Color Purple, The - Alice Walker [75]
But he just a little baby! say Miss EIean9r Jane, like saying this is spose to clear up everything.
What you want from me? say Sofia, I feel something for you because out of all the people in your daddy's house you showed me some human kindness. But on the other hand, out of all the people in your daddy's house, I showed you some. Kind feeling is all I have to offer you. I don't have nothing to offer your relatives but just what they offer me. I don't have nothing to offer him.
Reynolds Stanley by this time is over on Henrietta pallet look like trying to rape her foot. Finally he start to chew her teg and Henrietta reach up on the window-sill and hand him a cracker.
I feel like you the only person love me, say Miss Eleanor Jane. Mama only love Junior, she say. Cause that's who daddy really love.
Well, say Sofia. You got your own husband to love you now.
Look like he don't love nothing but that cotton gin, she say. Ten o'clock at night and he still down there working. When he not working, he playing poker with the boys. My brother see a lot more of Stanley Earl than I do.
Maybe you ought to leave him, say Sofia. You got kin ia Atlanta, go stay with some of them. Git a job.
Miss Eleanor Jane toss her hair back, act like she don't even hear this, it such a wild notion.
I got my own troubles, say Sofia, and when Reynolds Stanley grow up, he's gon be one of them.
But he won't, say Miss Eleanor Jane. I'm his mama and I won't let him be mean to colored.
You and whose army? say Sofia. The first word he likely to speak won't be nothing he learn from you.
You telling me I won't even be able to love my own son, say Miss Eleanor Jane.
No, say Sofia. That's not what I'm telling you. I'm telling you / won't be able to love your own son. You can love him just as much as you want to. But be ready to suffer the consequences. That's how the colored live.
Little Reynolds Stanley all up on top Henrietta's face by now, just slobbering and sucking. Trying to kiss. Any second I think she gon knock him silly. But she lay real still while he zamine her. Every once in a while he act like he peeking into her eyeball.
Then he sit down with a bounce on top her chest and grin. He take one of her playing cards and try to give her a bite of it.
Sofia come over and lift him off.
He not bothering me, say Henrietta. He make me tickle.
He bother me, say Sofia.
Well, Miss Eleanor Jane say to the baby, picking him up, we not wanted here. She say it real sad, like she done run out of places to go.
Thank you for all you done for us, say Sofia. She don't look so good herself, and a little water stand in her eyes. After Miss Eleanor Jane and Reynolds Stanley leave, she say, It's times like this make me know us didn't make this world. And all the colored folks talking bout loving everybody just ain't looked hard at what they thought they said.
So what else new?
Well, your sister too crazy to kill herself. Most times I feels tike shit but I felt tike shit before in my life and what happen?
I had me a fine sister name Nettie. I had me another fine woman friend name Snug. I had me some fine children growing up in Africa, singing and writing verses. The first two months was hell though, I tell the world. But now Shug's six months is come and gone and she ain't come back. And I try to teach my heart not to want nothing it can't have.
Besides, she give me so many good years. Plus, she learning new things in her new life. Now she and Germaine staying with one of her children.
Dear Celie, she wrote me, Me and Germaine ended up in Tucson, Arizona where one of my children live. The other two alive and turned out well but they didn't want to see me. Somebody told them I lives a evil life. This one say he want to see his mama no matter what. He live in a little mud looking house like they have out here, call adobe, so you know I feels right at home (smile). He a schoolteacher too and work on the Indian reservation. They call him the black white man. They have a word that mean