Outside Mother

Oh Lord, I hollered to my Maker.  What is this generation coming to – these now-a-day children do more foolishness than the law allow. 

Look what that Bradford boy done gone and do to my baby child.  I should have been a man.  Back in my day, any daddy what worth his name would have him and her before the Preacher before God could wink. 

But that no accounting husband of mine must be afraid; but no, he ain’t afraid of nobody, and if you give him a couple of drinks, he’ll speak his sober mind. It’s something else that doesn’t make him stand up for Petunia.  And I know, I really shouldn’t fault him.  Really I have to take the full blow for whatever happens to her, my first baby child.

Sometimes, Lord, I think, it ain’t fair what pain a woman gets to bear.  You know, ‘specially when men like Bradford plant their seed and try to take off like a hound dog.  But look like Brad not running – his parents must be shame.  At least they making him support her and the baby – even though I never hear ‘bout any proposal.

I still can’t stand that boy’s mother.  She thinks she is it, but she just a salty foot Inagua girl who left her husband to take up with that foreign boat captain.  She knows he supposed to marry Petunia, but she think her boy too good for my girl.

But I didn’t get no better when I was pregnant with Petunia.  At least Petunia still get to see Brad, and he still help.  I got it worse; because I never seen Petunia daddy since that sunny day I got hot in Whale Cay.