11

Now I know where we going. We going back of town where the colored people eat. I don’t care if I don’t eat. I been hungry before. I can stand it. But I can’t stand the cold.

I can see we go’n have a long walk. It’s ’bout a mile down there. But I don’t mind. I know when I get there I’m go’n warm myself. I think I can hold out. My hands numb in my pockets and my feet numb, too, but if I keep moving I can hold out. Just don’t stop no more, that’s all.

The sky’s gray. The sleet keeps on falling. Falling like rain now—plenty, plenty. You can hear it hitting the pave. You can see it bouncing. Sometimes it bounces two times ’fore it settles.

We keep on going. We don’t say nothing. We just keep on going, keep on going.

I wonder what Mama’s thinking. I hope she ain’t mad at me. When summer come I’m go’n pick plenty cotton and get her a coat. I’m go’n get her a red one.

I hope they’d make it summer all the time. I’d be glad if it was summer all the time—but it ain’t. We got to have winter, too. Lord, I hate the winter. I guess everybody hate the winter.

I don’t sniff this time. I get out my handkerchief and wipe my nose. My hands’s so cold I can hardly hold the handkerchief.

I think we getting close, but we ain’t there yet. I wonder where everybody is. Can’t see a soul but us. Look like we the only two people moving round today. Must be too cold for the rest of the people to move round in.

I can hear my teeth. I hope they don’t knock together too hard and make that bad one hurt. Lord, that’s all I need, for that bad one to start off.

I hear a church bell somewhere. But today ain’t Sunday. They must be ringing for a funeral or something.

I wonder what they doing at home. They must be eating. Monsieur Bayonne might be there with his guitar. One day Ty played with Monsieur Bayonne’s guitar and broke one of the strings. Monsieur Bayonne was some mad with Ty. He say Ty wasn’t go’n ever ’mount to nothing. Ty can go just like Monsieur Bayonne when he ain’t there. Ty can make everybody laugh when he starts to mocking Monsieur Bayonne.

I used to like to be with Mama and Daddy. We used to be happy. But they took him in the Army. Now, nobody happy no more.… I be glad when Daddy comes home.

Monsieur Bayonne say it wasn’t fair for them to take Daddy and give Mama nothing and give us nothing. Auntie say, “Shhh, Etienne. Don’t let them hear you talk like that.” Monsieur Bayonne say, “It’s God truth. What they giving his children? They have to walk three and a half miles to school hot or cold. That’s anything to give for a paw? She’s got to work in the field rain or shine just to make ends meet. That’s anything to give for a husband?” Auntie say, “Shhh, Etienne, shhh.” “Yes, you right,” Monsieur Bayonne say. “Best don’t say it in front of them now. But one day they go’n find out. One day.” “Yes, I suppose so,” Auntie say. “Then what, Rose Mary?” Monsieur Bayonne say. “I don’t know, Etienne,” Auntie say. “All we can do is us job, and leave everything else in His hand …”

We getting closer, now. We getting closer. I can even see the railroad tracks.

We cross the tracks, and now I see the café. Just to get in there, I say. Just to get in there. Already I’m starting to feel little better.