Janie saw her life like a great tree in leaf with the things suffered

136/260“Camels.”She handed over the cigarettes and took the money. He broke thepack and thrust one between his full, purple lips.“You got a lil piece uh fire over dere, lady?”They both laughed and she handed him two kitchen matches out ofa box for that purpose. It was time for him to go but he didn’t. Heleaned on the counter with one elbow and cold-cocked her a look.“Why ain’t you at de ball game, too? Everybody else is dere.”“Well, Ah see somebody else besides me ain’t dere. Ah just soldsome cigarettes.” They laughed again.“Dat’s ’cause Ah’m dumb. Ah got de thing all mixed up. Ah thoughtde game was gointuh be out at Hungerford. So Ah got uh ride tuhwhere dis road turns off from de Dixie Highway and walked over hereand then Ah find out de game is in Winter Park.”That was funny to both of them too.“So what you gointuh do now? All de cars in Eatonville is gone.”“How about playin’ you some checkers? You looks hard tuh beat.”“Ah is, ’cause Ah can’t play uh lick.”“You don’t cherish de game, then?”“Yes, Ah do, and then agin Ah don’t know whether Ah do or not,’cause nobody ain’t never showed me how.”