Miss Leefolt follow me in there, eyeball a bucket a Crisco, put it down. Baby Girl hold her arms out for her mama to pick her up, but Miss Leefolt open a cabinet, act like she dont see. Then she slam it close, open another one. Finally she just stand there. Im down on my hands and knees. Pretty soon my heads so far in that oven I look like Im trying to gas myself.
You and Miss Skeeter looked like you were talking awful serious about something.
No maam, she just asking do I want some old clothes, I say and it sound like Im down in a well-hole. Grease already working itself up my arms. Smell like a underarm in here. Dont take no time fore sweats running down my nose and ever time I scratch at it, I get a plug a crud on my face. Got to be the worst place in the world, inside a oven. You in here, you either cleaning or you getting cooked. Tonight I just know Im on have that dream Im stuck inside and the gas gets turned on. But I keep my head in that awful place cause Id rather be anywhere sides answering Miss Leefolts questions about what Miss Skeeter was trying to say to me. Asking do I want to change things.
After while, Miss Leefolt huff and go out to the carport. I figure she looking at where she gone build me my new colored bathroom.
Chapter 2
Youd never know it living here, but Jackson, Mississippi, be filled with two hundred thousand peoples. I see them numbers in the paper and I got to wonder, where do them peoples live? Underground? Cause I know just about ever-body on my side a the bridge and plenty a white families too, and that sure dont add up to be no two hundred thousand.
Six days a week, I take the bus across the Woodrow Wilson Bridge to where Miss Leefolt and all her white friends live, in a neighborhood call Belhaven. Right next to Belhaven be the downtown and the state capital. Capitol building is real big, pretty on the outside but I never been in it. I wonder what they pay to clean that place.
Down the road from Belhaven is white Woodland Hills, then Sherwood Forest, which is miles a big live oaks with the moss hanging down. Nobody living in it yet, but its there for when the white folks is ready to move somewhere else new. Then its the country, out where Miss Skeeter live on the Long-leaf cotton plantation. She dont know it, but I picked cotton out there in 1931, during the Depression[10], when we didnt have nothing to eat but state cheese.
So Jacksons just one white neighborhood after the next and more springing up down the road. But the colored part a town, we one big anthill, surrounded by state land that aint for sale. As our numbers get bigger, we cant spread out. Our part a town just gets thicker.
I get on the number six bus that afternoon, which goes from Belhaven to Farish Street. The bus today is nothing but maids heading home in our white uniforms. We all chatting and smiling at each other like we own it not cause we mind if theys white people on here, we sit anywhere we want to now thanks to Miss Parks[11] just cause its a friendly feeling.
I spot Minny in the back center seat. Minny short and big, got shiny black curls. She setting with her legs splayed, her thick arms crossed. She seventeen years younger than I am. Minny could probably lift this bus up over her head if she wanted to. Old lady like mes lucky to have her as a friend.
I take the seat in front a her, turn around and listen. Everbody like to listen to Minny.
so I said, Miss Walters, the world dont want a see your naked white behind any more than they want a see my black one. Now, get in this house and put your underpants and some clothes on.
On the front porch? Naked? Kiki Brown ask.
Her behind hanging to her knees.
The bus is laughing and chuckling and shaking they heads.
Law, that woman crazy, Kiki say. I dont know how you always seem to get the crazy ones, Minny.
Oh, like your Miss Patterson aint? Minny say to Kiki. Shoot, she call the roll a the crazy lady club. The whole bus be laughing now cause Minny dont like nobody talking bad about her white lady except herself. Thats her job and she own the rights.
The bus cross the bridge and make the first stop in the colored neighborhood. A dozen or so maids get off. I go set in the open seat next to Minny. She smile, bump me hello with her elbow. Then she relax back in her seat cause she dont have to put on no show for me.
How you doing? You have to iron pleats this morning?
I laugh, nod my head. Took me a hour and a half.
What you feed Miss Walters at bridge club today? I worked all morning making that fool a caramel cake and then she wouldnt eat a crumb.
That makes me remember what Miss Hilly say at the table today. Any other white lady and no one would care, but wed all want a know if Miss Hilly after us. I just dont know how to put it.
I look out the window at the colored hospital go by, the fruit stand. I think I heard Miss Hilly say something about that, bout her mama getting skinny. I say this careful as I can. Say maybe she getting malnutritious.
Minny look at me. She did, did she? Just the name make her eyes narrow. What else Miss Hilly say?