MAM,PAP,AND DORY GIRL

That was my Mam, laid out in that pine box a settin on two saw
horses in the corner of our front room. Thin as a match stick, and
white as a ghost. They had her all dressed up in that dark blue
flowerdie dress that she had been saving to be buried in. The dark
dress made her skin look even whiter so Dory girl, got some of that red
crinklie paper dipped it in water, and rubbed it on her lips to kinda
pink em up some. Pap laid some quarters on her eyes to keep em shut.
Said if he didn't put em on there she would be a watchin us, to make
sure everything was done the way she wanted it done.


Her, gray hair was real long she wore it in a knot on the
top of her head. "I ain't never cut my hair, it's almost down to the
floor, I promised my own Dad I never would cut it and I never did."
Mam, bragged. One nite she come through the bedroom door with a white
gown on, a carring a lamp, her hair all flowed out behind her. I let
out a scream and she near dropped the lamp. "What in the hell's the
matter with you boy, have you gone plum crazy" she
said.


I think she was about the meanest little woman on this
earth. Pap, said she was full of spit and vinegar, that's why he
married her. He liked a good scrap and wanted somebody who could give
as well as take. I don't know what he was talkin about, but they did
fight a lot. When she got tired of fightin Mam, would git the gun down
off the wall. Pap, knowed to leave her be then. I seen her shoot at his
feet once. He took off that day and didn't come back till she sent word
over at Uncle Jacks, for him to come on back home.


Pap, he liked his shine he always had a bottle in his back
pocket case he felt a cold comin on. I ain't never seen him drunk, or
it might be that I ain't never seen him sober, he always acted the same
to me. They never had much money but they didn't need much. They had a
truck patch and planted lots of vegetables. Pap,peddled em in town to
all them rich folks. Sold em eggs too. He done some work like washing
windows for the widder women in town and patching things up fer
em.


I was raised by Pap,and Mam. My Mama didn't want no kid
hanging on her skirts,and wasn't no man going to marry her when he
found out she had one. So she left me with Mam, and Pap, and Aunt Dory
girl. Dory girl got crippled up when she was born,she never found
nobody that wanted her neither, so me and her kinda took care of each
other. I asked her once where my Daddy was at. " Nobody knows who your
Daddy is boy, not even your Momma knows that" she said.


Folks that live around here close is startin to bring food
over for us to eat. People always bring you food when somebody at your
house dies. I hope they brang some fried chicken, that's my favorite.
Oh Lord it's Miss Bates a comin she pinches my face real hard and talks
about how cute I am, and how I look just like my mama did when she was
a youngin'. I told my Pap when she grabs my face next time, I'm gona
stomp on her foot till she turns me aloose. Dang it I can't stomp her
this time she's got the fried chicken on a plate. Pap,looks at me and
shakes his head as I take off out the back door. " Poor little feller"
I, hear her say.


Mam, didn't like Miss Bates. Told her off at church once. "
Keep your head up, and your dress down around my Tom, you low down
hussey" Mam said, to Miss Bates and real loud too, the whole church got
quiet. "Ladies, ladies" said, the preacher. " I'm goin preacher" said
Mam. I've said what needed to be said . " Come on, Will let's get the
hell outa here" she said, jerkin me to my feet.


If Man, knowed that chicken in there on the table come from
Miss Bates she would come up out of that box and claw her eyes out. I
watched from up in the tree in our front yard as all the people come by
to stop ,and look down in the box at Mam, and say how good she looked
in her blue flowerdie funeral dress, how natural, just like she was
asleep. Pap, stood outside in the yard and shook hands with everybody
that come by.


When they went in the house, he would take the bottle out of
his back pocket and take him a swig, I guess he felt a cold acomin on,
I know he kept a coughin, and a wipin, his eyes on his sleeve ever once
in a while. I'm goin to sneak in the kitchen and grab me some of that
chicken when nobody's lookin, get my pole, and go fishin. Mam said, if
ever I felt troubled to get my pole and go fishin. Lord I ain't never
felt this troubled afore.