Free Family by J. California Cooper Page A

hair. “Oh, but would he do that? Could he?”
    Always looked down at the truly young face, thinkin all there was in life this woman did not know. All the hard things nobody should have to know. She brushed the thoughts aside. “I blive he could, but I don’t rightly know. I’s just a slave,mam.” Then she looked through the window at the land. “But I blive he might try … if it will help the land to bear better.” She started brushin again.
    Sue waited a moment thinkin she should save this new knowledge for her husband, but her happiness made it impossible to hold in. “Because … because I am going to have a beautiful baby visitor. And I want my baby to have somethin someday. So she won’t have to … Cause she deserves it!”
    Always knew she should be showin excitement and be happy with the new mother-to-be, but she couldn’t gather up the gumption to act excited. She looked down at the small, frail body of Sue, then at her own strong one. “How far long is you, Mistress?”
    Clappin her hands and countin on her fingers, Sue said, “Bout seven weeks, I reckon. Just bout seven weeks!”
    “I’s with a baby myself, Mistress,” Always sighed.
    Sue turned round in the chair again. Many thoughts crossin her mind at the same time; No male slave on the land, cripply Jason, where didAlways get her baby? All the tales wives of slaveownin husbands justa runnin through her mind.
    “Who … where is the father of your baby, Always?”
    Always answered truthfully. “I don’t know, Mistress.” She did not know where Doak was at the particular time.
    Sue turned back round, breathin relief. “Well.” She thought, “I didn’t blive Always was like that, but that is what they say bout em, and it must be true. They have many men … that way, even strangers. “How far long are you, Always?”
    “Bout two months, Mistress.”
    Sue raised up and round one more time. “Musta got … that way just fore you came … here.”
    Always knew her place. “Yes’m.” And pinnin the last pin, went to put the things away.
    Sue sat a minute, lookin through the window at the land. “Well … Anyway.” She placed her hand over her stomach, thinkin, “My baby gonna inherit land and money someday. Poor Always’s baby always gonna be poor and a slave.” This she thought with no malice, even had a little pity in her heart. But a mother’s first thought is of herown. She didn’t say, “I will set you and your child free someday and give you a little land.” She just felt a little pity. That’s all.
    Now, when all the chores was done and the workday was endin, Always and Poon had taken to sittin on stumps in front of that shedhouse of Masr Jason’s. They would sit quietly or talk soft and slowly of things, just to have some company, I reckon, where they didn’t have to say Masr or Mistress, could just talk.
    Always spoke of the Mistress’s baby that was comin. All Poon thought of was another mouth to call out for more work and was glad she was not livin in the main house nomore. She didn’t dislike the new Mistress, she just didn’t feel nothin and didn’t like to think of somebody with more power over her, man or woman. “A baby” was all she said.
    Always looked through the darkness into yonder somewhere. “I am gonna have Master a baby too.” Poon just looked from yonder into the darkness. She did not smile, her own memories of her babies stayed too painful and close.
    Always smoothed out her apron, said, “I showould want you all to help me fix that ole chicken house into a place for me … and my chile. Don’t want to live in this house … with em.”
    With thoughts of amazement, Poon asked, “You loves him? Masr Doak?”
    Always pressed her lips together in a frown. “Loves my own. Wants my own room for me and my chile, that’s all. Got to live here til I die, so wants to live in my own room. Maybe soon they be havin more childrens. I’ll be already done moved and that give the