“I want to be at the meeting. I want to be at the meeting,” I heard coming from the back of the roof.
I turned around and couldn’t believe my eyes.
“It’s Miss Florenza,” I told Pole.
“I want to be at the meeting,” she sang louder. Then I heard voices coming from the kitchen. I peeked in the big hole. I could barely see the menfolk standing on the table and in the chairs holding hands like little children at the schoolhouse. They were doing some singing too.
“When I get to hev’n, I’ll meet my mother there. Great God Almighty, here comes my child.”
I soon fell asleep listening to their voices.
TWENTY-TWO
I woke up first. Then Pole.
“Mornin’, Pole. We’re still alive,” I said as she rubbed her eyes. We looked out at the Low Meadows. The place Ma and Papa said would always be home was under muddy water. So high that you could hardly see the small barn in the backyard that Papa built with his own hands.
“I can’t see no land,” Pole said.
“It ain’t gone, Pole. Everything just covered up. Ole River can’t stay mad forever. It’ll go back down and we will live here again.”
“The hen house! The chickens! The chickens,” Pole screamed. I stood up and looked out at the Low Meadows.
“They dead,” I whispered as Ma woke up and Sara screamed real loud.
“Don’t look, child,” Miss Florenza told her. She pulled Sara closer to her. Ma and Miss Lottie Pearl needed to leave Miss Florenza be. She loved her child same as they loved us.
Ma looked over at Stony Hill.
We could see Mule Bennett and four cows that survived. All of Mr. Thomas’s cows but four had drowned.
“What’s going on up there?” Papa said. I put my head down in the hole to give Papa a report. I thanked God that our house was on a small hill too because the trees outside were almost underwater, but the men were fine on the tables.
“Most of the animals are dead, Papa.”
“Figured as-as much,” he said as he looked up at me to assure me that everything would be all right. He and the other men were so wet and coughing from the chill the night before.
“Y’all get back. We can’t open the door. We coming up on the roof to get to the boats,” Papa said. He climbed on the roof, but never stopped. He jumped right in the water.
Papa and Mr. Jabo swam towards the boats.
“Hurry out of the water. Dead chickens in there and most of the cows dead. I reckon disease in that water by now,” Ma shouted.
My uncle might be a liar, but he had good in him just like Mr. Bro. Wiley said every man had. He forgot all about his greasy head of hair and jumped in the water too. One by one the other menfolk jumped in and got their small boats. Next thing I knew Ralph was right beside Deacon Ward swimming like a fish. Ma looked away for one minute and it was my chance to join them.
I jumped in the water with my arms up high like the great sprinter Mr. Jesse Owens. Ralph pumped his fist up in the air when he saw me swimming towards him. We smiled at each other.
“Come back here, Bean,” Ma yelled.
I had never disobeyed Ma in my whole life but I had to help. We gathered the boats and headed back to get everyone.
“Women and-and children first,” Papa said as they got closer to the house with the boats.
“Jump, child. We got to hurry,” Mr. Jabo said as he reached out for Pole.
“Close your eyes real tight, Pole. Don’t look,” I told her.
Pole did like I said and jumped into her papa’s arms.
Ma forgot all about being mad at me and she smiled something big at me holding the boat steady while folk climbed in.
Mr. Jabo reached out for Sara. “Come on, child. Everything gonna be all right.” Then she jumped in his arms.
“Sit down, Sara. Let the women get in now,” Mr. Jabo said. One by one, the women got into the boats with help from the menfolk. Uncle Goat pulled his boat up last.
My uncle got a nice boat, and they were saving it for Mr. Bro. Wiley’s casket.
“God knew what he was doing when he sent that rain early last night. If the weather was good we would have had a house full of folk,” Reverend Hornbuckle said to us.
“Ain’t-ain’t that the truth,” Papa said. “Now let’s get Mr. Bro. Wiley on the boat and get out of these Meadows.”
“Push one time. Push hard,” Papa told Uncle Goat, who was back on the roof to get the casket.
Ma was crying harder than Pole when the casket hit the bottom of the boat.
“Oh, Wife, don’t cry.” Papa said.
“I know but I wanted Mr. Bro. Wiley’s sittin’ up to be nice. Look how things done turned out.”
“Stop your crying now, and get in the boat with Mr. Bro. Wiley if you want to,” Uncle Goat told his sister, motioning for her to get in the boat with him. Then he swapped places with Papa.
“Bean, you look out for the folks in our boat,” Papa said.
Ma wrapped her funeral fabric around her shoulders and stood up. When she got ready to get in the boat with Mr. Bro. Wiley, she held her belly and let out a scream.
“Husband, baby’s coming!”
“Not now, Wife, not now!” Papa took Ma’s hand and helped her get in the boat with him and Mr. Bro. Wiley.
What in the world was Papa talking about! He knew good and well he couldn’t stop a baby from coming.
“Lord, Sister, you done got too excited. This baby ain’t due for another three weeks. Slide that casket over and make room for me and Moszella,” Miss Lottie Pearl told Papa.
“Ain’t enough room in here for Moszella and the casket,” Papa said.
Miss Moszella rolled her eyes at my papa.
“Ain’t nobody studyin’ you, Stanbury Jones.”
“Get in this boat, Florenza. You don’t weigh even one hundred pounds, so you got to help me bring this baby into the world,” Miss Lottie Pearl said.
“Me? No way,” she shouted. “I would rather die.”
“Don’t push your luck, gal. Now, get your hind parts in this boat,” Miss Lottie Pearl ordered the sinner.
“Stanbury, you best move us behind the barn, out of the sight of the children and the menfolk, ’cause we ain’t gonna make it to town. You remember how quick Bean came into the world,” Ma said as she struggled for each breath, sweating like she was in the ’bacco field.
Miss Lottie Pearl was busy taking all our dead folk fabric from us like she was taking up collection in church. She stuffed the fabric around the boat so that Ma could lie down.
“Jabo, don’t know how long we gonna be, you all best go on without us,” Papa said.
“Stanbury Jones, we have seen the worst of times together. I ain’t leaving you back here. We gonna stay right here till this child come in this world. Go on now.”
Papa, Ma, Miss Lottie Pearl, and Mr. Bro. Wiley’s casket disappeared behind the barn with Miss Florenza. We could hear Ma screaming. The sinner screamed every time Ma screamed.
I wondered what in the world was going on. Surely Ma was going to be all right. I was some kind of curious and worried about what was happening to her.
“I sure hope Miss Magnolia be all right,” Pole said.
“Well, it hurts to bring a child into the world, just like it hurt when someone leave here, child,” Reverend Hornbuckle said.
TWENTY-THREE
An hour passed. Though everyone tried to comfort me, I was still worried. I was mainly upset that Cousin Babe wasn’t with us to bring the baby into the world. She had birthed every colored baby in this town. Folk said Cousin Babe had a special gift from God for delivering. I wondered if Miss Lottie Pearl knew enough to help my ma.
Pole touched my knee.
“Don’t worry, Bean. Ma and Mr. Stanbury ain’t gonna let nothing happen to Miss Magn
olia.”
“That’s right, child, don’t worry. Let’s pray for the new baby and your mother,” Reverend Hornbuckle said. He started praying real loud so that we would drown out Ma’s screams.
We sang some more as the sun got hotter. The mosquitoes were trying to pick us up and carry us away, but we kept right on singing. A whole hour passed.
“Here they come, Bean. Here they come,” Pole said, jumping for joy.
“‘The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away,’” Reverend Hornbuckle said.
Ma was barely sittin’ up in the boat, but I was so glad to see her.
“It’s a boy, Bean,” she said in a weak voice as I climbed out of the boat into theirs to get a better peep at my new little brother. He was a fine-looking little fellow and he was yellow like Ma. His eyes were wide-open like he had been around a long time. Poor baby boy. Ma had him all wrapped in that pink dead folk fabric that she gave me last night. Papa had a big smile on his face. I wasn’t jealous or nothing, I just wondered if he was smiling the same way when I was born twelve years ago. I bet he was.
“Let’s get out of these Low Meadows ’fore Ole River decide to come after us again,” Papa said. Reverend Hornbuckle gave Mr. Jabo his pocket knife so that he could cut the other boats from the trees. What the reverend doing with a knife was beyond me. Maybe he and Miss Florenza belonged together after all. She smoked and he carried a knife just like any other man.
“Miss Magnolia, what you gonna name the baby?” Pole asked.
“His name is Wiley. Wiley Stanbury Jones.”
“That’s real nice, Ma,” I said, still trying to get a closer look at my new little brother. Holding Baby Wiley with one hand, Ma put her other hand on Mr. Bro. Wiley’s casket. I wondered if Ma was planning to tell my little brother that he was born in a boat with a dead man.
“Hold the boats!” Papa said as he rowed in front of us to lead us down Low Meadows Lane.
My heart was hurting for the land and the animals that we left behind.
TWENTY-FOUR
“Thank you, God, for bringing us this far by faith,” the reverend said as he watched his coupe float towards the river.
“Amen,” Miss Moszella said, swatting the mosquito that had just bit her fat arm. Sara’s laugh rang out like a little bird at the sight of Miss Moszella beating the poor insect to death. Her smile was pretty and her eyes twinkled.
“We safe, Ma,” she said to Miss Florenza.
“Not yet, but we will be soon. We almost out of here, baby.”
My eyes fell on the sad sight of the Low Meadows. The cows were floating like paper, and the chickens were so light they had washed down to Ole River. Most of the leaves had fallen from the oak trees. The willows appeared sadder looking with all the mud stuck to the leaves.
All was silent until we heard Mr. Christian yelling for help. I followed the sound until I saw him on top of his house.
“Don’t leave me back here. Please don’t leave me back here.”
“We coming to get you,” Mama said in a weak voice.
“Why we helping him, Ma? He don’t care about us.”
“Oh, Bean, that ain’t the way to act. We all God’s children,” Miss Dora Mae said from the boat beside us.
Ma gave me that “I’m going to tear your tail up” look.
Mr. Jabo stopped paddling his boat so that he could pick up our neighbor. Mr. Christian’s face was as white as a bed sheet and his eyes were filled with water.
“Get in-in,” Papa said to Mr. Christian.
“Thank you,” he said, holding on to a brown leather bag. His blond hair was stuck to his head and his expensive white-folk clothes were wet and dirty.
“What you doing still back here? Real Kill said you left last night,” Miss Lottie Pearl blurted out.
“I came back to get a few more things, but the car engine flooded. I tried to make it to Stanbury’s house, but it was too late.”
“What’s in the bag?” Miss Lottie Pearl asked.
“For God’s sake, stay out that man’s business,” Mr. Jabo told his nosy wife.
I know it was killing Miss Lottie Pearl not to say anything else, but she shut up as we headed out of the Low Meadows. Her eyes were glued to the tree branches, plows, and animals all floating in the water. The menfolk had to row hard to keep the boats headed away from the river, where all the animals had floated.
“Look!” Pole screamed and pointed towards Mr. Luther’s store. A body was floating towards us. Ole River done killed somebody.
“Jabo, stop for the body, but let the other boats keep going,” Papa yelled. That suited me just fine. Don’t reckon I wanted to see another dead person, but I peeped anyway.
“That’s Real Kill,” Ralph shouted.
He was right because I could see Real Kill’s boots that Papa gave him last year when all the sharecroppers got a new pair. Mr. Thomas had fired Real Kill because he stayed drunk all the time, so Papa gave him his boots. Like most folks Mr. Thomas felt sorry for the town drunk, so he let him stay in the house but never let him work again.
“I wonder where in the world Luther is,” Ma said to Papa as Mr. Jabo and Deacon Ward put poor Real Kill in the boat and covered him with the dead folk fabric.
“Wherever he-he is, he’s alive. He know-know how to survive. No, sir, Ole River didn’t kill Luther,” Papa said, looking around.
“Over there,” Mr. Jabo said, pointing at the store. Mr. Luther was sitting on the roof, not even calling out for help. He was just crying like a baby. Mr. Jabo rowed his boat to the store and helped Mr. Luther get in. Mr. Luther wiped his tears with the end of Ma’s dead folk fabric, then he started pulling food out of his bag.
“Here, Pole, pass out these crackers,” Mr. Luther said as he reached over and gave her the bag. Pole gave us four crackers each. She was some kind of proud to be helping Mr. Luther.
“How did he die, Luther?” Miss Lottie Pearl finally asked.
“Died just like he lived. He kept that liquor bottle to his mouth all the way to the store. By the time we got here, he was drunk as a skunk. After I gathered the food and we were outside, Real Kill went back in the store for more liquor. I told him to stay with me but he went back anyway. When Real Kill came out, the water was really high. That boy ain’t never known how to swim. Next thing I knew he was crying for help. I tried to save him. God knows I did. I told him to take my hand and hold on while I pull him on the roof. He was too drunk. He wasn’t listening.”
Mr. Luther put his white-haired head down and cried like I ain’t never seen a grown man cry before. I knew it hurt him not to be able to save a man’s life. That sho’ would have hurt me.
We kept on going down Low Meadows Lane in the water that Ole River left behind. It wasn’t long before I heard a noise that sounded like a car, but it was too loud to be a car. There was no way anybody could drive in all that water. The noise got louder and louder. That’s when we saw it! The biggest boat I had ever seen in my life.
COAST GUARD was written on the front and along the side.
“A boat! They coming to help us!” Pole yelled out. All the men were white except one.
“A colored man! Mr. Creecy! Our hope!”
“Hey, Mr. Creecy,” we all shouted, his tall frame towering over the other men.
“Good morning!” he said as the boat slowed down, splashing water all over us.
“Stanbury, anyone else back there?” Mr. Creecy asked.
“I think we got everybody, but it wouldn’t hurt to double check,” Papa told him.
“What about the animals? Where is Mule Bennett?” he asked my papa. Mr. Creecy knew how much we thought of our mule.
“He on Stony Hill with the four cows that survived.”
“Go on into town. They got water and food for everyone. I can’t bring Mule Bennett out on this boat, but we’ll leave some food for him
and the cows.”
“I sho’ thank you-you,” Papa told him.
“Bye, Mr. Creecy!” we all shouted.
“You was right, Papa.”
“Right about what, child?”
“Mr. Creecy is our hope,” I said.
“God is our-our real hope, child. He will always send his angels. Always.”
We were on our way again when I saw some folk in a tiny fishing boat.
“I believe that’s Sue and her boy,” Ma said as she tried her best to sit up in the boat. They were alone like always in a little old fishing boat. Miss Sue’s two-timing husband, Michael, ran off with Miss Lottie Pearl’s sister, Lita, two springs earlier. To make matters worse, Miss Lottie Pearl and Miss Lita were Miss Sue’s first cousins on their ma’s side. Miss Lottie Pearl did some talking about other folk, but she didn’t ever mention her sister taking her own cousin’s husband. No one said so, but I knew because Miss Lita had come home from Philadelphia that spring. When she left, Michael Flowers left too. Grown folk acted like he was dead and ain’t mentioned him since then. He ain’t dead because there was no sittin’ up.
After Mr. Flowers left, Miss Sue kept on doing what she had to do for herself and Grady. I believe she was sick of that man anyhow. He was courting every woman that he could find. I heard Miss Lottie Pearl say he wouldn’t hit a lick at a black snake. That’s just how lazy he was.
I looked at Grady and his mama out there in the water with nobody to help them. Mr. Flowers should be ashamed of himself. Uncle Goat took a rope from his boat and tied Miss Sue’s little fishing boat to ours and we continued on to town.
“Thank you for helping us, Stanbury. We could hear that coast guard boat, but when we got round front of my house they were gone. We slept in this boat all night,” Miss Sue said.
“You-you safe now,” Papa told her.
The Sittin' Up Page 13