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

144/260“Dey don’t say he ever cut nobody or shot nobody neither.”“Well, is he—he—is he got uh wife or something lak dat? Not datit’s any uh mah business.” She held her breath for the answer.“No’m. And nobody wouldn’t marry Tea Cake tuh starve tuh deathlessen it’s somebody jes lak him—ain’t used to nothin’. ’Course he alwayskeep hisself in changin’ clothes. Dat long-legged Tea Cake ain’tgot doodly squat. He ain’t got no business makin’ hissef familiar widnobody lak you. Ah said Ah wuz goin’ to tell yuh so yuh could know.”“Oh dat’s all right, Hezekiah. Thank yuh mighty much.”The next night when she mounted her steps Tea Cake was there beforeher, sitting on the porch in the dark. He had a string of freshcaughttrout for a present.“Ah’ll clean ’em, you fry ’em and let’s eat,” he said with the assuranceof not being refused. They went out into the kitchen and fixed upthe hot fish and corn muffins and ate. Then Tea Cake went to the pianowithout so much as asking and began playing blues and singing,and throwing grins over his shoulder. The sounds lulled Janie to softslumber and she woke up with Tea Cake combing her hair and scratchingthe dandruff from her scalp. It made her more comfortable anddrowsy.“Tea Cake, where you git uh comb from tuh be combin’ mah hairwid?”“Ah brought it wid me. Come prepared tuh lay mah hands on ittuhnight.”“Why, Tea Cake? Whut good do combin’ mah hair do you? It’s mahcomfortable, not yourn.”