The Color Purple - Alice Walker [21]
Shug come over and she and Sofia hug.
Shug say, Girl, you look like a good time, you do.
That when I notice how Shug talk and act sometimes like a man. Men say stuff like that to women, Girl, you look like a good time. Women always talk bout hair and health. How many babies living or dead, or got teef. Not bout how some woman they hugging on look like a good time.
All the men got they eyes glued to Shug’s bosom. I got my eyes glued there too. I feel my nipples harden under my dress. My little button sort of perk up too. Shug, I say to her in my mind, Girl, you looks like a real good time, the Good Lord knows you do.
What you doing here? ast Harpo.
Sofia say, Come to hear Miss Shug. You got a nice place here Harpo. She look around. This and that her eyes admire.
Harpo say, It just a scandless, a woman with five children hanging out in a jukejoint at night.
Sofia eye go cool. She look him up and down.
Since he quit stuffing himself, he gained a bunch of weight, face, head and all, mostly from drinking home brew and eating left-over barbecue. By now he just about her size.
A woman need a little fun, once in a while, she say.
A woman need to be at home, he say.
She say, This is my home. Though I do think it go better as a jukejoint.
Harpo look at the prize fighter. Prizefighter push back his chair a little, pick up his drink.
I don’t fight Sofia battle, he say. My job to love her and take her where she want to go.
Harpo breathe some relief.
Let’s dance, he say.
Sofia laugh, git up. Put both arms round his neck. They slow drag out cross the floor.
Harpo little yellowish girlfriend sulk, hanging over the bar. She a nice girl, friendly and everything, but she like me. She do anything Harpo say.
He give her a little nickname, too, call her Squeak.
Pretty soon Squeak git up her nerve to try to cut in.
Harpo try to turn Sofia so she can’t see. But Squeak keep on tapping and tapping on his shoulder.
Finally he and Sofia stop dancing. They bout two feet from our table.
Shug say, uh-oh, and point with her chin, something bout to blow right there.
Who dis woman, say Squeak, in this little teenouncy voice.
You know who she is, say Harpo.
Squeak turn to Sofia. Say, You better leave him alone.
Sofia say, Fine with me. She turn round to leave.
Harpo grab her by the arm. Say, You don’t have to go no where. Hell, this your house.
Squeak say, What you mean, Dis her house? She walk out on you. Walk away from the house. It over now, she say to Sofia.
Sofia say, Fine with me. Try to pull away from Harpo grip. He hold her tight.
Listen Squeak, say Harpo, Can’t a man dance with his own wife?
Squeak say, Not if he my man he can’t. You hear that, bitch, she say to Sofia.
Sofia gitting a little tired of Squeak, I can tell by her ears. They sort of push back. But she say again, sorta end of argument like, Hey, fine with me.
Squeak slap her up cross the head.
What she do that for. Sofia don’t even deal in little ladyish things such as slaps. She ball up her fist, draw back, and knock two of Squeak’s side teef out. Squeak hit the floor. One toof hanging on her lip, the other one upside my cold drink glass.
Then Squeak start banging on Harpo leg with her shoe.
You git that bitch out a here, she cry, blood and slobber running down her chin.
Harpo and Sofia stand side by side looking down at Squeak, but I don’t think they hear her. Harpo still holding Sofia arm. Maybe half a minute go by. Finally he turn loose her arm, reach down and cradle poor little Squeak in his arms. He coo and coo at her like she a baby.
Sofia come over and git the prizefighter. They go out the door and don’t look back. Then us hear a car motor start.
DEAR GOD,
Harpo mope. Wipe the counter, light a cigarette, look outdoors, walk up and down. Little Squeak run long all up under him trying to git his tension. Baby this, she say, Baby that. Harpo look through her head, blow smoke.
Squeak come over to the corner where me and Mr. _____ at. She got two bright gold teef in the side of her mouth, generally grin all the time. Now