"He went to-"
"New York," she say, slow an' quiet. "The city with paved Gold streets. I tol' him- I tol' him no an' yet..." She hiccups, an' jumps a bit- like she hadn't been expectin' it. The noise echoes, an' we sit an' listen, waitin' fo' it to die.
"An' yet he went anyways."
"You weren't tryin' 'nough," though the words are angry, I'm not no mo'. I can't be. I'm to tired an' too weak. I'm not nothin' no mo'- jus' speakin' empty words.
"I did my best... I begged 'em to stay, tol' him I wanted 'em back. But I didn't matter to him no mo'- he saw right through me. An' he went to New York, an' never looked back."
"He didn't give no address?"
She shakes her head, an' sighs 'fore hiccupin' a second time. Again, we wait. "No. He was done with us- he said. We wasn't good people. When he left I tried lookin' inta things- yeur daddy an' you, the cheatin'. But I didn't discover much, 'till recently, 'bout you."
I can tell she want me ta say sompin' 'bout it, but I can' bring myself to do so. I'm too weak- too tired. "You never found out how daddy cheat? I though it was jus' cotton that got us rich."
"I dunno," she say, "I given up tryin' to find out. I kno' he got that damaged slave, cause of it, took it off Mista Burlock's hands, a favor. Cause who'd want damaged property?"
Samuel. She talkin' 'bout him with his limp hand. My heart ping at her statement, an' I suddenly a bit defensive. Not enough ta say nothin' out loud- but enough that I sit up straighter an' rid myself a bit of the tiredness. Samuel ain't property. He as smart as daddy- 'cept he black. He ain't as good as a white person, but he ain't property neither.
"James never wrote you or nothin'?"
"He wanted a fresh start."
"So- he, he never went to school? Never even been to Virgina? Never gonna be a military man? Never gonna come home? Never gonna see me again?" In my head, I say mo': Never gonna get my letter. Never gonna run away with me.
"Guess so."
"Why'd daddy lie. Why couldn't you stop him?"
She look slapped 'gain, an' by the fourth hiccup she stand. "I'll jus' leave you to yeur thoughts."
"New York," she say, slow an' quiet. "The city with paved Gold streets. I tol' him- I tol' him no an' yet..." She hiccups, an' jumps a bit- like she hadn't been expectin' it. The noise echoes, an' we sit an' listen, waitin' fo' it to die.
"An' yet he went anyways."
"You weren't tryin' 'nough," though the words are angry, I'm not no mo'. I can't be. I'm to tired an' too weak. I'm not nothin' no mo'- jus' speakin' empty words.
"I did my best... I begged 'em to stay, tol' him I wanted 'em back. But I didn't matter to him no mo'- he saw right through me. An' he went to New York, an' never looked back."
"He didn't give no address?"
She shakes her head, an' sighs 'fore hiccupin' a second time. Again, we wait. "No. He was done with us- he said. We wasn't good people. When he left I tried lookin' inta things- yeur daddy an' you, the cheatin'. But I didn't discover much, 'till recently, 'bout you."
I can tell she want me ta say sompin' 'bout it, but I can' bring myself to do so. I'm too weak- too tired. "You never found out how daddy cheat? I though it was jus' cotton that got us rich."
"I dunno," she say, "I given up tryin' to find out. I kno' he got that damaged slave, cause of it, took it off Mista Burlock's hands, a favor. Cause who'd want damaged property?"
Samuel. She talkin' 'bout him with his limp hand. My heart ping at her statement, an' I suddenly a bit defensive. Not enough ta say nothin' out loud- but enough that I sit up straighter an' rid myself a bit of the tiredness. Samuel ain't property. He as smart as daddy- 'cept he black. He ain't as good as a white person, but he ain't property neither.
"James never wrote you or nothin'?"
"He wanted a fresh start."
"So- he, he never went to school? Never even been to Virgina? Never gonna be a military man? Never gonna come home? Never gonna see me again?" In my head, I say mo': Never gonna get my letter. Never gonna run away with me.
"Guess so."
"Why'd daddy lie. Why couldn't you stop him?"
She look slapped 'gain, an' by the fourth hiccup she stand. "I'll jus' leave you to yeur thoughts."
