A Long Day in November (6 page)

When me and Daddy get to Reverend Simmons's house, we go up on the gallery and Daddy knocks on the door. Mrs. Carey comes to the door to see what we want.

“Mrs. Carey, is the Reverend in?” Daddy asks.

“Yes,” Mrs. Carey says. “Come on in.”

Me and Daddy go inside and I see Reverend Simmons sitting at the fireplace. Reverend Simmons got on his eyeglasses and he's reading the Bible. He turns and looks at us when we come in. He takes off his glasses like he can't see us too good with them on, and he looks at us again. Mrs. Carey goes back in the kitchen, and me and Daddy go over to the fireplace. “Good evening, Reverend,” Daddy says.

“Good evening,” Reverend Simmons says. “Hi, Sonny.”

“Hi,” I say.

“Reverend, I hate busting in on you like this, but I need your help,” Daddy says. “Reverend, Amy done left me and her mama got her down at her house with another man and—”

“Now, calm down a second,” Reverend Simmons says. He looks toward the kitchen. “Carey, bring Mr. Howard and Sonny a chair.”

Mrs. Carey brings the chairs and goes right on back in the kitchen again. Daddy turns his chair so he can be facing Reverend Simmons.

“I come in pretty late last night 'cause my car broke down on me and I had to walk all the way—from the other side of Morgan up there,” Daddy says. “When I get home, me and Amy get in a little squabble. This morning we squabble again, but I don't think too much of it. You know a man and a woman go'n have their little squabbles every
once in a while. I go to work in the field. Work like a dog. Cutting cane right and left—trying to make up lost time I spent at the house this morning. When I come home for dinner—hungry's a dog—my wife, neither my boy, is there. No dinner—and I'm hungry's a dog. I go in the front room and all their clothes gone. Lord, I almost go crazy. I don't know what to do. I run out the house because I think she still mad at me and done gone down to her mama. I go down there and ask for her, and first thing I know here come Mama Rachel shooting at me with Uncle Al's shotgun.”

“I can't believe that,” Reverend Simmons says.

“If I'm telling a lie, I hope to never rise from this chair,” Daddy says. “And I reckon she would've got me if I wasn't moving fast.”

“That don't sound like Sister Rachel,” Reverend Simmons says.

“Sound like her or don't sound like her, she did it,” Daddy says. “Sonny right over there. He seen every bit of it. Ask him.”

Reverend Simmons looks at me, but he don't ask me nothing. He just clicks his tongue and shakes his head.

“That don't sound like Sister Rachel,” he says. “But if you say that's what she did, I'll go down there and talk to her.”

“And that ain't all,” Daddy says.

Reverend Simmons waits for Daddy to go on.

“She got Freddie Jackson in there with Amy, too,” Daddy says.

Reverend Simmons looks at me and Daddy, then he goes over and gets his coat and hat from against the wall. Reverend Simmons's coat is long and black. His hat is big like a cowboy's hat.

“I'll be down the quarter, Carey,” he tells Mrs. Simmons. “Be back quick as I can.”

We go out of the house and Daddy holds my hand. Me and him and Reverend Simmons go out in the road and head on back down the quarter.

“Reverend Simmons, I want my wife back,” Daddy says. “A man can't live by himself in this world. It too cold and cruel.”

Reverend Simmons don't say nothing to Daddy. He starts humming a little song to himself. Reverend Simmons is big and he can walk fast. He takes big old long steps and me and Daddy got to walk fast to keep up with him. I got to run because Daddy's got my hand.

We get to Gran'mon's house and Reverend Simmons pushes the gate open and goes in the yard.

“Me and Sonny'll stay out here,” Daddy says.

“I'm cold, Daddy,” I say.

“I'll build a fire,” Daddy says. “You want me build me and you a little fire?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Help me get some sticks, then,” Daddy says.

Me and Daddy get some grass and weeds and Daddy finds a big chunk of dry wood. We pile it all up and Daddy gets a match out his pocket and lights the fire.

“Feel better?” he says.

“Uh-huh.”

“How come you not in school this evening?” Daddy asks.

“I wee-weed on myself,” I say.

I tell Daddy because I know Daddy ain't go'n whip me.

“You peed on yourself at school?” Daddy asks. “Sonny, I thought you was a big boy. That's something little babies do.”

“Miss Hebert want see you and Mama,” I say.

“I don't have time to see nobody now,” Daddy says. “I got my own troubles. I just hope that preacher in there can do something.”

I look up at Daddy, but he's looking down in the fire.

“Sonny?” I hear Mama calling me.

I turn and I see Mama and all of them standing out there on the gallery.

“Hanh?” I answer.

“Come in here before you catch a death of cold,” Mama says.

Daddy goes to the fence and looks across the pickets at Mama.

“Amy,” he says, “please come home. I swear I ain't go'n do it no more.”

“Sonny, you hear me talking to you?” Mama calls.

“I ain't go'n catch cold,” I say. “We got a fire. I'm warm.”

“Amy, please come home,” Daddy says. “Please, honey. I forgive you. I forgive Mama. I forgive everybody. Just come home.”

I look at Mama and Reverend Simmons talking on the gallery. The others ain't talking; they just standing there looking out in the road at me and Daddy. Reverend Simmons comes out the yard and over to the fire. Daddy comes to the fire where me and Reverend Simmons is. He looks at Reverend Simmons but Reverend Simmons won't look back at him.

“Well, Reverend?” Daddy says.

“She say she tired of you and that car,” Reverend Simmons says.

Daddy falls down on the ground and cries.

“A man just can't live by himself in this cold, cruel world,” he says. “He got to have a woman to stand by him. He just can't make it by himself. God, help me.”

“Be strong, man,” Reverend Simmons says.

“I can't be strong with my wife in there and me out here,” Daddy says. “I need my wife.”

“Well, you go'n have to straighten that out the best way you can,” Reverend Simmons says. “And I talked to Sister Rachel. She said she didn't shoot to hurt you. She just shot to kind of scare you away.”

“She didn't shoot to hurt me?” Daddy says. “And I reckon them things was jelly beans I heard zooming three
inches over my head?”

“She said she didn't shoot to hurt you,” Reverend Simmons says. He holds his hands over the fire. “This fire's good, but I got to get back up the quarter. Got to get my wood for tonight. I'll see you people later. And I hope everything comes out all right.”

“Reverend, you sure you can't do nothing?” Daddy asks.

“I tried, son,” Reverend Simmons says. “Now we'll leave it in God's hand.”

“But I want my wife back now,” Daddy says. “God take so long to—”

“Mr. Howard, that's blasphemous,” Reverend Simmons says.

“I don't want blaspheme Him,” Daddy says. “But I'm in a mess. I'm in a big mess. I want my wife.”

“I'd suggest you kneel down sometime,” Reverend Simmons says. “That always helps in a family.”

Reverend Simmons looks at me like he's feeling sorry for me, then he goes on back up the quarter. I can see his coattail hitting him round the knees.

“You coming in this yard, Sonny?” Mama calls.

“I'm with Daddy,” I say.

Mama goes back in the house, and Gran'mon and them follow her.

“When you want one of them preachers to do something for you, they can't do a doggone thing,” Daddy says. “Nothing but stand up in that church-house and
preach 'bout Heaven. I hate to go to that old hoo-doo woman, but I reckon there ain't nothing else I can do. You want go back there with me, Sonny?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Come on,” Daddy says.

Daddy takes my hand and me and him leave the fire. When I get 'way down the quarter, I look back and see the fire still burning. We cross the railroad tracks and I can see the people cutting cane. They got plenty cane all on the ground.

“Get me piece of cane, Daddy,” I say.

“Sonny, please,” Daddy says. “I'm thinking.”

“I want piece of two-ninety,” I say.

Daddy turns my hand loose and jumps over the ditch. He finds a piece of two-ninety and jumps back over. Daddy takes out a little pocketknife and peels the cane. He gives me a round and he cut him off a round and chew it. I like two-ninety cane because it's soft and sweet and got plenty juice in it.

“I want another piece,” I say.

Daddy cuts off another round and hands it to me.

“I'll be glad when you big enough to peel your own cane,” he says.

“I can peel my own cane now,” I say.

Daddy breaks off three joints and hands it to me.

I peel the cane with my teeth. Two-ninety cane is soft and it's easy to peel.

Me and Daddy go round the bend, and then I can see
Madame Toussaint's house. Madame Toussaint's got a' old house, and look like it want to fall down any minute. I'm scared of Madame Toussaint. Billy Joe Martin say Madame Toussaint's a witch, and he say one time he seen Madame Toussaint riding a broom.

Daddy pulls Madame Toussaint's little old broken-down gate open and we go in the yard. Me and Daddy go far as the steps, but we don't go up on the gallery. Madame Toussaint's got plenty trees round her house, little trees and big trees. And she got plenty moss hanging on every tree. I see a pecan over there on the ground but I'm scared to go and pick it up. Madame Toussaint'll put a bad mark on me and I'll turn to a frog or something. I let Madame Toussaint's little old pecan stay right where it is. And I go up to Daddy and let him hold my hand.

“Madame Toussaint?” Daddy calls.

Madame Toussaint don't answer. Like she ain't there. “Madame Toussaint?” Daddy calls again.

“Who that?” Madame Toussaint answers.

“Me,” Daddy says. “Eddie Howard and his little boy, Sonny.”

“What you want, Eddie Howard?” Madame Toussaint calls from in her house.

“I want talk to you,” Daddy says. “I need little advice on something.”

I hear a dog bark three times in the house. He must be a big old dog because he's sure got a heavy voice. Madame
Toussaint comes to the door and cracks it open.

“Can I come in?” Daddy says.

“Come in, Eddie Howard,” Madame Toussaint says.

Me and Daddy go up the steps and Madame Toussaint opens the door for us. Madame Toussaint's a little bitty little old woman and her face is brown like cowhide. I look at Madame Toussaint and I walk close 'side Daddy. Me and Daddy go in the house and Madame Toussaint shuts the door and comes back to her fireplace. She sits down in her big old rocking chair and looks at me and Daddy. I look round Daddy's leg at Madame Toussaint, but I let Daddy hold my hand. Madame Toussaint's house don't smell good. It's too dark in here. It don't smell good at all. Madame Toussaint ought to have a window or something open in her house.

“I need some advice, Madame Toussaint,” Daddy says.

“Your wife left you,” Madame Toussaint says.

“How you know?” Daddy asks.

“That's all you men come back here for,” Madame Toussaint says. “That's how I know.”

Daddy nods his head. “Yes,” he says. “She done left me and staying with another man.”

“She left,” Madame Toussaint says. “But she's not staying with another man.”

“Yes, she is,” Daddy says.

“She's not,” Madame Toussaint says. “You trying to tell me my business?”

“No, ma'am,” Daddy says.

“I should hope not,” Madame Toussaint says. Madame Toussaint ain't got but three old rotten teeth in her mouth. I bet you she can't peel no cane with them old rotten teeth. I bet you they'd break off in a hard piece of cane.

“I need advice, Madame Toussaint,” Daddy says.

“You got money?” Madame Toussaint asks.

“I got some,” Daddy says.

“How much?” she asks Daddy. She's looking up at Daddy like she don't believe him.

Daddy turns my hand loose and sticks his hand down in his pocket. He gets all his money out his pocket and leans over the fire to see how much he's got. I see some matches and piece of string and some nails in Daddy's hand. I reach for the piece of string and Daddy taps me on the hand with his other hand.