Marlon James - The Book of Night Women

Lilith nearly stagger back and lose her balance. She figure Homer must hear her now for sure. Lilith look again and as stunned as when she look first. The scars continue from her back to her front, so much that she don’t have titty no more, just two stump that mark off in scar marks. Her belly have marks too but they be smaller. Mayhaps she was pregnant when they whip her. Lilith be thinking that she don’t ever want to be like Homer. She think of Homer and her own back itch. She wondering what kind of wickedness or uppityness Homer could have do to make them beat her so. So bad that she be the most obedient nigger ever since. Homer whiter than plenty white man, it seem. But nothing make a nigger more black than whip scars. Lilith don’t want none of it. She sad for Homer and she shame and she angry that this woman act like nothing above her. Lilith touch her breast and feel how they smooth. Homer washing. Then both woman hear another woman singing and the voice getting louder. Homer jump. She pull up her blouse but it stubborn. She pull and pull and cuss and look out and cuss again. Lilith think to help her but stay. The frock stubborn over her wet skin. The singing getting louder. Homer manage to pull up the frock halfway and Lilith see a look that she would never expect from Homer face. She wasn’t doing no hissing, she was sniffing and huffing like she frighten. She manage to slip in her sleeve and was pulling up the bosom when another woman, one of them who did help clean up the Johnny-jumper mess enter.

— Woman you too old to be playing with you titty.

— Older than even that, Pallas, older than even that, Homer say. — Tell that green-eyed gal to come upstairs.

Lilith step back. She try to step back quick but don’t want nobody to hear the step creak. But Pallas didn’t open the door, she only shout, Come upstairs, green-eyed gal.

— Lilith, this one name Pallas, Homer say when Lilith step into the kitchen. The other woman nod.

— What we goin’ do ’bout her? Pallas say. She tall as Homer but round, and not so far gone in age. Her hair plait in two at the side and run all they way past her breast. Her white apron hide her purple dress that look washed out.

— Devil if I know. Johnny-jumper out there and you know how them be. Them just starting they foolishness.

— Maybe we should turn her over and make God do the rest.

Lilith look up. Pallas’ eyes was waiting on her.

— No.

— What goin’ happen when Massa Jack hear?

— I don’t know.

— You supposed to know, Homer.

— I don’t know! Lilith, sit down and eat, Homer say. — She can work here.

— What you goin’ tell the others?

— Others? Since when me answer to no nigger round here? Me bring in new gal to do the work. That’s all any soul need to know.

— She not new. Everybody know you not sending down food to feed rat. Most reckon is she the jumper after. You goin’ have to tell him. He alone can sort this out. You have to tell him, Homer, Pallas say.

— He goin’ know soon enough, Homer say.

— But if he is the last to know, you goin’ be the one that feel it. Is not everybody ’fraid to touch you, Pallas say.

Lilith eating dasheen and pork. She look at the two womens talking and feel like is some other Lilith they speaking about. Neither talking to her. Circe used to do the same thing. Lilith wonder where the other slaves be. Mayhaps is Sunday, she think, and everybody gone to Sunday market.

— Anyway, things me have to say can wait till tonight, Pallas say and leave. Lilith and Homer in the kitchen, one eating and one drinking soup, neither saying nothing.

Most night as Lilith fall asleep, she fly up awake in fear that the Johnny-jumpers already in the cellar and ready to kill her. Is a week since and right in that instant between dreaming and waking she hear a whisper calling her the wickedest woman. A voice that trail off into the quiet. Paris didn’t beat her or try to kill her and he not even try to have him way with her, according to how the womens describe it. Maybe she could have run ’way. Maybe she be the one that evil. Something in the darkness smell new but known. Lilith looking for him in the dark, coming for her with no head on him shoulder. The door seem so far away at night. Lilith begin to wonder if field labour was so bad or if she did just make the Johnny-jumper do as he please then a new day would come after the old one and she would forget. Now she goin’ pay ’cause her life gone down a new trail and she can never get back to the old one. Lilith start to wonder if this new trail any worse than the old one. If a empty room better than a room with a woman who hate her, a man who mad.

The next afternoon, Homer give her a lamp and the task to swab the floor and sort out the shelves. They leave the door ajar and Lilith hear quick footsteps.

— Massa Jack coming! Massa Jack coming! The voice say. Lilith know the voice but couldn’t recollect the face.

— Gorgon, what you talking ’bout? Homer say.

— Me riding past de field and hear ’im shouting ’bout how two missin’.

— Damn. He did always have a sense ’bout them things. That backra could just look at a crowd of nigger and know one gone. Not even old age—

— Homer, he lef di field and go straight to Circe hut.

— Shithouse.

— Shit for true. Me no want dat man see me here, Gorgon say.

The first footstep didn’t stop the kitchen goings-on, but the second footstep stop everything cold. Lilith hear the footstep circle the kitchen one, two and three time.

— Homer, Homer, Homer, have you been losing step of late? Have you been slipping, you old cow?

— Me know me can still do a good day’s work, sah, Homer say.

— Bloody hell, ask Homer a question and God be damned, a Homer answer you shall receive. Are you getting forgetful in your old age, perhaps even a little mad, is what I ask.

— Not yet, sah, by the grace of God.

— Good for you. Because for some reason, unbeknownst to me, of course, everybody on this bloody estate seems to think I am.

— Oh no, massa—

— Oh, don’t oh-no-massa me. I knew you from when you still shat yourself. And so my newest Johnny-jumper and my newest field slave have both gone missing and yet not a soul has news on either. Uncanny, eh? Eloped, have they, Homer?

— No, sah. Me don’t know—

— Damn, Homer, don’t add tiresome to your list of flaws. Not now. You know of everything, I daresay even God gets his news from you. Are you saying you have no knowledge of their whereabouts?

— Me don’t have no knowledge of the boy, sir.

— And what of the girl? You know how I feel about being taken for a fool, Homer.

— She, she downstairs, sah.

Lilith jump. She hear strong footsteps stomp across the kitchen then stop. Then two hard slap and a yelp.

— Crossing me now, are you? Is that how you’ll have it? I give an order to send the girl to the field and you take it upon yourself to change it? Who for the sake of a fuck is the master here? Who?

— You, massa.

— Been far too long since you’ve met the cowskin, that’s what I think. Far too long.

— No, massa! Me never mean to cross you, massa!

Another slap.

— No, please, massa. Is the mistress! Is the mistress demand more things to be done and we did need another slave and me didn’t want to trouble you to go town to buy a new one so me just look at who be the newest and weakest, who if she leave won’t trouble the field much. That is all, massa, God truth. God truth.

— Really? And you know nothing of this Paris boy?

— No, please, massa.

— That’s not what I heard from Circe.

The room pause. Silent.

— Circe living with Tantalus a long time, massa, Homer say.