The Polished Hoe Read Online Free PDF Page B

see me wearing all the time. My father watch .’
    “Mr. Bellfeels say that most Plantation-people want to carry their riches with them, to the grave. And they live just like that. Isn’t that something?
    “Poor people, on the other hand, leave-back their poorness for their offsprings to inherit. And their miseries. That is something!
    “Well, that is the story about my wishbone. I lived with it, like I was a Catholic. And it lived with me, too. Carrying it all that time, from the age of eight, and for fifteen to twenty years, made it turn it into an ornament.
    “But I need to get back to my Statement. I am sorry. I am sure that Sargeant did not send you here to listen to me wandering-off about wishbones and obsessions. You are here about the matter in question, and my preliminary Statement.”
    “But I enjoying listening to you talk about the history of the Island,” the Constable says. “To-besides, we need to know the whole background to a person, for a Statement to be a statement worth its salt. Sargeant is coming. Sargeant pick me to proceed him, because he didn’t want to come himself and upset you, by being the first to open the ’vestigation, and have to axe you questions that he have to axe you, because of his position. Sargeant say he can’t cross the threshold of this Great House, just so, and precede to axe you questions. Sargeant tell me to tell you to-don’t get worried. He not digging too deep into your business, as he and the majority o’ Flagstaff people know the history of the Plantation. As aforemention, ma’am, Sargeant tell me to tell you so. Your son the doctor looks after Sargeant. We all know that. Been looking after Sargeant for years now, ma’am; and never-once charge Sargeant a copper-penny, for consultations, medicine, tablets nor proscriptions. Sargeant, as you know, have the pressure. High blood pressure. And your son is who save his life, by looking after Sargeant. Sargeant have the nerves, too. Tension and stresses from the job. We know how important you and your son is to the people of this Village. Sargeant say to tell you that he send his respects, under the circumstances.”
    “Under the circumstances.”
    “What is the real circumstances, though, ma’am? I have to put this in my report.”
    “Do you always drink milk when you are vestigating and taking Statements?”
    “No, ma’am. I doesn’t drink milk at all, but in your presence I would drink it.”
    “But you still like it.”
    “Suppose so. But I didn’t get enough when I was small.”
    “Just milk?”
    “Ulcers, too, ma’am. Occasionally, I takes something strong. Like at a wedding, or when Sargeant invite me at him, to hear the new piano that his daughter send-down from Amurca, two Christmases ago. From Brooklyn, I think, is where she lives.”
    “You play yourself?”
    “Just a few chords. Tinklelling the ivories.”
    “Look at this Steinway. This Steinway is a gift, twenty-five years ago, when Wilberforce was five. Mr. Bellfeels wanted his son to have the same things in this Great House as his two daughters, Miss Euralie and Miss Emonie, had when they were growing up in the Plantation Main House.
    “Wilberforce got the same as them.
    “Gifts! Gifts is funny things, Constable. They could tie you to a person. And then you can’t untie yourself, nor extricate your independence from that person. The knot round your neck is too tight. Gifts are unhealthy; but there are gifts. So, sometimes, you have to accept them with a smile, and a skin-teet, meaning you are far from sincere.
    “There were always gifts, expensive gifts that really could not buy-me-off, even with the generousness buried inside the gifts themselves. Gifts were not enough.
    “That old Steinway there, been standing like a dumb person, with no power of words. Mr. Steinway’s tongue cut out. Ten-fifteen years, now.
    “Wilberforce learned to play on it. And Miss Grimes smacked Wilberforce knuckles three evenings a week, learning his