dignified.”
Samuel surveyed the shore. “That means it would have to be between Nate’s cabin and his son’s or between Nate’s and Mr. McNair’s.”
“How come you only mentioned the men?”
“What?”
“They have wives. You didn’t mention Winona or Blue Water Woman or that darling little Louisa. Did you forget them?” It had been Emala’s experience that men did tend to forget their womenfolk and needed to be constantly reminded of the love and devotion their women showed them.
“Good God.”
“Don’t blaspheme.”
“I didn’t forget them. I just didn’t think to say them.”
“That’s the same thing.” Emala put her hands on her hips. “You men. That we put up with you is a wonderment.”
Samuel sighed and tilted his head back and stared at the sky.
“What are you doin’?”
“Countin’ to ten.”
“Don’t you start with me, Samuel Worth. Let’s walk along the lake and maybe I’ll find a spot I like.”
So that’s what they did. They walked north. Samuel pointed out a suitable spot. Emala said it was too near the water.
“What’s bad about that?” Samuel asked.
“Didn’t you hear Winona? Sometimes it rains so hard the water rises. We don’t want our home where it can be flooded.”
Further on Samuel noticed a shaded spot near the trees.
“Too close to the woods,” Emala said. “I could be out hangin’ laundry and one of those big brown bears could jump out and gobble me up.”
“Nate says there aren’t any grizzlies in his valley. There was one, but he had to shoot it.”
“It doesn’t have to a grizzly that gobbles me. It could be a black bear. Or one of those tawny cats. Or a pack of wolves. Winona says sometimes at night you can hear them howlin’ up on the mountain.”
“They don’t attack people all that often,” Samuel had been told.
“I don’t care. I won’t be gobbled. I didn’t come into this world to end up as some animal’s supper. We’ll have to find another spot.”
Samuel stopped suggesting. They came to the northwest corner of the lake and Emala stopped to catch her breath. She saw where a giant pine cast a giant shadow and she went over to sit in the shade. A thicket fringed the woods to the right of the pine. To the left, a long stone’s throw off, was what appeared to be a gully. “This is nice here.”
Samuel scratched his head. “You said you didn’t want a spot near the trees. This is closer than the place I picked.”
“But it’s nicer. There’s all this shade. And it won’t be easy for critters to sneak up on me with that thicket yonder.”
“It’s flat enough,” Samuel said, and walked back and forth, examining the ground. He stared at the timbered slopes above and then at the lake. “It sure is pretty.”
“It’s near Winona, too.” To Emala that counted for more. She liked to be around people. She liked to talk and laugh and sing. Samuel didn’t. Back when they were slaves, he would as soon sit around their shack than gather at the fire with the other slaves and socialize. He stayed too much inside himself. She’d told him that a million times, but he stayed there anyway.
“All right. I’ll go get Nate.”
“Hold up. You’re not leavin’ me here alone.” Emala heaved up off the ground. “Who knows what’s lurkin’ about?”
“You need to get over your fear,” Samuel advised. “Otherwise you won’t ever enjoy livin’ here.”
Emala regarded the towering peaks. She regarded the dark, somber forest and the high grass that could hide just about anything. “I can’t help it. It’s scary, and that’s no lie.”
“No more so than back at the plantation.”
“What are you talkin’ about? We didn’t have bears out in the fields. We surely didn’t have no wolves. And there weren’t red men runnin’ around wantin’ to—what did Nate King call it?”
“Count coup.”
“That’s it. What is a coup, anyhow?”
“I didn’t ask. But I don’t think it’s a thing. I think
Samuel surveyed the shore. “That means it would have to be between Nate’s cabin and his son’s or between Nate’s and Mr. McNair’s.”
“How come you only mentioned the men?”
“What?”
“They have wives. You didn’t mention Winona or Blue Water Woman or that darling little Louisa. Did you forget them?” It had been Emala’s experience that men did tend to forget their womenfolk and needed to be constantly reminded of the love and devotion their women showed them.
“Good God.”
“Don’t blaspheme.”
“I didn’t forget them. I just didn’t think to say them.”
“That’s the same thing.” Emala put her hands on her hips. “You men. That we put up with you is a wonderment.”
Samuel sighed and tilted his head back and stared at the sky.
“What are you doin’?”
“Countin’ to ten.”
“Don’t you start with me, Samuel Worth. Let’s walk along the lake and maybe I’ll find a spot I like.”
So that’s what they did. They walked north. Samuel pointed out a suitable spot. Emala said it was too near the water.
“What’s bad about that?” Samuel asked.
“Didn’t you hear Winona? Sometimes it rains so hard the water rises. We don’t want our home where it can be flooded.”
Further on Samuel noticed a shaded spot near the trees.
“Too close to the woods,” Emala said. “I could be out hangin’ laundry and one of those big brown bears could jump out and gobble me up.”
“Nate says there aren’t any grizzlies in his valley. There was one, but he had to shoot it.”
“It doesn’t have to a grizzly that gobbles me. It could be a black bear. Or one of those tawny cats. Or a pack of wolves. Winona says sometimes at night you can hear them howlin’ up on the mountain.”
“They don’t attack people all that often,” Samuel had been told.
“I don’t care. I won’t be gobbled. I didn’t come into this world to end up as some animal’s supper. We’ll have to find another spot.”
Samuel stopped suggesting. They came to the northwest corner of the lake and Emala stopped to catch her breath. She saw where a giant pine cast a giant shadow and she went over to sit in the shade. A thicket fringed the woods to the right of the pine. To the left, a long stone’s throw off, was what appeared to be a gully. “This is nice here.”
Samuel scratched his head. “You said you didn’t want a spot near the trees. This is closer than the place I picked.”
“But it’s nicer. There’s all this shade. And it won’t be easy for critters to sneak up on me with that thicket yonder.”
“It’s flat enough,” Samuel said, and walked back and forth, examining the ground. He stared at the timbered slopes above and then at the lake. “It sure is pretty.”
“It’s near Winona, too.” To Emala that counted for more. She liked to be around people. She liked to talk and laugh and sing. Samuel didn’t. Back when they were slaves, he would as soon sit around their shack than gather at the fire with the other slaves and socialize. He stayed too much inside himself. She’d told him that a million times, but he stayed there anyway.
“All right. I’ll go get Nate.”
“Hold up. You’re not leavin’ me here alone.” Emala heaved up off the ground. “Who knows what’s lurkin’ about?”
“You need to get over your fear,” Samuel advised. “Otherwise you won’t ever enjoy livin’ here.”
Emala regarded the towering peaks. She regarded the dark, somber forest and the high grass that could hide just about anything. “I can’t help it. It’s scary, and that’s no lie.”
“No more so than back at the plantation.”
“What are you talkin’ about? We didn’t have bears out in the fields. We surely didn’t have no wolves. And there weren’t red men runnin’ around wantin’ to—what did Nate King call it?”
“Count coup.”
“That’s it. What is a coup, anyhow?”
“I didn’t ask. But I don’t think it’s a thing. I think
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