The Color Purple

by Alice Walker

  Maybe you ought to leave him, say Sofia. You got kin ia Atlanta, go stay with some of them. Git a job.

  Miss Eleanor Jane toss her hair back, act like she don't even hear this, it such a wild notion.

  I got my own troubles, say Sofia, and when Reynolds Stanley grow up, he's gon be one of them.

  But he won't, say Miss Eleanor Jane. I'm his mama and I won't let him be mean to colored.

  You and whose army? say Sofia. The first word he likely to speak won't be nothing he learn from you.

  You telling me I won't even be able to love my own son, say Miss Eleanor Jane.

  No, say Sofia. That's not what I'm telling you. I'm telling you / won't be able to love your own son. You can love him just as much as you want to. But be ready to suffer the consequences. That's how the colored live.

  Little Reynolds Stanley all up on top Henrietta's face by now, just slobbering and sucking. Trying to kiss. Any second I think she gon knock him silly. But she lay real still while he zamine her. Every once in a while he act like he peeking into her eyeball.

  Then he sit down with a bounce on top her chest and grin. He take one of her playing cards and try to give her a bite of it.

  Sofia come over and lift him off.

  He not bothering me, say Henrietta. He make me tickle.

  He bother me, say Sofia.

  Well, Miss Eleanor Jane say to the baby, picking him up, we not wanted here. She say it real sad, like she done run out of places to go.

  Thank you for all you done for us, say Sofia. She don't look so good herself, and a little water stand in her eyes. After Miss Eleanor Jane and Reynolds Stanley leave, she say, It's times like this make me know us didn't make this world. And all the colored folks talking bout loving everybody just ain't looked hard at what they thought they said.

  So what else new?

  Well, your sister too crazy to kill herself. Most times I feels tike shit but I felt tike shit before in my life and what happen?

  I had me a fine sister name Nettie. I had me another fine woman friend name Snug. I had me some fine children growing up in Africa, singing and writing verses. The first two months was hell though, I tell the world. But now Shug's six months is come and gone and she ain't come back. And I try to teach my heart not to want nothing it can't have.

  Besides, she give me so many good years. Plus, she learning new things in her new life. Now she and Germaine staying with one of her children.

  Dear Celie, she wrote me, Me and Germaine ended up in Tucson, Arizona where one of my children live. The other two alive and turned out well but they didn't want to see me. Somebody told them I lives a evil life. This one say he want to see his mama no matter what. He live in a little mud looking house like they have out here, call adobe, so you know I feels right at home (smile). He a schoolteacher too and work on the Indian reservation. They call him the black white man. They have a word that mean that, too, and it really bother him. But even if he try to tell them how heteel, they don't seem to care. They so far gone nothing strangers say mean nothing. Everybody not a Indian they got no use for. I hate to see his feelings hurt, but that's life.

  It was Germaine who had the idea to look up my children. He noticed how I always love dressing him up and playing with his hair.

  He didn't make it like a mean suggestion. He just said if I knowed how my children was doing I would probably feel better in my life.

  This son we staying with is name James. His wife is name Cora Mae. They have two kids name Davis and Cantrell. He say he thought something was funny bout his mama (my mama) cause she and big daddy was so old and strict and set in they ways. But still, he felt a lot of love from them, he say.

  Yeah son, I tell him. They had a lot of love to give. But I needed love plus understanding. They run a little short of that.

  They beendead now, he say. Nine or ten years. Sent us all to school as far as they could.

  You know I never think bout mama and daddy. You know how tough I think I is. But now that they dead and I see my children doing well, I like to think about them. Maybe when I come back I can put some flowers on they graves.

  Oh, she write me now near bout every week. Long newsy letters full of stuff she thought she had forgot. Plus stuff bout the desert and the Indians and the rocky mountains. I wish I could be traveling with her, but thank God she able to do it. Sometimes I feel mad at her. Feel like I could scratch her hair right off her head. But then I think, Shug got a right to live too. She got a right to look over the world in whatever company she choose. Just cause I love her don't take away none of her rights.

  The only thing bother me is she don't never say nothing bout coming back. And I miss her. I miss her friendship so much that if she want to come back here dragging Germaine I'd make them both welcome, or die trying. Who am I to tell her who to love? My job just to love her good and true myself.

  Mr.??? ast me the other day what it is I love so much bout Shug. He say he love her style. He say to tell the truth, Shug act more manly than most men. I mean she upright, honest. Speak her mind and the devil take the hindmost, he say. You know Shug will fight, he say. Just like Sofia. She bound to live her life and be herself no matter what.

  Mr.??? think all this is stuff men do. But Harpo not like this, I tell him. You not like this. What Shug got is womanly it seem like to me. Specially since she and Sofia the ones got it.

  Sofia and Shug not like men, he say, but they not tike women either.

  You mean they not tike you or me.

  They hold they own, he say. And it's different.

  What I love best bout Shug is what she been through, I say. When you look in Shug's eyes you know she been where she been, seen what she seen, did what she did. And now she know.

  That's the truth, say Mr.???.

  And if you don't git out the way, she'll tell you about it.

  Amen, he say. Then he say something that really surprise me cause it so thoughtful and common sense. When it come to what folks do together with they bodies, he say, anybody's guess is as good as mine. But when you talk bout love I don't have to guess. I have love and I have been love. And I thank God he let me gain understanding enough to know love can't be halted just cause some peoples mean and groan.

  It don't surprise me you love Shug Avery, he say. I have love Shug Avery all my life.

  What load of bricks fell on you? I ast.

  No bricks, he say. Just experience. You know, everybody bound to git some of that sooner or later. All they have to do is stay alive. And I start to git mine real heavy long about the time I told Shug it was true that I beat you cause you was you and not her.

  I told her, I say.

  I know it, he say, and I don't blame you. If a mule could tell folks how it's treated, it would. But you know some womens would have just love to hear they man say he beat his wife cause she wasn't them. Shug one time was tike that bout Annie Julia. Both of us messed over my first wife a scanless. And she never told nobody. Plus, she didn't have nobody to tell. After they married her off to me her folks behave like they'd throwed her down a well. Or oft the face of the earth. I didn't want her. I wanted Shug. But my daddy was the boss. He give me the wife he wanted me to have.

  But Shug spoke right up for you, Celie, he say. She say Albert, you been mistreating somebody I love. So as far as you concern, I'm gone. I couldn't believe it, he say. All along in there we was as hot for each other as two pistols. Excuse me, he say. But we was. I tried to laugh it off. But she meant what she said.

  I tried to tease her. You don't love old dumb Celie, I said. She ugly and skinny and can't hold a candle to you. She can't even screw.

  What I want to say that for. From what she tell me, Shug said, she don't have no reason to screw. You on and off like a jackrabbit.

  Plus, she say, Celie say you not always clean. And she turn up her nose.

  I wanted to kill you, said Mr.??? and I did slap you around a couple of times. I never understood how you and Shug got along so well together and it bothered the
hell out of me. When she was mean and nasty to you, I understood. But when I looked around and the two of you was always doing each other's hair, I start to worry.

  She still feel for you, I say.

  Yeah, he say. She feel like I'm her brother.

  What so bad about that, I ast. Don't her brothers love her?

  Them clowns, he say. They still act the fool I use to be.

  Well, I say, we all have to start somewhere if us want to do better, and our own self is what us have to hand.

  I'm real sorry she left you, Celie. I remember how I felt when she left me.

  Then the old devil put his arms around me and just stood there on the porch with me real quiet. Way after while I bent my stiff neck onto his shoulder. Here us is, I thought, two old fools left over from love, keeping each other company under the stars.

  Other times he want to know bout my children.

  I told him you say they both wear long robes, sort of like dresses. That was the day he come to visit me while I was sewing and ast me what was so special bout my pants.

  Anybody can wear them, I said.

  Men and women not suppose to wear the same thing, he said. Men spose to wear the pants.

  So I said, You ought to tell that to the mens in Africa.

  Say what? he ast. First time he ever thought bout what Africans do.

  People in Africa try to wear what feel comfortable in the heat, I say. Of course, missionaries have they own ideas bout dress.

  But left to themself, Africans wear a little sometimes, or a lot, according to Nettie. But men and women both preshate a nice dress.

  Robe you said before, he say.

  Robe, dress. Not pants, anyhow.

  Well, he say. I'll be dog.

  And men sew in Africa, too, I say.

  They do? he ast.

  Yeah, I say. They not so backward as mens here.

  When I was growing up, he said, I use to try to sew along with mama cause that's what she was always doing. But everybody laughed at me. But you know, I liked it.

  Well, nobody gon laugh at you now, I said. Here, help me stitch in these pockets.

  But I don't know how, he say.

  I'll show you, I said. And I did.

  Now us sit sewing and talking and smoking our pipes.

  Guess what, I say to him, folks in Africa where Nettie and the children is believe white people is black peoples children.

  Naw, he say, like this interesting but his mind really on the slant of his next stitch.

  They named Adam some other name soon as he arrive. They say the white missionaries before Nettie and them come told them all about Adam from the white folks point of view and what the white folks know. But they know who Adam is from they own point of view.

  And for a whole lot longer time ago.

  And who that? Mr.??? ast.

  The first man that was white. Not the first man. They say nobody so crazy they think they can say who was the first man. But everybody notice the first white man cause he was white.

  Mr.??? frown, look at the different color thread us got. Thread his needle, lick his finger, tie a knot.

  They say everybody before Adam was black. Then one day some woman they just right away kill, come out with this colorless baby.

  They thought at first it was something she ate. But then another one had one and also the women start to have twins. So the people start to put the white babies and the twins to death. So really Adam wasn't even the first white man. He was just the first one the people didn't kill.

  Mr.??? look at me real thoughtful. He not such a bad looking man, you know, when you come right down to it. And now it do begin to look like he got a lot of feeling hind his face.

  Well, I say, you know black folks have what you call albinos to this day. But you never hear of white folks having nothing black unless some black men been messing with 'em. And no white folks been in Africa back yonder when all this happen.

  So these Olinka people heard about Adam and Eve from the white missionaries and they heard about how the serpent tricked Eve and how God chased them out of the garden of Eden. And they was real curious to hear this, cause after they had chased the white Olinka children out of the village they hadn't hardly thought no more about it. Nettie say one thing about Africans, Out of sight, out of mind. And another thing, they don't like nothing around them that look or act different. They want everybody to be just alike.

  So you know somebody white wouldn't last long. She say seem tike to her the Africans throwed out the white Olinka peoples for how they look. They throwed out the rest of us, all us who become slaves, for how us act. Seem like us just wouldn't do right no matter how us try. Wen, you know how niggers is. Can't nobody tell 'em nothing even today. Can't be rule. Every nigger you see got a kingdom in his head.

  But guess what else, I say to Mr.???. When the missionaries got to the part bout Adam and Eve being naked, the Glinka peoples nearly bust out laughing. Especially when the missionaries tried to make them put on clothes because-of this. They tried to explain to the missionaries that it was theywho put Adam and Eve out of the Village because they wasnaked. Their word for naked is white.

  But since they are covered by color they are not naked. They said anybody looking at a white person can tell they naked, but black people can not be naked because they can not be white.

  Yeah, say Mr.???. But they was wrong.

  Right, I said. Adam and Eve prove it. What they did, these Olinka peoples, was throw out they own children, just cause they was a little different.

  I bet they do that same kind of stuff today, Mr.??? say, Oh, from what Nettie say, them Africans is a mess. And you know what the bible say, the fruit don't fall too far from the tree.

  And something else, I say. Guess who they say the snake is?

  Us, no doubt, say Mr.???.

  Right, I say. Whitefolks sign for they parents. They was so mad to git throwed out and told they was naked they made up they minds to crush us wherever they find us, same as they would a snake.

  You reckon? Mr.??? ast.

  That's what these Olinka peoples say. But they say just like they know history before the white children start to come, they know the future after the biggest of 'em leave. They say they know these particular children and they gon kill each other off, they still so mad bout being unwanted.

  Gon kill off a lot of other folk too who got some color. In fact, they gon kill off so much of the earth and the colored that everybody gon hate them just like they hate us today. Then they will become the new serpent. And wherever a white person is found he'll be crush by somebody not white, just like they do us today. And some of the Olinka peoples believe life will just go on and on like this forever. And every million years or so something will happen to the earth and folks will change the way they look. Folks might start growing two heads one of these days, for all we know, and then the folks with one head will send 'em all someplace else. But some of 'em don't think like this. They think, after the biggest of the white folks no longer on the earth, the only way to stop making somebody the serpent is for everybody to accept everybody else as a child of God, or one mother's children, no matter what they look like or how they act. And guess what else about the snake?

  What? he ast.

  These Olinka people worship it. They say who knows, maybe it is kinfolks, but for sure it's the smartest, cleanest, slickest thing they ever seen.

  These folks sure must have a heap of time just to sit and think, say. Mr.???.

  Nettie say they real good at thinking, I say. But they think so much in terms of thousands of years they have a hard time girting themself through one.

  So what they name Adam?

  Something sound like Omatangu, I say. It mean a un-naked man somewhere near the first one God made that knowed what he was. A whole lot of the men that come before the first man was men, but none of 'em didn't know it. You know how long it take some mens to notice anything, I say.

  Took me long enough to notice you such good co
mpany, he say. And he laugh.

  He ain't Shug, but he begin to be somebody I can talk to.

  And no matter how much the telegram said you must be drown, I still git letters from you.

  Your sister,

  Celie

  After two and a half months Adam and Tashi returned! Adam overtook Tashi and her mother and some other members of our compound as they were nearing the village where the white woman missionary had lived, but Tashi would not hear of turning back, nor would Catherine, and so Adam accompanied them to the mbelesencampment.

  Oh, be says, it is the most extraordinary place!

  You know, Celie, in Africa there is a huge depression in the earth called the great rift valley, but it is on the other side of the continent from where we are. However, according to Adam, there is a "small" rift on our side, several thousand acres large and even deeper than the great rift, which covers millions of acres. It is a place set so deep into the earth that it can only really be seen, Adam thinks, from the air, and then it would seem just an overgrown canyon. Well, in this overgrown canyon are a thousand people from dozens of African tribes, and even one colored man? Adam swears? from Alabama! There are farms. There is a school. An infirmary. A temple. And there are male and female warriors who do indeed go on missions of sabotage against the white plantations.

  But all this seemed more a marvel in the recounting than in the actual experiencing of it, if I am any judge of Adam and lashi.

  Their minds seem to have been completely riveted on each other.

  I wish you could have seen them as they staggered into the compound. Filthy as hogs, hair as wild as could be. Sleepy. Exhausted.

  Smelly. God knows. But still arguing.

  Just because I came back with you, don't think I am saying yes to marriage, says lashi.

  Oh yes you are, says Adam, heatedly, but through ayawn. You promised your mother. / promised yourmother.,?

  Nobody in America will like me, says lashi.

  I will like you, says Adam.

  Olivia ran and enfolded lashi in her arms. Ran about preparing food and a bath.