mother takes her to school. Of course!
When I got back from New Orleans, the first thing I did was go and look for Edna, but she was out with some sailor who wants to marry her. When she came home, she told me that she had decided to accept his offer. She feels she should get married again, so her child can have a father. I don’t want her to marry him. He is a Yankee. I asked her why she couldn’t stay here with us, but she said she couldn’t.
It’s Roy Grimmett’s fault He pushed her into it. Now she is being friendly with Momma. I heard Momma say to her, “Mr. Harper and I did, up until the fifth month.” I came over and said, “Did what?” And Momma said, “Danced.” I know she’s lying. She hates to dance with Daddy. I don’t even want to think about it.
At Jr. Debutantes this week, Mrs. Dot gave a talk, “How to Handle Colored Help.” She says beware of being too familiar and that everyone must know their place for a house to run smoothly and a well-bred colored person doesn’t want to mix. It is only the ill-bred coloreds that try to be friendly. You must always be properly dressed when a colored man is on your property so as not to drive him crazy, and if a colored man is within two blocks of your home and can see in the window, you must put a robe on at once.
It is our Christian duty to see that colored help get all our old clothes and anything else you want to give them, but neveranything new except at Christmas and never, never, under the threat of death, say the word, and she spelled it out, “N-I-G-G-E-R.” Only white trash calls them that. I never said that word but once. It doesn’t count, though, because Velveeta didn’t hear me.
It’s all right to touch or hug a colored woman, but never a colored man. Most important, though, never sit and eat at the same table with them. They don’t like it and you must give them their own jelly glass to drink out of. Colored people don’t respect you unless you respect their right to privacy.
I wish Momma could have heard that talk. Velveeta drinks out of any glass she wants to and sits down at the table with Momma and everything. Momma better watch out. Velveeta won’t respect her if she keeps this up. I never knew that white people weren’t supposed to drink out of a jelly glass. I have a Welch’s grape jelly glass I drink out of all the time.
Mrs. Dot’s thought for the day was: “Good manners are your round-trip ticket to the world.”
September 4, 1952
Roy Grimmett is a liar and I hate his guts. I hope he shoots himself in the heart with his own bow and arrow and if he asked me to pull the arrow out and save him, I wouldn’t I hope he gets locked in his trailer and freezes to death, or it falls off a cliff with him in it. I wish I had that machine gun that the Mississippi Maidens have. I would shoot him full of holes and pour acid on them.
He and Mava were taking Edna to Pensacola to get her married today. She started to cry and I know she didn’t want to go.
Roy came back from the wedding about six o’clock and was laughing his head off. He threw Edna’s old wedding ring on the counter and asked if anybody wanted to buy it. He said he bought her that ring himself. She never did have a husband in the first place; she was just some dumb old country gal that got herself in trouble and he was glad he finally got her married off.
I threw my cheeseburger and fries at him and told him he was a dirty liar and lower than snake shit.
Momma said how dare he say something like that in front of me and took me in the back room. She also said she was shocked at my language. Daddy came and put a cold rag on my head and said I might as well know the truth. Edna never was married. They had known it all along. Momma started shaking her head and said no that Daddy was wrong. She had been married. Then they got into an argument. Daddy was stupid enough to believe Roy against Edna. Men always stick together.
They went outside and screamed at each
When I got back from New Orleans, the first thing I did was go and look for Edna, but she was out with some sailor who wants to marry her. When she came home, she told me that she had decided to accept his offer. She feels she should get married again, so her child can have a father. I don’t want her to marry him. He is a Yankee. I asked her why she couldn’t stay here with us, but she said she couldn’t.
It’s Roy Grimmett’s fault He pushed her into it. Now she is being friendly with Momma. I heard Momma say to her, “Mr. Harper and I did, up until the fifth month.” I came over and said, “Did what?” And Momma said, “Danced.” I know she’s lying. She hates to dance with Daddy. I don’t even want to think about it.
At Jr. Debutantes this week, Mrs. Dot gave a talk, “How to Handle Colored Help.” She says beware of being too familiar and that everyone must know their place for a house to run smoothly and a well-bred colored person doesn’t want to mix. It is only the ill-bred coloreds that try to be friendly. You must always be properly dressed when a colored man is on your property so as not to drive him crazy, and if a colored man is within two blocks of your home and can see in the window, you must put a robe on at once.
It is our Christian duty to see that colored help get all our old clothes and anything else you want to give them, but neveranything new except at Christmas and never, never, under the threat of death, say the word, and she spelled it out, “N-I-G-G-E-R.” Only white trash calls them that. I never said that word but once. It doesn’t count, though, because Velveeta didn’t hear me.
It’s all right to touch or hug a colored woman, but never a colored man. Most important, though, never sit and eat at the same table with them. They don’t like it and you must give them their own jelly glass to drink out of. Colored people don’t respect you unless you respect their right to privacy.
I wish Momma could have heard that talk. Velveeta drinks out of any glass she wants to and sits down at the table with Momma and everything. Momma better watch out. Velveeta won’t respect her if she keeps this up. I never knew that white people weren’t supposed to drink out of a jelly glass. I have a Welch’s grape jelly glass I drink out of all the time.
Mrs. Dot’s thought for the day was: “Good manners are your round-trip ticket to the world.”
September 4, 1952
Roy Grimmett is a liar and I hate his guts. I hope he shoots himself in the heart with his own bow and arrow and if he asked me to pull the arrow out and save him, I wouldn’t I hope he gets locked in his trailer and freezes to death, or it falls off a cliff with him in it. I wish I had that machine gun that the Mississippi Maidens have. I would shoot him full of holes and pour acid on them.
He and Mava were taking Edna to Pensacola to get her married today. She started to cry and I know she didn’t want to go.
Roy came back from the wedding about six o’clock and was laughing his head off. He threw Edna’s old wedding ring on the counter and asked if anybody wanted to buy it. He said he bought her that ring himself. She never did have a husband in the first place; she was just some dumb old country gal that got herself in trouble and he was glad he finally got her married off.
I threw my cheeseburger and fries at him and told him he was a dirty liar and lower than snake shit.
Momma said how dare he say something like that in front of me and took me in the back room. She also said she was shocked at my language. Daddy came and put a cold rag on my head and said I might as well know the truth. Edna never was married. They had known it all along. Momma started shaking her head and said no that Daddy was wrong. She had been married. Then they got into an argument. Daddy was stupid enough to believe Roy against Edna. Men always stick together.
They went outside and screamed at each
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