Their-Eyes-Were-Watching-God-rmrju9

16 Aitas Zora Neale Hurston"You know, honey, us colored folks is branches without rootsand that makes things come round in queer ways. You in particular.Ah was born back due in slavery so it wasn't for me to fulfill mydreams of whut a woman oughta be and to do. Dat's one of dehold-backs of slavery. But nothing can't stop you from wishin'.You can't beat nobody down so low till you can rob 'em of theywill. Ah didn't want to be used for a work-ox and a brood-sow andAh didn't want mah daughter used dat way neither. It sho wasn'tmah will for things to happen lak they did. All even hated de wayyou was born. But, all de same Ah said thank God, Ah got anotherchance. Ah wanted to preach a great sermon about coloredwomen sittin' on high, but they wasn't no pulpit for me. Freedomfound me wid a baby daughter in mah arms, so Ah said Ah'd takea broom and a cook-pot and throw up a highway through dewilderness for her. She would expound what Ah felt. But somehowshe got lost offa de highway and next thing Ah knowed here youwas in de world. So whilst Ah was tendin' you of nights Ah saidAh'd save de text for you. Ah been waitin' a long time, Janie, butnothin' Ah been through ain't too much if you just take a stand onhigh ground lak Ah dreamed."Old Nanny sat there rocking Janie like an infant and thinkingback and back. Mind-pictures brought feelings, and feelingsdragged out dramas from the hollows of her heart."Dat mornin' on de big plantation close to Savannah, a ridercome in a gallop tellin"bout Sherman takin' Atlanta. MarseRobert's son had done been kilt at Chickamauga. So he grabbedhis gun and straddled his best horse and went off wid de rest ofde gray-headed men and young boys to drive de Yankees backinto Tennessee."They was all cheerin' and cryin' and shoutin' for de men datwas ridin' off. Ah couldn't see nothin' cause yo' mama wasn't buta week old, and Ah was flat uh mah back. But pretty soon he let