Free Out From This Place by Joyce Hansen

do thejob as well as anyone. First she’d get out of the fields, and next she’d leave the plantation altogether.
    As she helped Rose prepare supper that evening, she couldn’t wait for Rayford to come in with the news. She practically pounced on him when he entered the cabin. “What Mr. Reynolds say?”
    Rayford sat wearily on the bench. “He said that we have to make our own arrangements for taking care of the children. He’s paying us to bring the cotton crop in.”
    Easter was speechless for a moment. She felt Rose’s eyes on her. She’d been so sure he’d say yes. “They need someone to take care of the children,” she almost shouted.
    Melissa handed her a plate. “No need to upset yourself, Easter. That’s an old woman’s plantation job.”
    Rayford took up his rice and began to talk to Rose about something else. Easter and Jason sat together on the grass rug. The others sat on the bench. Easter stared at her plate of cow peas, rice, and cornbread.
    â€œYou better eat, ’fore you get sick,” Sarah told her.
    The chinks in the logs had been filled in with clay and the floor had been cleaned. The fireplace was scoured so that it almost shone. Rose’s gingham dress hung on a peg, as it had done in her shed on the Phillips plantation. The room was as clean as they could make it. Easter listened in angry silence as Rose talked.
    â€œPaul say he goin’ to make us a table and one more bench when he finish the chairs he makin’ for George and Virginia.” She scooped up a spoonful of rice. “He say he have orders for tables and benches for over half the people here. Some of them payin’ him money. Some givin’ him a chicken or vegetables from their garden.”
    Melissa picked up a piece of cornbread. “We have to make us some quilts before the cold weather hit this piece of a hut.”
    Easter heard their talk as if from a distance. Jason had finished eating. He lay with his head in her lap, and as usual he’d fallen asleep. Then Sarah said something aboutthe meeting on Sunday, and Easter listened. Another idea began to form. She’d go to the meeting and ask the women to let her take care of their children. They could pay her, just as Paul was being paid for his carpentry.
    Easter woke Jason and led him to his pallet. She kept her new idea to herself.
    Between the scorching sun and keeping after Jason to do his work, Easter was worn out by the end of the week. A few times she was tempted to tell Rose about her new plan, but she remained silent.
    When Sunday arrived, she started getting nervous about speaking at the meeting. Jason had pestered her into washing his britches and mending and washing his torn vest. He insisted on wearing the altered ruffled shirt. She’d also washed and mended her one dress.
    Jason seemed to be carried somewhere else by the singing. His high, clear voice rang out. All Easter could think about was the meeting that was to follow their church service. Even though she didn’t know what the proper amount of time for praying was, she believed that Brother Thomas prayed the longest prayer she’d ever heard.
Even God stop listenin’ after all this time,
she thought. Eventually, a man shouted, “Amen, Brother. Save some for next Sunday.”
    A big chorus of amens rose up to the pines. Brother Thomas wiped his forehead and pulled on the straps of his overalls. “It mighty rude to interrupt a man who speakin’ to his God. Let the meeting begin, then.”
    Rayford, Paul, and Elijah joined Thomas in front of the group. Easter listened attentively as people made their complaints and comments about what they wanted. She waited patiently for the right moment to speak.
    â€œMr. Reynolds is leavin’ to run another plantation,” Thomas announced.
    â€œWho they bringin’ in here to boss us?” an old man asked.
    â€œNo one,” Thomas answered.