The Book of Night Women by Marlon James

Author:Marlon James
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Penguin Group USA, Inc.

She throw down the book, for no man she ever hear of would refuse a woman of such fairness who so want a man to be a man. Not even a preacher or a magistrate. Certainly not no Massa Roget or Wilson or Quinn. Or the yellow sour-hair man who appear only in dream and make her pussy feel clammy. She throw down the book for she stop believing in Joseph. She don’t want to. Man did become a thing to Lilith, a black thing, and here come a man who didn’t even breathe to grey her up.

One night in reading when her mind was perplexing something awful over the word heterodox that Barnaby just say to Mr. Adams, she hear the stairs creak and jump. She shove the book under her dress. But it was Massa Henri asking for milk. She reach for a pitcher of milk that boil that evening and pour some in a glass for the boy. As she hand him the glass the book drop to the ground. She look at the book and at Massa Henri. Lilith couldn’t read him face.

—You just had a book baby! That was a lark, indeed it was! Quite like when Ivory, my horse, had a horse baby!

—Shhh, Massa Henri. You mother would have a fright if she know you up and about.

—Does it have pictures of horses and rainbows?

—No, Massa Henri.

—Oh. That’s dreadful. Is it a nigger book?

—Shhh, Massa Henri. You mustn’ tell nobody.

—’Tis a secret? I love a secret.

—Is the secretest secret. If the mistress hear, she goin’ wring you ears again. You not goin’ like that, I should think.

—No.

—So be a good little boy.

—I’m not little!

—Shhh. Be a good big boy. Off with you.

—I should very much like a piece of cake, I think.

Lilith look at the boy. He not smiling or angry, he just look at her straight. She try to find the massa in him, but see the Miss Isobel. They let him hair grown down to him shoulder now. She cut him a slice of pound cake and he run back upstairs.

Lilith come to realise that Miss Isobel lie. Massa Humphrey don’t ask for nobody hand in marriage yet. Lilith know this because she know the white man way be for the man to ask the father to hand over the daughter and Mistress Roget not be screaming in joy yet. But things was smelling of something else. Lilith not sure what until one day when Homer pay a visit. Homer come by carriage with Francine ’cause Mistress Roget poor nerves aggravate again. Homer come through the kitchen door, dress head to toe in navy blue, a frock and a blue bonnet from long ago when Massa Humphrey mother was young belle. As Homer step into the kitchen, Lilith rush to her. Then she stop. She open her arm to hug, but feel that might be too much. She reach out the hand to shake, but feel that too little. Come here, chile, Homer say and grab her up like a baby cat.

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