Color Purple, The - Alice Walker [74]
He a little fat white something without much hair, look like he headed for the Navy.
Ain't little Reynolds sweet? say Miss Eleanor Jane, to Sofia. Daddy just love him, she say. Love having a grandchild name for him and look so much like him, too.
Sofia don't say nothing, stand there ironing some of Susie Q and Henrietta's clothes.
And so smart, say Eleanor Jane. Daddy say he never saw a smarter baby. Stanley Earl's mama say he smarter than Stanley Earl was when he was this age.
Sofia still don't say nothing.
Finally Eleanor Jane notice. And you know how some whitefolks is, won't let well enough alone. If they want to bad enough, they gon harass a blessing from you if it kill.
Sofia mighty quiet this morning, Miss Eleanor Jane say, like she just talking to Reynolds Stanley. He stare back at her out of his big stuck open eyes.
Don't you think he sweet? she ast again.
He sure fat, say Sofia, turning over the dress she ironing.
And he sweet, too, say Miss Eleanor Jane.
Just as plump as he can be, say Sofia. And tall,, But he sweet, too, say Eleanor Jane. And he smart. She haul off and kiss him up side the head. He rub his head, say Yee.
Ain't he the smartest baby you ever saw? she ast Sofia.
He got a nice size head on him, say Sofia. You know some peoples place a lot of weight on head size. Not a whole lot of hair on it either. He gon be cool this summer, for sure. She fold the piece she iron and put it on a chair.
Just a sweet, smart, cute, innocentlittle baby boy, say Miss Eleanor Jane. Don't you just love him? she ast Sofia point blank.
Sofia sigh. Put down her iron. Stare at Miss Eleanor Jane and Reynolds Stanley. All the time me and Henrietta over in the comer playing pitty pat. Henrietta act like Miss Eleanor Jane ain't alive, but both of us hear the way the iron sound when Sofia put it down. The sound have a lot of old and new stuff in it.
No ma'am, say Sofia. I do not love Reynolds Stanley Earl. Now. That's what you been trying to find out ever since he was born.
And now you know.
Me and Henrietta look up. Miss Eleanor Jane just that quick done put Reynolds Stanley on the floor where he crawling round knocking stuff over. Head straight for Sofia's stack of ironed clothes and pull it down on his head. Sofia take up the clothes, straighten them out, stand by the ironing board with her hand on. the iron. Sofia the kind of woman no matter what she have in her hand it look like a weapon.
Eleanor Jane start to cry. She always have felt something for Sofia. If not for her, Sofia never would have survive living in her daddy's house. But so what? Sofia never wanted to be there in the first place. Never wanted to leave her own children.
Too late to cry, Miss Eleanor Jane, say Sofia. All us can do now is laugh. Look at him, she say. And she do laugh. He can't even walk and already he in my bouse messing it up. Did I ast him to come? Do I care whether he sweet or not? Will it make any difference in the way he grow up to treat me what I think?
You just don't like him cause he look like daddy, say Miss Eleanor Jane.
Youdon't like him cause he look like daddy, say Sofia. I don't feel nothing about him at all. I don't love nun, I don't hate him.
I just wish he couldn't run loose all the time messing up folks stuff.
All the time! All the time! say Miss Eleanor Jane. Sofia, he just a baby. Not even a year old. He only been here five or six times.
I feel like he been here forever, say Sofia.
I just don't understand, say Miss Eleanor Jane. All the other colored women I know love children. The way you feel is something unnatural.
I love children, say Sofia. But all the colored women that say they love yours is lying. They don't love Reynolds Stanley any more than I do. But if you so badly raise as to ast 'em, what you expect them to say?