Read Online Page from a Tennessee Journal (AmazonEncore Edition) by Francine Thomas Howard - Free Book Online Page B

searchin’ fo’ scraps of food.” Becky took another draw on the cold pipe and took her time pointing it at Annalaura. “I’ll say this fo’ you. Keepin’ a sportin’ man under one set of covers ain’t easy for no woman, ’specially one as strong-headed as you.”
    “I don’t care if John Welles is satisfied or not. I need to feed my children.” She caught a glimpse of Henry coming back through the partially opened door.
    With an upward tilt of her head, Becky shooed Henry back outside.
    “Now, you talkin’ nothin’ but foolishness girl. A man ain’t good fo’ much, but a woman needs one around to lessen this world’s misery.” Rebecca frowned at her. “What you need is some extra special strong herbs from the conjure woman.”
    “Aunt Becky, if I could kindly borrow some meal, a dab of flour, and maybe some jars of greens, I will pay you back double when my harvest money comes in. I don’t need no conjure woman to make me up no love potions. A man will only double my misery.” Annalaura looked back at her aunt, who held her cold pipe at arm’s length like a rifle aimed at her niece’s face.
    She slowly let it circle in the air.
    “I could never settle my mind on why a fast-thinkin’ man like John Welles wanted to marry up with a fresh gal like you. You got a comely shape, right ’nough. God’s truth, men can act the fool over a plumped-out behind and a big pushed-up bosom. But you got yo’ shortcomin’s. Ain’t many a man wantin’ a woman with a troublesome quick tongue.” Becky clamped the pipe stem between her teeth and kept her lips drawn back. “Gal, you better bless yo’self twice that John Welles ain’t minded layin’ in a bed with a woman with a keen reckonin’ head.”
    “I wouldn’t want John Welles in my bed even if he was still around here,” Annalaura flared. “I wanted to leave that man right after I had me Cleveland.” She had heard John speak his, “I’m doin’ this fo’ our family, darlin’,” at least two dozen times too many. Even if her quick-thinking husband won more than he lost at gambling, she still hated the thought that he could lose her babies’ hard-come-by school money.
    “What foolishness is you talkin’ now, gal?” Surprise slipped out of Becky’s mouth.
    “John Welles hid my letter from Grandma Charity. The one she wrote tellin’ me where she was and invitin’ me to come live with her in Oklahoma.”
    Annalaura nearly jumped from her rickety chair as Becky slammed her hand on the wooden block of the table with such force that Annalaura wondered if the old woman had broken an arm.
    “It ain’t fittin’ for a married woman to speak such talk. Letter or no letter, you got no business running off to Oklahoma.” Becky’s voice came out of her mouth like a snake spitting venom. “John Welles may have his gamblin’ ways, but you married him. It’s up to you to lay in his bed, lumpy as it may be, let him do what he’s got to do, and act as happy as if you’d gotten your gold heaven crown right now.” The sturdy table shook a second time as Becky pounded it.
    “Hell, Aunt Becky, I can’t lay in a bed with a man that is always laying up in some other woman’s bed.” Annalaura had barely gotten the words out of her mouth when she felt the stinging slap across her cheek.
    Becky had knocked over the good chair as she reached across the table to deliver the blow.
    “I learned you better than to cuss, gal. A good woman can always find ’nother word to say what she means. ’Sides, a man don’t want to hear a decent woman sayin’ a cuss word.” Rebecca, who had been a woman of a fair size in her young days, had shrunk down to just a little bit above Annalaura’s nose. But right now she towered over her like Goliath gloating over David. “Get that runnin’ off foolishness out of yo’ head. When that man does come back, you gonna keep him so tuckered out, he ain’t never gonna stray no further than yo’ front do’ without him