“Ah swears you two’s gwing ter driv me ter mah grabe.” She shook her head in disbelief. “You’s filled ter de brim wid pride, til kain nuthin or nobody git thoo ter you. Doan you knows dat men awways think wid da’s peckers fust, an da’s brains las’? Ah ain’ gwing stan’ by an bes quiet til you gots Miss Jessie’s life ruint needer!” she told her, her large shoulders squared with determination as she made her way towards the door.
“ Where are you goin’? You are not to talk to Eathen about this! I forbid it! Do you hear me, Hattie?” She beat her small fists against the coverlets. “I forbid it!”
“ Yas’m, Miz Charlotte. Ah heerd you, but ah ain’ lis’n. Effen yo’s gwing ack lak a chile, den dat’s jes’ how Ah’s gwing treat you.” Hattie closed the door on any further argument.
***
Seated before a crackling fire, Eathen had just lifted a snifter of brandy to his lips when he felt the presence of someone else nearby. Turning toward the doorway he saw Hattie watching him. “Come on in and have a drink with me, Hattie.” He waved her forward.
“ Ah ain’ in de mood fer no drink, Mist’ Eathen. Whut Ah is in de mood fer is talkin’. An’ talkin’ we’s gwing do!”
“ You got somethin’ on your mind, Hattie? Eathen asked, all laughter gone now from his voice.
“ Yassuh, Mist’ Eathen, Ah sho does.” She walked over to stand before him.
“ Then let’s hear it.” He threw his head back, swallowing the last of his drink.
Placing her hands on her ample hips, she looked the big man square in his eyes. “Mist’ Eathen, I knows all bout dem womens you been cahyin’ on wid w’en you’s gone frum here.” She shook her finger at him. “An’ doan you trys ter denys it needer!”
Sputtering and coughing, Eathen tried to draw a deep breath to no avail, until Hattie handed him a glass of water from off the small portable bar standing nearby. Slamming the empty glass down on the table he bellowed. “Now just you wait a goddamn minute!”
“ Doan you be takin’ de Lawd’s name in vain!” Hattie warned him, her eyes wide with the importance of the moment. “Ah gots sumpin’ ter says, an yo’s gwing heers it.”
“ If you wanna keep your job,” Eathen warned, “you’ll drop this subject right now!”
“ You ain’ gwing fiah me, Mist’ Eathen, an’ we both knows it.” Her dark brows lifted as she stared him down. “Der ain’ nobody ‘lse who’d put up w’id yo’ bad seff.”
“ Don’t get too cocky,” he nodded, “or there just might be.”
“ Mist’ Eathen, you really hu’t Miz Charlotte by tellin’ her bout dem other womens,” she told him, the anger gone now from her deep voice. “An’ Ah knows whut she tole you bout not havin’ anymore youngin’s.”
“ Well, if she told you that,” Eathen leaned forward in his chair, “did she also tell you why?”
Hattie spread her hands wide. “She kin’t very well tells me sumpin she doan knows de answer ter herseff.”
“ What the hell’s that suppose to mean?” Eathen demanded his patience at an end.
“ Mist’ Eathen,” Hattie seated herself in the chair next to his, took his hand into her own, “she jes’ had a baby. She had a hard time of it too.” Her eyes widened. “Lil Miss Jessie wuz tuhned wrong. Affer gwing throo all dat, you kain spects her ter think bout havin’ mo’.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Side’s dat, it gwing tek w’ile fore she be able ter think straight. Jes’ gives her time, Mist’ Eathen.” Hattie patted the hand she held in hers. “Eve’ything’s gwing bes awright.”
“ I hope so, Hattie. And you’re right.” He gave the hand holding his a quick squeeze before pulling away. “I shouldn’t have said what I did. But when she told me she didn’t want any more of my children, I just let fly with the first thought that popped into my head. I’ll go up now and talk to her.” He started to rise from his chair.
“ Mist’
“ Where are you goin’? You are not to talk to Eathen about this! I forbid it! Do you hear me, Hattie?” She beat her small fists against the coverlets. “I forbid it!”
“ Yas’m, Miz Charlotte. Ah heerd you, but ah ain’ lis’n. Effen yo’s gwing ack lak a chile, den dat’s jes’ how Ah’s gwing treat you.” Hattie closed the door on any further argument.
***
Seated before a crackling fire, Eathen had just lifted a snifter of brandy to his lips when he felt the presence of someone else nearby. Turning toward the doorway he saw Hattie watching him. “Come on in and have a drink with me, Hattie.” He waved her forward.
“ Ah ain’ in de mood fer no drink, Mist’ Eathen. Whut Ah is in de mood fer is talkin’. An’ talkin’ we’s gwing do!”
“ You got somethin’ on your mind, Hattie? Eathen asked, all laughter gone now from his voice.
“ Yassuh, Mist’ Eathen, Ah sho does.” She walked over to stand before him.
“ Then let’s hear it.” He threw his head back, swallowing the last of his drink.
Placing her hands on her ample hips, she looked the big man square in his eyes. “Mist’ Eathen, I knows all bout dem womens you been cahyin’ on wid w’en you’s gone frum here.” She shook her finger at him. “An’ doan you trys ter denys it needer!”
Sputtering and coughing, Eathen tried to draw a deep breath to no avail, until Hattie handed him a glass of water from off the small portable bar standing nearby. Slamming the empty glass down on the table he bellowed. “Now just you wait a goddamn minute!”
“ Doan you be takin’ de Lawd’s name in vain!” Hattie warned him, her eyes wide with the importance of the moment. “Ah gots sumpin’ ter says, an yo’s gwing heers it.”
“ If you wanna keep your job,” Eathen warned, “you’ll drop this subject right now!”
“ You ain’ gwing fiah me, Mist’ Eathen, an’ we both knows it.” Her dark brows lifted as she stared him down. “Der ain’ nobody ‘lse who’d put up w’id yo’ bad seff.”
“ Don’t get too cocky,” he nodded, “or there just might be.”
“ Mist’ Eathen, you really hu’t Miz Charlotte by tellin’ her bout dem other womens,” she told him, the anger gone now from her deep voice. “An’ Ah knows whut she tole you bout not havin’ anymore youngin’s.”
“ Well, if she told you that,” Eathen leaned forward in his chair, “did she also tell you why?”
Hattie spread her hands wide. “She kin’t very well tells me sumpin she doan knows de answer ter herseff.”
“ What the hell’s that suppose to mean?” Eathen demanded his patience at an end.
“ Mist’ Eathen,” Hattie seated herself in the chair next to his, took his hand into her own, “she jes’ had a baby. She had a hard time of it too.” Her eyes widened. “Lil Miss Jessie wuz tuhned wrong. Affer gwing throo all dat, you kain spects her ter think bout havin’ mo’.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Side’s dat, it gwing tek w’ile fore she be able ter think straight. Jes’ gives her time, Mist’ Eathen.” Hattie patted the hand she held in hers. “Eve’ything’s gwing bes awright.”
“ I hope so, Hattie. And you’re right.” He gave the hand holding his a quick squeeze before pulling away. “I shouldn’t have said what I did. But when she told me she didn’t want any more of my children, I just let fly with the first thought that popped into my head. I’ll go up now and talk to her.” He started to rise from his chair.
“ Mist’
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