Read Online The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kathleen Grissom
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babies.
“How did that happen?” I wondered out loud. Fanny felt free to share a theory that shocked me. After Beattie verified that knowledge, the three of us pondered it in silence. Suddenly, Fanny sat up and turned her head to better listen. Then Beattie and I heard it, too. We all recognized Marshall’s pleading voice. As it became louder, we heard an adult telling him to be quiet.
“You want me to take your little sister next time instead of you?”
“No, no, leave her alone. I’ll be good, I’ll be good,” Marshall said.
I don’t know who was more startled when Marshall was pushed into our clearing. He looked both relieved and terrified to see us. The tutor’s angry surprise at finding us glinted in his narrowed eyes.
“Well,” he said, wiping the corners of his moist mouth, “it appears we have some company.”
“Get out of here,” Marshall hissed.
The girls ran, but something about Marshall’s distress caused me to stay.
“Come with us,” I said, pulling his arm, but he appeared rooted to the spot.
Mr. Waters advanced, smiling. “So, who do we have here?” He grabbed for my arm and latched on, but Marshall, in a burst of rage, pulled the tutor off and screamed for me to go. I was so frightened, I ran.
The girls had already found Papa George in the big barn. When they explained why they had come for him, he didn’t wait for them to finish, but grabbed a pitchfork and set out for the woods. However, before he crossed the stream, the tutor and Marshall appeared. Marshall looked imploringly at Papa as he made his way toward them. What Papa said, I do not know, but it caused the tutor’s face to turn a bright red. “This boy is my charge!” he shouted. “You’re nothing but a barn nigra. If you aren’t careful, I’ll have you working the fields.”
“Papa, you needin’ help?” It was Ben, coming quickly from the barns. He had been working at the forge, a hot job on a sweltering day. A dark leather apron covered his front, protecting him from the sparks that flew when he hammered the white iron. Black coal streaks marked his dark wet face, and he carried the sledgehammer that was used to coax metal into shape. His wide shoulders back, Ben walked with the air of a warrior.
Papa turned. “We all right, Ben. I just tellin’ this man that we lookin’ out for Masta Marshall.”
Mr. Waters saw Ben move closer and pulled Marshall with him when he turned quickly toward the house. Ben moved to follow, but Papa grasped his son’s arm and whispered urgently, “Ben! Wait!”
I stared, unable to take my eyes off Ben as he watched the tutor disappear into the big house. Fury had changed the gentle man I knew. Ben’s neck bulged. He spoke through clamped teeth and I did not recognize his voice. “Let me go, Daddy! I gon’ set this right,” said Ben.
“No, Ben. He waitin’ for that. Next thing you know, he get Rankin up here. Rankin kill you or sell you, then tell some story to the cap’n. Miss Martha havin’ that baby any day now, and the cap’n say he be here for that. Till then we wait and watch the best we can.”
When Papa got Ben turned back toward the barns, I ran for the safety of the kitchen, where I found Belle. I flung myself around her waist and clung to her. Once again that night, everythingterrified me. I lay awake in the dark next to Belle, trying to understand what had happened. I had no words to describe my fear, and I felt a terrible sense of foreboding.
I WAS HAPPILY DISTRACTED WHEN, in late September, Dory delivered a baby girl. For the next few weeks, she was given the luxury of spending work time in the kitchen, and I was allowed to help care for her newborn.
She was named Sukey and was completely unlike the screaming baby Henry. This dark, round-faced child was like a doll to me, and I delighted in her. Mama took over for Dory in the big house and reported daily of dealing with the frustration of the bedridden Miss Martha.
“A couple more weeks and the
“How did that happen?” I wondered out loud. Fanny felt free to share a theory that shocked me. After Beattie verified that knowledge, the three of us pondered it in silence. Suddenly, Fanny sat up and turned her head to better listen. Then Beattie and I heard it, too. We all recognized Marshall’s pleading voice. As it became louder, we heard an adult telling him to be quiet.
“You want me to take your little sister next time instead of you?”
“No, no, leave her alone. I’ll be good, I’ll be good,” Marshall said.
I don’t know who was more startled when Marshall was pushed into our clearing. He looked both relieved and terrified to see us. The tutor’s angry surprise at finding us glinted in his narrowed eyes.
“Well,” he said, wiping the corners of his moist mouth, “it appears we have some company.”
“Get out of here,” Marshall hissed.
The girls ran, but something about Marshall’s distress caused me to stay.
“Come with us,” I said, pulling his arm, but he appeared rooted to the spot.
Mr. Waters advanced, smiling. “So, who do we have here?” He grabbed for my arm and latched on, but Marshall, in a burst of rage, pulled the tutor off and screamed for me to go. I was so frightened, I ran.
The girls had already found Papa George in the big barn. When they explained why they had come for him, he didn’t wait for them to finish, but grabbed a pitchfork and set out for the woods. However, before he crossed the stream, the tutor and Marshall appeared. Marshall looked imploringly at Papa as he made his way toward them. What Papa said, I do not know, but it caused the tutor’s face to turn a bright red. “This boy is my charge!” he shouted. “You’re nothing but a barn nigra. If you aren’t careful, I’ll have you working the fields.”
“Papa, you needin’ help?” It was Ben, coming quickly from the barns. He had been working at the forge, a hot job on a sweltering day. A dark leather apron covered his front, protecting him from the sparks that flew when he hammered the white iron. Black coal streaks marked his dark wet face, and he carried the sledgehammer that was used to coax metal into shape. His wide shoulders back, Ben walked with the air of a warrior.
Papa turned. “We all right, Ben. I just tellin’ this man that we lookin’ out for Masta Marshall.”
Mr. Waters saw Ben move closer and pulled Marshall with him when he turned quickly toward the house. Ben moved to follow, but Papa grasped his son’s arm and whispered urgently, “Ben! Wait!”
I stared, unable to take my eyes off Ben as he watched the tutor disappear into the big house. Fury had changed the gentle man I knew. Ben’s neck bulged. He spoke through clamped teeth and I did not recognize his voice. “Let me go, Daddy! I gon’ set this right,” said Ben.
“No, Ben. He waitin’ for that. Next thing you know, he get Rankin up here. Rankin kill you or sell you, then tell some story to the cap’n. Miss Martha havin’ that baby any day now, and the cap’n say he be here for that. Till then we wait and watch the best we can.”
When Papa got Ben turned back toward the barns, I ran for the safety of the kitchen, where I found Belle. I flung myself around her waist and clung to her. Once again that night, everythingterrified me. I lay awake in the dark next to Belle, trying to understand what had happened. I had no words to describe my fear, and I felt a terrible sense of foreboding.
I WAS HAPPILY DISTRACTED WHEN, in late September, Dory delivered a baby girl. For the next few weeks, she was given the luxury of spending work time in the kitchen, and I was allowed to help care for her newborn.
She was named Sukey and was completely unlike the screaming baby Henry. This dark, round-faced child was like a doll to me, and I delighted in her. Mama took over for Dory in the big house and reported daily of dealing with the frustration of the bedridden Miss Martha.
“A couple more weeks and the
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