The Land(71)

“Come on, boy,” Caroline said to her brother, pulling at his arm, and Nathan reluctantly stood and laid the table leg on the bench. “Thank the gentleman,” she ordered.

Nathan looked at me with regret at leaving. “Thank ya.”

Caroline too looked at me. “I’m glad you gonna make my mama’s chair. You do fine work.”

“Well, thank you,” I said.

“Remember, though, I’m gonna do them flowers when you finish.”

“I’ll remember.”

Sam Perry extended his hand to me, and I stood to shake it again. “My daughter’s right ’bout that,” he said. “Ya does mighty fine work, and I’m gonna be lookin’ forward to that rocker, Mister Logan.”

“I’ll do my best and hope your wife likes it,” I returned.

Sam Perry ushered Nathan and Caroline out of the shed before him, but when his own great frame filled the doorway, he turned back and said, “I understand from Mister Luke Sawyer that you a man of color.”

I met his eyes. The words were almost a question, though they were forthright and without fear. “That’s right.”

“Then I’d like t’ invite you to our church up at Mount Elam come Sunday next, then have dinner with my family after church. My wife’s a fine cook and we always got plenty.”

I hesitated, not knowing exactly what to say to his invitation. “Well, I thank you, but I pretty much stay to myself.”

Sam Perry didn’t seem surprised or put off by my reply. “Understand that. But if you changes yo’ mind, you be welcome any Sunday you choose. All you hafta do is show up. You be welcome.” With that said, he gave me a nod and left.

I sat again on my bench thinking on the invitation and on the Perrys, particularly Caroline. Then I picked up the table leg Nathan had been working on and started sanding again.





By the time the next Sunday rolled around, I had thought aplenty on Sam Perry’s invitation, but I didn’t make up my mind to go until I walked out into the sunshine of that morning. Before Luke Sawyer and his family left for church, I asked Luke Sawyer if I could hire out the palomino. He said I could just take Thunder; he wouldn’t charge me anything. After all, the horse was practically mine. I said I’d rather pay him for the horse. Though I didn’t say it to him, I wanted to keep everything business between us. I didn’t want Luke Sawyer doing me any favors. He told me to suit myself, and I paid him fifty cents for the day.

Now, if the Mount Elam church had been in walking distance, I would have gladly walked, but I had learned that it was some miles away and I needed a horse to cut the time. But even on horseback the distance was long, and I found that I had misjudged how long it would take me. I had no intentions of racing Thunder over the badly rutted roads, and the leisurely pace made my arrival at Mount Elam much later than I had intended. Since services had already begun, I chose not to go in, for people were often put off by me at first and I didn’t want to have to explain myself. So instead I dismounted and stood outside listening to the sermon through the open windows. When the services were over, I led Thunder into the woods. I figured to stay there until the churchgoers left, then to head back to town without letting Sam Perry know I had even been at Mount Elam. I found a creek lined with brush. Both Thunder and I drank from the creek, then I sat on the bank gazing out at the water while Thunder grazed. Soon I heard voices nearby. I looked around. Two young women had entered the woods and they were arguing. One of them was Caroline Perry.

“Listen here, Val,” Caroline said, “I ain’t hardly interested in that little Negro of yours, and if you had any sense, you wouldn’t hardly be interested in him either.”

“I seen him lookin’ at you!” declared the one called Val.

“Well, what he do with his eyes just ain’t my business,” stated Caroline.

“I know you, Caroline Perry! You tryin’ to take my man away from me!”

“What!”

“You know it’s the truth!” Val accused.

“Girl, if you ain’t the silliest—”

“Well, you can’t have him!”

“Shoot, child, I don’t want him!”

“You do so!” thundered Val, then in a rage lurched for Caroline’s massive head of hair.

Caroline, not caught off guard, promptly grabbed Val’s arm. “Val, girl, don’t you mess with me!” she warned. She thrust the girl back.

Val chose not to heed the warning. “I’ll mess with you long as you be messin’ with my man!” she vowed, and lunged again at Caroline. Caroline at that move pulled back and, with a right hook as solid as any man’s, knocked the girl right across the jaw. Val fell flat.