I am posting excerpts from a short story that I wrote several years ago. In this excerpt from the story, time has passed and Lil and John have married. The children have grown, and Lucy, Lil's daughter, has married Thomas. They have five children and a troubled marriage.
Fourteen years had passed since Lil had caught Lucy and Thomas together. Lucy and Thomas had had three children and rumor had it that he had three additional "outside children" with a woman on the side.
Lucy did not listen because everyone had "outside children " in that town anyway. Lil and John were having trouble in their marriage. Being a christian woman Lil never thought of divorce. They stayed together and somehow managed to raise the children.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Moving to Town
Ma 'Lil finished her chores and sat on the porch. The family was poor. Most sharecroppers were poor there was nothing unusual about that. Their home was nothing more than a shack on a dirt road.
"Mae, come and sit with me for a while." Lil said.
"John promised that he would come by to see me today. It's so hot that I can't stand to sit on the porch."
Mae looked a Lil and then said, "John has been coming by a lot lately. "
All the children liked John Mayes. He was a tall handsome man. And he had a big smile. He had been visiting with Lil on every Sunday for a little over a year now.
"I think John is going to ask me to marry him." Lil Said ." He's been saving his money so that we can move into town."
Mae was still quiet.
"Mae, come and sit with me for a while." Lil said.
"John promised that he would come by to see me today. It's so hot that I can't stand to sit on the porch."
Mae looked a Lil and then said, "John has been coming by a lot lately. "
All the children liked John Mayes. He was a tall handsome man. And he had a big smile. He had been visiting with Lil on every Sunday for a little over a year now.
"I think John is going to ask me to marry him." Lil Said ." He's been saving his money so that we can move into town."
Mae was still quiet.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
ABOUT THIS PAGE
Ma Lil is a short story written by Gabriella Robinson. This blog has excerpts from this story and will have postings from other short stories. The following is the second post from this short story.
Strong, firm unbending this woman survived through the worst of times. Like a strong swaying tree in the midst of fierce winds, she bent but never fell. The lines in her face revealed her suffering. However, her pride prevented her from revealing her true feelings to anyone. Pride was the only thing that this rural community left their black plantation workers. The less fortunate in the community were left with nothing.
Strong, firm unbending this woman survived through the worst of times. Like a strong swaying tree in the midst of fierce winds, she bent but never fell. The lines in her face revealed her suffering. However, her pride prevented her from revealing her true feelings to anyone. Pride was the only thing that this rural community left their black plantation workers. The less fortunate in the community were left with nothing.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Ma Lil
" Mae ! Mae wake up ! Get up girl. You know you have to feed the chicks. I'm not going to tell you again. " Reluctantly, Mae awoke.
"Yes mam. I'm coming."
Mae quickly poured some water on her lean dark body. At twelve, she was beginning to "fill out". Yet she still had the slender frame of a young girl just reaching puberty. It was Saturday morning and Ma Lil had fixed molasses and biscuits. Mae ate her molasses and biscuits and ran to feed the chickens.
Ma Lil was the mother of twelve children. Eight years ago in 1919 her husband had abandoned her and settled in a small town in Virginia. Stoicly with the pride and courage that one can only achieve at the depth of oppression and brink of disaster, Ma Lil raised her seven sons and five daughters. They were well trained obedient children. The boys worked the farm, Ma Lil had struggled so desperately to maintain. The girls assisted Ma Lil as a seamstress for "white folk". Ma Lil was a survivor, and her family had survived in rural Georgia. It had been rough on Ma Lil but she managed.
(This is an excerpt from a story written by Gabriella Robinson)
"Yes mam. I'm coming."
Mae quickly poured some water on her lean dark body. At twelve, she was beginning to "fill out". Yet she still had the slender frame of a young girl just reaching puberty. It was Saturday morning and Ma Lil had fixed molasses and biscuits. Mae ate her molasses and biscuits and ran to feed the chickens.
Ma Lil was the mother of twelve children. Eight years ago in 1919 her husband had abandoned her and settled in a small town in Virginia. Stoicly with the pride and courage that one can only achieve at the depth of oppression and brink of disaster, Ma Lil raised her seven sons and five daughters. They were well trained obedient children. The boys worked the farm, Ma Lil had struggled so desperately to maintain. The girls assisted Ma Lil as a seamstress for "white folk". Ma Lil was a survivor, and her family had survived in rural Georgia. It had been rough on Ma Lil but she managed.
(This is an excerpt from a story written by Gabriella Robinson)
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