Chapter 20
When my family got here yesterday all the women went straight to the kitchen like they always do and we had one great big feast when they was finished. There was fried chicken, biscuits, macaroni and cheese, purple beans that turned green, fried okrey and fried squash, potato salad, chocolate cake, and banana puddin’. I ate ‘til I had to unbutton my britches!
My Uncle Ben smiled, sayin’ he did, too. Bigdaddy said he don’t even bother buttonin’ his no more and then Bigmama said, that’s only because they won’t button no more! Everybody laughed hard and life felt so good.
I had missed my aints so much I even hung around the kitchen to help ‘em clean up. Mama left to go get ready for her date when all the work was pretty much done. Aint Nadine was wipin’ all the crumbs off the table when she started talkin’ about Mama goin’ off on a date. I knew right away that she didn’t’ much like it because her voice sounded so hateful.
She was like, she don’t need to be goin’ off nowhere! She has those three kids to be thinkin’ about and that’s where she ought to be! If something happened to Henry, I would devote my life to my kids! She’s a slut! That’s what she is!
Aint Mary told her to shut up talkin’ about her sister, and then somebody said something about little pitchers havin’ big ears. I don’t know who said that because my eyes was lookin’ down at the floor and I just walked out the back door and cried all the way to the little house.
Mama didn’t say much about her date when she got home. It must not have been that great because she didn’t mention when she’ll go out again.
I didn’t tell her what I heard her sister say because I’m big enough now to understand about feelin’s and I don’t wanna hurt hers. Mama’s always cryin’ about her sisters not givin’ a you know what about her anyways. I hate seein’ her cry.
When I sit and think about it, I don’t feel so happy about ‘em comin’ here. I was kinda like, sad and glad all mixed up together when they all piled in their cars and went home to their happy lives.
Aint Mary had stood up for my Mama though and that makes me feel real proud because even though my Mama hurts me I don’t never want her to be hurt back.
