Grace Read Online Free PDF Page A

girl,” and there’s a shuffle. Their back and forth turns the shadow show on Momma’s face into movement, the three shadow lines down her face, a dance. The shortest line in the middle is Hazel. The two shadow lines come together on her face making Momma’s skin gray. She don’t blink, though. She come alive.
    At once, she burst through the door. “Choose me!” she yell to Massa. “What chu want me to do? I do it.”
    â€œIt’s too late, Letti,” Massa say.
    â€œI’ll give you a boy this time! I’ll be good. I could do it this time. God gon’ bless me wit a boy. Please!” She throws herself down and wraps her arms around Massa’s leg, hugging him like she loves him. He kicks her off.
    â€œMomma!” I yell, stumbling in the room.
    â€œNo!” Hazel say.
    â€œHot damn!” Massa say, scared or surprised. I don’t know which. He tilts his head from side to side trying to place me. Then finally, “I knew it! You look just like that bastard. I should’ve killed him when I had my chance, thieving from me.”
    Massa comes close to me, leans into me. His swollen nose is laced with thin red veins, like he walked into a bloodied cobweb.
    â€œI’m ready,” Hazel say. “Massa . . . I’m ready.”
    He touches my cheek with his damp yellow fingers. “Where have they had you hidin, darlin?”
    â€œLeave ’er lone!” Hazel say.
    â€œDon’t worry,” Massa say, grinning. “I won’t bite.”
    I hold still, hear the buzz of that strange silence again. Broken now by footsteps trotting up our porch outside. A knock at our door follows. This time, quick and eager. I know that knock.
    Nobody moves.
    â€œGet it,” Massa tell Hazel.
    She don’t go.
    â€œGirl!” he say.
    When she get to the door, she opens it slow. James is there with a handful of freshly picked wild flowers. His smile is like the sun on ’em, but when he sees her, his face dims. “You all right, Hazel?”
    From where I stood behind her, I could see a tear fall from her chin to her chest. She shakes her head slowly trying to make it so Massa cain’t see. James takes a step back down the porch.
    â€œDon’t leave the boy waitin,” Massa say, pushing the door open all the way. He puts his arm around Hazel. “Take the flowers, girl.”
    Hazel’s slow to. But she do.
    â€œWhere’s my manners? Come on in, boy.”
    James obey. He’s with us now.
    His head’s hung low as he walks through our door, searching the room with his eyes. He stops across from us, alone and small-looking.
    â€œSo what brings you my way on a beautiful evening like tonight?” Massa say. “Oh . . . the flowers. That’s real nice.”
    James bows his head meekly and folds his hands in front of him so he ain’t a threat. His Sunday shirt hangs past his knuckles. James say, “We was gon’ ask permission, suh.”
    â€œYou was gon’ ask permission?”
    â€œYes’sa. Got permission from Massa Lewis and . . .”
    â€œI look like Massa Lewis?”
    â€œNaw, suh,” James say. “If you just have a word wit Massa Lewis, suh.”
    Massa relights his cigar, puffs it slow, patting the top and bottom of it with both lips. He say, “Seems to me I got a fox in my henhouse, Boss. A fox messin ’round with what’s mine. What I clothe, feed, and provide shelter. Screwin ’em before me. What you think about that, Boss?”
    Boss shakes his head. “Very disrespectful, suh.”
    â€œHow you punish somethin like that?”
    Boss lifts his shoulders. “Don’t know.”
    Massa pulls his cigar out of his lips slow but makes a quick jerk of his hand. Before I know where it went, the wall explodes a hole of blossoming splinters. Shards of wood fly in my face and prick the front of my neck and chest. The sound crashes in my ears. I