son
he wanted.
“Lord have mercy!” Mrs. Connor said,
practically doubling over with the laughter. The noise
woke the baby, who began crying. Mom Connor
handed her to me. “Has she nursed yet?”
James was beaming. “She sure has, Mom, watch
her.”
My embarrassment was overcome by my pride
in the fine job I was doing at being a mother. I opened
the front of my gown and put my baby to my breast.
She fastened herself to it right off and began working
for her breakfast.
My baby’s grandmother looked at her and
smiled. “Look at her. She sure is a lively one. She’ll be
strong and healthy. You did real good, Maude, real
good. What are you going to name her?”
I smiled and gazed down at my daughter. “I don’t
know. I had three or four names picked out, but I never
did make up my mind.”
“Well, she sure is a lulu of a baby. She needs a
name.”
It was James’s turn to laugh. “Then that’s what
her name will be, Lulu.”
Mrs. Connor looked at me. “Is that all right with
you, Maude?”
The name hadn’t been on my list, but if James
liked it, it was good enough. “That’ll be fine, if that’s
what her daddy wants.”
Mom Connor turned to James. “Fetch me the
Bible on my front table, James, and something to write
with.”
He was gone only a minute and returned carrying
the Bible, a pen and a bottle of ink.
It was a beautiful, big Bible, not the kind you
carry to church, but the kind that sits on the table in the
hallway of a big house, with gold leaf on the edge of
the pages and a thick, black leather binding. Mom
Connor sat at the table and opened the book in front of
her. She took the lid off the ink bottle and dipped the
tip of the pen. Then she paused and turned to me. “Will
she have two names or just the one?”
I thought it over. “Let’s call her Lulu Helen
Connor.”
Mrs. Connor smiled as she made the entry on the
line under James’s name. She looked a little sad and
said, “I wanted to add more names of my own children
to the Connor bible, but none came after James was
born. I waited nineteen years to write on this page
again.”
When she finished, she blew on the ink until it
dried and then carried it over to show me. I read the
entry. “You sure have a beautiful hand, Sister Connor.”
“Don’t call me that anymore, Maude, call me
Mom, if you’re of a mind to.”
Tears welled up in my eyes. “Thank you, I’d like
that. I’d like that just fine.”
Mom Connor turned to James. “You get on to
work, boy. We women have things to do here that don’t
include having a man around. For one thing, my
grandbaby needs a proper bath.”
James kissed me on the cheek and kissed his
daughter on her fuzzy head. “I’ll see you tonight,
Lulu,” he said to the baby, and he left for the store and
bragging time.
Chapter 6
I was so happy. Everything was just as I dreamed it
would be. I kept my baby clean and dressed in the
fancy cotton embroidered dresses just like I’d
promised her. I gave her a bath every day and
changed her diapers the minute she was wet. Lulu
grew fast. She ate like she was starving every time I
put her to my breast. The nursing was painful for
only the first two days, and my milk came in fast and
I had plenty of it. I had to keep towels under my dress
to soak up the extra milk. Before long, Lulu was so
chubby, I had to make sure I got into the creases
when I gave her a bath.
When she was a few months old, I began to
carry her to Helen’s in the afternoon where we would
sit on the porch and sip iced tea while we watched
our little ones. Faith was toddling around and getting
into everything. Helen had to keep an eye on her
every minute to keep her from eating bugs and dirt or
falling off the porch. Lulu slept in the crook of my
arm or sometimes we brought out the little cradle that
Faith had outgrown to the porch so I could have my
hands free to sew.
Helen looked at her like she was a little jealous.
“She sure is a peaceful baby. I don’t remember Faith
ever
he wanted.
“Lord have mercy!” Mrs. Connor said,
practically doubling over with the laughter. The noise
woke the baby, who began crying. Mom Connor
handed her to me. “Has she nursed yet?”
James was beaming. “She sure has, Mom, watch
her.”
My embarrassment was overcome by my pride
in the fine job I was doing at being a mother. I opened
the front of my gown and put my baby to my breast.
She fastened herself to it right off and began working
for her breakfast.
My baby’s grandmother looked at her and
smiled. “Look at her. She sure is a lively one. She’ll be
strong and healthy. You did real good, Maude, real
good. What are you going to name her?”
I smiled and gazed down at my daughter. “I don’t
know. I had three or four names picked out, but I never
did make up my mind.”
“Well, she sure is a lulu of a baby. She needs a
name.”
It was James’s turn to laugh. “Then that’s what
her name will be, Lulu.”
Mrs. Connor looked at me. “Is that all right with
you, Maude?”
The name hadn’t been on my list, but if James
liked it, it was good enough. “That’ll be fine, if that’s
what her daddy wants.”
Mom Connor turned to James. “Fetch me the
Bible on my front table, James, and something to write
with.”
He was gone only a minute and returned carrying
the Bible, a pen and a bottle of ink.
It was a beautiful, big Bible, not the kind you
carry to church, but the kind that sits on the table in the
hallway of a big house, with gold leaf on the edge of
the pages and a thick, black leather binding. Mom
Connor sat at the table and opened the book in front of
her. She took the lid off the ink bottle and dipped the
tip of the pen. Then she paused and turned to me. “Will
she have two names or just the one?”
I thought it over. “Let’s call her Lulu Helen
Connor.”
Mrs. Connor smiled as she made the entry on the
line under James’s name. She looked a little sad and
said, “I wanted to add more names of my own children
to the Connor bible, but none came after James was
born. I waited nineteen years to write on this page
again.”
When she finished, she blew on the ink until it
dried and then carried it over to show me. I read the
entry. “You sure have a beautiful hand, Sister Connor.”
“Don’t call me that anymore, Maude, call me
Mom, if you’re of a mind to.”
Tears welled up in my eyes. “Thank you, I’d like
that. I’d like that just fine.”
Mom Connor turned to James. “You get on to
work, boy. We women have things to do here that don’t
include having a man around. For one thing, my
grandbaby needs a proper bath.”
James kissed me on the cheek and kissed his
daughter on her fuzzy head. “I’ll see you tonight,
Lulu,” he said to the baby, and he left for the store and
bragging time.
Chapter 6
I was so happy. Everything was just as I dreamed it
would be. I kept my baby clean and dressed in the
fancy cotton embroidered dresses just like I’d
promised her. I gave her a bath every day and
changed her diapers the minute she was wet. Lulu
grew fast. She ate like she was starving every time I
put her to my breast. The nursing was painful for
only the first two days, and my milk came in fast and
I had plenty of it. I had to keep towels under my dress
to soak up the extra milk. Before long, Lulu was so
chubby, I had to make sure I got into the creases
when I gave her a bath.
When she was a few months old, I began to
carry her to Helen’s in the afternoon where we would
sit on the porch and sip iced tea while we watched
our little ones. Faith was toddling around and getting
into everything. Helen had to keep an eye on her
every minute to keep her from eating bugs and dirt or
falling off the porch. Lulu slept in the crook of my
arm or sometimes we brought out the little cradle that
Faith had outgrown to the porch so I could have my
hands free to sew.
Helen looked at her like she was a little jealous.
“She sure is a peaceful baby. I don’t remember Faith
ever
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