Free No Pain Like This Body by Harold Sonny Ladoo Page B

mad woman shakes her head.
    â€œCome inside de kitchen,” Ma said to Sunaree and Panday.
    Ma walked into the kitchen first. Sunaree and Panday walked behind her; they looked back all the time, because they were afraid of Pa.
    â€œPut some water in dat iron pot,” Ma said to Panday. Panday took the pot and went by the rainwater barrel. Sunaree was helping Ma knead the flour. Ma sat on the
    earthen floor and peeled sweet potatoes with a small knife.
    Most of the potatoes were reddish and rotten like.
    â€œI want some water for de flour Ma,” Sunaree said. “Ay Panday!” Ma called.
    There was no answer. Ma called again. There was no answer. As she was about to call again, Panday ran inside the kitchen.
    â€œWot happen boy?” Ma asked.
    â€œPa runnin me wid de ledderbelt!” he said.
    Ma lifted her head. Pa stood in the doorway as a dead tree. He had the leather belt in his left hand; he was gripping it firmly. “I go kill Panday ass!”
    Sunaree had dry flour in her hands up to her elbow. She was sitting on the wooden peera. She was no longer kneading the dough to make the roti; her fingers stuck to the flour, and with her head tilting slowly backwards, she stared at Pa in fear and disgust.
    â€œNow you leff Panday alone!” Ma shouted.
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œBecause he is my chile. I bleed blood to make him. You dont want me to go and see Balraj and Rama in dat haspital. But I goin walkin to Tolaville. You cant stop me. Dem chirens longin to see dey modder. I goin walkin to Tolaville I tell you!”
    There was a slow groaning as if a cow or a mule were groaning; groaning in sleep like. Ma sank to the ground as level as a shadow. She held on to her head and groaned sharply. She wasn’t bleeding or anything. Pa just struck her in her right ear with his huge fist.
    â€œNow Panday come here!” Pa screamed.
    Panday leaned against the wall as if he was a wall too, lean­ing against another wall. With tears in his eyes he begged Pa saying, “Wen you get old I go give you food! Dont beat me Pa!”
    â€œPanday!”
    â€œYeh Pa.”
    â€œSiddown!”
    â€œOright.”
    Panday bent his knees and leaned against the wall. His lips shook. Saliva leaked out of his mouth and ran down his neck. He watched Pa. Sunaree sat in front of him; her back was almost touching him, but Panday couldn’t see her, because he just watched Pa.
    Ma got up slowly. She held on to her right ear.
    â€œLike me ears bell bust!” she screamed.
    â€œYou shouda dead!” Pa yelled.
    â€œO God! Me ears ringin inside.”
    â€œYou shouda dead,” Pa declared again as he walked out of the kitchen.
    After a while Ma loosed the floursack from her head. The floursack was spotted with dirt. She sat down, flung the flour-sack into a corner, and started to peel the sweet potatoes again. She had long black hair. Thick. The hair hung down from her head as strands of strong black rope. She wept as she peeled the potatoes; wept easy easy, because she was afraid to cry in the house.
    Sunaree stood up. She went outside. The rice pot was sit­ting on an old potato crate by the rainwater barrel. She took it, dipped some water from the barrel and went back into the kitchen.
    â€œPut de wadder to hot on de fireside,” Ma said.
    â€œOright.”
    â€œToday you goin to see Balraj and Rama Ma?” Panday asked.
    â€œNo.”
    A little later and food was ready. It was a habit in the house: Pa always ate first. If he was not at home, Ma had to dish out his food first, then put it away. Ma took out a good portion of food and carried it inside the bedroom for Pa. He didn’t say a word. He just ate the food.

    VI
    PA WAS ASLEEP .
    Ma was picking Sunaree’s head; each time she caught a louse she crushed it tits between her fingernails.
    Nanna was running; he was blowing as a bull and running as a madman runs. He was moving fast. He bolted into the yard as a wild