Sweet Song Read Free

them not to andpushed Freddy off a high brace. That’s what happened.” He paused and reached out to Bess who let him touch her neck with his hand.
    Leon squirmed to get up, but Martha put light pressure on his legs, and he sat still.
    Evening sunlight angled through an open window. The softness of the shadows reduced the scene to a fantasy. A fantasy Leon couldn’t quite grasp.
    Leon let his mind stretch as far over the experience as he could. He tried to understand all the words and motions and their meanings. No matter how hard he tried though, he felt left out. The words didn’t say everything straight enough. And the actions confused him. He never saw a white man touch a black before. Not with such gentleness and compassion. Not without a strap between the two of them.
    “If it were Mona, she’d have him gone,” Fred said.
    “He ain’t the only boy here,” Bess said.
    “There’s no need,” Fred said.
    Bess was a thin and shapely woman from behind. Her face, Leon knew well, showed no worry, no pain, but showed no life either. Bess’s face was smooth as a young girl’s, which seemed unnatural. Leon watched as his mother lifted thin arms and held onto Mr. Carpenter’s forearms. “Ain’t Mona’s decision.”
    “No, it ain’t.”
    “She beat him plenty when he little.”
    “I know,” he said.
    Martha turned her head away as if she didn’t want to witness the two of them.
    “Then let him be,” Bess said.
    “Caint.” Mr. Carpenter pulled away and turned to face the door. “I got to mark him. If I don’t nobody’ll be happy. But, I promise you this, I’ll do it quick and easy as I can.”
    “That yo’ decision?” Bess said.
    He looked at her once again. “I decided that. And I decided he’s going to replace my boy. He’s going to do all Freddy’s chores and his own. I’ll tell Big Leon.”
    “I didn’t do nothin’,” Leon whispered.
    Fred looked over Bess’s shoulder at Leon. “This is good for you, boy. The best that could happen. There’s much worse. Most would’ve sold you long ago.”
    “Still not right,” Leon whispered.
    “Shush,” Bess said. “Don’t sass him.”
    Betrayed, Leon lowered his head in silence.
    Mr. Carpenter nodded to Bess, then to Martha. “Let’s go, boy.”
    Big Leon opened the door. He gave Bess a stern look, and she backed away from Fred. “What you doin’ with the boy?”
    Leon had made a step toward Mr. Carpenter and stopped when his father entered.
    “Don’t you look at me,” Fred hollered.
    Big Leon stared into the man’s face. “The boy?” he said. Big Leon’s arms shined with sweat. His thoroughly soiled shirt held tight to his toughened skin.
    “I told the women folk. Now, don’t push me or I’ll be forced to do more.” Fred walked to Leon and grabbed his arm as if it were a fly bothering him.
    Big Leon moved out of the doorway.
    “You watch how you’re walking.” Fred said in the angriest voice Leon had heard since the landowner’s arrival.
    Big Leon looked down and let Fred pass.
    Leon led with Fred’s thin fingers laid across his shoulder, shoving him forward. Leon heard his father say, “Dammit woman, you always takin’ my strength from me. What I done for it?” The voices stopped after that one statement, but now Leon let it ring over and over inside his head as Fred, using one firm hand, guided Leon down the path and around the barn.
    Behind the barn, Mr. Carpenter pulled his belt off and with the metal steer-shaped buckle slapped Leon across the face.
    Leon fell to his knees and touched his bleeding cheek.
    “Take off your shirt.”
    Leon obeyed.
    Mr. Carpenter hit him hard across each shoulder. Then he picked Leon up and made a quick scrape down his chest with a steer horn, opening the skin to the hot air.
    “You a pale black, boy.”
    Leon didn’t know whether to respond or not and stood quietly waiting for another blow.
    “Your daddy love you?”
    “He don’t say,” Leon answered.
    “You work with