"I righ' here."
Mary acts all timid when she steps up to greet 'er future husban', no smile an' her eyes trained on the grass. She holds out her hand to be kissed, which he does chastely this time, only holdin' on to 'er fo' a secon'. She don't seem jealous though, she seem rather happy that he ain't so physically attached to 'er body. When he lets go, she backs away- in line with me. As sisters- we jus' too different to get alon', but 'ere an' now we see Mista Smith in the same light.
"It is wonderful to see you, my dear Mary," he says, rather hard an' forced. His eyes find me, an' he smiles some befor goin' back to 'is beloved bride to be. I cringe back, still unsure of what the meanin' behind 'is ol' words were. My daddy's deal? Does that mean that I ain't safe from marryin' 'em?
Maybe when Lloyd comes- I gotta rush to be engaged. Maybe that why dad pushin' it.
"You as well." Mary's voice is much the same as Mista Smith's had been, rude- not pleasant at all. "You will be stayin' lon'?"
"Fo' a lon' while, yes."
With that he's back lookin' at me, no expression through 'is lips, but 'is eyes shinin' like he got that most brilliant plan. An' I got somethin' to do with it. I look away, too weak to try an' fight 'is gaze.
"Yes, yes," daddy joins in, "'E'll be here fo' a couple of weeks. Ain't that nice?"
Though daddy ain't talkin' to 'em, Mista Smith the one that answer. "It real nice. I look forward to gettin' to kno' everyone 'rond 'ere even better."
I don't gotta look to kno' that he starin' at me. After 'is comment we all fall into a silence, no one really lookin' at each other.
"I really should get back to the manor," I say, waitin' fo no' answer. I start walkin' away- surprised when no one calls me back. Usually I ain't able to get away quite as fas'- but today was different.
I look back one las' time, seein' some slaves that I dunno tie up Mista Smith's horses an' fin' a place fo' 'is carriage to stay. Miss. Lizabeth is talkin' with Mary, daddy with Mista Johnston while Mista Smith is off starin' at the cotton fiel'. I can't see 'is face real well from 'ere- but he seem to be thinkin' real hard 'bout somethin. Righ' before I open the doors to the manor, he turns 'is head- lookin' at me.
Mary acts all timid when she steps up to greet 'er future husban', no smile an' her eyes trained on the grass. She holds out her hand to be kissed, which he does chastely this time, only holdin' on to 'er fo' a secon'. She don't seem jealous though, she seem rather happy that he ain't so physically attached to 'er body. When he lets go, she backs away- in line with me. As sisters- we jus' too different to get alon', but 'ere an' now we see Mista Smith in the same light.
"It is wonderful to see you, my dear Mary," he says, rather hard an' forced. His eyes find me, an' he smiles some befor goin' back to 'is beloved bride to be. I cringe back, still unsure of what the meanin' behind 'is ol' words were. My daddy's deal? Does that mean that I ain't safe from marryin' 'em?
Maybe when Lloyd comes- I gotta rush to be engaged. Maybe that why dad pushin' it.
"You as well." Mary's voice is much the same as Mista Smith's had been, rude- not pleasant at all. "You will be stayin' lon'?"
"Fo' a lon' while, yes."
With that he's back lookin' at me, no expression through 'is lips, but 'is eyes shinin' like he got that most brilliant plan. An' I got somethin' to do with it. I look away, too weak to try an' fight 'is gaze.
"Yes, yes," daddy joins in, "'E'll be here fo' a couple of weeks. Ain't that nice?"
Though daddy ain't talkin' to 'em, Mista Smith the one that answer. "It real nice. I look forward to gettin' to kno' everyone 'rond 'ere even better."
I don't gotta look to kno' that he starin' at me. After 'is comment we all fall into a silence, no one really lookin' at each other.
"I really should get back to the manor," I say, waitin' fo no' answer. I start walkin' away- surprised when no one calls me back. Usually I ain't able to get away quite as fas'- but today was different.
I look back one las' time, seein' some slaves that I dunno tie up Mista Smith's horses an' fin' a place fo' 'is carriage to stay. Miss. Lizabeth is talkin' with Mary, daddy with Mista Johnston while Mista Smith is off starin' at the cotton fiel'. I can't see 'is face real well from 'ere- but he seem to be thinkin' real hard 'bout somethin. Righ' before I open the doors to the manor, he turns 'is head- lookin' at me.
