Leaving Gee's Bend Read Online Free Page B

fire. As the embers caught new pieces of wood and the flame rose higher, my heart began to slow down a little. It felt good to finally be doing something useful.
    Meanwhile Etta Mae took a closer look at Mama. If Mama noticed it wasn’t me by her side, she didn’t let on. She was too busy groaning as the pain took hold again. As Etta Mae tucked the quilt in around her shoulders, Mama wrinkled her nose and pushed her lips out like Delilah does when the hay has begun to mildew. Then she started taking short breaths like she’d just run clear across the cotton field.
    “Something ain’t right, Ludelphia,” Mama said between breaths. “Something ain’t right!” Mama’s eyes darted around the room like she was searching for something but just couldn’t find it noplace. Then she pulled her legs up toward her chest and started shaking so hard her teeth was rattling. I reckon on account of the fever.
    “Need a good knife,” Etta Mae said, turning away from Mama.
    I took a deep breath and made my voice stay calm even though my insides was shaking just as fast as Mama’s teeth. “What for?”
    “To put under the bed. To cut the pain.”
    I ain’t never heard of such a thing, but I nodded my head anyway and pointed toward the spot high in the wall where Mama kept the knife. The blade caught the sunlight and flashed like lightning when Etta Mae yanked it out of the wood. Next thing I knew, Etta Mae had pushed that knife deep into Mama’s mattress where you couldn’t see it no more.
    “Everything’s okay, Mama,” I said, even though at that moment I wasn’t sure it was true.
    I studied the pot of water. Steam was just starting to rise. “Water will soon be ready, Mama.” The one thing I did know about was what to do with the water. “Then we’ll wipe you down so everything’s good and clean for the baby.” I swallowed. “And when the baby comes, we’ll wipe it down too.”
    Mama didn’t make no reply except to start up with a new round of coughing that jolted her body in an unnatural way. I couldn’t watch no more, so I let my head hang down until I was looking through the floorboards at the chickens.
    I wanted to cry. I want to blink and have it all be over.
    “Ludelphia,” Etta Mae said, “now, you know there’s gonna be some blood, right?” She waited for me to nod. “Just the way it is when babies come. Don’t you worry about it none. You just do what I say and everything’s gonna be just fine.”
    I nodded again and felt my shoulders relax. After all these years, I was used to Etta Mae telling me what to do.
    “Get two good quilts,” she said. “Put one up under her legs, keep the other one down near her feet. That one will be for the baby.”
    From the stack next to the door I pulled Mama’s favorite Housetop quilt and an old Nine Patch pattern that was ripped in places. Just as I was getting Mama’s legs settled on top of the old Nine Patch, Mama got quiet and sat straight up in bed. Her eyes was open, but they was blank as the chalkboard on the first day of school.
    “Lord, Jesus,” Mama said in a loud, clear voice, “I’m coming home!” Wasn’t no mistaking them words. Mama reached out her arms like she was gonna hug somebody. But there wasn’t nobody there. Just me waiting at the foot of the bed and in between us nothing but air.
    “Big Mama? That you?” Mama said, her eyebrows raised and the whites of her eyes shot with little red lines. Then she grabbed hold of my wrist. Her fingers clamped down so tight wasn’t no way for blood to get to my fingers. Just as they was starting to tingle, Mama all of a sudden turned me loose.
    “No, Mama.” I rubbed my wrist with the fingers on my other hand. “It’s just me, Ludelphia. Ain’t nobody else here.”
    I looked at the door where I knew Etta Mae was waiting and thought, What if it was true? I thought about how she yanked that knife out of the wall, then shoved it up under Mama’s mattress. What if she really was a witch and