Money
"Junie!" I called out loud. Because I birthed him and named him after his daddy, I call him Junie, sometimes Junebug. It surprised me, the door wasn’t locked, but I didn’t think nothin’, and I come in quiet from work. And when I seen him standing there with the TV in his arms, I just sang out, "Junie! What you think you’re doing with that set?" I didn’t expect no answer. "Your daddy come home and see that missin’, you know he gonna take ON!"
Junie just stand there, like he was waitin’ for me to go on and get done, so’s he could go ahead and give away the TV to some one of his junkie friends for about nothin’. And then the house would be tore up for days or weeks when big James come home. I knowed it and, Junie, he know it, too, from the way he look down at the top of that set.
"Look," he said, all mumbled up, but I could hear it, "I gotta go. I can’t be listenin’ to all this."
"You look," I says, "just put that set down. I’ll give you the money you was gonna get for it. I’d rather do that." Junie look up at me, sharp. "But you got to promise never to touch nothin’ in the house again." The minute I said it, I thought, "Where’s he gonna go for something to sell next time?" And my heart just clinched. Clinched!
But he put the set down, on the floor, not where it went. But he put it, and I reached for my bag.
"I got sixty dollar from Ms. Hedrick today, and I’m givin’ it to you." I took out the white, letter-envelope she give me the money in. "No, I’m not. I’m keepin’ three dollar, so’s I can get to work and home tomorrow. But don’t you never tell your daddy."
He took it, bashful-like and said he wouldn’t. After he gone, I pick up the set and hooked it back up on the stand. And then I set down and didn’t do nothin’ or think nothin’ or move nothin’.
James come in about like always and find me like that. It was like I couldn’t move. Like I want him to catch me out and blow up, blow me up, and be done with it.
"What you settin’ like that there for, honey?" James say, all nice. "You okay?" He can be awful nice when he try.
I don’t know what come over me. I don’t. Instead of jumpin’ up and sayin’ somethin’ sensible, I just bust out cryin’. James sat down with me and gather me up and I just wail on like a fool and can’t think of nothin’ to say but, "Aw, I was robbed on my way home, James." Which was plenty and enough, but I couldn’t stop myself. "He took my money. He took all my money," I stutter out between tears. I just couldn’t stop sayin’ it. "He took my money.
Junie just stand there, like he was waitin’ for me to go on and get done, so’s he could go ahead and give away the TV to some one of his junkie friends for about nothin’. And then the house would be tore up for days or weeks when big James come home. I knowed it and, Junie, he know it, too, from the way he look down at the top of that set.
"Look," he said, all mumbled up, but I could hear it, "I gotta go. I can’t be listenin’ to all this."
"You look," I says, "just put that set down. I’ll give you the money you was gonna get for it. I’d rather do that." Junie look up at me, sharp. "But you got to promise never to touch nothin’ in the house again." The minute I said it, I thought, "Where’s he gonna go for something to sell next time?" And my heart just clinched. Clinched!
But he put the set down, on the floor, not where it went. But he put it, and I reached for my bag.
"I got sixty dollar from Ms. Hedrick today, and I’m givin’ it to you." I took out the white, letter-envelope she give me the money in. "No, I’m not. I’m keepin’ three dollar, so’s I can get to work and home tomorrow. But don’t you never tell your daddy."
He took it, bashful-like and said he wouldn’t. After he gone, I pick up the set and hooked it back up on the stand. And then I set down and didn’t do nothin’ or think nothin’ or move nothin’.
James come in about like always and find me like that. It was like I couldn’t move. Like I want him to catch me out and blow up, blow me up, and be done with it.
"What you settin’ like that there for, honey?" James say, all nice. "You okay?" He can be awful nice when he try.
I don’t know what come over me. I don’t. Instead of jumpin’ up and sayin’ somethin’ sensible, I just bust out cryin’. James sat down with me and gather me up and I just wail on like a fool and can’t think of nothin’ to say but, "Aw, I was robbed on my way home, James." Which was plenty and enough, but I couldn’t stop myself. "He took my money. He took all my money," I stutter out between tears. I just couldn’t stop sayin’ it. "He took my money.