Part 5 (2/2)
Mama wasn't in the kitchen; neither was Doanie. So I got the chocolate box and the sugar bowl by myself. I grabbed a spoon too and ran outside before I filled my mouth.
”This sho' is sweet!” Shoogie mumbled after she had packed three spoonfuls of the mixture down between her lower lip and her front teeth. Then she handed the bowl and spoon back to me.
”My mama don't dip snuff. She's a nice lady. She says nice ladies don't dip-just old grandma women.”
Huldie walked up while I still had the spoon in my hand. She was puffing, wiping sweat off her forehead, and talking to herself.
”Mercy, this is one more hot day!”
The basket Huldie balanced on her head was heaped up with cabbages. If she was going to make me and Shoogie churn them all down, we'd never get to bake Preaching Sunday mud pies!
”What's you girls doin'?”
Shoogie's eyes got big. She gulped, stretched her neck, and beat herself on the chest. In trying to answer, she nearly choked!
”We're dipping snuff,” I told Huldie, as soon as I could swallow.
”Good Lawd 'a mercy!”
Huldie grabbed for Shoogie! She caught her arm, but she was having such a time trying to get the basket down from her head that Shoogie s.n.a.t.c.hed away. The basket tipped over, spilling cabbages all over the well lot.
Huldie whirled around and grabbed Shoogie with both hands.
She started screaming. I hid behind a tub.
”I'll learn you! I'll learn you! Cuss your black hide, young'un, I's gwine to break you from this snuff-stealin' and dippin'.”
Shoogie wasn't listening. She was shrieking and kicking as if her grandma were tearing her apart, and Huldie still hadn't hit her the first lick. The next second, though, she bent Shoogie over her knees, yanked up her dress tail, and started giving her pink bloomers and her bottom one hard ”whap, whap, whap” right after another!
”What's going on out here?”
Mama had come flying out the kitchen door!
”Is somebody hurt? Bandershanks, where're you at? Huldie, what's wrong?”
Huldie slacked up on beating Shoogie, but Shoogie didn't slack up on bawling. She got louder and louder!
”Miss, these chillens done stole my snuff!”
”Stole your snuff? I declare to my soul! Bandershanks, come here!”
”Yes'm. They both been dippin' hit up! See all on their faces? This Shoogie brat, she so black snuff don't show on her'n, but just look 'round that baby's mouth!” Huldie pointed at me and began spanking on Shoogie again.
Mama pulled me toward the garden fence, where she jerked up a Jimson weed!
”Mama! It's chocolate, Mama! Just chocolate!”
But Mama couldn't hear me for all of Shoogie's loud bellowing! She started stinging my legs to pieces!
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