The Book of Night Women Read Online Free PDF

woman act like nothing above her. Lilith touch her breast and feel how they smooth. Homer washing. Then both woman hear another woman singing and the voice getting louder. Homer jump. She pull up her blouse but it stubborn. She pull and pull and cuss and look out and cuss again. Lilith think to help her but stay. The frock stubborn over her wet skin. The singing getting louder. Homer manage to pull up the frock halfway and Lilith see a look that she would never expect from Homer face. She wasn’t doing no hissing, she was sniffing and huffing like she frighten. She manage to slip in her sleeve and was pulling up the bosom when another woman, one of them who did help clean up the Johnny-jumper mess enter.
    —Woman you too old to be playing with you titty.
    —Older than even that, Pallas, older than even that, Homer say. —Tell that green-eyed gal to come upstairs.
    Lilith step back. She try to step back quick but don’t want nobody to hear the step creak. But Pallas didn’t open the door, she only shout, Come upstairs, green-eyed gal.
    —Lilith, this one name Pallas, Homer say when Lilith step into the kitchen. The other woman nod.
    —What we goin’ do ’bout her? Pallas say. She tall as Homer but round, and not so far gone in age. Her hair plait in two at the side and run all they way past her breast. Her white apron hide her purple dress that look washed out.
    —Devil if I know. Johnny-jumper out there and you know how them be. Them just starting they foolishness.
    —Maybe we should turn her over and make God do the rest.
    Lilith look up. Pallas’ eyes was waiting on her.
    —No.
    —What goin’ happen when Massa Jack hear?
    —I don’t know.
    —You supposed to know, Homer.
    —I don’t know! Lilith, sit down and eat, Homer say.—She can work here.
    —What you goin’ tell the others?
    —Others? Since when me answer to no nigger round here? Me bring in new gal to do the work. That’s all any soul need to know.
    —She not new. Everybody know you not sending down food to feed rat. Most reckon is she the jumper after. You goin’ have to tell him. He alone can sort this out. You have to tell him, Homer, Pallas say.
    —He goin’ know soon enough, Homer say.
    —But if he is the last to know, you goin’ be the one that feel it. Is not everybody ’fraid to touch you, Pallas say.
    Lilith eating dasheen and pork. She look at the two womens talking and feel like is some other Lilith they speaking about. Neither talking to her. Circe used to do the same thing. Lilith wonder where the other slaves be. Mayhaps is Sunday, she think, and everybody gone to Sunday market.
    —Anyway, things me have to say can wait till tonight, Pallas say and leave. Lilith and Homer in the kitchen, one eating and one drinking soup, neither saying nothing.
     
     
    Most night as Lilith fall asleep, she fly up awake in fear that the Johnny-jumpers already in the cellar and ready to kill her. Is a week since and right in that instant between dreaming and waking she hear a whisper calling her the wickedest woman. A voice that trail off into the quiet. Paris didn’t beat her or try to kill her and he not even try to have him way with her, according to how the womens describe it. Maybe she could have run ’way. Maybe she be the one that evil. Something in the darkness smell new but known. Lilith looking for him in the dark, coming for her with no head on him shoulder. The door seem so far away at night. Lilith begin to wonder if field labour was so bad or if she did just make the Johnny-jumper do as he please then a new day would come after the old one and she would forget. Now she goin’ pay ’cause her life gone down a new trail and she can never get back to the old one. Lilith start to wonder if this new trail any worse than the old one. If a empty room better than a room with a woman who hate her, a man who mad.
    The next afternoon, Homer give her a lamp and the task to swab the floor and sort out the shelves. They leave the door