“Sho’, I’ll come, Joy.”
XIX
AT APRIL’S HOUSE
The first night Breeze spent in April’s cabin was a bad one, although he slept in the same room with Joy and her baby.
Joy wrote to Sherry for Zeda that same afternoon, and when she mailed the letter she bought some sweet animal crackers from the store for supper. She had a good supper. She pressed them all to eat a-plenty, and when they were done, she bustled about briskly, washing dishes, straightening things; but she had nothing to say to a soul. What was she thinking about, to stay so silent?
She and Breeze and Leah’s children sat by the fire for a while. It burned low and dim, for the night was too hot to keep it bright. Nobody talked. Now and then one of the flies sleeping on the newspapered wall roused and buzzed. The leaves on the trees outside made a timorous noise. Brudge darted glances at Breeze and cleared his throat again and again, but everybody was polite.
One by one they went off to bed until only Joy and Breeze were left. She got up.
“Come on, Breeze. Le’s go to bed. Me an’ you an’ de baby, we stays in here.”
Breeze slept on a cot in the corner of the room and Joy in the bed where Leah’s dead body had been. Where was Leah now? Breeze gazed at the dark. He could hear things moving about in the yard. Something fumbled at the door. The latch rattled. The steps creaked. Somewhere in the distance a dog howled. Joy’s little baby cried out, but she patted it and sang softly:
“Bye, baby buntin’
Daddy’s gone to de cow-pen