Free A Piece of Mine by J. California Cooper Page B

He left, leaving the door open so she could watch him leaving, wobbling away dragging that suitcase, taking the car. She finally shut the door and went to bed, for two weeks.
    I tended her and checked on her but she wouldn’t eat nothing or talk and usually she’s a big talker. But time takes care of everything and time took care of her. Pretty soon she got up and got on out to find work. She was still grieving, but with every bad there’s some good and she was losing weight like thunder. Smitty had got him a room somewhere and was busy telling everybody everywhere that he done left Della, “Wasn’t gonna keep no woman who wants to be the man in his family, Della didn’t know how to treat no man but she would before he sat foot in that house again.” He meant it too … he said! But every day when he come out of that door at work, lunch and quitting time, he seem to be looking for somebody. Pretty soon, he would go to the windows and peer out all through the day, but nobody was there … least not Della. He let everybody know where he lived, but she didn’t go there either!
    I caught her one day, just a cussing to herself, crying. I said, “What’s the matter with you Della?” “Nothing,” she answered, “Just repeating all the names Smitty called me so I don’t forget and go running out there after him.” Well, that was Della’s formula and it seemed to work. She didn’t go! As she kept crying and grieving she grew thinner and her clothes began to hang on her. She looked terrible, but didn’t care. I tried to make her eat but she wouldn’t.
    There was a church social coming up and I talked two days to get her to go and even helped her to buy some new things to wear that fit her. I can tell you honestly that Della at 135 pounds was a whole new better Della than she was at 207pounds! She was good looking!! And with that big, sweet, innocent, sad smile, she was pretty and the men let her know it! She danced every dance once I got her started, and laughed and laughed and laughed with happiness! Smitty wasn’t there, he was probably at the pool hall bragging bout his hold on her. I ain’t gonna say a lot about it, but there was a nice man there named Charles … and he took to Della like wet takes to water! Soon, they was going out together, being seen a lot. Smitty heard about it. He wanted to come around and save his ego at the same time so he began to come around the house and tell her she had to move out, he needed a place. I know he wanted her to say, “Come on home then,” but she didn’t. Instead she said, “Give me a month to see what I’m gonna do and how, then I be gone.” He didn’t really want that house, he wanted Della, but his pride and ego kept him from tellin her. I don’t really know what would have happened if he had told her, but anyway, Charlie told her to move in with him, he was buying his own house. She just said she would think about it.
    One day Smitty came by to check on his “house” and Charlie was there. Smitty said, blustering, “Well, I’m here now and you better go! This is a husband talkin to his wife and you oughta leave!”
    Charlie answered softly, “Well Smitty, I didn’t come to see you at your invitation … I came to see Della at her invitation, so you can’t tell me to go … only Della can do that!” Smitty said, taken aback, “This is my house! I say what goes on here! And this is my wife!” Della said softly, “This the landlord’s house and I been paying the rent Smitty, so it’s not your house.” She looked neat and clean and pretty and you could smell the food cooking! Smitty repeated, stubborn, “I want to talk to my WIFE! ” Charlie said, just as stubborn, “When she tells me to go, I will!” Della said, “I invited him to supper Smitty, I can’t tell my company to go!” Smitty said, “I’m your man, invite me to supper!” Della said back “No … you said you wasn’t my man, that I was theman. Charlie don’t