like a stuffed white rabbit in an Easter parade.
Now that we were all lined up, we were asked to slip our shoes off. Then Reverend Tyson was led out into the water by two deacons. Just as they stepped into the water, I heard Sister Jones’s voice sing out, loud and clear, “Take me to the wa-a-ters …”
She was immediately joined by everyone else standing around the pond.
Take me to the wa-a-ters …
Take me to the wa-a-ters …
To be-ee bap-tized.…
As the people caught their breaths for the next verse, several moos could be heard. The mooing got so loud that the singing stopped for a moment. Reverend Tyson, in water up to his knees, turned toward the cows and raised his hand as if to quiet them. When they stopped mooing, everybody laughed. Then the singing began again.
When Reverend Tyson and the two deacons were standing in water up to their chests, the first candidate was led out. Everyone continued to sing “Take Me to the Waters” but much lower. Most of the candidates looked scared, especially the girl in front of me. I couldn’t tell whether she was shaking because she was scared or cold, or both. I heard Jack, one of the wildest, crap-shootingest boys around, whisper from behind me, “Lookit all that
cow
shit in that water!” I looked down at the water and saw big piles of cow manure floating around. The thought of being ducked under that water made me want to vomit. The water was so muddy, the whole pond looked like a giant mud pie. Then I looked at the girl standing between Reverend Tyson and one of the deacons.
“I baptize you in the name of the Father, in the name of the Son, and in the name of the Holy Ghost,
Amen
,” Reverend Tyson said, drawing out the last syllable as he ducked her quickly under the water. She came up coughing and sputtering, her white dress was now dark brown. Her hair was drippingwith mud. All the other candidates stared at her as the deacons helped her back to the edge of the pond. She was shaking and she looked like she wanted to cry so bad. All the candidates were aware of the saying that if you coughed when you were being baptized, it meant the Devil was coming out of you. I knew she was embarrassed because she had coughed.
“All dressed in white! Washed clean! Look at that!” I thought, looking at her.
As the girl ahead of me was being led out, Jack leaned close and whispered, “ ’Member, Moody, betta not cough out there. Sister Jones gonna say you were a
sinner
. Hee-hee-hee.”
“You got a lot more to cough about than me,” I said. I saw two deacons coming for me. As I waded into the water, I could feel the mud sticking to my legs. I was mad as hell, and I heard Sister Jones’s voice singing “Nothing but the righteous …” along with the rest. I thought, “Nothing but the
righteous
. Some shit!”
I was so mad I barely heard Reverend Tyson shouting, “I baptize you in the name of the Father, in the name of the Son, and in the name of the Holy Ghost, A-men!” Suddenly a wet hand was slapped over my face and I felt the mud folding over me, sucking me down. Just as I began to feel the heaviness of the mud, I was lifted out of the water. I tried to open my eyes but mud was stuck to my lashes, so I just left them closed. I felt shitty all over. As they were leading me out of the water, I could hear the cows mooing, Jack laughing, and everyone singing, “Take Me to the Waters.” Everything sounded far away. It took me a minute to realize that my ears were stuffed full of mud.
After the last candidate was baptized, we were all rushed up to Miss Rose’s where we washed off and changed. Even then, I still smelled like wet mud, and the smell lingered for weeks.
Chapter
SIX
All that second winter in the new house, Raymond sat around talking about becoming a big-time farmer, raising lots of kids, making plenty of money, and being his own man. So in early March he went out scouting for a mule and a piece of land. Within a week he had found both,
Now that we were all lined up, we were asked to slip our shoes off. Then Reverend Tyson was led out into the water by two deacons. Just as they stepped into the water, I heard Sister Jones’s voice sing out, loud and clear, “Take me to the wa-a-ters …”
She was immediately joined by everyone else standing around the pond.
Take me to the wa-a-ters …
Take me to the wa-a-ters …
To be-ee bap-tized.…
As the people caught their breaths for the next verse, several moos could be heard. The mooing got so loud that the singing stopped for a moment. Reverend Tyson, in water up to his knees, turned toward the cows and raised his hand as if to quiet them. When they stopped mooing, everybody laughed. Then the singing began again.
When Reverend Tyson and the two deacons were standing in water up to their chests, the first candidate was led out. Everyone continued to sing “Take Me to the Waters” but much lower. Most of the candidates looked scared, especially the girl in front of me. I couldn’t tell whether she was shaking because she was scared or cold, or both. I heard Jack, one of the wildest, crap-shootingest boys around, whisper from behind me, “Lookit all that
cow
shit in that water!” I looked down at the water and saw big piles of cow manure floating around. The thought of being ducked under that water made me want to vomit. The water was so muddy, the whole pond looked like a giant mud pie. Then I looked at the girl standing between Reverend Tyson and one of the deacons.
“I baptize you in the name of the Father, in the name of the Son, and in the name of the Holy Ghost,
Amen
,” Reverend Tyson said, drawing out the last syllable as he ducked her quickly under the water. She came up coughing and sputtering, her white dress was now dark brown. Her hair was drippingwith mud. All the other candidates stared at her as the deacons helped her back to the edge of the pond. She was shaking and she looked like she wanted to cry so bad. All the candidates were aware of the saying that if you coughed when you were being baptized, it meant the Devil was coming out of you. I knew she was embarrassed because she had coughed.
“All dressed in white! Washed clean! Look at that!” I thought, looking at her.
As the girl ahead of me was being led out, Jack leaned close and whispered, “ ’Member, Moody, betta not cough out there. Sister Jones gonna say you were a
sinner
. Hee-hee-hee.”
“You got a lot more to cough about than me,” I said. I saw two deacons coming for me. As I waded into the water, I could feel the mud sticking to my legs. I was mad as hell, and I heard Sister Jones’s voice singing “Nothing but the righteous …” along with the rest. I thought, “Nothing but the
righteous
. Some shit!”
I was so mad I barely heard Reverend Tyson shouting, “I baptize you in the name of the Father, in the name of the Son, and in the name of the Holy Ghost, A-men!” Suddenly a wet hand was slapped over my face and I felt the mud folding over me, sucking me down. Just as I began to feel the heaviness of the mud, I was lifted out of the water. I tried to open my eyes but mud was stuck to my lashes, so I just left them closed. I felt shitty all over. As they were leading me out of the water, I could hear the cows mooing, Jack laughing, and everyone singing, “Take Me to the Waters.” Everything sounded far away. It took me a minute to realize that my ears were stuffed full of mud.
After the last candidate was baptized, we were all rushed up to Miss Rose’s where we washed off and changed. Even then, I still smelled like wet mud, and the smell lingered for weeks.
Chapter
SIX
All that second winter in the new house, Raymond sat around talking about becoming a big-time farmer, raising lots of kids, making plenty of money, and being his own man. So in early March he went out scouting for a mule and a piece of land. Within a week he had found both,
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