert. Try to think like you got some sense. Why any woman give a shit what people think is a mystery to me.
Well, say Grady, trying to bring light. A woman can't git a man if peoples talk.
Shug look at me and us giggle. Then us laugh sure miff. Then Squeak start to laugh. Then Sofia. All us laugh and laugh.
Shug say, Ain't they something? Us say um hum, and slap the table, wipe the water from our eyes.
Harpo look at Squeak. Shut up Squeak, he say. It bad hick for women to laugh at men.
She say, Okay. She sit up straight, suck in her breath, try to press her face together.
He look at Sofia. She look at him and tough in his face. I already had my bad luck, she say. I had enough to keep me laughing the rest of my life.
Harpo look at her like he did the night she knock Mary Agnes down. A little spark fly cross the table.
I got six children by this crazy woman, he mutter.
Five, she say...
He so outdone he can't even say, Say what?
He look over at the youngest child. She sullen, mean, mischeevous and too stubborn to live in this world. But he love her best of all. Her name Henrietta.
Henrietta, he say.
She say, Yesssss... like they say it on the radio.
Everything she say confuse him. Nothing, he say. Then he say, Go git me a cool glass of water.
She don't move.
Please, he say.
She go git the water, put it by his plate, give him a peck on the cheek. Say, Poor Daddy. Sit back down.
You not gitting a penny of my money, Mr.???. say to me. Not one thin dime.
Did I ever ast you for money? I say. I never ast you for nothing. Not even for your sorry hand in marriage.
Shug break in right there. Wait, she say. Hold it. Somebody else going with us too. No use in Celie being the only one taking the weight.
Everybody sort of cut they eyes at Sofia. She the one they can't quite find a place for. She the stranger.
It ain't me, she say, and her look say, Fuck you for entertaining the thought. She reach for a biscuit and sort of root her behind deeper into her seat. One look at this big stout graying, wildeyed woman and you know not even to ast. Nothing.
But just to clear this up neat and quick, she say, I'm home. Period.
Her sister Odessa come and put her arms round her. Jack move up close.
Course you is, Jack say.
Mama crying? ast one of Sofia children.
Miss Sofia too, another one say.
But Sofia cry quick, like she do most things.
Who going? she ast.
Nobody say nothing. It so quiet you can hear the embers dying back in the stove. Sound like they falling in on each other.
Finally, Squeak look at everybody from under her bangs. Me, she say. I'm going North.
You going What? say Harpo. He so surprise. He begin to sputter, sputter, just like his daddy. Sound like I don't know what.
I want to sing, say Squeak.
Sing! say Harpo.
Yeah, say Squeak. Sing. I ain't sung in public since Jolentha was born. Her name Jolentha. They call her SuzieQ.
You ain't had to sing in public since Jolentha was born. Everything you need I done provided for.
I need to sing, say Squeak.
Listen Squeak, say Harpo. You can't go to Memphis. That's all there is to it.
Mary Agnes, say Squeak.
Squeak, Mary Agnes, what difference do it make?
It make a lot, say Squeak. When I was Mary Agnes I could