"Any man who wants to sell his land I'II give him a fair price for it." "Cash money." "No questions asked." "Yankee dollars." "You could buy half the South for a decent meal." "I'II have no work for you, you know, when we get back." "With no slaves." "We got a bit put by." "The missus has always wanted a store." "Some small thing." "Made you some coffee." "It ain't very good." "Just ground up acorns." "But it's hot." "What y'aII want for dinner?" "I was wondering what we might have for dinner tonight." "Hmm?" "Chicken." "Mm." "Mm." "Mm." "I'd love some roasted chicken with gravy." "well, Miss Lizzie, you go out and catch me a chicken and I'II cook it." "I couId make a vegetable stew." "I suppose we'II have to do with vegetable stew again." "Mm." "Mm." "We must count our blessings." "I'm sure it'II be delicious." "blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus." "holy Mary, Mother of God pray for us sinners, now and the hour of our death" "He coming!" "The master coming!" " Oh, no." " Jesus." "No." "Oh." "Isaac." "Davie, you still here?" "Matter of fact, master, we was just leaving now." "well, I couId use some help around this place." "Won't be able to pay you much." "But something." "That's kind of you, master." "But Davie, here, wanna see the world." "He ain't never been off the plantation." "well if you change your mind...." "Good luck to you." "Mama, I'm sorry." "I'm so very sorry." "My beloved son." "You're home." "You're home." "Come on, Isaac, Iet's get." "You come along with us, Miss Queen." "Ain't nothing for you here." "well, you take care of yourself now, you hear?" "Come on, Isaac." "We moving so slow we ain't never gonna get there." "We'd be happy to." "I got a poor price for it." "Needs must be met." "Before long, I'II have no land left to sell." "I can't go on like this." "You're very quiet." "But then I suppose I haven't said a Iot of things I should." "Like thank you, for all you've done for us." "I should have said something before." "But...." "well, I...." "I'm very grateful." "We all are." "Ain't nothing." "Yes, it is." "You've been housekeeper, gardener, cook and maid all rolled into one." "I don't think my family could have survived without you." "I can't afford to pay you much." "A few dollars a week." "But when things get better...." "I don't want your money." "I have to pay you something." "slavery's illegal now." "Doing rather better than we are, aren't they?" "Good day, Henderson." "If it's about more credit...." "No, I've come to pay my bill." "well now, that is good news." "The missus will take care of you." "Leticia, Mr. Jackson's here." "financial." "Oh, Mr. Jackson, come on in." "I've got some fine roasting hens." "That uppity little girl's still with you, I see." "Nice day for it, lady." "Don't mess with her." "She's a high yellow." "well, hell, it don't matter to me." "I don't mind a little midnight velvet." "How was your day, mother?" "well, I went to the mitchell funeral." "It was quite a turnout considering what a viIe-tempered man he was in life." "You spend your life going to funerals." "Mm, getting used to it, I suppose." "well, doesn't this look delicious?" "You'd think it was a celebration." "I suppose it is in a way." "I don't know how pleased you'II be given our circumstances, we hardly need another mouth to feed." "A child?" "That's wonderful, Lizzie." "I'm praying for a boy." "I hope it's a girl." "With Jane gone, the house seems so empty." "I need a little daughter to love." " Hey, hey." " AII right, give it here." "There you go." "Sure don't look like two pound to me." "You've lost none of your cheek, I see." "Get in your place, girl." "You're nothing but an ex-sIave and hired help." "And I suppose you want this on credit?" "The master could afford." "You get your money." "Your prices high enough." "Are you sassing me, girl?" "You're accusing me of overcharging you." "If the high-and-mighty Mr. Jackson has any complaints you tell him to come and see me himself." "Not to send some bastard slave girl." "I ain't a slave no more." "You're a useless nigger with no civil tongue in your head for decent white folk." "hell, in the old days, she'd have been whipped." "Uh-huh." " Yeah, that's what she need now." "A good spanking to put her in her place." "You can't touch me." "Come here, girl." "Hey, come on." "Get ahold of her!" "Whoa." "Whoa, whoa." "Come back here, whore!" "Come on, Iet's go!" "Come on." " You see her?" " She can't be too far." "Come on." "Are you gonna sit out here all night?" "Something must have happened to her." "Oh, we would have heard." "The Hendersons would have sent a message." "She's gone." "Don't say that." "She's gone, James." "Like all the other Negroes." "And I'm glad." "I don't mean any harm." "I hope she hasn't been hurt but I hope I never have to look at her again." "Because every time I do it reminds me that you loved another woman more than me." "Where have you been?" "I had some trouble, missy." "Hmm." "Not half as much trouble as you've caused around here." "No thought for us, just off and away." "I had to cook dinner last night." "And clean up in my condition." "In the old days, we'd have sent the dogs after you." "Now, get yourself cleaned up and get to work." "I sorry." "Your master's been looking for you since daybreak, worried sick about you." "He ain't my master." "He my pappy." "How dare you speak to me like that?" "And how dare you speak to me like that?" "You treat an old dog better than me." "Queen, do this." "Queen, do that." "Cook, wash, clean garden, plant cotton, pick cotton from morning till night." "Not even a word of thanks." "Or even a mention I exist." "well, I do exist, missy." "And I got a right to a little bit of love." "And if I can't find it here I going to get it somewhere else." "So ungrateful." "After everything we've done for you." "You ain't never done nothing for me." "And you won't ever have to now." "I gonna miss you, Mammy." "Because you the only friend I got." "Weren't you even gonna come to say goodbye to me?" "I'm sorry." "I tried to warn you." "You could have helped, Miss sally." "You could have made things a little easier." "Oh, perhaps." "But it wouId have been the same in the end." "Why?" "Because I Negro?" "I nearly white." "only got a little bit of Negro blood in me." "It's not enough to be nearly white." "Even one little drop of black blood is too much." "Here, take this." "Take it." "I don't want it." "You always were a stubborn child." "We owe you this much at Ieast." "Here." "Now, you take it." "Take it." "Yeah." "I don't suppose that, uh I'II ever see you again." "Good luck to you." "Wherever." "Whatever." "I'II miss you." "Oh, missus." "Queen, where have you been?" "I've been looking all over." "I leaving." "For good." "Why?" "What happened?" "A Iot of things happened." "Are you sure you wanna go?" "well, at Ieast let me give you a ride into town." "I can manage." "I'II miss you, Queen." "I gonna miss you too." "Write to us." "Let us...." "Let us know where you are." "Queen." "Remember there is God in everyone." "Hurry up now." "We're going to be late." "Coach for charleston leaving soon." "charleston, please." "Yes, ma'am." "Return?" "No." "I not coming back." "Take your bag, ma'am?" "You stupid darky." "My luggage goes on first." "Yes, ma'am." "You can't trust these darkies to do anything right." "Have to keep your eye on them every moment." "And you shouldn't be here by yourself, dear." "Not a pretty, young thing like you." "Why these darkies would have us away as soon as look at us." "You take my meaning?" "Such a pretty, young thing." "Where you from?" "Meeting my ma-- Mama in charleston." "She been visiting in Martinique." "She comes from there." "You're French." "Oh, the islands." "So romantic." "And you have the coloring." "Such lovely dark eyes." "But you shouldn't be traveling on your own." "Oh, my papa said I gonna be fine on the coach." "And the kinfolk gonna meet me when I get there." "Oh, it's such a relief to find pleasant company." "There's so much trash traveling nowadays." "I've been in fear of my Iife all the way from Natchez." "You probably haven't heard of my pappy then." "colonel Jackson, Forks of Cypress." "Oh, our glorious veterans." "Such difficult times." "You must tell me all about yourself on the Iong journey." "Such a relief, someone to talk to." "We girls must stick together." "Now, Iet's go find our places." "Queen, youse a white girl now." "I'm sorry I don't have any references, ma'am." "They was stolen." "well, it's of no consequence." "It really isn't a suitable job for a white girl." "Oh, I used to it." "I been cooking and cleaning and I need the money." "Maybe you do." "But you don't fool me, missy." "Not for one moment." "You're black trash trying to pass and we don't take kindly to that sort of thing here." "Now, get out of here and to your own kind." "Next." "Fresh baked goods." "Muffins." "Muffins." "Fresh baked goods." "ScaIawag." "Come back here." "Come back!" "Ma'am." "Sorry." "You ain't got no place here, nigger." "Master, please, I'm white." "Come on, girl." "You can't fool me." "This is for decent white folk." "please, master." "I so hungry." "I ain't ate in days." "Haven't seen you here before." "No, ma'am." "Just got into town." "Then you need feeding up." "Tough, isn't it?" "Looking white." "Ma'am, I swear" "That's all right." "I understand, sister." "High yellow, they call it." "Dirty white would be better." "You funning me?" "Now, what do you think?" "I'm gonna sit in a room full of white folk and tell you I was colored when I ain't?" "You see what they do?" "We're lucky we can choose." "Who would choose to be black?" "black is hard." "White is so much easier." "It's beautiful." "You rich?" "No." "I have some admirers." "Is you a whore?" "If you wanna pass as white, you have to watch your speech." "Nothing gives you away faster than slave talk." "Never say "is you." Say "are you."" "I don't wanna pass for white." "I is white." "I don't wanna pass for black neither, because that me too." "little Miss In-Between, that's me." "Nowhere to go, no place for home." "I just a mistake." "You ain't no mistake, child." "But you do smell." "You smell bad." "Are you a, you know, what I said?" "A whore?" "I don't think so." "My mammy worked for them, took care of them." "But she was always on at me." ""alice," she'd say "you take care of what you got, girl." "It's all a girl is got."" "She let it get wore out." "Then the Yankees came in the war." "They raped me and they burned down the house." "So I came here." "I sorry." "Oh, child." "It's done." "But I swore if white men wanted me so bad they were gonna have to pay for it." "I couId never do that." "And I ain't pretty like you." "What did they do to you back in that big old mansion?" "Didn't anyone ever say nice things to you?" "Didn't anyone ever tell you how pretty you are?" "only my mammy." "well, you see, child, your mammy was right." "Mammys always are." "I don't dance too good." "Oh, it's easy." "Just follow the music." "alice, my dear, you're looking lovely as usual." "Thank you." "May I have the honor?" "Why, George, I'd be delighted." "You're on your own." "Don't be a wall flower." "Don't leave me, alice." "Excuse me." "Sure." "How do, pretty?" "shall we?" "well, I'd be delighted." "I ain't never had such a time, alice." "You must have danced with every man in the room." "well, I had to." "That first one, Morgan, kept trying to kiss on me." "Are all men like that?" "Most of them." "What'd you think of George?" "well, he's so old, alice." "well, I think of him like he's my pappy." "And very rich." "well, you ain't nothing but a whore for all your fancy talk." "How I survive is my business, Queen." "Don't call me names." "well, it bothers me." "well, that's a pity." "Because George is a very nice man." "And he has a job for you if you want it." "I won't do that sort of work." "In a flower shop." "Is there anything I can do for you today, sir?" "A rose." "A single, very lovely, red rose." "What is it for?" "A wedding?" "Something special?" "No." "This one's for you." "From the first moment I saw you, surrounded by roses I haven't been able to get you out of my mind." "I trust you do not think me forward, ma'am." "I know we've not been introduced." "Why, no, sir." "I was most pleased when you asked me to walk out with you this evening." "ordinarily, I would, of course, have asked your father." "But I do not know who he is or how to find out." "You're not from these parts." "No." "My home is far away." "And your family?" "A very old family, sir." "My father was a colonel in the war." "He lost an arm." "You fought in the war?" "It was my duty." "And my strong and passionate cause." "Your father is CoIoneI--?" "My, a lemonade stand." "I declare." "I'm dying of thirst." "Oh, I cannot have you die, my dear." "I've waited so long to find you." "Lemonade it is." "Your family is from Georgia, perhaps?" "No." "Um, alabama." "Thank you." "You be careful, sooner or later he's gonna have to know the truth." "Oh, don't spoil it for me, alice." "It's the most beautiful thing ever happened." "And when he wants to know more about you?" "He already does." "He want to meet my family." "Oh, Queen, I couId spank you." "Digby's obviously from an old family." "What you think he's gonna feel when he finds he's been stepping out with a Negro?" "He ain't gonna know." "I'm gonna tell him my pappy's sick" "Every moment you're with him, you're living a lie." "One day you gonna slip." "Oh, he cares for me, alice." "But he makes me feel wonderful." "For the first time in my Iife, I feel like somebody really cares for me." "Then let him care for you." "Let him look after you." "But don't let him be love." "Love is dangerous for women like us." "I'm not Iike you." "What are you doing?" "Nothing." "Wow." "Isn't it wonderful?" "Those of us who fought for the confederation don't find much joy in it." "But it's the Fourth of july." "I wonder if your father's celebrating in florence." "I know all about you." "How?" "There aren't too many Jacksons in alabama." "I know his mansion is called the Forks of Cypress." "And that it has gone to wrack and ruin since the war." "Is that why you didn't tell me?" "You silly goose." "We're none of us what we were." "I've watched my family's fortune fade to nothing but useless confederate promissory notes." "We are all poor now." "We offended God when we lost the war." "And he is visiting a terrible judgment on us." "Here we are, two lost and lonely people who found each other." "I have no right to ask you." "I don't have a Iot to offer other than my love." "And, uh, I know I should ask your father first but I think he will understand." "will you marry me?" "Look after the horses, sir?" "We don't need your help." "please, sir, just a few pennies." "You heard the gentleman." "Let go of that!" "Let go." "Don't you whup me." "I ain't no slave no more." "Don't you whup me!" "Hey, you filthy nigger!" "Aah!" "Aah!" "He don't whup me." "Nobody whup me." "Come along, my dear." "How could you be such a fool?" "I had to." "But I warned you." "I told you it was dangerous." "You can't marry him." "He ain't never gonna know." "Listen." "It's not just you." "It's all of us who can pass." "So you marry him, but what is he gonna say when you have babies and a little pickaninny pops out?" "One day he's gonna know you tricked him, lied to him." "Then it's not just you, it's all of us." "You get out of this, girl, as fast as you can." "You been playing with fire too long." "I don't know how." "well, you think of something." "Peanuts, ma'am?" "Ma'am." "Queen!" "What a wonderful surprise." "please, come in." "I had to see you." "I wasn't expecting company." "certainly not you." "Is something wrong?" "You're not going back on your word, I hope?" "Because I'd sue you for breach of promise, you know." "I Iove you that much." "well, what is it?" "What's wrong?" "I'm sorry." "Just a little close in here." "I'II open a window." "Now, what'd you wanna tell me?" "Uh...." "Nothing." "really, I just, uh...." "well then, Iet me tell you something first." "It might make things easier for you." "I wrote to your father today." "Queen!" "Honey, what's the matter?" "You awake?" "How long have I been here?" "Oh, just a little while." "I went to the pharmacy." "What is it?" "Laudanum." "I never used it before the war, but now when the pain comes" "I don't want opium." "It's very mild." "It'II make you feel better." "There." "Now, just relax." "Though you really shouldn't be alone in here with me, you know?" "But I won't tell anyone if you won't." "And we are to be married, aren't we?" "I can't remember when I've been so happy." "Don't say that." "You don't know anything about me." "Not really." "Shh, shh, shh." "Let the drug do its work." "It'II make you feel so good." "Just like floating on a fluffy pink cloud." "You're like a drug to me." "I only have to look at you and all the pain is gone." "Mm." "Oh." "My love, I want you so much." "I need you so much." "I've wanted you from the first moment I saw you." "I can't wait until we're married." "I've got to have you now." "It's been so long since I had a woman." "No." "No." "No." "I need you." "Come here." "No!" "No!" "I'm Negro!" "My pappy was colonel Jackson and my mammy was a slave woman." "slut!" "Aah!" "Here." "Bitch!" "Aah!" "You'II get what cheap Negro bitches deserve." "You told him." "You come out of there, you nigger whore." "How could you tell him?" "How could you tell him?" "You knew you were playing with fire!" "How many warnings did you need?" "He raped me." "And you told him to save your precious virginity." "well, Iet me tell you what it cost." "Word will spread like wildfire." "A couple muIattos in here passing as white." "Then you know what's gonna happen?" "At the very least George is gonna hear and I'II lose him all because of your precious virginity!" "No one got the right to take it away from me." "No one." "Oh, you're not special." "We've all been raped." "I thought you was my friend." "You're too dangerous to be anyone's friend." "You're living in a dream." "You're not in the real world." "And you're not little Miss In-Between." "You're high and mighty." ""My pappy was a colonel." "I lived in a mansion."" "My pappy loved me." "Then why did he let you go?" "You've got to get out of here." "I'm gonna tell them I kicked you out." "That I found out and I made you go." "No, alice." "I ain't got no one else." "Go back to your precious pappy." "I can't." "This is all I got." "well, there ain't nothing left here." "Not now." "Go anywhere." "Somewhere." "I don't care where." "Just get as far away from here and as far away from me as possible." "No, alice, please, I'm begging you." "Don't make me go, alice." "I'm begging you." "Why did you tell him?" "Why?" "help me!" "I'm hungry." "please, help me!" "Your mammy was a kindly woman." "I seen her conjure up all kinds of haints out in the hollow in the woods." "Ooh, I seen her too myself once." "I need some more wood, bring more down." "girl, what's wrong with you?" "Getting some idea." "Not a problem because I brought some more food." "Mm-hm." "I need a place to sleep." "Over there." "Hey, you hungry?" "Then eat that, white bitch." "Run!" "This home burning!" "Frankie's still in there!" "Oh, God, somebody help him, please!" "help me, Lord." "Can't go on like this forever." " How long..." " How long?" " ...is forever?" " That's right." " Is it a moment?" " Oh, no." " A day?" " No." " Year?" " No." " A lifetime?" " No." "Or is it forever?" "Forever is eternity." " And this vale of tears is not eternal." " No, sir." "Our wretched misery on this earth is but a moment in the blanket of God's eye." "When that moment we call life is done we will be taken up in glory we will bask in the sun of God's loving glory." "We will dwell in the bosom of the Lord in glory." "Not for a moment, not for a year, not for a lifetime..." "...but forever and forever..." "Ever, ever, ever." "...and forever in glory." "help me." "Somebody, help me." "help me!" "please." "help." "I Negro." "I Negro." "help me." "help me, God, I need help!" "I need food!" "help me!" "help me, I scared." "help me, somebody help me, please." "help me." "It's all right, we gonna take care of you now." "help me!" "Lord." "Lord, I scared, I scared...." "excellent jaw." "She'II do splendidly." "So light and lovely teeth." "Thank you for bringing her." "Oh, I don't mind staying, ma'am." "There's no need, but if you wish, you may wait in the kitchen." "Now, Queen, isn't it?" "A very odd name." "We should be pleased to take you into service." "You'II find us stern taskmasters, but fair, I think." "And you'II get your board and keep." "Good, honest pay for good, honest work." "If any would not work, neither should he eat." "ThessaIonians 3:1 0." "Yes, ma'am." "And you should be careful who your friends are, Queen." "obviously, you've had a good education." "Many of the Negroes here have not been so fortunate." "That is why we have a mission to them." "Yes, ma'am." "That's settled, then." "You may say goodbye to your friend." "Oh." "After we've said a little prayer." "Men go forth under his work, under his labor." "O Lord, how manifold are thy works!" "In wisdom hast thou made them all." "They dragons." "Yeah, but their fire pretty old now." "Besides, you need a job and there ain't many of them around." "You have any problem, you come see me." "I can handle them two." "I'II be fine." "I just gotta be careful who my friends are." "well, you best not hang around with me then, child." "I is too black for them." "I see you in church on Sunday." "AII right." "Dinner ready, ma'am." "Thank you, Queen." "Did you go to church this morning, Queen?" "Oh, yes, ma'am, Miss Giffrey." "It's Sunday." "Was it a good service?" "Oh, yes, ma'am." "They nearly lifted the roof off." "Paganism." "We prefer quieter appreciation of our Lord." "But it was wonderful, Miss Mandy." "The spirit surely moved." "clapping and dancing and shouting." "This is heathen behavior." "idolatry." "African ritual." "You're a good girl, Queen." "It is our dearest wish that you should come to our church and contemplate the wonders of the Lord in calm and quiet." "Maybe the Lord moves in mysterious ways." "That's very true, Queen." "Perhaps you are his test of us." "Oh, no, I promise." "I working hard for my Savior's love." "Very good, very good." "Then say your prayers with us." "Then you can go to your dinner." "O Lord, we thank thee for thy precious bounty." "And for the blessings thou hast bestowed upon us." "Consecrate this food, O Lord in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, amen." " Amen." " Amen." "What you think you're doing?" "I cleaning up your garden." "Why?" "I looking for work." "Who told you to do that?" "Now, I took it on my own authority." "Get out of here, you hear me?" "Or I gonna tell on you." "I gonna call the missus." "well, now, you just do that." "Miss Mandy?" "Miss Mandy?" "What is it, Queen?" "What's wrong?" "Who is that man?" "Begging your pardon, ma'am." "My name Davis." "I guess you be the lady of the house." "Get out at once before I call for help." "Now, you can do that, ma'am." "You got every right." "But your garden a mess." "And I looking for work." "You could have asked." "I begging your pardon, ma'am." "I big and I black." "If I come banging on your door, would you have given me the time of day?" " That's hardly the point." " It is to me now, ma'am." "If you can see your way clear to employ me well, I'II work for you right hard." "But if you prefer not or can't afford me, I'II give you this afternoon for free." "Because I hate to see a garden looking like this." "You're very sure of yourself, young man." "Can't see no reason not to be, ma'am." "well, I'II take your offer of a free afternoon." "If the work is satisfactory, I will consider some regular employment." "I will be watching you." "I thank you kindly, ma'am." "The roses need pruning." "They do, but not now." "Wrong time of year." "The devil finds work for idle hands, Queen." "I want to finish making jelly today." "And then the stove must be blacked." "Yes, ma'am." "And why don't you take out some lemonade to that gardener?" "He's a good worker, and it's a hot day." "Yes, ma'am." "It's rare to find a Negro with such seIf-confidence, yet so polite." "It gives me hope that our work is not entirely in vain." "I wonder, does he know he has a friend in Jesus?" "You can have a break, she said." "You're doing a good job, she said." "I'm gonna give you dinner tonight...." "Before you go home." "She said that too." "well, better do like she say then, huh?" "Who done that to your back?" "old master in the slave day." " A little more pie?" " No, thank you, ma'am." "That was very fine." "Where you learn to cook like that?" "On the plantation." "Mm." "Sure is good." "Why they whip you so bad?" "Master ain't liked my way." "I didn't wanna be no slave." "It wasn't my idea of Iife." "So they tried to whip some fear into me." "well, that's over now." "Ain't changed much." "I mean, I free." "But they still treat me like a field nigger." "I don't wanna have to beg for change from a white man pocket." "Don't wanna live a life where I ain't never gonna be able to better myself." "Free or not." "So I taking charge of my Iife." "I looking for my place." "I looking for where I belong." "I looking too." "That was a fine meal, ma'am." "I thank you kindly." "You know you have a friend in Jesus." "What you done?" "Oh, cut my shoulder chopping on this old tree trunk." "well, I couId do that." "Thank you." "Did it hurt?" "Oh, it was worth it for this." "You got magic hands." "My mammy taught me." "It was my pappy favorite thing." "I meant did these hurt?" "Ain't you never been beat?" "Not really." "I got the switch a few time." "The switch." "What they say you don't feel it after the first few Iash that ain't true." "You feel every sting of it." "Cut across your back like a razor and go on cutting." "AII you feel is this terrible pain and this dreadful anger that they got the power to do this to you." "Just because you black." "And you hate them with every ounce of hate you got inside you for doing this to you." "Don't hate." "Ain't no need for hate now." "That's all there is." "No." "There's love." "Did I hurt you?" "I thought I was gonna die from love." "Oh, my sweet Queen." "You got more love in you than anybody I've ever known." "You're all filled up with love." "And you?" "Don't know how much room there is in my heart." "I only little." "only need a tiny space." "I want your child." "I wouldn't bring a child into this world." "WouIdn't have to marry me, unless you wanted to." "I wouldn't make you." "My dear you can't make me." "Nobody can make me do nothing I don't wanna do." "Not no more." "would it be so terrible?" "There's nothing for a Negro boy in this world except pain and humiliation." "It ain't always gonna be like that." "Not always." "It will be like that." "always and always and always." "I will not bring a child into this world till I have made this a better world to bring a child into." "There now." "I made you cry." "It's all I ever seem to do is make people cry." "O Lord, we thank thee for thy bounty and for thy many blessings on these thy humble servants." "Queen, what on earth are you doing?" "Nothing." "I saw you take that biscuit." "What's the matter?" "Don't we feed you enough that you must steal from our very table?" "The Eighth Commandment." "I think you'd better go to your room, miss." "After you put the biscuit back." "Nest in our warrant." "And she say it's your own." "And she ain't no lie." "So, what you gonna do about it?" "I sorry." "Ain't thrilled about it." "And you know why." "But it done." "So I guess I'm gonna have to stand by you." "Not so fast, missy." "You don't get out of here that easy." "Now, she wasn't gonna tell you because she didn't wanna force you to wed her." "But she don't want you if you just marrying her because you feel you gotta." "She don't want you if you don't love her." "Ain't sure I know what love is." "If I'm gonna find out from anybody, I reckon it's you." "I surely hope so." "Because if you don't care for this gal and cherish her I'II find out and I'II come for you wherever you be and I'II fix it so you don't never give no poor gal no baby again." "You know I will." "I know you will." "Now you can go to him." "Is that all you taking?" "That's all I got." "Sure you don't want me to come?" "No, you go to church." "He said he'II meet me there at noon." "What a man say and what a man do be two different things." "Now, you know where you're going?" "Up north, I guess." "Now, if you ever need anything, you come straight on back to me, you hear?" "Here." "Now, you have a dance for me at your wedding." "Okay." "I gotta go." "I can't keep him waiting." "Okay." "You take care of yourself now, you hear?" "I knowed he would." "I had a feeling." "I never said he was gonna marry me." "You said that." "Said he was gonna stand by you." "I guess he got better things to do." "Ain't no use in crying about it now." "Think it's gonna hurt?" "I can't imagine it'd be easy." "But you ain't got no other choice now." "Evening, Miss Esther." "This little sister here needs your help." "I do got a choice." "I gonna keep my child." "A wicked, naughty girl, that's what you are." "Now, you leave the child be." "She been through enough." "How dare you address me that way?" "I address you any way I want." "This girl need help." "Not your sermon." "Out of the house." "Out of the house this minute." "And where is she going to get this help?" "I take her with me." "I give her all the love and care she need." "Queen, get your thing." "Not so fast." "Now, of all things to consider here, such as the child's immortal soul Queen is lost." "AII the prayers in Christendom couldn't save her now." "But the child is another matter." "Precious burden, an innocent babe." "I will not let the child into your care." "It will have the advantage of a proper Christian upbringing." "I Christian." "And since we must look after the child, we must also look after Queen." "It's our duty." "fallen sinner." "I won't let her stay here." "Come on." "And how will you stop it?" "Queen is in our employ." "And I doubt that the authorities would consider you more suitable than us." "If she should leave here, of course, she wouldn't have a job." "And I can't think she would easily find another." "Her condition." "I stay." "I have to." "A fairly graceIess response, Queen." "A little gratitude might be in order." "Yes, ma'am." "Thank you." "That's settled then." "Now, off to bed with you." "You need your rest, for the child's sake." "You need anything, you let me know." "There is nothing she needs from you and you are not welcome here." "Remember your prayers tonight, Queen." "bless and protect my little child, Lord." "Let him be born whole and complete, in thy likeness." "And please, Lord, Iet him love me." "And don't let them two old dragons be too hard on me." "Amen." "Queen, are you sure you're all right out here?" "Oh, I be fine, Miss Giffrey." "Don't want you catching cold." "You know, you didn't finish your chores today." "We'II forgive you now, in view of the...." "But once he's born...." "Why you so sure it gonna be a boy?" "well, I don't know, of course." "How could I?" "Now, don't sit out here too long." "She's convinced it'II be a boy because she wants it to be a boy." "We both do." "What's it like, Queen?" "Heavy." "No, I mean what's it really like?" "How does it feel in your heart?" "well, I feel full up with him." "complete with love for him." "I think it's gonna be a boy too." "I feel him growing inside me." "Kicking inside me." "Part of my body, and all of my love." "I don't know what I gonna do if he don't love me." "Can't imagine why he wouldn't." "Ain't nobody ever gonna take him away from me." "Except God, maybe." "I envy you so much." "Both of us do." "Don't you think we didn't long to be married?" "Yearn to have children?" "We never found the right man, either of us." "Or they didn't find us." "Then the war came along and took most of the men away." "And we got old." "We spend our lives trying to increase God's family not our own." "But I would give almost anything to know what it feels like really feels like in my heart." "Don't make it worse for me." "Come on, girl, push." "ShouIdn't we get help?" "Nonsense, we're nearly there." "We don't need any" " Push, Queen." "I can see it, I can see it!" "O Lord, come to our aid in this, our hour of need." "Oh, please, get off your knees, woman, and get me a sheet." "We're there, Queen." "We're there." "And oh, bless my cotton socks, it's a boy!" "I got the knife." "Here's the knife." "Let me see him." "In a minute, Queen, we've got things to do." "My child." "He mine." "I wanna see him." "Wait a minute, you ungrateful girl." "He's not really very dark." "Perhaps he'II get lighter as he gets older." "I want my child." "Let me see him." "He's a very fine, very handsome baby." "We must think of a special name for him." "David." "I gonna call him David." "Oh, I don't think that's entirely suitable, Queen." "But it means beloved." "Not at all suitable, David was an adulterer." "Poor Bathsheba's husband." "We thought Abner." "I gonna name him David." "I baptize this child, Abner, in the name of the Father, the Son and the holy Spirit." "Amen." "Amen." "This child is thus acknowledged to be a member of Christ's Church and is commended to thy care and love." "Miss Mandy wants you to feed Abner." "She always want him fed." "He gonna bust from feeding." "well, he's crying now." "You best go see." "Do that brass afterwards." "Yes, ma'am." "He's starving, Queen." "Where have you been?" "probably just the burps, he already been fed." "That was four hours ago." "I have it written down." "Oh, no, feed him here, you know I Iike to watch." "It ain't fitting, private business between me and my boy." "It can't do him any harm, and it pleases me." "You take the heavy end, Giffrey." "What you doing with that?" "I have decided to move Abner into my room." "No, you leave that be." "I believe it wouId be best for the child." "And you must know I'm right." "Best thing for the child is to stay with his mammy." "The child can't stay with you, it puts his soul in danger." "You don't care nothing about his soul." "You just want him because you can't have no child of your own you old, dried-up old thing." "Don't be ridiculous." "We're not trying to steal your child." "We're trying to give him the benefit of a decent life and the promise of salvation, which is more than you can do." "You'II still see him." "You ain't taking him." "He mine." "The only thing that ever been truly mine." " You're hysterical." " You can't take him!" "Very well, if you won't listen to reason, I will have to follow with some other course." "Come along, Giffrey." "HarIot." "JezebeI." "You will regret this, Queen." "Queen." "Haven't seen you for a while." "I ain't been able to come." "Something troubling you?" "My child." "Is he sick?" "No." "Fine as can be, for all I know." "I ain't seen him." "He's your baby." "Not the way Miss Mandy take him over." "Like he her child." "I just some farm animal that bred him." "Miss Mandy's a good Christian woman." "She stealing my child." "I can't beIieve" "She threatening the Iaw if I make a fuss." "What can I do?" "Ain't nothing you can do." "She white and you black." "And ain't nobody gonna believe you, even if what you say is true." "It true all right." "I'm sure you just imagining things." "I'm sure Miss Mandy is doing it all for the best." "And don't you go making no trouble." "Life's hard enough for black folk around here." "That it?" "She's stealing my child and ain't nothing I can do because I black." "That's the way of the world, girl." "You go home." "talk to Miss Mandy." "The world will look better in the morning." "God bless you." "What we must remember at all times is the child's soul." "If what you say is true, the woman is mentally affected." "Perhaps time in an institution would be of help." "Then what would happen to Abner?" "A suitable foster home will have to be found." "You give me my child!" "Queen!" "How dare you!" "Do you know your redeemer, girl?" "Yes, sir, I do." "Are you a sinner?" "I ain't a sinner no more, I been saved." "You are in a state of constant sin." "These good women have told me all about you." "They the sinners." "They trying to steal my child." "Queen, that is a wicked lie." "Liars and fornicators will be consigned to the flames of hell." "HaIIeIujah." "Go to your room and leave Abner here." "No." "He mine." "I kill you before I let you have him." "I kill you before I let you have him!" "Quite deranged." "And violent." "You must have her committed at once, dear ladies." "We'II do as you say." "We gotta go, child." "This here ain't home." "I don't know where is but I gonna find one, I swear." "I gonna find one." "We made it, boy." "It's just you and me now." "We free." "We free!"