Mine by Katie Crawford

Author:Katie Crawford [Crawford, Katie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Deeds Publishing
Published: 2016-03-24T05:00:00+00:00

Maggie could see Janie’s silhouette in the library window from outside. William held her hand, gently leading her around the yard, pointing out his climbing tree as a boy, the moon flowers that opened up at night, the tiny theater, darkened now, where his mother cast him in countless plays until he got old enough to say no. Maggie was silent. Finally, she couldn’t hold back anymore.

“Why didn’t you tell me about Sarah? You never told me anything about her.”

William’s face froze.

“It’s just that—I didn’t know how to explain, I wasn’t sure if...”

“If what?”

“You see... Sarah started out as my mother’s maid, but she isn’t her maid anymore. They’ve been through a lot together. It’s hard to explain. She is like another mother to me. She has always been like another mother to me. This is her home—as much as it’s mine.”

Maggie cut him off, “But you never said anything about her? Anything at all?”

William blushed, anxiously searching for an answer, “I—I didn’t know if you would understand and so I thought I would wait—I would wait for you to meet her so you could see... I was worried that...”

“You were worried about how I would feel about a black woman living in your house who was like a mother to you? Wouldn’t that have been important for you to know before you brought me here? Before you asked me to marry you? Before you asked me to come and live here? How I felt about something like that? Wouldn’t that matter?”

William stumbled over his words, desperate to make things right, “I just thought I would wait... I knew that…”

Maggie cut him off, “You didn’t know. You were worried about how your new wife from coal country would feel. Not a lot of black people up there, right? I can tell you now I feel fine. You didn’t need to worry. I only feel sad that you didn’t tell me, ever, about someone this important to you.”

“I’m sorry. You’re right…”

Maggie looked away, “I guess we don’t know each other all that well after all.”

William’s face fell, stricken. He reached for her hand, “We know enough, Maggie. We do. I know we do,” he answered pleadingly.

Maggie said nothing.

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