The black swan by Day Taylor Read Free Book Online

said, "You*re going to teach me manners? What kind of manners?"
    The blood rushed to Tom's face. Ullah stepped smoothly between them, stern and reproving. "You a mighty sassy youngun, Adam. If you was mine, Ah'd have a mighty lot o' shame over you. You better get yo'sejBf on outa heah."

    Adam's haughty expression drained away. He started to speak when Tom said, glowering, "Go on! Don't show your face here again!"
    Ullah and Tom watched until Adam disappeared into the thickening dark of the woods. Ullah sighed, her heart aching. She felt flat and sorry. The way he had left, it seemed as though she and Tom had been wrong.
    "Ullah! Where in the hell are my britches?"
    "You were too harsh with him, Tom." She handed his clothes to him.
    "Harsh, hell. I shoulda whaled the tar outa him."
    "If you'da thought that, you'da done it. Ah know you, Tom."
    "Impudunt young pup! Prob'ly some damn redneck's kid."
    "He's no white trash. Not that'n."
    "Says who?" he asked sourly.
    "Sez somebody that knows," Ullah replied sassily. "That's the trouble with you white folks. Doan know yo' own kind even eyeball to eyeball."
    "Will you stop that talk! It's all behind us now!'*
    "Not fo' me, Tom. Ah's a nigger. It never gwine be behind me."
    "Damn it, Ullah, what's got into you tonight? You're as good as anyone. Better than most. You're no nigger." He put his arm alongside of hers. In the faint light of the moon his showed darker. "See there, by God, you're whiter than I am."
    Ullah laughed brittlely, but her voice remained serious. "Ah never say Ah ain't as good as the res' o' them, Tom. But Ah's still a nigger, an' Ah doan wan' us to forget it Ah's a nigger 'cause somebody come over to Affica one time an' took my gran'daddy an' make him a nigger. That's the way Ah gets to be one, and it hain't got nothin* to do with the color o' my skin. It's got to do with people. People who plays the Lawd and make us somethin' we was never meant to be."
    Tom put his arms around her. "What is it, Ullah? What are you tellin' me?"
    She shrugged. "White folks never sees 'ceptin' they wants to see."
    "Why are you makin' me one of those white folks an* you a nigger?"
    "Ah doan know. Ah jes' doan know, Tom. Mebbe

    Ah's jes' feejin* a little low. Mebbe a little shame fo' lettin' mahseff believe you could take me away from all Ah is by makin' me yo' wife."
    "But I have!"
    "Oh, Tom, mah people doan make things real by wishin* 'em into bein' real. We lives by the way things is, an' the way you white folks make 'em. Those things is bad, Tom, an' we done make 'em worse. We broke that preten' worl' yo' folks fixed up nice fo' theyseffs. They ain't gwine let us do that. They let us, purty soon somebody else try it, an' afore you knows, that purty worl' they has is all gone.'*
    "You're talkin' gibberish."
    "Ah'm seein', an' yo' dreamin'I'*
    "Then for the love of heaven dream with me, Ullah. I'd rather not live than to lose you now."
    Her hand caressed his face. "Ah's not gwine away from you. Not never," she promised softly. "But it doan change nothin', Tom."
    He sighed deeply and began to walk back with her toward the carriage. "All this on account of some pukin* little shirttail boy."
    *That's a good boy," Ullah said positively. Then she opened her arms, gesturing and talking as though she saw a scene before her. "It's jes* like watchin' a big ol' flock o* swans come down on the lake. In they midst is one big one, a fine big black swan. He different than the res', an' you know that one, he gwine be special. Adam be special"
    Chapter Four
    Ullah stood to the side of the dray, waiting patiently for Tom to admit it was already loaded to overflowing with supplies for the house on the bayou.
    He looked over the wagon again, "ril get everythin' on. How many trips do you think we can make before someone notices where we're goin'? Damn house niggers are talkin' their fool heads off now."
    There was no room, and Tom knew it as well as she; but he was letting go of the life to which he