Free Flight of Fancy: Cora's Daughters by Mercedes Keyes Page B

you.”
    “Don’ know why – go fin’yo’self a pretty white woman – one of’em out there take you. You ain’t that bad on the eyes.”
    He only smiled more, intently watching her, absorbing every detail of her features. For that moment, she was doing the same.
    He had a different shade of hair than most she’d seen, it was a dark color with red and russet shining from it, especially when the sun hit it. His eyes were green, kind of like hers but more true a green. His features were strong, the way a man’s should be, with a healthy mouth and nice lips, not too full, but not skinny either. His neck was thick, his shoulders broad and wide – his body solid, big and strong – his hands were the same. Asiza shook her head at what she saw as a man before her, and any idea of believing in him. She knew that he watched her look him over – and felt no reason to pretend she wasn’t looking.
    Pulling her eyes from him and back to the tick mattress, she asked, “How come… you don’… try an’… well, hurt me – like them others wanna hurt me?” She glanced up just a moment and then back to the mattress again.
    “I told you, I’m not like them other men. We not all alike – just like, not all of you are alike. They choose to be who they are and I choose to be who I am.” He paused, gazing at her, as if her presence cast a spell over him, “I’m a strong, healthy man. I’ah never do you wrong.
     

All this time now, you have to know, that I want you – you know that don’t you?”
    She thought about his words a moment and asked, “They pay you t’come afta’ me - don’ you want yo’money?”
    “Just like you could’ah kill me – many a time, I could’ah kill you and got my money. But that money is not what I want.”
    She glanced up, “That don’ make no sense, you ain’ makin’ no sense. All yah’ll want is money – gol’ – all you like that.”
    “No Asiza, that just ain’t so.”
    They stared at each other for a while before she sighed out loud, “I think you wanna didle me firs’ – then you take me, get yo’ money.”
    He only smiled, fighting not to laugh again at her words for what a man does to a woman. “Look at me Asiza…” He instructed as she'd glanced away, but now he had her full attention, “… I could have done that already, if that’s all I want. What you think?”
    She shrugged at a loss for words, looking away once more.
    “You free right now – what you plannin’ to do with yourself? Do with the rest of your life? Don’t you wanna be with somebody? Don’t you want a man to take care of you, love you?”
    She shook her head, unable to look at him.
    “I don't believe that. God make a good woman with intentions of her being loved by a good man. You that woman, I'm that man.”
    “How I'm suppose t'know that?”
    Broc smiled, “You knowin’ already Asiza – you knowin’ already.”
    “All I know is what yo'kind wanna do t'me. Do t'more like me. I'on want no man, treatin' me like that. Sides, even if I did want me a man, won't work.”
    “Why not?”
    With hooded eyes, she slowly looked up at him once more, “I ain’ meant t’live long – woman like me, meant t’die. They gone catch me, they gone kill me. You bes' take me in, o'somebody else do, an’ get yo’ money.”
    He sighed, “Asiza, I'm not taking you in. Long as I live, nobody else will be either.”
    “Don' matter, i's what meant to be.”
     

“If that’s so, why you fight it Asiza? Why you refuse to be – used up and then – set aside? Why you refuse to die? Why you refuse what the white man try to make you? Why?”
    She thought about it for a spell, eyes looking off into the distance, trying to come up with a decent answer for his questions.
    He patiently waited, but she didn’t say – or wouldn’t say, instead, “I thank, i’s time you go yo’way – time fo’me – t’go mine.”
    “We goin’ north Asiza.”
    “Why cain’t you leave me alone!” She snapped,