"You don't gotta stay 'ere all day."
"I kno'."
The sun is real high up, now, the day stretchin' to 'is middle. I heard daddy once go by, Mary callin' my name- soundin' much like she didn't wanna fin' me. They didn't do no lookin' in 'ere though- no white gurl should be one to hang with slaves. I heard 'em go back to the manor, already though. They done with me- I too troubled- I guess. I real scared to show my face 'gain, maybe I shoul' say I fainted cause of the heat or sompin'. An' soon as I woke up I cam runnin' back, right to daddy ta tell 'em all 'bout it. I can lie real good sometime- truly. An' I bet if I said that- they'd actually believe me.
"You don' owe me nothin'."
"Why would I owe you nothin'?"
"Jus' cause."
"Cause why?"
He blinks at me, starin'- tryin' to put 'is word in my mouth. But he ain't makin' me feel stupid- like I do when Miss. Lizabeth give me the same look. Jus'- I dunno- I dunno wha' he make me feel. He glance ova at the otha slave, then back to me.
"'Cause why?" I ask, 'gain, completely missin' wha' he tryin' to say. He can be real smart fo' a black man- but sometime I still don' get 'em at all. An' I guess he don't real get me neither.
"Well I woul' tell ya..." He trails off, then looks ta the other slave, 'gain. This time 'e waits 'till the colored man look up. Then he turn 'is eyes back to me.
"I still ain't sur-" Oh. Oh. I feel my cheeks fill up all red, an' instantly I drop my gaze. Whatever it is I could but don' owe 'em fo' is a secret between jus' him an' I. Or mo' likely him, I an' Cecile. Maybe it the writin', or me almos' lettin' 'em run, twice or defendin' 'em 'gainst Lloyd. Either way- it don't real matter.
"Well, I not tryin' to make up fo' nothin," I say, "Don' worry 'bout it."
"Alrigh'."
He go back to the cotton, an' I turn out to that rickety window 'gain, starin' out at the land. I wish I coul' be alone out there some time, without all them slaves workin' every patch. I sigh, real loud, but get no comment from neither colored man. I wonder if neither of them jus' wanna be alone, jus' wanna run away ta Hill Country, build their own house an' read by a fire. I wonder if I share the same dream as a colored man. It a strange thought ta think, but even stranger-- I don' min' thinkin' it.
"I kno'."
The sun is real high up, now, the day stretchin' to 'is middle. I heard daddy once go by, Mary callin' my name- soundin' much like she didn't wanna fin' me. They didn't do no lookin' in 'ere though- no white gurl should be one to hang with slaves. I heard 'em go back to the manor, already though. They done with me- I too troubled- I guess. I real scared to show my face 'gain, maybe I shoul' say I fainted cause of the heat or sompin'. An' soon as I woke up I cam runnin' back, right to daddy ta tell 'em all 'bout it. I can lie real good sometime- truly. An' I bet if I said that- they'd actually believe me.
"You don' owe me nothin'."
"Why would I owe you nothin'?"
"Jus' cause."
"Cause why?"
He blinks at me, starin'- tryin' to put 'is word in my mouth. But he ain't makin' me feel stupid- like I do when Miss. Lizabeth give me the same look. Jus'- I dunno- I dunno wha' he make me feel. He glance ova at the otha slave, then back to me.
"'Cause why?" I ask, 'gain, completely missin' wha' he tryin' to say. He can be real smart fo' a black man- but sometime I still don' get 'em at all. An' I guess he don't real get me neither.
"Well I woul' tell ya..." He trails off, then looks ta the other slave, 'gain. This time 'e waits 'till the colored man look up. Then he turn 'is eyes back to me.
"I still ain't sur-" Oh. Oh. I feel my cheeks fill up all red, an' instantly I drop my gaze. Whatever it is I could but don' owe 'em fo' is a secret between jus' him an' I. Or mo' likely him, I an' Cecile. Maybe it the writin', or me almos' lettin' 'em run, twice or defendin' 'em 'gainst Lloyd. Either way- it don't real matter.
"Well, I not tryin' to make up fo' nothin," I say, "Don' worry 'bout it."
"Alrigh'."
He go back to the cotton, an' I turn out to that rickety window 'gain, starin' out at the land. I wish I coul' be alone out there some time, without all them slaves workin' every patch. I sigh, real loud, but get no comment from neither colored man. I wonder if neither of them jus' wanna be alone, jus' wanna run away ta Hill Country, build their own house an' read by a fire. I wonder if I share the same dream as a colored man. It a strange thought ta think, but even stranger-- I don' min' thinkin' it.
