Ben: "Mashing raw ground half acre--some quarter. Mash 'em--take
hoe full up them hole, level dem, chop dem big sod!"
Stella: (age 65) "You got a mis-sheen (machine). Ox pull dat
mis-sheen!"
Ben: "Dat mis-sheen come in YOU day, darling! My day I trenching
hoe trench dat! I done dat, Stella. You come on sow in trench lak
(like) dey sow turnip. YOU day got mis-sheen! Ox pull 'em. Great I
AM! Missus, fifteen to old islant (island), twenty silver islant,
(I been Silver Islant. Cross old islant go Silver islant.) Josh
Ward one some four or five hundred acre. Something been here,
darling! Something been here! Left Brookgreen go Watsaw; left
Watsaw gone Longwood. Plant ALL DEM plantation. I work there. Cut
rice there. Cutting rice task been half acre a day.
"Squirrel creek? Cedar tree and cypress hang low. Squirrel love dem
ball. Tree work up wid dem. Good place for go shoot squirrel. Give
'em name Squirrel Creek.
"Bury live? I did hear some talk o' that. I didn't know whether
they bury 'em to scay 'em (scare 'em) or what. I DID hear tell bout
it. I most know that man name. Some these white people that day
something! They either manage you or kill you."
Lillie: (To Primus who was a listener to Uncle Ben standing propped
by a post of the porch where Uncle Ben, Aunt Stella, and the white
visitor sat)
"Prime! Why you keep that church door lock Sunday and not let the
Missus out?"
Primus: (Grinning--and he hadn't grinned Sunday but steadfastly
shook his head when, after a three hour service, guests thought it
time to go) "Second man next to me, Asham, Secretary, tell me keep
door shet through sacrament.
Ben: (Who is quite deaf--ignoring interruption--when asked about
Oregon Plantation which was owned by a family who, from all
accounts, had a cruel overseer.)
"I didn't have to much to do to Oregon in them dark days. If I go from
Brookgreen, I go Cap'n Josh git my mittment. Anybody bother me I say, 'I
not a run-way nigger! I got mittment!'
"Very FUSS girl--FUSS one I go with name wuz Teena. How many girl? Great
God! I tell you! FUSS one Teena; next Candis. Candis best looking but
Teena duh largest! Go there every Sunday after school. (Oatland
Plantation--blong to Marse Benjamine Allston.) Stay till sunset. Got to
have paper. Got to carry you paper. Dem patroller put you cross a log!
Beat you to death. I see them beat Ben Sharp. Beat 'em till Ben kin
hardly git cross fence. Jump over fence give 'em last chop! Patroll jess
like road men now! (Stella! That man ain't coming! I got to go! Got to
cook my supper. Cook dem crab--) Blood! Christ! Yes, man. Listen me.
Lemme tell you what I see wid my eye now! (here he pried both eyes wide
with his ten fingers) If I much of age reckon they have to kill me! I
see gash SO LONG (measuring on fore-finger) in my Mama--my own Mama!
(aside to Lillie) I shame fore Miss Jinny! If one them driver want you
(want big frame gal like you Lillie!) they give you task you CAN'T DO.
You getting this beating not for you task--for you flesh!"