Trouble's Child by Mildred Pitts Walter

Author:Mildred Pitts Walter
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781504027892
Publisher: Open Road Media Teen & Tween

TEN

“You hurry back heah and don’t come sayin you weary, yuh hear me?” Titay called as Martha rushed out of the house. She went along the path that led to the school.

“Hey, cha,” Ocie called. “Yuh goin like a house afiah. Ain’t got no time fuh yo friends no mo, ahn?”

“Hey, please don’t say that, Ocie.” Martha was surprised that Ocie would even speak to her after the scene at the commissary.

“Ain’t it true? I sho don’t see yuh. Always uner the teacher. I got some news, but go on. Our way ain’t good nuff fuh yuh.”

Stung by Ocie’s tone, Martha felt trapped between the women and Miss Boudreaux. Between the old way and the new. But she must hurry. She would be late and Miss Boudreaux would probably chide her again.

If only she could go away to school and have the time she needed for her studies. It was all finally coming together for her. Lessons with Miss Boudreaux and what she was learning from Titay were clearly related. Words she wrote in her composition book were like the words Hal spoke. What if she spoke like that?

She wished that Ocie was still a friend. Then she would have someone to tell that the teacher was always surprised at how well she did algebra; how much fun she had seeing things in her science book that she knew already; and that the things about the earth, water, light and animals that she did not know, she found exciting to learn.

She wished her teacher could understand why it was so difficult for her to talk words that she wrote. What would the women think if she went around saying: I do not … he does … she is … you are? That I’m crazy, she thought. Then she remembered Ocie words:… got no time fuh yo friends no mo … you always thought you better’n us. She knew she would never talk book talk in front of those women, no matter what Miss Boudreaux said.

Miss Boudreaux was waiting. Martha tried to appear calm as if she were not late, but her hands perspired and her stomach churned. She gave Miss Boudreaux her algebra assignment first.

“You did all these?”

“Yessum. They come easy, teacher.” She breathed a sigh of relief. She was not considered late.

Miss Boudreaux kept her longer than Martha had hoped, insisting upon language drill. Martha resisted learning something that she would never use. She thought it was a waste of time.

As she prepared to leave her teacher she was filled with mixed emotions. Part of her wanted to give in to the way of the island and part of her wanted to give in and talk and act like Miss Boudreaux.

She gathered her books and papers and took leave, feeling the teacher’s kind but questioning eyes upon her back.

Miss Boudreaux called to her. “Martha, I believed you when you said you wanted to finish high school. I think you can. You’ll soon be in the tenth grade.”

A smile spread over Martha’s face.

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