Long before the year was up, Janie noticed that her husband had stopped talking in rhymes to her, yet ceased to wonder at her long black hair and finger it. Six months back, you told her, if I can hold the wood here and chop it for you, it looks like you ought to be able to tote it inside. Now, my first wife never bothered me by chopping no wood no how. She'd grab that axe and sling chips like a man. You done been sport rotten.
So Janie told him, I'm just as stiff as you is stout. If you can stand not to chop and tote wood, I reckon you can stand not to get no dinner. Excuse my frizzology, Mr. Killicks, but I don't mean to chop the first chip.
Oh, you know I'm going to chop the wood for you. Even if you is stingy as you can be with me. Your grandma and me myself done sport you now, and I reckon I have to keep on with it. One morning soon, he called her out of the kitchen to the barn.
He had the mule all saddled at the gate. Look here a little bit. Help me out some.
Cut up these seed taters for me. I got to go step off a piece. Where you going?
Over to Lake City to see a man about a mule. What you need two mules for? Lesson you aims to swap off this one?
No, I needs two mules this year. Taytors is gonna be Taytors in the fall, bringing big prices. I aims to run two plows. And this man I'm talking about, he's got a mule all gentle up so even a woman can handle him.
Logan held his wad of tobacco real still in his jaw like a thermometer of his feelings while he studied Janie's face and waited for her to say something. So I thought I might as well go see, he tagged on and swallowed to kill time. But Janie said nothing except, I'll cut the potatoes for you.
When you coming back? Don't know exactly. Round dust dock, I reckon.
It's a sort of long trip, especially if I have to lead one on the way back. When Janie had finished indoors, she sat down in the barn with potatoes. But springtime reached her in there, so she moved everything to a place in the yard where she could see the road.
The noon sun filtered through the leaves of the fine oak tree where she sat. and made lacy patterns on the ground she had been there a long time when she heard whistling coming down the road it was a cityfied stylish dressed man with his hat set at an angle that didn't belong in these parts his coat was over his arm but he didn't need it to represent his clothes the shirt with the silk sleeve holders was dazzling enough for the world He whistled, mopped his face, and walked like he knew where he was going. He was a seal brown color, but he acted like Mr. Washburn or somebody like that to Janie.
Where would such a man be coming from? And where was he going? He didn't look her way, nor no other way except straight ahead.
So Janie ran to the pump and jerked the handle hard while she pumped. It made a loud noise and also made her heavy hair fall down. So he stopped and looked hard, and then he asked her for a cool drink of water. Janie pumped it off until she got a good look at the man. He talked friendly while he drank.
Joe Starks was the name. Yeah, Joe Starks from in and through Georgia. Been working for white folks all his life. Saved up some money around $300, yes indeed, right here in his pocket.
Kept hearing about them building a new state down here in Florida and sort of wanted to come. But he was making money where he was. But when he heard all about them making a town all out of colored folks, he knowed that was the place he wanted to be.
He had always wanted to be a big voice. But the white folks had... all to say so where he come from and everywhere else except in this place that colored folks was building their selves that was right too the man that built things or boss it let colored folks build things too if they wants to crow for something.
He was glad he had his money all saved up. He meant to get there whilst the town was yet a baby. He had meant to buy in big.
It had always been his wish and desire to be a big voice, and he had to live nearly 30 years to find a chance. Where was Janie's papa and mama? They dead, I reckon. I wouldn't know about them because my grandma raised me.
She did, too. She did, too? Well, who's looking after a little girl child like you? I'm married. You married?
You ain't hardly old enough to be weaned. I bet you still crave sugar tits, don't you? Yeah, and I make some sucks when the notion strikes me.
Drink sweetening water, too. I love that myself. Never expects to get too old to enjoy syrup sweetening water when it's cool and nice.
Us got plenty syrup in the barn. Ribbon cane syrup, if you so desires. Where your husband at, Miss, uh, um...
My name is Janie Mae Killicks, since I got married. Used to be Janie Mae Crawford. My husband is going to buy a mule for me to plow.
He left... me cutting up seed potatoes. You behind a plow?
You ain't got no more business with a plow than a hog has got with a holiday. You ain't got no business cutting up no seed potatoes neither. A pretty doll baby like you is made to sit on the front porch and rock and fan yourself and eat potatoes that other folks plant just special for you. Janie laughed and drew two quarts of syrup from the barrel and Joe Starks pumped the water bucket full of cool water they sat under the tree and talked he was going on down to the new pot in florida but no harm to stop and chat he later decided he needed a rest anyway it would do him good to rest a week or two every day after that they managed to meet in the scrub oaks across the road and talk about when he would be a big ruler of things with her reaping the benefits.
Janie pulled back a long time because he did not represent sunup and pollen and blooming trees. But he spoke for far horizon. He spoke for change and chance.
Still, she hung back. The memory of Nanny was still powerful and strong. Janie, if you think I aims to toll you off and make a dog out of you, you's wrong.
I wants to make a wife out of you. You mean that, Joe? The day you put your hand in mine, I wouldn't let the sun go down on a single.
I'm a man with principles. You ain't never known what it was to be treated like a lady, and I wants to be the one to show you. Call me Jody, like you do sometimes.
Jody. She smiles up at him. But supposin'leave disposin'and everything else to me.
I'll be down this road a little after sunup tomorrow morning to wait for you. You come go with me. Then all the rest of your natural life you can live like you oughta.
Kiss me and shake your head. When you do that, your plentiful hair breaks like day. Janie debated the matter that night in bed.
Logan, you sleep? If I was, you'd be done woke me up calling me. I was thinking real hard about us, about you and me.
It's about time. You's powerful independent around here sometime, considering. Considering what, Vincent?
Considering you was born in a carriage, out no top to it. And your mama and you been born and raised in the white folks'backyard. You didn't say all that when you was begging Nanny for me to marry you.
I thought you would appreciate good treatment. Thought I'd take and make something out of you. You think you's white folks by the way you act. Supposing I was to run off and leave you sometime?
There, Janie had put words in his held-in fears. She might run off sure enough. The thought put a terrible ache in Logan's body, but he thought it best to put on scorn.
I'm getting sleepy, Jenny. Don't talk no more. There ain't too many men who would trust you knowing your folks like they do.
Well, I might take and find somebody that did trust me and leave you. Shucks. There ain't no more fools like me.
A whole lot of men will grin in your face, but they ain't going to work and feed you. You won't get far and you won't be long. When that big gut reach over and grab that little one, you'll be too glad to come back here. You don't take nothing to account but sour belly and cornbread. I'll be sleeping.
I don't need to worry my gut into a fiddle string with no spoising. He flopped over, resentful in his agony, and pretended sleep. He hoped that he had hurt her as she had hurt him. Janie got up with him the next morning and had the breakfast halfway done when he bellowed from the barn. Janie!
Logan called harshly. Come help me move this manure pile before the sun gets hot. You don't take a bit of interest in this place. Take no use in fooling around in that kitchen all day long. Janie walked to the door.
with a pan in her hand, still stirring the cornmeal dough, and looked towards the barn. The sun from ambush was threatening the world with red daggers, but the shadows were gray and solid-looking around the barn. Logan, with his shovel, looked like a black bear doing some clumsy dance on his hind legs.
You don't need my help out there, Logan. You's in your place and I'm in mine. You ain't got no particular place. It's wherever I need you.
Get a move on, you're in debt quick. My mama didn't tell me I was born in no hurry. So what business I got rushing now? Anyhow, that ain't what you's mad about. You's mad because I don't fall down and wash up these 60 acres of ground you got.
You ain't done me no favor by marrying me, and if that's what you call yourself doing, I don't thank you for it. You's mad, cause I'm telling you what you already knowed. Logan dropped his shovel and made two or three clumsy steps toward the house, then stopped abruptly.
Don't you change too many words with me this morning, Janie. Do I'll take and change ends with you. Here, here I just as good as take you out of the white folks'kitchen and set you down on your royal diastole and you take and low-rate me. I'll take hold of dat axe and come in and kill you.
You better drop in there! I'm too honest and hardworking for anybody in your family! That's the reason you don't want me!
The last sentence was half a sob and half a cry. I guess some low-lifed nigger is grinning in your face and lying to you. God damn you!
Janie turned from the door without answering and stood still in the middle of the floor without knowing it. She turned wrong side out, just standing there and feeling. When the throbbing calmed a little, she gave Logan's speech a hard thought and placed it beside other things she had seen and heard. When she had finished with that, she dumped the dough on the skillet and smoothed it over with her hand. She wasn't even angry.
Logan was accusing her of her mama, her grandmama, and her feelings, and she couldn't do a thing about any of it. the sow-belly in the pan needed turning she flipped it over and shoved it back a little cold water in the coffee-pot to settle it turned the whole cake with a plate and then made a little laugh what was she losing so much time for a feeling of sudden newness and change came over her janey hurried out of the front gate and turned south even if joe was not there waiting for her the change was bound to do her good The morning road air was like a new dress that made her feel the apron tied around her waist. She untied it and flung it on a low bush beside the road and walked on, picking flowers and making a bouquet.
After that, she came to where Joe Starks was waiting for her with a hired rig. He was very solemn and helped her to the seat beside him. With him on it. It sat like some high ruling chair. From now on until death, she was going to have flower dust and springtime sprinkled over everything.
A bee for her bloom. Her old thoughts were going to come in handy now, but new words would have to be made and said to fit them. Green Cove Springs, he told the driver. So they were married there before sundown, just like Joe had said, with new clothes of silk and wool. They sat on the boarding house porch and saw the sun plunge into the same crack in the earth from which the night emerged.