Page from a Tennessee Journal (AmazonEncore Edition)

he’d stayed to argue the point, she would have known he was itching to go and would have tried to talk him out of leaving. She was hardheaded that way. She’d never understood that a wife was supposed to shut up and let the husband do what he knew to be right for the family, even if it meant a few sacrifices here and there. Even a blind man with one leg could see that ’cropping was never going to make a way for a colored man. When she saw all that money he was going to lay at her feet when he returned home, maybe that hard head of hers might soften into forgiveness.
    Zeola circled him, looking him up and down just the way she did when a new girl came in for a job. She wouldn’t take the applicant if she was too homely, too sickly, or looked too broke down. She preferred scared and ruined country girls who had been done in by no more than two men. John wondered what price she was setting on him?
    “You ‘surely will’ make you enough money here in Nashville, is it? You know how many country boys tell me the same thing? They cain’t last six months in this town.” As she spoke, her hips swayed in time to her words. “What makes you think you won’t be back in yo’ Lawnover right after first snowfall?”
    “Miz Zeola, I am truly sorry to hear ’bout them other men, but ma’am, ain’t none of them me.” He could feel himself looking down upon her from his full six feet. “Beggin’ yo’ pardon, ma’am, this job may not last as long as I’d like, but there’s other ways fo’ a man to earn good money here in Nashville.” He kept his smile inside.
    “Uh huh. Some of them ways will get you into the white man’s jail quicker than I can yell po-lice.” Her eyes had squinted down so far that a body couldn’t tell if their color was gray or brown. “Believe me, John Welles, you don’t want no parts of a Nashville jail.” The mound of purple shimmered as she wagged her head. “A man with a strong back but a little mind may wish fo’ Nashville all he wants, but you is right, wishin’ ain’t gettin’.”
    “And a man with a strong back, strong mind, and quick hands is a natural in Nashville.” He put his full stare into her eyes.
    She gave it back to him and then some.
    “A natural, is it, John Welles? How much gamblin’ you done?” The red-painted fingers splayed themselves under two of her considerable chins.
    “It was gamblin’ money that got me this far.” This was the chance he’d waited for, but he knew he had to let this woman think she was drawing the truth out of him.
    “I don’t allow no lyin’, no cheatin’, and no lift in’ of my money. Country boy, believe me, I’ll know if one nickel of my money is missin’.” The eyes opened a bit. She pointed one finger at his temple.
    “Ma’am?” John faced her, puzzled.
    “I needs me a country boy who’s smart enough to act dumb so as to be taken fo’ honest at my poker games. I want you to hold the pot. If even one dime is gone, it won’t take me to kill you, the players in the game will do it fo’ me. And more than one of my gentleman callers is handy with both a knife and a pistol. Do you take my meanin’?”
    “Yes ma’am. My head figurin’ is right good.” John’s heart picked up a beat. A thousand dollars would buy him a farm in Lawnover and all the stock that went with it.
    “My rules is simple. You play it straight at my tables, take account of every nickel, and I gives you five dollars flat up out of every pot. To see if you can work it, I’ll let you sit in on two of my weekday games. That’ll give you ten extra dollars a week. Do right by me and I might sweeten that deal considerable.” Zeola strutted to the sideboard, opened one of the doors, and pulled out a bottle of bourbon and a shot glass.
    “Monday’s yo’ slowest day, Miz Zeola. I’d be pleased to start then.” He thought he saw her flash a quick gold-toothed smile at him.
    “Two mo’ things. You treat my high rollers like they was Gawd Almighty, and once a week, I’ll have one of my girls service you for free. You can have Sally. She close to thirty-five and I’m gonna have to let her go soon, but she’ll show you enough new stuff to keep you satisfied fo’ a mighty long time. Now git on back to yo’ regular job.” With the back of her hand, she waved him off.

CHAPTER NINE
     
    Eula slapped the pork chop on the floured board, gave the pepper holder a shake, reached her hand into the salt jar, and spread a pinch over the meat.