Free The Color Purple by Alice Walker Page A

many to kill off, I say. Us outnumbered from the start. I speck we knock over one or two, though, here and there, through the years, I say.
    We sit on a piece of old crate out near the edge of Miss Millie’s yard. Rusty nails stick out long the bottom and when us move they creak gainst the wood.
    Sofia job to watch the children play ball. The little boy throw the ball to the little girl, she try to catch it with her eyes shut. It roll up under Sofia foot.
    Throw me the ball, say the little boy, with his hands on his hip. Throw me the ball.
    Sofia mutter to herself, half to me. I’m here to watch, not to throw, she say. She don’t make a move toward the ball.
    Don’t you hear me talking to you, he shout. He maybe six years old, brown hair, ice blue eyes. He come steaming up to where us sit, haul off and kick Sofia leg. She swing her foot to one side and he scream.
    What the trouble? I ast.
    Done stab his foot with a rusty nail, Sofia say.
    Sure enough, blood come leaking through his shoe.
    His little sister come watch him cry. He turn redder and redder. Call his mama.
    Miss Millie come running. She scared of Sofia. Everytime she talk to her it like she expect the worst. She don’t stand close to her either. When she git a few yards from where us sit, she motion for Billy to come there.
    My foot, he say to her.
    Sofia do it? she ast.
    Little girl pipe up. Billy do it his own self, she say. Trying to kick Sofia leg. The little girl dote on Sofia, always stick up for her. Sofia never notice, she as deef to the little girl as she is to her brother.
    Miss Millie cut her eyes at her, put one arm round Billy shoulder and they limp into the back of the house. Little girl follow, wave bye-bye to us.
    She seem like a right sweet little thing, I say to Sofia.
    Who is? She frown.
    The little girl, I say. What they call her, Eleanor Jane?
    Yeah, say Sofia, with a real puzzle look on her face, I wonder why she was ever born.
    Well, I say, us don’t have to wonder that bout darkies.
    She giggle. Miss Celie, she say, you just as crazy as you can be.
    This the first giggle I heard in three years.

DEAR GOD,
    Sofia would make a dog laugh, talking about those people she work for. They have the nerve to try to make us think slavery fell through because of us, say Sofia. Like us didn’t have sense enough to handle it. All the time breaking hoe handles and letting the mules loose in the wheat. But how anything they build can last a day is a wonder to me. They backward, she say. Clumsy, and unlucky.
    Mayor____bought Miz Millie a new car, cause she said if colored could have cars then one for her was past due. So he bought her a car, only he refuse to show her how to drive it. Every day he come home from town he look at her, look out the window at her car, say, How you enjoying ’er Miz Millie. She fly off the sofa in a huff, slam the door going in the bathroom.
    She ain’t got no friends.
    So one day she say to me, car been sitting out in the yard two months, Sofia, do you know how to drive? I guess she remembered first seeing me up gainst Buster Broadnax car.
    Yes ma’am, I say. I’m slaving away cleaning that big post they got down at the bottom of the stair. They act real funny bout that post. No finger prints is sposed to be on it, ever.
    Do you think you could teach me? she says.
    One of Sofia children break in, the oldest boy. He tall and handsome, all the time serious. And mad a lot.
    He say, Don’t say slaving, Mama.
    Sofia say, Why not? They got me in a little storeroom up under the house, hardly bigger than Odessa’s porch, and just about as warm in the winter time. I’m at they beck and call all night and all day. They won’t let me see my children. They won’t let me see no mens. Well, after five years they let me see you once a year. I’m a slave, she say. What would you call it?
    A captive, he say.
    Sofia go on with her story, only look at him like she glad he hers.
    So I say, Yes ma’am. I can teach you, if it the