Negro Digest - Freedom Archives

one of them a good whipping, no
matter who they belong to ." She
looked at Miss Ruth to see how
she would take her threat .
Miss Ruth came out on the
porch and let the screen door close .
She put her arm around Janice .
"Miss Dorothy," Miss Ruth said
quietly, "I know you mean well .
But I don't let no outsiders touch
my child . if she does something
wrong, you tell me and I'll punish
her ."
"Miss Ruth," Mama lowered her
voice to match Miss Ruth's, "a
body can't be everywhere all the
time . We can't always see the devilment
our children start ."
Miss Ruth s_niled faintly . "That's
true, Miss Dorothy," she conceded .
Her small mouth lost its softness .
"I try to do right by everybody,"
Mama continued . "When a body
sees Bctty doing wrong, they know
they can chastise her . lt's gonna be
the same for this ene here ." She
touched her stomach .
"You do what you think best for
your children," Miss Ruth said.
`'But nobody better touch my Janice
. Why, I don't whip her myself."
"I can believe that," Mama said .
I suddenly had a vision of Miss
Ruth attacking my mother the way
Janice had attacked Mike . Could
little Miss Ruth beat up Mama, or
would Mama beat up Miss Ruth?
What would Daddy say when he
came home and found that Mama
had beaten up Miss Ruth? I didn'`_
like what was going on .
"She don't have no bringing up
at all," Mama continued . "You'd
NEGRO DIGEST March 1968
rather carry on mth that one-eyed
boy than to do right by your own
child ."
Mike exchanged a glance with
Tina, and they laughed . Jim, with
his hands jammed in his pockets,
leaned against the wall . I began to
feel uneasy and hot . I didn't want
to play army front any more . I just
wanted everybody tc stogy talking.
"Don't talk about my mama,"
Janice said suddenly . Her voice
was almost a plead .
"See there . Talking back to l_er
betters already," Mama said . "I always
say you reap what you sow .
And someday, this child here is
gonna pay you back for not doing
right by her ."
"Don't say no more . . ."
"Hush," Miss Ruth said to Janice
.
"I don't mean no harm," Mama
said, "but I believe in telling things
the way they is . Now you can live
the wild life in this world . But
you're gonna have to come before
the Lord in the next one ." Mama's
voice rose as she began to feel the
Spirit .
Miss Ruth was speechless .
Everybody was quiet . I was getting
hotter . I felt water running off my
back . For a minute, I was afraid
that Mama would feel the Holv
Ghost . Then she would begin
shouting and thanking the Lord for
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