Mama's so right, I thought. She's so right. After all. Betsy was about as spoiled as anyone could be.
Betsy heard me ascend the stairway. She came to her doorway. holding Panther in her arms. He looked awake, but still groggy.
"I know what she's doing." Betsy said. "She's stealing my money. I'll get help and she'll be in big trouble. You'll set."
"That's not true. Everything is proper and in order legally."
"I bet. God!" she cried. "Is this the way you want to live your whole life? Just working and never having any fun?"
"I'm not unhappy." I said, and went to look in on Baby Celeste.
She was awake, so I brought her down and we went outside. Betsy had walked down the driveway and stood near the road looking at it like someone looking through barbed wire. I could almost hear the argument going on inside her head, Run. Stay, To where would she run? What if she had to return? What if Mama was doing everything legally right after all and she walked away from more than $250,000?
Surely when she had returned, she had hoped to get a great deal of help from her father, now that she had an infant on her hands. With no money and with Panther to care for, she would not be able to do the things she had done in the past to get by. How manyvyoung men would want to take on an infant as well as her? No chain was around her ankle, but in her way of thinking now, there might as well be one.
She turned and walked back, her head down, her whole body sagging like a flag of defeat. I took Baby Celeste's hand and hurried away before she saw us. Despite everything, I couldn't stand looking into her eyes soaking in such agony. She was like some wild animal trapped and contained, tortured by memories and the sight of the world she had known and loved. It was close, but just enough beyond her reach to torment her,
When we went into the house later in the day, I saw she was polishing furniture in the living roam. Panther was asleep upstairs in his crib. Betsy didn't look at us. She worked harder. deciding I imagined, to do what Mama wanted her to do so she could see if she would be rewarded as Mama had promised. She went from one chore to another without a single complaint. Mama followed and inspected. She raised her eyebrows at me to indicate her approval and satisfaction.
"You did well today. Betsy," Mama told her at dinner. "You are capable of making a good change in yourself."
"Can I have some money soon?" Betsy immediately asked.
"Soon."
"How soon?"
"Very soon." Mama said. smiling. "Let's just be sure this new change coming about is real."
Betsy's temper was a like a raging beast chained down inside her. She didn't say a single nasty thing even though her eyes could have served as launching sites for nuclear missiles. She swallowed hard and ate her meal. Afterward, she cleaned the table and washed the dishes and finished polishing silverware. Even though Mama hadn't told her to do it, she scrubbed the kitchen floor and took out the garbage.
Afterward, she sat quietly in the living room holding Panther in her arms until he was ready for bed. She took him up and returned because she saw that Mama had let me turn on the television set. Betsy was upset that we could get only a few channels, but anything was better than nothing.
You should both get a good night's sleep" Mama declared after an hour or so. "Don't forget tomorrow we do the windows, and you were acing to put a new coat of varnish on the porch deck, Noble."
I rose and turned off the set. Betsy sat there staring at the dead screen as if she still saw the program we had been watching.
"Good night, Betsy," Mama said pointedly.
Betsy turned to her sharply. "Can I have the privilege of using the phone after we do the windows tomorrow?"
"We'll set," Mama said, and went to the stairway.
Betsy looked at me. if she doesn't let me, would you ask after this boy I knew in the village when you go in on an errand? His name is Greg Richards."
"I'm not doing any errands tomorrow." "Whenever you do!" she pleaded.
I listened for Mama's steps on the stairway, then I said. "We'll see." I know I must have sounded exactly like Mama.
Betsy's face reddened. "Please," she begged.
"We'll see," I repeated, and quickly followed Mama up the stairway.
She was waiting for me just outside her bedroom door. From the look on her face, I was sure she had overheard Betsy's request. She smiled at me.
"Good night. Noble. Have a good sleep," she said, and went into her bedroom.
I was undressed and into bed before I heard Betsy come up the stairway. Since her arrival. I had taken to wearing pajamas and keeping my breasts wrapped even when I slept. I had no lock on the inside of my door. All the rooms in the house had the oldfashioned skeleton-key locks that could be turned from the outside or inside, but I had never had a key. Before she had run off pregnant. Betsy had often burst in on me. I couldn't help but be afraid she would do it again.