"Surprise," Miss. Lizabeth calls to me, steppin' to the side as to give me a full view of Lloyd. The boy 'emself looks a little bit surprised- mo' so than me- but he recovers real quick. He smiles, steppin' forward to meet me- holdin' out 'is hand to shake. I back up though- involuntarily- lookin' round fo' an escape. But even if I were to escape- whatever waitin' fo' me on the other side would be worse. Lloyd ain't too bad. I step up to 'em before daddy 'as a chance to look at me.
"It's such a- wow," I murmur- too quiet fo' no one else 'cept 'em to hear. "It real great too see you."
He cover my 'and with 'is lips, then backs away- like I too hard to stand by. All his friendlyless gone from the las' time we met, an' I wish fo' it back. If 'e refuse my 'and in marriage- Mista Smith may got some way to steal me fo' 'is own. I dunno what I'd to then. I dunno.
"It wonderful to see you as well, Miss. Corinne," he says, not as forced as I woulda expected. Lloyd ain't exactly as easy to read as most. Not nearly. I don't never kno' what he thinkin'- whether he like me or no. "Shall we sit?"
I nod an' take 'is offered hand, as he leads me to the table. We sit righ' next to each other- cross from Miss. Lizabeth an' Mary.
"Corinne- you wanna lead us in a prayer?"
"I think it'd be best if one of our guess did."
"'course- Lloyd?"
He smiles, an' nods to the Mistress actin' like she a goddess. She do look all pretty today- her eyelashes all lon' an' her hair seemin' almos' as light as mine with the candles 'roun'. "Great God, Thou Giver of all good, Accept our praise and bless our food. Grace, health, and strength to us afford. Through Jesus Christ, our blessed Lord."
We all join 'em "Amen."
"You wanna pass the potatoes Corinne?" Mista Smith says after a minute or so of silence, "They look rather nice."
"Sure."
Our hand meet on the bowl, an' his fingers linger fo' an uncomfortable 'mount of time. My urge to jus' drop the bowl is real stron' but daddy is lookin' at us- a small look of scared on 'is face. It makes me even mo' confused- daddy, scared of Mista Smith? That don't make no sense- no sense at all.
"Thank you." The way he says it- make me shiver.
"You welcome."
"It's such a- wow," I murmur- too quiet fo' no one else 'cept 'em to hear. "It real great too see you."
He cover my 'and with 'is lips, then backs away- like I too hard to stand by. All his friendlyless gone from the las' time we met, an' I wish fo' it back. If 'e refuse my 'and in marriage- Mista Smith may got some way to steal me fo' 'is own. I dunno what I'd to then. I dunno.
"It wonderful to see you as well, Miss. Corinne," he says, not as forced as I woulda expected. Lloyd ain't exactly as easy to read as most. Not nearly. I don't never kno' what he thinkin'- whether he like me or no. "Shall we sit?"
I nod an' take 'is offered hand, as he leads me to the table. We sit righ' next to each other- cross from Miss. Lizabeth an' Mary.
"Corinne- you wanna lead us in a prayer?"
"I think it'd be best if one of our guess did."
"'course- Lloyd?"
He smiles, an' nods to the Mistress actin' like she a goddess. She do look all pretty today- her eyelashes all lon' an' her hair seemin' almos' as light as mine with the candles 'roun'. "Great God, Thou Giver of all good, Accept our praise and bless our food. Grace, health, and strength to us afford. Through Jesus Christ, our blessed Lord."
We all join 'em "Amen."
"You wanna pass the potatoes Corinne?" Mista Smith says after a minute or so of silence, "They look rather nice."
"Sure."
Our hand meet on the bowl, an' his fingers linger fo' an uncomfortable 'mount of time. My urge to jus' drop the bowl is real stron' but daddy is lookin' at us- a small look of scared on 'is face. It makes me even mo' confused- daddy, scared of Mista Smith? That don't make no sense- no sense at all.
"Thank you." The way he says it- make me shiver.
"You welcome."
