Prose Fiction and Non-Fiction Prose: A Thirtieth Anniversary Issue || My Uncle and the Fat Lady

My Uncle and the Fat LadyAuthor(s): Ernest J. GainesSource: Callaloo, Vol. 30, No. 3, Prose Fiction and Non-Fiction Prose: A Thirtieth AnniversaryIssue (Summer, 2007), pp. 684-695Published by: The Johns Hopkins University PressStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/30139263 .

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MY UNCLE AND THE FAT LADY

by Ernest J. Gaines

Me and Toby were shooting marbles in the front yard, and every time I stood up I saw Uncle Murphy whispering in Miss Pearl Anne's ear. I would get down on my knees and shoot again, and if I missed, I would stand up and there he was whispering in Miss Pearl Anne's ear again. Uncle Murphy and Miss Pearl Anne were in the front room, and Miss Pearl Anne was sitting in the rocking chair. Uncle Murphy was moving from one side of the chair to the other, whispering in Miss Pearl Anne's ear. Grandma was back in the kitchen, and she didn't know what was going on up front. And Uncle Murphy just kept on. (You see, Uncle Murphy was Grandma's brother, and Miss Pearl Anne was Grandma's good friend, and he always came down the quarters when he knowed Miss Pearl was visiting Grandma. He was married, just like Miss Pearl Anne was married, but he didn't care. If he knowed Miss Pearl Anne was going to be at Grandma's house, he was going to show up. I didn't like it. I didn't like it a bit. But I was a little boy, and what could I do about it?) I got down on my knees and shot, and when I stood up, there he was at it again, from one ear to the other ear. Miss Pearl Anne would wave her hand like she was waving at a gnat or a mosquito or a fly, but Uncle Murphy would just shift to the other ear. Over and over and over. Then when I stood up one time I saw that Miss Pearl Anne had left the rocking chair, and headed down the walk toward the toilet, but she didn't go in the toilet, she crossed the ditch and went into the cane field.

"Shoot up," Toby said to me. I got down on my knees and got a marble, then I shot again and missed. When I stood

up I saw my Uncle Murphy going down the walk toward the toilet, but he did just like Miss Pearl Anne did, he went by the toilet and crossed the ditch into the cane field.

"You go'n shoot Marbles?" Toby said to me. I got down and shot and missed, and I told Toby I had to go to the toilet. "How come you have to go to the toilet every time I'm winning-hanh? "Because I have to go," I said. "I ain't go'n do my business on myself." "Every time I'm winning you go'n do something on yourself-every time I'm win-

ning." I hurried back to the toilet and closed the door, and I could hear my Uncle Murphy and

Miss Pearl Anne talking low. Then they got quiet, then I heard my Uncle Murphy grunting, just a grunting. I didn't hear nothing from Miss Pearl Anne, but I heard my uncle-just a grunting. It went on quite like that, then it was quiet. It stayed quiet for a little while, then I heard Miss Pearl Anne saying, "Help me up from here." It was quiet a little, then I heard my Uncle Murphy saying, "You got to push a little bit." And I heard Miss Pearl Anne saying, "You got your belly fully, you done got weak-I'm pushing."

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Uncle Murphy said, "Wait, let me try from the back. Sit up some, and I'll push from the back. Then he said, "You got to sit up more. Sit up more."

Miss Pearl Anne said, "I'm sitting up much as I can. You better help me get up from here. Your belly full, you done got weak, hanh?"

And my uncle saying, "You got to try to stand up when I push. Now, I'm pushing, I'm pushing." I could tell from his voice he was pushing hard. Then I heard him saying, "Lord, have mercy."

And Miss Pearl Anne saying, "Lord have mercy -some nothing. You better help me get up from here."

"Can't you turn a little bit?" my uncle said. "Turn how?" Miss Pearl Anne said. "I can't turn an inch. You better get me up from

here." "I'm trying, I'm trying," my uncle said. "Lord-Lord have mercy." "You can 'Lord have mercy' much as you want," Miss Pearl Anne said. "You better

get me up from here." "Push," my uncle said. "I'm pushing." Miss Pearl Anne said. "Push harder." "I'm pushing hard." "Lord, have mercy," I heard Uncle Murphy saying. His voice sounded like he was

pulling or pushing hard as he could. "You better get me out of here," Miss Pearl Anne said. "I mean you better get me up

from here. You done got your belly full, and you done got weak, you better get me up from here."

"I'm go'n need help," I heard uncle Murphy saying. "What kind of help?" "My brother Herbert." "I don't want nobody else seeing me back here." "He won't talk." "He go'n see me." "I can't do nothing else, I need help." "You didn't no help few minutes ago-bouncing on me and grunting and grunting." "Push," my uncle said. "Push." "I'm pushing." "I have to go find Herbert," uncle Murphy said. "You ain't leaving me back here, and a snake come up here and bite me," Miss Pearl

Ann said. "I got to get help," Uncle Murphy said. "I got to get help." "You leave me here, I'm go'n holler. I'm go'n call your name. You little crawny little

nothing." "Lord, have mercy," my uncle said. "Lord, have mercy on me." "You better get me up from here," Miss Pearl Anne said. "And I got to go fix my hus-

band supper. You better get me up from here." "Wait," Uncle Murphy said. "I'll get Jerry to go get Herbert. Take it easy, Sweetie

Pie."

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My uncle came up to the ditch and started calling me like he thought I was still in the front yard shooting marbles.

"Hanh" I said in the toilet. "You in there?" I came out where he was. He was sweating. His face was wet. His shirt was wet. Even

his cap was wet. "Go find your uncle Herbert," he said. He took off his cap and wiped his face and his

bald head. "He's at home. Tell him get here quick. Give you a nickel when you get back. Now, hurry, hurry."

I ran up to the front where Toby was still on his knees shooting marbles all by himself. I told him come go with me, and he put all his marbles in his pocket, and we started down the quarter to Uncle Herbert's house. I'm eleven and Toby is nine and I can beat him run- ning, but I always hold back so he can keep up with me. Uncle Herbert and Mr. Charlie Hawkins was out on the gallery, and Uncle Herbert had just finished cutting Mr. Charlie's hair, and he was shaking the hair out of the towel that he puts around your shoulders. He asked us if we were coming down there for a haircut. I told him no sir, we come down here to get him for Uncle Murphy. He told us to come on into the yard, and when we got to the gallery he asked me what was that again. I told him Uncle Murphy told me to come here because he needed some help.

"What kind of help?" "Well, I don't know if I ought to say this. I'm just a little boy." "What that got to do with it?" Uncle Herbert said. "Toby, go stand by the gate," I said. "I ain't going nowhere," Toby said. "I'm tired." I told Uncle Herbert that let me and him go stand at the end of the gallery. Uncle Herbert

looked at Mr. Charlie, and Mr. Charlie shrugged his shoulders. Uncle Herbert followed me to the other end of the gallery so nobody could hear us.

"Miss Pearl Anne back there in that cane field, and Uncle Murphy can't help her up.

11 "What?" Uncle Herbert said. "Yessir." "You sure you know what you saying?" "Yessir. Down 'tween them rows and can't get up." Uncle Herbert put his hand over his mouth and looked at me laughing. He started

shaking his head, still laughing. He told Mr. Charlie that he would catch up with him later, and after he had gone inside and put away the clippers and towel he told me and Toby to follow him back to Grandma's. When we came in the yard, I pointed toward the cane field. "Behind the toilet," I said.

"What's going on out there?" Grandma asked from the kitchen window. "Miss Pearl Anne can't get up," I said. "What?" Grandma said. "She laying back there in that middle, and she can't get up. Uncle Murphy back there

with her." Grandma fixed her mouth to say something, then she looked at Uncle Herbert. Uncle

Herbert was laughing.

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"Y'all stay here," Grandma said. "You and Toby go back to the front and play." "Can't I help her up?" "You heard what I said, boy." Grandma started down the walk walking heavy, heavy. She's not big as Miss Pearl

Anne, but she older than Miss Pearl Anne, and she walk heavy and slow. Uncle Herbert helped her cross the ditch to go in the cane field. After they had crossed the first row, I told Toby I had to go to the toilet.

"I'm go'n tell, too," Toby said. "You keep your mouth shut, I'll give you a nickel. "Where the nickel?" "Uncle Murphy go'n give me a nickel for getting Uncle Herbert." "I better get my nickel," Toby said. "Or, I'll tell. "You go'n get your nickel," I said. "Now, go back to the front and shoot marbles." When I got back to the toilet, I heard them talking. I heard Grandma saying, "Lord,

Pearl Anne, you all right?" "Dot, what you doing back here?" Miss Pearl Anne said. "What you doing back here, yourself?" Grandma said. "Messing round with your brother when I shoulda been at my house fixing my hus-

band supper," Miss Pearl Anne said. "Now, I can't get up. And him, a little old good for nothing, too weak to help me up."

"That's the Lord's doing," Grandma said. "That's the Lord's doing." "Don't start that," Uncle Murphy said. "Herbert, get over there and grab that other

arm." It was quiet a little while. "Pull," Uncle Murphy said. Then he said it again, louder. "Pull." Then it was quiet again. They musta been resting. "Wait," Grandma said. "Let me get behind her and push-and y'all pull." I could hear some moving through the cane. Then I heard Grandma saying, "Pull." I heard some straining. Then Grandma again,

"Pull." Then again, "Pull." It was a quiet a while, then Grandma said: "It's the Lord doing, it's the Lord doing." "It ain't the Lord, it's him," Miss Pearl Anne said. "When I ought to be home cooking

my husband supper. You better get me up from here." "I left my pot on the stove," Grandma said. "I'll be back." Grandma had to go right by the toilet, and I was hoping she wouldn't have to come in

there. She went by humming a church song to herself. I heard my Uncle Murphy saying: "Ready? All right, Pull. Pull." Uncle Herbert said, "We ain't getting nowhere. We go'n need more than just me and

you. "I don't want nobody else seeing me down here," Miss Pearl Anne said. "You little no

good nothing. I don't know why I messed with you in the first place." "I wonder if a mule can get her up," Uncle Herbert said. "How you mean?" "Let her hold onto the lines, and let the mule pull, and we push. That ought to do

it. /I

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"Might work," Uncle Murphy said. It was quiet a while, then he said, "Sweetie Pie, we go'n get a mule."

"You little no good weakling," Miss Pearl Anne said. "I get out of here, I'm go'n tell my husband how you kept after me. I'm going up the quarter and tell your wife how you kept after me. You better get me out of here 'fore my husband come home from work."

"I'll get one of the mules," Uncle Herbert said. "Just stay calm." Uncle Herbert came across the ditch, and I came out of the toilet. "What you doing back here?" he asked me. "I had to go to the toilet." Uncle Herbert looked at me like he knowed I had been listening. "You know how to catch a mule?" "Uh-huh." "Go catch Bird, put the trace chains on her and bring her here. Go on. Hurry." Toby was in the front yard shooting marbles all by himself, and I told him to come go

with me to catch Bird. He put all his marbles in his pocket, and we ran down to Uncle Herbert's house, and got into the lot where Bird and Red were standing against the fence. Red is a big red mule, and Bird is a little brown mule, and me and Toby had a hard time cornering her, like she knowed we needed her to do some work. But we got her, and put the trace chains on her and me and Toby got on her and rode her back to Grandma's house. Grandma was standing at the kitchen window washing dishes in her dish pan.

"What y'all doing on that mule?" she hollered at me. "Uncle Herbert told me to bring her here." "What?" Grandma said. "You lying to me, boy?" "No'm. Uncle Herbert told us to go catch Bird and bring her here so they can pull Miss

Pearl Anne up." "Well, you take that mule to Herbert, and bring your butt to me." "He made me do it," Toby said. "He'd give me a nickel." "You take that mule," Grandma said. "And, Toby, you get your butt in here. I'll start

with you first." "He made me do it, he made me do it," Toby said, sliding off Bird over her tail. "He

made me do it-saying he was go'n give me a nickel." "Take that mule back to your uncle," Grandma said. "Toby, come in here and pull

down them pants." "Come up here, Bird," I said, and kicked her with my bare heel. I went across the yard,

with the trace chains just a jingling. Uncle Herbert met me at the ditch and I handed him the lines.

"Okay," Uncle Herbert said. "You can go back. You too young to stay back here." I could hear Toby hollering. "Grandma go'n whip me if I go back," I said. "Then get in the toilet, I'll talk to her later," Uncle Herbert said. He led Bird 'cross a row of cane, and I could hear the cane stalks breaking. I was in the toilet, and I heard Uncle Murphy saying, "We go'n try this, Sweetie Pie. I

want you to hold tight on the lines, and me and Herbert go'n get behind you and push, and you try to stand up. Hold tight on the lines, now. You ready, Herbert?"

"Ready," Uncle Herbert said. "One, two, three, get up, Bird. Push, push."

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I heard a lot of straining, then Miss Pearl Anne screaming, stop, stop, y'all pulling my arms off." Now, Grandma was back there again. "What y'all doing? What y'all doing to that woman? Murphy?" "Just trying to get her up." "Poor soul, poor soul," Grandma was saying. "Help me, help me, Dot," Miss Pearl said. "They trying to kill me with that mule. "It's the Lord's doing," Grandma said. "It's the Lord's doing. When you do sin it's the

Lord's doing." "It was your brother," Miss Pearl Anne said. "It's still sinning," Grandma said. "It's the Lord's doing. The Lord's against sin." "I'm so sorry, Dot. I'm just so sorry." "I know you sorry, I know you sorry," Grandma said. "It was your brother." "He's my brother-but he's still no good." "I just did it 'cause he's your brother-and me and you good friends." "I know, I know," Grandma said. It was quiet a while. Then Grandma said: "You feel

a little better?" "Uh-huh," Miss Pearl Anne said. "But I still can't stand up. My husband be coming

soon from his work. What I'm go'n say, Dot? What I'm go'n say?" "It's the Lord's doing," Grandma said. "It's the Lord's doing." "Maybe you right, Dot." "All right," Uncle Hebert said. "Let's try again. Dot, you stand in front of Bird and

take hold of the lines. When I tell her to 'get up' you move slow. When I say 'stop', stop. You got that?"

"I know what 'get up' and 'stop' mean," Grandma said. "First, we got to roll you over some. Sweetie Pie," Uncle Murphy said, "Help me,

Herbert." I heard them straining and groaning. "You all right, Pearl Anne?" Grandma said. "If I can get straightened out little bit more, I be okay." "All right," Uncle Murphy said. "Move Bird slow." "Come up, Bird," Grandma said. It was quiet about a second, then Miss Pearl Anne started screaming again. "Stop, stop. Y'all killing me." Then she started crying. "Oh, Lord have mercy, Jesus.

Have mercy on me. Please have mercy on me." I heard Grandma saying, "Shhh, shhh, we go'n figure a way to get you out of this. Just

hold on, hold on. We go'n figure out something. It's the Lord's doing." "You think a board can help?" I heard Uncle Herbert saying. "A board-how? Uncle Murphy said. "Set it behind her, and let her scoot back on it. Me and you raise her up." "Might work," Uncle Murphy said. "Where we go'n find one that strong?" It was quite a while. Like they was thinking. "Johnny Paul's old gallery," Uncle Herbert said. "Let's try it," Uncle Murphy said.

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"Don't y'all leave me," Miss Pearl Anne said. "Don't leave me, and a snake come up here and bite me."

"I'm go'n stay with you," Grandma said. "It's the Lord's doing." Uncle Murphy and Uncle Herbert went by the toilet, and I waited till they were out of

sight, and I went up to the front where Toby was shooting marbles all by himself. "Where my nickel?" he said. "I ain't got it yet." "Well, you better hurry and get it, or I'm go'n sure tell." Uncle Murphy and Uncle Herbert had crossed the road and gone to Mr. Johnny Paul's

old house. Mr. Johnny Paul and his family had moved out of the house years ago, and the yard was covered with weeds and bushes. I couldn't see Uncle Murphy and Uncle Herbert, but I could hear them. They were walking across the gallery-and I heard Uncle Herbert saying, "I think I found a good one-loose, too."

Then they were coming back with the board, with Uncle Herbert walking in front, and Uncle Murphy carrying the other end.

"Can't I have my nickel?" I said to Uncle Murphy. "What nickel?" "For getting Uncle Herbert." "You go'n have to wait. Can't you see I'm busy?" I waited till they crossed the ditch, then I ran back there and got in the toilet. I heard

Uncle Herbert saying, "I see Bird had to do little business while we was gone." It was quiet, but I'm sure Grandma was looking at Uncle Herbert the way she looks at

me and Toby after we've said something out of order. "What we want you to do is try to scoot up on the board," I heard Uncle Murphy say-

ing. "Wait, we got to knock down this row some. Herbert, you knock down the row over there, flat as you can. Mash that cane down much as you can. Mash it down. Get the row level with the middle-then we want you to scoot back. Dig your heels in the ground and scoot back hard as you can."

I heard some cane stalks breaking, and I heard them kicking the ground. Then I heard Uncle Murphy saying, "Dig your heels in the ground and scoot back. Scoot."

"I'm scooting." "Scoot harder." "She's scooting hard as she can," Grandma said. "Wait," Uncle Murphy said. "Herbert, grab holt her other arm, and I'm go'n grab holt

this one, and we go'n raise her up and set on the board." It was quiet a while, then Uncle Murphy said, "On three-hoist her: one, two, three-up. Scoot, scoot. Shit-scoot."

"Don't you be cussing me back here," I heard Miss Pearl Anne saying. "I wouldn't back here in the first place, if it wasn't for you."

"Herbert, again, on three, hoist. One, two, three. Hoist. Shit-scoot, scoot." "It ain't no use," Uncle Herbert said. "We go'n need something stronger than me and

you. The sheriff. They say he got something to lift up heavy weight." "I don't wan't no sheriff back here," Miss Pearl Anne said. "You got me back here, and

you better get me out of here. I don't want see no sheriff." "Let's try again," Uncle Murphy said. "Move the board farther under her butt. Way

under her butt."

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"Hold it," Miss Pearl Anne said. "You hurting me." "You want us to get you out of here, or you don't want us to get you out of here?"

Uncle Murphy said. "You got me here, you better get me out of here," Miss Pearl Anne said. "If we had a crane," Uncle Herbert said. "The closest one is in Bayonne." "I don't want see no crane," Miss Pearl Anne said. "Get me out of here, or I'll start

hollering." "It's the Lord's doing," Grandma said. "It's your brother's doing," Miss Pearl Anne said. "I go check on my pots," Grandma said. "I won't be long." "Don't leave me, Dot, please," Miss Pearl Anne said. "I'll be right back," Grandma said. She passed right by the toilet, and she didn't have to come in. "Wait," Uncle Herbert said. "Tony Jarreau got a crane." "Whistling Tony?" Uncle Murphy said. "And he's just up the road a piece," Uncle Murphy said. "I don't want see no crane," Miss Pearl said. "We got to get you up from here," Uncle Murphy said. "You better get me up from here," Miss Pearl Anne said. "Go see if you can get him," Uncle Murphy said. "My keys in the car." Uncle Herbert had to come to the toilet. "You still here?" he said to me. "Uh-huh." "Get out so I can do my business." I went out, but I stayed in the back yard. When he came out the toilet, I asked him

could I go with him to get Whistling Tony? "That's up to your grandma," Uncle Herbert said. "We don't have to tell her." Uncle Herbert looked down at me and grinned. I liked Uncle Herbert. He was good

and kind. "Come on," he said. Toby was in the front yard shooting marbles all by himself. "Where y'all going?" he asked. "I'm going with Uncle Herbert somewhere," I said. "I'm going, too," Toby said. "No, you ain't." "I'm go'n tell." "I'll give you another nickel." "You better. You better," Toby said. "I mean you better." Me and Uncle Herbert went out the yard, and Uncle Herbert put his hand on my head

and said, "You can stand a little trim." "Uh-huh." Uncle Herbert turned the car around in front of Mr. Johnny Paul's old house, and we

left the quarter. We didn't have to go no more than a mile up the road, and we were in front of Whistling Tony's house. Whistling Tony and his wife, Miss Louise, was sitting

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out on the gallery in rocking chairs. Uncle Herbert told me not to say Whistling Tony in front of Whistling Tony, but to say Mr. Tony. We pulled the gate and went into the yard. That little brown and white dog came up to us and started barking, but Miss Louise told us not to worry, Skipper didn't bite. We came up to the gallery and Uncle Herbert took his hat off and spoke, and they spoke back. Whistling Tony had kicked his shoes off, and I could see the bottom of his feet.

"How y'all feeling today? Uncle Herbert said. "Fine, and yourself?" Miss Louise said. "Mr. Tony, sir, can you come help us raise something heavy," Uncle Herbert said. "What

you raising, a log?" "No sir. Not quite. Something else." "Something else?" Whistling Tony said. "Yes sir." Uncle Herbert looked at Miss Louise like he didn't want to talk in front of

her. "I'll step inside," Miss Louise said. "No, you stay here," Whistling Tony said. He looked at Uncle Herbert. "What should I raise?" "A lady," Uncle Herbert said. "A what?" "She kinda heavy, and she got stuck between two rows of cane, and we can't get her "

up. "You called an ambulance?" "No sir." "That's what you call-an ambulance." "She ain't hurt." "How do you know?" "She can move some." "That don't mean she ain't hurt. I think you ought to call an ambulance." "Well, no sir," Uncle Herbert said. "Miss Louise, can you excuse us a minute-please

ma'am?" "Sure," Miss Louise said. "I got a pot on the stove." She got up and went inside. "It ain't like that," Uncle Herbert said. "They went back in the field, you know, to do

something. She laid down in the middle, and now she can't get up." "I see you're driving Murphy's car. Murphy the one had her back there?" "Yes sir." "Well, I'll be damned. I'll be damned. Old possum got caught in his own trap, hanh.

One here. One there. One here. One there. Who is this one?" "Pearl Anne Williams." "Pearl Anne?" Whistling Tony almost hollered. "No wonder y'all couldn't pick her up.

That woman weighs a ton." Uncle Herbert nodded. "Yes sir." "Louise?" Whistling Tony called his wife. Miss Louise must have been standing just inside the door listening, because she came

out right away.

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"You won't believe this," Whistling Tony said. "Believe what?" He told her in creole. "Oh Lord," Miss Louise said, patting her breasts a few times. "Poor soul, poor soul.

Go help them Tony." "It go'n cost you," Whistling Tony said. "Yes sir?" "I got to crank up that truck, oil that crane, and I'm go'n have to knock down a couple rows

of cane, and Jack Major ain't going to like that. Murphy ready to pay for all of that?" "Yes sir." "You sure now?" "Yes sir." "Okay, go on back. I'll be there in a few minutes." "I'm going with you," Miss Louise said. "Poor thing might need help." "Where is she?" Whistling Tony said, slipping on his shoes and standing up. "Behind the toilet at Dot's house. Couple rows back." "How is Dot?" Miss Louise asked. "Just fine, Miss Louise." "Tell her I said howdy." "She's back there in the field." "I'll see her," Miss Louse said. "Come on, Tony. Come on. Poor soul might be suffer-

ing." "Y' all take off. I'll catch up with you," Whistling Tony said. When we got back to the house, Toby asked me for his nickel again. I told him I would

give them when I got them. He told me to hurry and get them or he would tell. I followed Uncle Herbert back to the field.

"Can I stay with you?" I said. "I don't know. But come on," Uncle Herbert said. We crossed the ditch, and I saw Uncle Murphy standing over Grandma and Miss

Pearl Anne. Grandma was sitting down side Miss Pearl Anne, patting her on the back, comforting her.

Then I heard the truck, and I looked back and I saw Whistling Tony coming down the cane row. I could see the crane high over the truck. Whistling Tony came up and stopped and jumped down to the ground. Miss Louise hopped down and came over the row where Grandma was sitting beside Miss Pearl Anne.

"Lord, have mercy, Dot, what you doing back here?" she said. "Pearl Anne, how you feeling?"

"I'm doing all right, Miss Louise," Miss Pearl Anne said. "Oh, Lord, Lord, Lord," Miss Louise said. "Dot?" "Just trying to comfort her," Grandma said. Miss Louise got down on her knees and started patting Miss Pearl Anne on the back. Whistling Tony was walking around them, looking at Miss Pearl Anne mostly, like he

was sizing her up. He was whistling to himself all the time. He stopped, and scratched his ear. "Well, I reckoned I'll have to back the truck back

here and whip that belt over her, and try to get her to scoot back on it. Yep. Yep." Then

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he whistled to himself again. Then he looked at Bird. Bird had already done something again. "I see you got Bird back here, too."

"We tried everything," Uncle Herbert said. "Bird's a little puny, ain't she?" "She do all right," Uncle Herbert said. "For a light load." Whistling Tony moved stalks of cane out of his way as walked around everybody again.

He stopped in front of Uncle Murphy. "Murphy, old boy, now this is going to cost you." "Yes sir?" Uncle Murphy said. Whistling Tony looked at Miss Pearl Anne like he was sizing her up. "Roughly, fifty dollars?" he said "Fifty dollars?" Uncle Murphy hollered. "Where I'm go'n get fifty dollars from, Mr.

Tony? "That's what it's go'n cost you," Whistling Tony said. "I got to use my truck, I got to

use my crane, I got to pay Jack Major for knocking down couple of rows of his cane. Fifty dollars. Or I can go back home."

"But, Mr. Tony, Mr. Tony, I'm a poor man," Uncle Murphy said, like he was going to cry.

"I'm a poor man, too," Whistling Tony said. "Well?" "Please, Mr. Tony," Uncle Murphy said. "Please." "Louise, let's go back home," Whistling Tony said. "We can't just leave her like this," Miss Louise said. "We found her like this. Come on." "Please, Mr. Tony," Uncle said Murphy said, crying. "Please sir, please help me." "All right," Whistling Tony said. "You got a car out there. I'll take it as collateral till

you pay me back." "My car?" Uncle Murphy said. "But how I go to work?" "Louise, let's go home." Whistling Tony said. "We can't leave her like this, Tony." "I'm going to my truck," Whistling Tony said. "If you're not there, you can stay here

with them, or you can walk home. "All right, Mr. Tony, all right," Uncle Murphy said. "My car. What I'm gon'n tell Gert

when I get home." "Tell her the truth. You couldn't wait. You had to stop off on the way," Whistling Tony

said. "One of y'all got to move Bird. I have to back the truck in here." "Take Bird home," Uncle Herbert said. "I want to stay and see," I said. "Then take her in the yard, let her eat some grass." Bird didn't want to move, and I had to pull hard on the lines to turn her around. After

I got her 'cross into Grandma's yard, I hurried back in the field where Whistling Tony was backing his truck close to Miss Pearl Anne to pick her up. He lowered the crane belt to the ground, then he got out of the truck. He was whistling.

"All right," he said. "Murphy, you and Herbert take her by the arm and lift; and Lou- ise, you and Dot pull that belt under her far as you can. To her thighs if you can get that far.

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Uncle Murphy stood on one row and Uncle Herbert got on the other row and they took her by the arms. Whistling Tony went back to his truck whistling to himself. Both Miss Louise and Grandma was patting Miss Pearl Anne on the shoulder.

"Let her roll," Whistling Tony called to them. Uncle Murphy and Uncle Herbert started lifting, and Grandma and Miss Louise started

pulling the belt, and Miss Pearl Anne started screaming. "Sorry, Cher, not much farther," Miss Louise said. "We go'n get you out of this." Whistling Tony got out of his truck and came back there. "What's the matter?" "Let her rest a while," Grandma said. "That sun will soon be down," Whistling Tony said. "Already behind the trees over

there." "We got to try again, Cher," Miss Louise said. "All right, lift. Pull. Lift. Pull." "Scoot hard," Grandma said. "Dig your heels in and scoot hard." Whistling Tony went back to his truck, and we heard the motor, and Miss Pearl started

screaming. "Wait, wait, you pinching me, you pinching me. Lord have mercy, you killing me

II

"Tony, stop," Miss Louise said. Whistling Tony kept on raising her up. And Miss Pearl Anne kept on screaming. But

he got up off the ground, and he turned off the motor and came back where she was sitting in the belt.

"Rub her legs and rub her thighs," he said. "Get the blood flowing. Rub good and hard. Good and hard."

Miss Louise and Grandma went to working on her, rubbing her legs. She wasn't screaming any more, just crying quiet to herself. After a while Miss Louise told her to try and stand up. She and Grandma helped Miss Pearl Anne to her feet.

"I feel so weak," Miss Pearl Anne said. "Lord have mercy, I'm so weak." "We got you," Grandma said. "We ain't go'n let you fall." "She'll be all right," Whistling Tony said. "It always happen with calves and cows you

have to raise out of the bog. Weak for a little while, then they're all right." "Take a step," Grandma said to Miss Pearl Anne. She did. Miss Louise clapped her hands. "Pearl Anne, you good as new." She said. "Thank you, Miss Louise. Thank all y'all," Miss Pearl Anne said. "My husband go'n

kill me-I ain't cooked his supper." "I'll give you some food to take home," Grandma said. "I stewed a chicken." "Well, we can take off," Whistling Tony said. "Louise, you drive the truck. I'll bring

Murphy's car." "Mr. Tony, you go'n take my car?" "Your car, or fifty dollars?" "Please sir," Uncle Murphy said. "Please." "Keys still in the car?" Whistling Tony asked Uncle Herbert. "Yes sir." "Y'all take care," Whistling Tony said, and left the field whistling to himself. Uncle Murphy sat down on the ground and started crying and shaking his head. We

left him there crying all by himself. I didn't feel sorry for him at all. 695



Callaloo # 3

volume I May 1978

I wanted to smell that Louisiana earth, feel that Louisiana sun, sit under the shade of one of those Louisiana oaks, search for pecans in that Louisiana grass in one of those Louisiana yards next to one of those Louisiana bayous, not far from a Louisiana river.

And I wanted to hear that Louisiana dialect-that combination of English, Creole, Cajun, Black. For me there's no more beautiful sound anywhere . . . .

-Ernest J. Gaines, "Miss Jane and I" in Callaloo #3 (1978)

Maybe sometime in the future I will write a good book . . . about California. But I doubt that I will be able to do it until I have gotten rid of this Louisiana thing that drives me, yet I hope I never will get rid of that Louisiana thing. I hope I'm able to write about Louisiana for the rest of my life.

-Ernest J. Gaines, Interview in Callaloo #3 (1978)



Documents

Prose Fiction and Non-Fiction Prose: A Thirtieth Anniversary Issue || My Uncle and the Fat Lady