Raven 1 by D M Barrett

Author:D M Barrett [Barrett, D M]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780578496368
Publisher: Amazon Printing
Published: 2019-04-15T22:00:00+00:00

* * *

When the trio arrived back at Community Church, Lee Bell suggested that they sit on the large front porch steps and talk. The preacher agreed.

“Preacher, we still have two problems that’s gonna be hard to solve,” Lee Bell explained.

“What are the two remaining problems that you don’t think the Lord can solve, Brother Bell?” the preacher asked.

“Now I ain’t bettin’ against the Lord, you see. But, we gotta find me some work, and we have to find a place to stay,” Lee Bell explained.

“One problem is solved. You two will stay here at the church until we find you a permanent place. Tomorrow, we’ll be making our rounds finding you some permanent work,” the preacher explained.

“We may be blessed enough to find some work in this community. But finding a house for coloreds will be much harder. If you think getting a welcome seat at the Bluebird was hard, wait till you try to get a rent house for us,” Lee Bell said.

“Why is that going to be so difficult?” the preacher asked.

“White folks don’t want to eat around black folks. But white folks won’t live in a house that’s been lived in by coloreds,” Lee Bell explained.

“Do the fools think that being black is akin to having leprosy?” the preacher asked indignantly.

“You ain’t right, preacher. You just ain’t right,” Ruth Bell said with a chuckle.

“Why do you say that Sister Bell?” the preacher asked.

“You’re prone to think like a black man in a white man’s body,” she responded.

“I’m here to tell you, pastor, that’s dangerous in the south during this depression,” Lee Bell said seriously.

“Let me show you our facilities around back and then I’ll give you the grand tour of this old meetinghouse,” the preacher suggested.

After a tour of the church grounds that included the two outhouses, root cellar, and the outdoor shower, Lee Bell asked if he could use the shower. The preacher nodded. Ruth Bell told the pair that she would wait for them in the church auditorium.

Lee Bell drew two five-gallon buckets of water from the hand dug well. He carried them to the back porch and removed his tattered shirt and overalls. He poured the first bucket in the shower bucket and the water started hitting his head and shoulders.

“There’s soap on the shelf. I’ll tell your wife to get you a towel from my chifforobe,” the preacher said.

“Ruth ain’t my wife preacher. I used to have a wife about ten years ago, but she died. Ruth is my sister,” Lee Bell explained.

“If you don’t mind me asking, what happened to her?” the preacher inquired.

“She died from tuberculosis. Ruth never married,” Lee Bell said.

“I’m noticing horizontal scars on your back. How did you get those?” the preacher asked.

“When we were little, we lived on Mr. Dawes Smith’s farm with our parents. One day Mr. Smith caught me and Ruth stealing a watermelon from the patch. He made us strip naked and beat us with a black snake whip. It's like one you whip cattle and horses with.

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