A Long Day in November by Ernest J. Gaines

tree. I see a pecan over there on the ground but I’m scared to go and pick it up. Madame Toussaint’ll put a bad mark on me and I’ll turn to a frog or something. I let Madame Toussaint’s little old pecan stay right where it is. And I go up to Daddy and let him hold my hand.
    â€œMadame Toussaint?” Daddy calls.
    Madame Toussaint don’t answer. Like she ain’t there. “Madame Toussaint?” Daddy calls again.
    â€œWho that?” Madame Toussaint answers.
    â€œMe,” Daddy says. “Eddie Howard and his little boy, Sonny.”
    â€œWhat you want, Eddie Howard?” Madame Toussaint calls from in her house.
    â€œI want talk to you,” Daddy says. “I need little advice on something.”
    I hear a dog bark three times in the house. He must be a big old dog because he’s sure got a heavy voice. Madame
Toussaint comes to the door and cracks it open.
    â€œCan I come in?” Daddy says.
    â€œCome in, Eddie Howard,” Madame Toussaint says.
    Me and Daddy go up the steps and Madame Toussaint opens the door for us. Madame Toussaint’s a little bitty little old woman and her face is brown like cowhide. I look at Madame Toussaint and I walk close ’side Daddy. Me and Daddy go in the house and Madame Toussaint shuts the door and comes back to her fireplace. She sits down in her big old rocking chair and looks at me and Daddy. I look round Daddy’s leg at Madame Toussaint, but I let Daddy hold my hand. Madame Toussaint’s house don’t smell good. It’s too dark in here. It don’t smell good at all. Madame Toussaint ought to have a window or something open in her house.
    â€œI need some advice, Madame Toussaint,” Daddy says.
    â€œYour wife left you,” Madame Toussaint says.
    â€œHow you know?” Daddy asks.
    â€œThat’s all you men come back here for,” Madame Toussaint says. “That’s how I know.”
    Daddy nods his head. “Yes,” he says. “She done left me and staying with another man.”
    â€œShe left,” Madame Toussaint says. “But she’s not staying with another man.”
    â€œYes, she is,” Daddy says.
    â€œShe’s not,” Madame Toussaint says. “You trying to tell me my business?”
    â€œNo, ma’am,” Daddy says.

    â€œI should hope not,” Madame Toussaint says. Madame Toussaint ain’t got but three old rotten teeth in her mouth. I bet you she can’t peel no cane with them old rotten teeth. I bet you they’d break off in a hard piece of cane.
    â€œI need advice, Madame Toussaint,” Daddy says.
    â€œYou got money?” Madame Toussaint asks.
    â€œI got some,” Daddy says.
    â€œHow much?” she asks Daddy. She’s looking up at Daddy like she don’t believe him.
    Daddy turns my hand loose and sticks his hand down in his pocket. He gets all his money out his pocket and leans over the fire to see how much he’s got. I see some matches and piece of string and some nails in Daddy’s hand. I reach for the piece of string and Daddy taps me on the hand with his other hand.
    â€œI got about seventy-five cents,” Daddy says. “Counting them pennies.”
    â€œMy price is three dollars,” Madame Toussaint says.
    â€œI can cut you a load of wood,” Daddy says. “Or make grocery for you. I’ll do anything in the world if you can help me, Madame Toussaint.”
    â€œThree dollars,” Madame Toussaint says. “I got all the wood I’ll need this winter. Enough grocery to last me till summer.”
    â€œBut this all I got,” Daddy says.
    â€œWhen you get more, come back,” Madame Toussaint says.

    â€œBut I want my wife back now,” Daddy says. “I can’t wait till I get more money.”
    â€œThree dollars is my price,” Madame Toussaint says. “No more, no less.”
    â€œBut can’t you give me just a little