Page 17 of Under the Tulip Tree
My gaze shifted to Miz Sadie. Hard, cold eyes bored into me. “I sorry, Mistress Hall,” I whispered, fresh tears spilling from my eyes, not from pain but from unfairness.
“See there, the girl didn’t mean to do it.” Master Hall patted his wife on the arm.
“Get her out of my sight. I don’t want this revolting creature anywhere near Charlotte.”
I didn’t know whatrevoltingmeant, but I knew Mammy’d be disappointed I wasn’t to be Miss Charlotte’s companion. I was glad though. I wouldn’t want to be in this house with Miz Sadie. I sniffled, ready to be away from this place and these people. My hand hurt terribly, as did my head. All I wanted was Mammy’s arms around me, soothing me and telling me it wasn’t my fault.
“Now, now, there’s no need for it to come to that. It wasan accident. She’s sorry and won’t ever do it again. Isn’t that right, Frances?” Master Hall looked at me.
I didn’t want to be Miss Charlotte’s companion, but I was afraid he might turn the poker on me if I didn’t agree.
“Yes’m, Master Hall.”
He gave a satisfied nod, then looked to Aunt Liza. “Tell Lucindia to take her on home, but bring her back in the morning.”
Aunt Liza escorted me from the parlor. As soon as I’d cleared the threshold, I took off running toward the kitchen, my poor hand throbbing. Mammy had her fingers deep in a big ball of dough, but that didn’t stop me from charging to her, crying and blubbering about the mistreatment I’d received. I wrapped my uninjured arm around her hips and clung to her as I’d never done before.
“Good gracious, chile, what be wrong?”
I felt her lift her apron above my head, most likely to wipe the dough from her hands.
“She done made water on the Halls’ parlor carpet.” Aunt Liza’s voice thundered from the doorway behind me. “Miz Sadie smacked her with the poker for it.”
“Oh, Lord,” Mammy breathed, and I felt her body sag. “What you gone an’ done, chile?”
I looked up through my tears. “I don’t wanna ever come back here. Miz Sadie a devil woman.”
Mammy gasped, as did Aunt Liza. “Hush, chile.” Her worry-filled gaze searched the spacious kitchen. The otherhousehold slaves must have been busy elsewhere because we were the only three occupants in the room. “You can’t never say anythin’ like that ’bout Miz Sadie. She mistress of this here plantation and that be all you gotta know.”
Why was Mammy angry with me instead of being angry with Miz Sadie?
I held out my pitiful, hurting hand. “Look what she done.”
Blood oozed from a long split in the skin across my knuckles, and two of my fingers pointed in a different direction than the others.
Mammy stared at my hand, then met Aunt Liza’s gaze. “That woman ain’t got no leave to do this to a child. She only six years old.”
Aunt Liza came over. She looked at my hand and some of the bluster seemed to seep out of her. She shook her head. “I’ll get a rag to wrap it in.” And off she went.
Mammy knelt beside me and used her apron to carefully dab at blood from the wound in my head. “I sorry she hurt you, Frankie girl. I so, so sorry.” Her arms went around me, tucking me safely against her warm body.
I sniffled, appeased that Mammy understood. “She won’t let me be Frankie, neither. Says I has to be Frances if I’m gonna play with Charlotte.” I pulled away so I could look into Mammy’s dark-brown eyes. “I don’t want to play with her. I want to stay in the quarter.”
Aunt Liza returned just then with a long strip of cloth for my hand. “Master Hall say she gotta come back tomorrow. Miz Sadie ain’t happy ’bout it.”
Mammy and Aunt Liza exchanged a look I didn’t understand.
I shook my head. “I don’t wanna ever come here again. I’ll help Saul pick worms.”
Tears sprang to Mammy’s eyes. She took me by the shoulders and gave me a little shake. “You ain’t got no choice, Frankie. We is slaves. If Master Hall says you gotta play with Miss Charlotte, then you has to obey. Same as me. Same as Liza. Same as Saul. Ain’t none of us gets to choose. We just gotta obey so’s things goes well for us.” Her brow tugged as her gaze roamed over my face. “Do you understand what I’s tellin’ you?”
I did, but I didn’t like it. “You’s sayin’ I gotta play with Charlotte.”
“MissCharlotte.” Mammy’s hard tone hurt my feelings.
“Miss Charlotte,” I repeated, angry tears dripping from my lashes.
Aunt Liza wrapped my hand while I screamed in pain. Mammy sat watching, tears streaming down her cheeks too. She carried me back to the quarter and tucked me into the big bed I shared with her and my siblings.
