California.'
'I hear there're shipyards in Houston,' I began, but she didn't give anybody a chance to talk.
'Course it's different in Texas. The coloured folks there like to be by themselves, so we just let 'em go ahead and don't bother with 'em. Don't have no trouble and everybody is happy. I used to tell my husband-that's Madge's brother, he was killed in an automobile accident in Amarillo-I used to tell Henry that if everybody understood coloured folks like we do in the South there wouldn't be all this trouble.' She gave them a bright, toothy smile. 'Now tell the truth, you'd rather be with your own folks any day, wouldn't you?'
I got salty. 'If you're trying to tell me in a nice way you don't want my company-'
She threw up her hands and cut me off. 'I declare, you coloured folks frum California is so sensitive. Coloured boys in Texas know better'n to sit beside a white woman. Not that I mind if Madge don't. It's just that most coloured folks like to stay to themselves. That's why we ain't never had no trouble in Texas. All these riots in Detroit and New York and Chicago-it come from all this mixing up. I always say it ain't because white people is all that much better'n coloured folks-there's some mighty good coloured folks and some white people ain't worth their salt. And it ain't because white people hate coloured folks neither. We love coloured folks in Texas, and I bet you a silver dollar coloured folks love us too. I even know coloured folks what's educated. There's a coloured doctor in Amarillo went to school and graduated. It's just that white people is white. We're different frum coloured people. The Lord God above made us white and made you folks coloured. If He'da wanted to, He coulda made you folks white and us people coloured. But he made us white 'cause he wanted us the same colour as Him. 'I will make thee in My Image,' He said, and that's what He done. And the sooner you coloured folks learn that, the sooner you understand that God made you coloured 'cause he wanted to, 'cause when He made us in His Image He had to make somebody else to fill up the world, so He made you. Not that I say coloured folks should have to serve white people, but you know yo'self God got dark angels in heaven what serve the white ones-that's in the Bible plain enough for anybody to see. And the sooner you coloured folks learn that, then the better off you'll be.'
'Don't pay no 'tention to Elsie,' Madge said to me as soon as she caught an opening. 'She just homesick, that's all.'
'Yes, I'm homesick, I'll tell anybody,' Elsie confessed. 'Too many Jews and Mexicans in this city for me, and if there's any folks I hate it's-'
'Your husband Elsie's brother?' I asked Madge, cutting Elsie off.
Madge gave me a startled, sidewise glance, then laughed. 'No, Elsie married my brother. My husband's in the service in-'
'Tell the truth!' Elsie broke in. 'You know well as you sitting there George is in Arkansas with another woman. He's too old for the service anyhow.'
Madge didn't like that. 'I heered he joined up. Lem told me-'
'Lem ain't told you no such thing,' Elsie snapped. 'I declare-'
I had to break it up again. 'You and Elsie live together?' I asked.
'No, Elsie lives with-' Madge began, but Elsie hunched her. 'Don't go telling your business to ev'ybody come along,' she said, then turned to me. 'I declare, boy, you ain't et a thing, and lunchtime is almost-' The whistled stopped her that time.
'Just like a clock,' I said.
'Now you got to slip off and eat on the job when you oughta be working,' she said.
'I'm not hungry anyway,' I said.
Elsie closed her lunch pail and got up, but Madge took a moment to gather up the scrap paper. When Elsie turned away I leaned over and whispered to Madge, 'I'm coming up to see you tonight.'
'You better not,' she threatened, looking panicky for an instant, then she giggled. 'You don't know where I live anyway.'
Elsie heard us whispering and turned back. 'Come on,' she said peevishly. 'I do declare, I don't know what's come over you since you come to California.'
Madge moved slightly, blocking Elsie from view, and I formed the words with my lips: 'Look for me around eight.'
'You go 'head!' Madge snapped at Elsie, wanting her to get away so we could have a last moment together. 'You know we can't leave no paper laying around.' Then she leaned over me to pick up a scrap of newspaper and I could see her breasts hanging loose inside her waist. She gave me plenty time to get my gaper's bit, then fluttered her eyelashes, straightened up, and went off with Elsie, pitching her hips. I sat there and watched them shake, too weak to move.
After a moment Ben, Peaches, and Conway came by on their way back to the dock. 'What you doing, taking your vacation?' Ben asked.
I picked up the stew, pie, and coffee, dumped them into a trash container, then joined the three of them.
'He's dreaming 'bout his white chicks,' Peaches said slyly.
I gave her a sharp look, wondering if she had seen me talking to Madge. Then I laughed and leaned over toward her. 'If you Negro women would give a man a break now and then we wouldn't have to-'
But she cut me off. 'That's what you all say. You niggers make me sick.' It must have been her pet peeve. 'If a coloured girl asks one of you niggers to take her to the show you start grumbling 'bout money-liable even ask her to pay the way. And then the raggedest-looking old beat-up white tramp can come by and get your whole pay check. You dump like a dumping truck.'
Ben saw that she was half-way serious and started teasing her. 'That's just what's wrong with you Negro women-always fighting and fussing. A man takes his life in his hands just to live with you. Always got your mouth stuck out and mad about something. Now take a white woman-all she wants you to do is love her.'
'I like big fat white women,' Conway started, ' 'cause there's so much of 'em that's white. An' I like old white women 'cause they been white so long. An' I like young white women 'cause they got so long to be white. An' I like skinny white women 'cause-'
A couple of white fellows passed and glanced at Conway, and Peaches snapped scornfully, 'Oh, shut up, Conway. You'll be up there begging me for some all afternoon.'
Ben gave a loud guffaw and Conway looked embarrassed. We started talking about the work and Ben got on Tebbel. Conway looked like he wanted to say something about me but thought better of it. When we came to the landing stairs Madge was standing at the fountain. I half turned towards her and winked, but she must have thought I was going to say something to her, for she gave me one glance and went into her frightened act again. I gritted my teeth. That's okay, baby, I thought; you don't scare me now.
'What the hell's matter with that woman?' Ben asked. 'Is she-' He broke off and looked at me. 'That the cracker you had the trouble with?'
I nodded.
'What the hell is she trying to do, make as if she's scared of Negroes?'
'If she knew what I know 'bout you three she better be scared,' Peaches cracked.
'Bob don't want no stuff 'bout the woman,' Conway growled. Then he asked me, 'Hear any more 'bout it yet?'
'Not yet,' I said.
They didn't ask any more questions.
CHAPTER XVI
On the way home I stopped at a cafe and had a couple of fried pork chops, some French fries, and baked beans. I was sitting at the counter with a bunch of other workers and all of a sudden I thought of Madge and had to laugh. The people turned and looked at me like I was nuts. But I couldn't stop laughing; every now and then I'd break out again. I really didn't know whether I was laughing at Madge or myself; we were both very funny people.
I got through, got up, paid the girl, and went out. The chops were heavy in my stomach but they gave me drive. I knew what I was going to do; I was going down to the hotel and see the dame. But I didn't want to think
