Trouble's Child (6 page)

“Run, git hep, girl; we got t' git im home.”

Martha returned with only two men, Beau, and Ocie's father, Elmo.

“Who's he?” Elmo asked.

“I don't know,” Titay answered.

“Then what yuh want us fuh?” Elmo asked.

“T' tote im in fuh care.”

“But e's a stranger,” Beau said. “How yuh know …”

“We know e's our kind,” Titay said sharply. “And if we wash up on 'is sho, would we want
im
t' ast questions, or take us in?”

“Take us in,” Elmo answered.

“So we do as much fuh im.”

“But I can't take im. I got no room, no.”

“Then t' my house.”

“But, Granma!”

“T'
my
house!” Titay said again.

Beau glanced at Martha to show sympathy. Martha shrugged and sighed. She whispered to Beau behind Titay's back, “That's jus like Granma, ain't it?”

The fog lifted slowly and drifted out to the Gulf as they carried the stranger on to Titay's house.

“He'll take yo bed, and you can share mine,” Titay said to Martha.

Martha didn't object, but she was not pleased with the decision being made for her. She looked at the helpless stranger. He wasn't much older than Beau. His eyes were closed, his clothes were covered with salt and mud and one foot was without a shoe. She knew he was very sick, for his dark skin had a grayish tone and he shook like leaves in the wind.

Titay covered the stranger with quilts, then turned to Elmo and Beau. “Go now and keep still tongues. He mus rest. In time we ast things we need know bout im.”

When the men had gone, Titay said, “Mat, sit near im. I go make warm tea t' bring im round.”

The whole bed moved under the stranger's trembling body. His head bent backward and his mouth twitched. Martha ran into the kitchen. “Come, Granma, I think he's dyin.”

Titay rushed to the bed. “No, jus burnin with fever. Git the vinegar.”

Martha and Titay sponged him, using all their strength to get the job done. He responded as if he were being rubbed with ice. They gave him sips of cool water; then he slept.

Throughout the day they watched him and let him sleep. They roused him only for water and to sponge him with vinegar. His fever didn't cool. Late in the night, Titay peeled a white potato and placed the slices on his head, tying them in place with a clean cloth.

“I think he smiled,” Martha said.

“That feel good. We mus make im well. Could be the good spirits brung im in place o' one o' our men. We mus save im.”

Martha watched as Titay tucked the quilts with tender confidence and knew that, if he could be saved, Titay would do it.

The next morning the stranger still burned with fever. He groaned and turned and tossed. A worried Titay sent Martha into the woods just beyond the chinaberry tree to look for roots and leaves. “If you can't find the fever bush, then bring some magnolia bark.”

Martha took her basket and a stick to beat off snakes and rushed out to gather the herbs. Near the chinaberry tree, she was surprised to see many of the women gathered together so early. With voices raised, they were talking to Cora.

As Martha drew closer, all talking stopped and the women turned to look at her.

“Where yuh rushin, cha?” Ocie asked.

“Yeah, where yuh go so early?” Gert asked.

“You don't gi'e me greetin 'fo yuh ast where I go,” Martha said. She laughed to hide her feelings.

They all laughed. Then Cora said, “Fine mornin, ahn? Where Titay? She oughta be out gatherin roots and leaves, no?”

“I don't make answer for Titay,” Martha said, and walked on.

“Titay make answer t' us, yes, if that stranger bring death t' this island,” Cora said.

What if the stranger did have some sickness that would spread throughout the island? Martha wanted to run home and tell Titay what Cora had said, but when she looked back and saw the women huddled together in worried talk, she knew she had to hurry to find the herbs. Titay must make the stranger well.

“How's he, Granma?” Martha asked as soon as she entered the house.

“He know he in the world, but he cry in pain.”

“Yuh ast his name?”

“He say a hard one fuh me, so call im Hal. He from up the Mis'sippi River.”

“Spose what he got spread, Granma?” Martha asked. The look on Titay's face made her sorry she had spoken.

“Who think sich?” Titay asked sharply.

“The women.”

“The women?”

“Cora.”

“Gimme them herbs. We break that fever and he live. You see.” Titay went to make the tea.

When they had sponged him and given him the tea, he slept in a deep sleep with even breathing.

“I mus make m' rounds now and tend the other sick,” Titay said.

“Mus I stay heah lone?” Martha asked.

“I'll send Ocie t' set wid yuh. If he rouses, gi'e im tea or water. But I'll be back directly.”

Titay hadn't been gone long enough to attend one person before she returned. “How come yuh back so soon?” Martha asked.

“Trouble. That Cora spreadin evil. They sayin I harbor death. The stranger come t' bring sickness to our people. Ain't that why I found im, they say. No one'll speak t' me. They so scared they won't let me tend the sick. Sayin I might spread sickness to em.”

“What yuh gon do, Granma?”

“Make im well! Mat, girl, if he die now I may as well die too, cause Cora's way'll bcome the way of the island.”

Martha knew Titay was worried when she went into the room and closed the door to do her communin.

The stranger still slept, his breathing even and quiet. Martha watched his brow and waited for the sweat that meant a fever was broken.

Shadows lengthened and the sounds deepened. Titay stayed in her room, and the stranger didn't awaken. No one had stopped by to talk, to bring Titay little gifts or to ask Titay's advice.

When the waiting had become almost unbearable, Titay began to move about in her room. Soon she came out and bent over the stranger. Then she smiled. “He better, but not best. We'll wrap im in flannel and gi'e im mo tea.”

They waited. The moon shone in the small window and cast the shadow of the two women in the darkness over the bed of the stranger.

Finally Titay lit the lamp and said with great joy, “Hallelujah! He sweatin. He be all right. Mat, you go t' bed.”

That morning Titay came to her room just before dawn. She said to Martha, “He better. He ast ‘Where am I?' and when I tole im he heah on Blue Isle, Lousana, he was sho muff surprised. Went right on back t' sleep. I know he better.”

“Oh, that's good, Granma. C'mon t' bed now and git some rest.”

Noise at the front of the house awoke Martha.

“Titay, Titay, come out heah,” Cora shouted. “We know you harborin that stranger, tryin t' stroy us all.”

Martha jumped from her bed. The sun was high. Cora continued her shouting. “Titay. You in there. Answer me.”

Martha was frightened. Had Cora convinced the people of danger? And suppose the stranger did bring a terrible sickness? But he was much better, Titay said so.

She dressed hurriedly and rushed to see if the stranger was able to show himself to Cora LaRue. “Granma!” she called. “He gone.”

Titay rushed into the room. “He can't be.” She looked behind the door, under the bed. “He mus be heah. Look see in the kitchen.”

Martha ran to the kitchen. He was not there. Other islanders had arrived and Cora was shouting to them. “She got somethin t' hide, yes. If not, whyn't she come answer me? Whyn't she let us see the stranger?”

What had happened to him, Martha wondered. Was Cora working evil tricks? The stranger couldn't just disappear. Martha ran to her room again. He wasn't there. What had happened? She ran to Titay. “Granma, he ain't in this house.”

“I'll face er.” Titay walked out the door with Martha close behind. Martha was surprised to see so many people standing about in their yard. They were all quiet, but looked afraid. Titay said nothing. She stood, waiting.

“Whyn't yuh answer, old woman?” Cora shouted.

The people mumbled and Martha knew they did not like Cora talking to Titay in that way. But they too wanted proof that their lives were not endangered by the stranger.

Titay didn't answer. She kept her head up, her eyes toward the Gulf. Suddenly a smile spread over her face. Martha looked. The stranger was coming down the path, walking slowly as if he was very tired. He had changed his clothes. He looked worn, but there was a smile on his face. Martha knew that he had been to see about his boat.

Cora might make the people harm him, Martha thought. Her heart beat wildly. “Talk t' em, Granma, now!”

Titay remained silent, her eyes on the stranger. Finally she said, “He's m' answer. The Gulf brung this young man t' us. Le's be thankful fuh the gift.”

The stranger stayed on. His boat bobbled on the Gulf at the edge of the island. Martha worried about him. Even though he was better, he was not well. He stayed alone on his boat, and the people still did not trust him.

Each time Martha passed near the place where he was anchored, she wondered what his boat was like inside. What if the stranger needed something? Was he all right there alone?

Maybe she should go aboard and see. Never!
Magine bein lone with a man, not to mention bein lone with a stranger on a boat. Oo-oo, what they'd do t' me
. She tried to turn her mind to other things.

Assignments from Miss Boudreaux were piling up. Titay now insisted that Martha gather certain herbs and seaweeds herself. She had to make the rounds with Titay and sometimes visit the sick alone—especially those convalescing. She helped Titay monitor Cam's pregnancy, which was now well along. Besides, Martha was gradually assuming responsibility for the general run of the house, and for planning and preparing meals. More and more Titay retired to her communin.

One day, as Martha looked for shellfish along the shore, she wandered near a place where the water was deep, but calm. Suddenly she saw the stranger's boat. When had he moved it to this place? He must be feeling much better, she thought.

The boat moved up and down slowly on the water. The ladder was over the side and Martha decided that the stranger must be on the island. What was it like on that boat? She stood still and imagined she could feel the slow rise and fall as the boat rocked up and down. What if she climbed that ladder? But what if the stranger was not on the island …?
I'd be dead sho if Titay found out
. She shuddered.

It was almost noon. All the people would
be
having the noonday meal. No one would be near the shore. She could climb the ladder and take a look.

Her hands trembled so she could hardly remove her heavy shoes. She didn't know whether she shivered from the water or from fear as she swam to the ladder.

When she climbed up and looked over the sides she was surprised to see a space as big as any house on the island. She stepped over the side and tried to stand. Her shivering and the bobbing of the boat tipped her back and forth, and she almost fell. Then, with her feet almost shoulder distance apart, she felt anchored. She looked out at the solid brown of the Gulf and forgot how frightened she was as she felt the rhythm of the water. A warm glow spread through her as the wind and sun bathed her body.

Then she noticed a collection of bottles and jars of varying sizes. She moved quickly to look more closely. There were small shellfish, eels and plants, and other living things that she had never seen before. She remembered the jars and bottles in Cora LaRue's house. Did the stranger work some evil magic too? Martha's heart pounded with fear.

Suddenly she heard noise beneath her, then footsteps. In her excitement she had not noticed the stairway that led below. Before she could move, the stranger was up on the deck.

“Well, welcome!” he said.

She tried to speak, but no sound would come. Afraid to trust her legs, she crawled away from the stranger toward the ladder.

“I said
welcome
. Wait!”

Martha moved faster.

“Please, wait,” he begged. “I'm glad you've come.”

Martha saw the smile spread over his face and her heart quieted a little. “What's in these bottles?”

“Oh, that's my work. I'm collecting what we call marine specimens for study of sea life. I hope I'll sell enough to be able to go back to school.”

She looked down at the deck and said, “I done a mean thing t' come heah. The people will think you ast me. They'll hate us both.”

“Why you say that? You've done no harm.”

“But I ain't sposed t' be lone wid a man cause I ain't married.”

“Do you believe that?” he asked.

“Heah yuh jus don't do that. That's our way.”

They were quiet. Then Martha said shyly, “What name you have?”

“Harold. Harold Saunders.”

“You come from far?”

“Pretty far. From Ohio, down the Mississippi River into the Gulf looking for New Orleans.”

“Oh, I hear bout that place and the big Mardi Gras. Tis far, yes?”

“Not from here. I was almost there and would have made it, but I got sick. And there was so much fog. I was lucky to land near your island for more reasons than one.”

“Strangers we don't see often, no.”

“You and your grandmother were kind to care for me.”

“Tis her way.” Then the fear returned and she said quickly, “I gotta go.”

“Not yet. Let me show you the
Marraine
.”

“
Marraine
?” How could his boat have that name? “Heah that mean godmother.”

“I know. An old sailor from these parts christened it the
Marraine
and that has been a good name for it. It's thirty feet long, ten feet wide and where you're standing now is called the deck.”