Descendants of Hagar

by Nik Nicholson

I come out my head hearing The Reverend breathing and heaving and singing the way he do while coming to the pulpit. We good and ready to receive the word. There is a commotion, and folks is talking where usually they be quiet or cosigning. I look around and everybody looking at Coley, who sitting oblivious looking at The Reverend.

  Reverend Patrick seem like he feel ‘a eyes on him, cause he look over at ‘a and smile. He need to say something bout ‘a presence or Coley be the devil this Sunday, by distracting folks from hearing the word.

  “Before I git started I need to make an introduction and announcement. We have a visitor in church today,” he say, extending his hand in Coley’s direction. “Please stand, Ms. Graham.” When Coley comply, he continue. “This here is Ms. Coletta Graham. She earned ‘a bachelors from Howard University and is a recent graduate of Clark University, with a masters in education. The Freedmen’s Bureau has assigned ‘a to teach the children of Zion.”

  A few folks meet the news with applause, but you can tell the whole church ain’t receiving it well.

  “You may have a seat, Ms. Graham.” Reverend Patrick turn to face the congregation sternly, and you know he ain’t pleased with his job, but he go on.

  “This ain’t no attack on the skills of Zion’s on Prudence Beaumont. She been doing a fine job for the past fifteen years. There are just rules and regulations we have to follow cause we protected by the Freedmen’s Bureau. We need that state money.

  “Yall know the Freedmen’s Bureau, the ones what parceled out most of the land that we now call Zion. They the reason we only pay taxes on the land. Well in order for us to keep our town, and receive state funding, git roads and other thangs, we have to follow some rules. So they decided they wont Niggra children to have educated teachers, not just other Niggras who can read. Times are changing and they believe it’s better for the children.”

  Prudence stand. “When somebody was gone tell me ya gave mah job away? I be countin on that money, even if it ain’t much.”

  A woman’s voice shout, “It ain’t right! Nobody cain’t just come to our town and tell us who gone teach our chillen!”

  “I just got word a few days fore Ms. Graham arrived. I believed I was gone have more time, cause school ain’t startin for another two weeks but now she here.”

  “She don’t look like no teacha I ever seent!” Another woman starts.

  “Alright nah, alright,” Reverend Patrick pleads, raising his hands like he leading a choir, trying to get hold of the congregation. “I understand we all upset, but Ms. Graham our sister in Christ, too. Let’s not attack ‘a, she just doing what she told and following the assignment she was given and-”

  “What about my pay? What I’m pose to do nah?” Prudence cut in.

  “If you let me finish, I’ll tell ya.” He stop to see if she got something else to say fore he start. “Now we ain’t even the ones paying ‘a, the Freedmen’s Bureau is paying ‘a salary. So we can keep paying you to do other thangs, or til you find different work.”

  Prudence slam ‘a body back down in the seat on hearing this, folding ‘a arms, snatching and refusing to be consoled. Then she look over at Coley, if looks could kill, lawd.

  “I said there is peace in heaven. I ain’t looking for no riches here on earth. This is man’s world, Iiiii’m not of the world. I’m of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost,” Reverend Patrick get started. Almost like he talking right to Prudence, and she make a face at him to suit.

  Then he look over at me, and then down at the ground like he thinking. I’m nervous he bout to say something to me like he said to Prudence.

  Then he say, “I think what I shoulda done was talked about this sooner. Should have told yall what was going on, but I’m just a man dealing with my own earthly concerns. I was afraid to talk about it cause so many folks was upset, but God said that no weapon stands against his children shall prosper! Today it was laid on my heart to talk about what happened after Miemay died.”

  “Mmmm,” some of the women hum and “Aarghnnn” some of the men.

  “When you die, don’t you want me to uphold your last wishes? What Linny got, no kids, no husband and no family now, since all this done happened. Lost Miemay, who practically raised ‘a.

  “Our Linny needs help on ‘a land. Me and Mrs. Harper been telling ‘a to hire some hands. She thinking yall don’t wont to work for ‘a cause yall think she stole from Miemay, from ‘a family. Yall thinking, she tricked an old lady into giving ‘a the eldest son’s inheritance. We don’t have no law here and that’s how we teach people and help them stay in line, by stepping away from them. But if anybody knew Miemay, they know she couldn’t be tricked. She died with a sound mind. And what’n a trick she hadn’t seen.”

  “I know that’s right,” people start to laugh and cosign.

  “Linny faithful to our town and don’t want to start no trouble. She been trying to work the land ‘aself rather than go out and hire strangers.”

  “Come on now!” I hear Ella shout.

  “She got the money to pay workers, but she trying to do it ‘aself. I’m proud of ‘a because she could have said, so what to ‘a daddy, and mama, and family. She could have said so what to this town. Or she could have made everybody happy, and went back on the promise she made to ‘a grandmother on ‘a deathbed. But she is a woman of ‘a word, like Miemay raised ‘a to be. She is a fighter like Miemay. She loves Zion like Miemay. The way Linny has handled all this should prove ‘a righteousness.

  “In ‘a last days, Miemay told me to stand with Linny cause she was gone need somebody. Miemay told me to check on Linny. I asked what about ‘a own daddy and mama. Miemay asked me to promise ‘a while she was dying. Then I didn’t know why she kept saying this, anytime Linny would leave the room. She told me to watch after ‘a like she was my own. I agreed.

  “Then she made Linny promise to never let nobody take what’s hers. She made ‘a promise not to give it away. She wanted Linny to have a home, where she wouldn’t be in ‘a mother’s way. Yall know what I’m talking bout. She wanted Linny to have something when all the dust settle I’m thinking.

  “Truth is Miemay got one over on both of us, if you really wont to know the truth. I don’t mean to speak ill of the dead, but I thought I was gittin that house she was building. I know saying this ain gone make me too popular but the Lord done put it on my spirit to say it. But I hold ‘a word like I would any of yours.

  Miemay told me she waited to die for the house to be finished. One of the reasons I took so long building it. I was trying to keep ‘a here. Then I saw how she was suffering. I wanted ‘a to see it finished. What a will, that she waited til the last nail was hammered, and the paint had dried fore she took ‘a final rest.

  “Then she left ‘a grandchild, named for ‘a, in our hands the way we always was in her hands. How many times did Miemey come see about you? How many times did she pay for something for you? How many times was she helping when people in ‘a own family was saying, ‘What about us? We should live better.’”

  “At every turn, people shouting “Amen!” “Hallelujah,” “Alright now!” “Tell it,” and some people just laughing like what he saying done touched a part of them too sweet or good to speak. The fans going and the heat rising.

  I’m willing myself not to cry, I’m trying to disappear, I’m missing Miemay. I’m looking out the window, smelling the morning disappear and the heat of the sun taking over. I look at the red dirt surrounding the church, and the wagons, and then the trees.

  I miss quiet Sundays, where me and Miemay talked about the Bible, or nothing at all. Some Sundays, we use to get up early, feed the animals, make a big breakfast and supper. Then me and her be laying round all day, not speaking just being. Let the breeze catch us whenever it come.

  When Reverend Patrick winds down, I am barely there. I am barely anywhere. I’m thinking how I never told Miemay I loved her, again. I’m deciding to tell people I love, what they mean to me.

  When we all stand to say the cl
osing prayer, Reverend Patrick says, “Yall who working in “other” folks’ fields gone have to be careful. There is a movie out, called “Birth of a Nation,” that’s got the Klan all riled up. There was a hanging in Hardingtown. Anybody working in Dewey got to stay away from there. Last week, they whupped Selma’s boys for no good reason.”

  Then Reverend ask that we bow our heads, and he prayed for families to mend bridges, and for people not to hold they children accountable for what they parents have done. He prayed for us as a community, church, and town to take care of and look after each other.

  When he done, Mrs. Harper his wife hug me. Then she say, “You got another mother, you ain’t alone.”

  Soon as she let go, people start coming to hug me, and pat me on my back. And I am so glad I came back this Sunday. I missed the people and I missed the babies. I missed being smiled at, and acknowledged. I missed being loved. Even Martha apologizes for calling me the devil.

  Iain never really been hugged, and even though it feels good it starts making me feel strange. Mrs. Clara hugs me, and says she wasn’t never mad at me. She give me the longest, warmest hug of ’em all. I could feel ‘a genuine sincerity and I start to cry in ‘a arms. She old enough to be my grandmother, and it mean a lot to have ‘a say that to me. She say I need to get out more, and I’ll find everybody doesn’t dance to the same beat.

  Ain wont nobody to see me crying, so I make my way to the wagon fast as I can. I’m using the handkerchief from the stupid purse Mrs. Harper and Coley talk me into carrying, when I hear him say proud, “You tried to work all that land by yah self?”

  “Yeah I did Daddy.” I don’t turn and look at ’im, I keep looking in the way of the wagon. Women crying make him uncomfortable. Plus, I don’t ever want him to see me cry. I’ve always been proud that he doesn’t consider me like other women. I want him to still think I’m strong.

  “Well,” I can almost hear ’im smiling and poking his chest out a little. “I still expect to see you in my fields some days, too, after you hire all them hands.”

  Clearing my throat so I will answer strong, I say, “Yeah, Daddy, I’ll be over there.” Then I start walking again towards the wagon. All I wanted was for Daddy to speak to me, and know Iain never want to hurt our family. Him saying I can come back and work with him and my brothers make me smile in my spirit.

  I already knew he what’n never gone say he sorry, men don’t apologize, they come to agreements. Ain no hard feelings between them neither, least that’s how it is between my brother nem.

  Now I’m missing Miemay, and ‘a cobbler. People always be saying I make mine just like hers, but I taste the difference. I miss the little differences.

  ***

  “Ay dur! Don’t believe I done had the pleasure of makin yo acquaintance.” My cousin Thomas bows, taking his hat off in a grand display of chivalry.

  Hard to believe we just 50 feet from the steps of the church, and not even five minutes out of service. Nothing like a new hen to get these roosters struttin. All the young single men of Zion start to introduce themselves.

  Zachariah, the boldest, he take Coley hand and kiss it. Seem like Zion done gone and got itself a new automobile and parked it under this tree, way all these men catchin shade over here. I wont to tell Coley, she better be mean to ’em if she wont any women friends. Believe it or not, these men can take it. Matter fact, if she mean to ‘em, they’ll put a better foot forward.

  Not to mention, the women here might have they rivalries but when it come to an outsider they gone stick together, and against Coley. They gone be sour for a minute bout Prudence’s job being given to Coley. Zion already ain’t welcoming to strangers, then Coley gone be educated and pretty, too. It’s enough to be a scandal for weeks out.

  One thing I can say, I understand these roosters. Coley is beautiful. She dress different, smell different, talk different, and walk different. She’s a real lady, cain’t even imagine ‘a throwing ‘a body like old Prudence did, Coley too proper for all that.

  Then these men always trying to one up each other. Always battling bout who the strongest, meanest, smartest or best dancer. Whichever one of them land Coley, be a respected man. Ain’t more than a handful of women been to school outside of Zion’s school house, and when you look at how Mrs. Prudence Beaumont act, you already know what she teaching us women.

  We all read, but we ain’t seen nothing but these fields and creeks and springs. Coley a travelling woman. Don’t even make sense for a woman to leave Zion, got ‘a family, and once she get married they build ‘a new family a place to live. She gone always have work, if it ain’t here in Zion there’s always some white family needing us to do something. We don’t pay nothing but taxes on the land. Why leave? But when I look at Coley, I think, why stay? She be like a princess here, just gracing us all with ‘a presence.

  “Ms. Graham?” Reverend Patrick come out the church, moving through all the people like he trying to catch us fore we get away. Me and Coley on our carriage, getting ready to go home and I knowit’s coming.

  “Yes, Sir?” Coley smile, waiting, and not picking up on what’s bout to happen.

  “Um.” Reverend Patrick seem to be searching his mind for the words.

  After a while, I’m tired of waiting. So I say, “Yo dress too short, and you need to cover ya arms for church.”

  “Yes.” Reverend Patrick nod his head yes, too, looking at me thankfully then add, “And the color is really bright. It’s a nice color, nice dress, but something not so flashy. Please?”

  “Yes, sir.” Coley accepts solemnly, looking around at all the men, and I can tell she shame, and all that’s happened is settling in on ‘a spirit. We ride to the house silently.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  WORK

  “I can’t keep doing all of this,” Coley pout like a uppity child. “I can’t keep up with this and my work, too. All these chores are too much, Linny. I’d rather just pay you for the room, or go stay in the hotel.”

  “Cain’t keep doing what?” I examine Coley dragging ‘a body, and throwing ‘a legs like ‘a arms too heavy for ‘a to carry ’em, and ‘a legs too heavy to walk.

  “Look at my hair? I’ve got to hot comb my hair every other day, and I’m touching up my edges daily just to look decent. I’m dog tired. My clothes are all sweaty and I feel so dirty. Feels like I’m not ever clean, because of all the sweating. I’m tired of the sun. I’m getting so black. I’ve never worked this hard. I don’t do hard labor. I’m not a field hand.

  “Mama said go to school, marry well and I wouldn’t ever have to do all this. I went to school, I’m a school teacher, not some sharecropper, or farmer, or a maid.” She slam ‘a body down at the kitchen table and look at me like a little white child with money, or one whose daddy on the board of the council. Like she ain some common nigga, too.

  “Want me to set the table, too?” I ask ‘a while she sitting at the empty table, while I’m warming up our supper.

  “Don’t you see me? Don’t you hear me talking to you? Does anything move you? Don’t you listen? I’m not the maid.”

  “Well, where the maid at?” I ask ‘a, not letting ‘a being upset stir me. One thing I learned, let people have they ways and they words. I just try to see the best in ’em. She be complaining bout what she got to do round here, but she do it. I don’t care if she run ‘a mouth every day and complain from sun up to sun down. She ain doing nothing but making it harder on ‘aself.

  “I am not the maid!”

  “Well, where she at?” I ask again, starting to laugh. I love to see Coley really get going. This be our appetizer before dinner every other night.

  Then she fold ‘a arms and look off at the wall, refusing to move. I start to fix the table. Then I say, “You wouldn’t have to do so much to your hair if you just wore it the way it grows, like everybody else round here.”

  “You are going to tell me to do something like other people?” She laughs mean. “When was the last time you did anything like
the other women in town? As you stand here with those pants on, other respected women have asked you specifically not to wear. I’ve heard them talking about how you refuse to marry. Well, I’ll take the same thing you’re having, I’m not everybody else either!”

  “Yeah but you the only one mad about who you is. Seem like to me, if somebody found something work better than what I’m doing I would be smart enough to try something different. Steada sitting round whining like a small white child, crying bout how you ain’t this and you ain’t that.”

  “Don’t insult me!”

  “You insult yourself acting how you act. Want me to rock you? Want me to tell you I’ll do all the work round here? I’m one person who owns a house by ‘aself. I cain’t get to all the things I got to do in a day, and when I wake up yesterday’s work waiting with the work of today. Do I come in here and cry? What that’s gone do?” I don’t even look at ‘a when I’m’ done speaking. I hear ‘a weight shifting round in the chair, and feel ‘a looking at me. “Need to fix yo face, and stop acting, and help fix this table. It’s the least you could do.”

  “You don’t know what I’ve been through.”

  “You think you the only person ever been through something?”

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “Well, you acting like you the only one got problems. Like you the only one got to work. You talking bout you not the maid, but Iain asked you to clean up after other folks or cook for them, or grow food for nobody but cho hungry self. You always hungry, and thirsty, but don’t want to tend the garden, or make the tea and lemonade. You cain’t cook to feed yourself, and you ought to be working on that while you talking bout getting a husband. But you ain’t. You sitting round here whining bout being asked to help take care of you.”

  “I didn’t think about it like that,” she pout, sitting up in ‘a chair and lifting ‘a chin. Looks like she saying humph to nobody at all. She keep turning ‘a head looking round, must be fighting the truth.

  I just look at ‘a til she get up and get the silverware. I always be surprised by how open she is to change, most folks keep on when they wrong. But if you straight with Coley, and at least tell ‘a you don’t want to hear it, she’ll spare you the nonsense sometimes.