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

222/260“Aw ain’t dat bad, Janie. Looka heah! Ah kin walk all over deplace.”“But you’se too sick tuh play wid. Plenty fever round heah since destorm.”“Gimme uh drink uh water befo’ you leave, then.”Janie dipped up a glass of water and brought it to the bed. TeaCake took it and filled his mouth then gagged horribly, disgorged thatwhich was in his mouth and threw the glass upon the floor. Janie wasfrantic with alarm.“Whut make you ack lak dat wid yo’ drinkin’ water, Tea Cake? Youast me tuh give it tuh yuh.”“Dat water is somethin’ wrong wid it. It nelly choke me tuh death.Ah tole yuh somethin’ jumped on me heah last night and choked me.You come makin’ out ah wuz dreamin’.”“Maybe it wuz uh witch ridin’ yuh, honey. Ah’ll see can’t Ah findsome mustard seed whilst Ah’s out. But Ah’m sho tuh fetch de doctorwhen Ah’m come.”Tea Cake didn’t say anything against it and Janie herself hurriedoff. This sickness to her was worse than the storm. As soon as she waswell out of sight, Tea Cake got up and dumped the water bucket andwashed it clean. Then he struggled to the irrigation pump and filled itagain. He was not accusing Janie of malice and design. He was accusingher of carelessness. She ought to realize that water buckets neededwashing like everything else. He’d tell her about it good and properwhen she got back. What was she thinking about nohow? He foundhimself very angry about it. He eased the bucket on the table and satdown to rest before taking a drink.