My phone ring, making me jump. Before I can even say hello, I hear Minny. She working late tonight.
Miss Hilly sending Miss Walters to the old lady home. I got to find myself a new job. And you know when she going? Next week.
Oh no, Minny.
I been looking, call ten ladies today. Not even a speck a interest.
I am sorry to say I aint surprised. I ask Miss Leefolt first thing tomorrow do she know anybody need help.
Hang on, Minny say. I hear old Miss Walter talking and Minny say, What you think I am? A chauffeur? I aint driving you to no country club in the pouring rain.
Sides stealing, worse thing youn do for your career as a maid is have a smart mouth. Still, she such a good cook, sometimes it makes up for it.
Dont you worry, Minny. We gone find you somebody deaf as a doe-knob, just like Miss Walter.
Miss Hilly been hinting around for me to come work for her.
What? I talk stern as I can: Now you look a here, Minny, I support you myself fore I let you work for that evil lady.
Who you think you talking to, Aibileen? A monkey? I might as well go work for the KKK[15]. And you know I never take Yule Mays job away.
Im sorry, Lordy me. I just get so nervous when it come to Miss Hilly. I call Miss Caroline over on Honeysuckle, see if she know somebody. And I call Miss Ruth, she so nice it near bout break your heart. Used to clean up the house ever morning so I didnt have nothing to do but keep her company. Her husband died a the scarlet fever, mm-hmm.
Thank you, A. Now come on, Miss Walters, eat up a little green bean for me. Minny say goodbye and hang up the phone.
The next morning, there that old green lumber truck is again. Bangings already started but Mister Leefolt aint stomping around today. I guess he know he done lost this one before it even started.
Miss Leefolt setting at the kitchen table in her blue-quilt bathrobe talking on the telephone. Baby Girls got red sticky all over her face, hanging on to her mamas knees trying to get her look at her.
Morning, Baby Girl, I say.
Mama! Mama! she say, trying to crawl up in Miss Leefolts lap.
No, Mae Mobley. Miss Leefolt nudge her down. Mamas on the telephone. Let Mama talk.
Mama, pick up, Mae Mobley whine and reach out her arms to her mama. Pick Mae Mo up.
Hush, Miss Leefolt whisper.
I scoop Baby Girl up right quick and take her over to the sink, but she keep craning her neck around, whining, Mama, Mama, trying to get her attention.
Just like you told me to say it. Miss Leefolt nodding into the phone. Someday when we move, itll raise the value of the house.
Come on, Baby Girl. Put your hands here, under the water.
But Baby Girl wriggling hard. Im trying to get the soap on her fingers but she twisting and turning and she snake right out my arms. She run straight to her mama and stick out her chin and then she jerk the phone cord hard as she can. The receiver clatter out a Miss Leefolts hand and hit the floor.
Mae Mobley! I say.
I rush to get her but Miss Leefolt get there first. Her lips is curled back from her teeth in a scary smile. Miss Leefolt slap Baby Girl on the back a her bare legs so hard I jump from the sting.
Then Miss Leefolt grab Mae Mobley by the arm, jerk it hard with ever word. Dont you touch this phone again, Mae Mobley! she say. Aibileen, how many times do I have to tell you to keep her away from me when I am on the phone!
Im sorry, I say and I pick up Mae Mobley, try to hug her to me, but she bawling and her face is red and she fighting me.
Come on, Baby Girl, its all right, everthing
Mae Mobley make an ugly face at me and then she rear back and bowp! She whack me right on the ear.
Miss Leefolt point at the door, yell, Aibileen, you both just get out.
I carry her out the kitchen. Im so mad at Miss Leefolt, Im biting my tongue. If the fool would just pay her child some attention, this wouldnt happen! When we make it to Mae Mobleys room, I set in the rocking chair. She sob on my shoulder and I rub her back, glad she cant see the mad on my face. I dont want her to think its at her.
You okay, Baby Girl? I whisper. My ear smarting from her little fist. Im so glad she hit me instead a her mama, cause I dont know what that woman would a done to her. I look down and see red fingermarks on the back a her legs.
Im here, baby, Aibees here, I rock and soothe, rock and soothe.
But Baby Girl, she just cry and cry.
Around lunchtime, when my stories come on tee-vee, it gets quiet out in the carport. Mae Mobleys in my lap helping me string the beans. She still kind a fussy from this morning. I reckon I am too, but I done pushed it down to a place where I dont have to worry with it.
We go in the kitchen and I fix her baloney sandwich. In the driveway, the workmen is setting in they truck, eating they own lunches. Im glad for the peace. I smile over at Baby Girl, give her a strawberry, so grateful I was here during the trouble with her mama. I hate to think what would a happen if I wasnt. She stuff the strawberry in her mouth, smile back. I think she feel it too.
We go in the kitchen and I fix her baloney sandwich. In the driveway, the workmen is setting in they truck, eating they own lunches. Im glad for the peace. I smile over at Baby Girl, give her a strawberry, so grateful I was here during the trouble with her mama. I hate to think what would a happen if I wasnt. She stuff the strawberry in her mouth, smile back. I think she feel it too.
Miss Leefolt aint here so I think about calling Minny at Miss Walter, see if she found any work yet. But before I get around to it, theys a knock on the back door. I open it to see one a the workmen standing there. He real old. Got coveralls on over a white collar shirt.
Hidee, maam. Trouble you for some water? he ask. I dont recognize him. Must live somewhere south a town.
Sho nuff[16], I say.
I go get a paper cup from the cupboard. Its got happy birthday balloons on it from when Mae Mobley turn two. I know Miss Leefolt dont want me giving him one a the glasses.
He drink it in one long swallow and hand me the cup back. His face be real tired. Kind a lonesome in the eyes.
How yall coming along? I ask.
Its work, he say. Still aint no water to it. Reckon we run a pipe out yonder from the road.
Other fella need a drink? I ask.
Be mighty nice. He nod and I go get his friend a little funny-looking cup too, fill it up from the sink.
He dont take it to his partner right away.
Beg a pardon, he say, but where He stand there a minute, look down at his feet. Where might I go to make water?
He look up and I look at him and for a minute we just be looking. I mean, its one a them funny things. Not the ha-ha funny but the funny where you be thinking: Huh. Here we is with two in the house and one being built and they still aint no place for this man to do his business.
Well I aint never been in this position before. The youngun, Robert, who do the yard ever two weeks, I guess he go fore he come over. But this fella, he a old man. Got heavy wrinkled hands. Seventy years a worry done put so many lines in his face, he like a roadmap.
I spec you gone have to go in the bushes, back a the house, I hear myself say, but I wish it werent me. Dogs back there, but he wont bother you.
Alright then, he say. Thank ya.
I watch him walk back real slow with the cup a water for his partner.
The banging and the digging go on the rest a the afternoon.
All the next day long, theys hammering and digging going on in the front yard. I dont ask Miss Leefolt no questions about it and Miss Leefolt dont offer no explanation. She just peer out the back door ever hour to see whats going on.
Three oclock the racket stops and the mens get in they truck and leave. Miss Leefolt, she watch em drive off, let out a big sigh. Then she get in her car and go do whatever it is she do when she aint nervous bout a couple a colored mens hanging round her house.
After while, the phone ring.
Miss Leef
She telling everbody in town Im stealing! Thats why I cant get no work! That witch done turned me into the Smart-Mouthed Criminal Maid a Hinds County!
Hold on, Minny, get your breath
Before work this morning, I go to the Renfroes over on Sycamore and Miss Renfroe near bout chase me off the property. Say Miss Hilly told her about me, everbody know I stole a candelabra from Miss Walters!
I can hear the grip she got on the phone, sound like she trying to crush it in her hand. I hear Kindra holler and I wonder why Minny already home. She usually dont leave work till four.
I aint done nothing but feed that old woman good food and look after her!
Minny, I know you honest. God know you honest.
Her voice dip down, like bees on a comb. When I walk into Miss Walters, Miss Hilly be there and she try to give me twenty dollars. She say, Take it. I know you need it, and I bout spit in her face. But I didnt. No sir. She start making this panting noise, she say, I did worse.
What you did?
I aint telling[17]. I aint telling nobody about that pie. But I give her what she deserve! She wailing now and I feel a real cold fear. Aint no game crossing Miss Hilly. I aint never gone get no work again, Leroy gone kill me
Kindra gets to crying in the background. Minny hang up without even saying goodbye. I dont know what she talking about a pie. But Law, knowing Minny, it could not have been good.
That night, I pick me a poke salad and a tomato out a Idas garden. I fry up some ham, make a little gravy for my biscuit. My wig been brushed out and put up, got my pink rollers in, already sprayed the Good Nuff on my hair. I been worried all afternoon, thinking bout Minny. I got to put it out a my mind if Im on get some sleep tonight.
I set at my table to eat, turn on the kitchen radio. Little Stevie Wonders[18] singing Fingertips. Being colored aint nothing on that boy. He twelve years old, blind, and got a hit on the radio. When he done, I skip over Pastor Green playing his sermon and stop on WBLA. They play the juke-joint blues.
I like them smoky, liquor-drinking sounds when it get dark. Makes me feel like my whole house is full a people. I can almost see em, swaying here in my kitchen, dancing to the blues. When I turn off the ceiling light, I pretend we at The Raven. Theys little tables with red-covered lights. Its May or June and warm. My man Clyde flash me his white-toothed smile and say Honey, you want you a drink? And I say, Black Mary straight up and then I get to laughing at myself, setting in my kitchen having this daydream, cause the raciest thing I ever take is the purple Nehi.