Louisiana Cultural Vistas - Spring 2009 - (Page 71) dead and die,” she told Tut, after Tut told her about the last baby. Black would never marry Tut because he was divorced, and she would always be his unlawful wife according to the Catholic church. Black was a devout Catholic man. After ten years of marriage, his wife left him and took the children. He was hurt when his wife left him, but words and begging couldn’t make her stay. Maymay thought that any monogamous relationship was good for Tut because she was sleeping around town with men and having sex, not wanting a relationship or anything. When Tut would come back at night from her late escapades, Maymay would yell at her in a fit of rage from Calming herself down by picking up her pipe, Maymay just rocked softly in the black-leather chair and looked at Tut in admiration. “Are the children going?” Celeste asked cautiously as she held a faded white pillowcase, ready to pack their clothes. They didn’t have much to pack, but Celeste had gathered their belongings, everything just in case. Celeste knew that T-Red would want her to take care of Maymay because she had caught a stroke a year ago, and Maymay had suffered a nervous breakdown because of all the problems that Tut caused. Celeste knew that she herself would have to help Maymay with Tut and Bumblebee’s children. The children began to walk slowly to the door. Maymay waited for the impending yet predictable answer that she knew Black would utter. For the first time since the her tiny room as Tut fumbled through the rear window of the house “Un sac vide et un seche chatte ne correspondent pas,” she would say it in French in case the children were awake, not wanting them to hear such foul language. Resuming her sleep, she had given up pleading with Tut about her reckless behavior. “Mais yeah, I told you your whole life was over after you had all of them children. No one would want you with four children. Not even the men who hide in the sugarcane want you cause you dried up. Well, this is really your last chance.” Maymay looked at Tut who sat on the sofa. conversation began, she stared long and hard at Black as if only she and he were the only two people in her living room. Her eyes revealed to him her expert knowledge of his intentions. There was a long pause as everyone waited for the answer that Maymay already knew as she shook her head up and down and rocked steadily — not too fast, yet not too slow. Just calmly and softly. The pipe was fixed at the corner of her mouth, and she just inhaled the taste as the tobacco was now gone. “Well, speak up,” T-Red yelled at Black from the wooden screen door. He was agitated, and his voice was loud and Spring 2009/LOUISIANA CULTURAL VISTAS 71
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