Agneu
2023; Saint Louis University; Volume: 56; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1353/afa.2023.a903601
ISSN1945-6182
Autores Tópico(s)Historical and Literary Studies
ResumoAgneu Shelonda Montgomery (bio) She looks at him as if she knows him. He knows her well. They stand staring into each other’s eyes across a small wooden church that rests comfortably on the outskirts of a quaint town. There are several pews between them, which are full of parishioners who are readying themselves for their departure. He knew this day would come. Knew that he would see her someday and that their eyes would someday meet. He has longed for this day. He’s never held her nor spoke a single word to her, yet he has loved her all his life. When he was a boy a schoolmate name Tessa Brown pushed him off his bike into the mud. “Give me that bike,” Tessa said and pushed him. He, crying, fell off his brand-new blue and gold bike and made a huge splash into the mud. His hands were scraped and bleeding and the left side of his face was spattered with mud. Several children encircled him, laughed, and pointed. He spat out mud as Tessa rode off on his bike. The children continued laughing as he stood up and walked home crying, his clothing covered in mud. ________ “Boy, what happened to you?” His grandmother asked, standing in the doorway, looking at him. He stood on the front porch before her, dried mud on his clothing, his face scraped and bruised. “Where is your bike, Agneu?” she asked. “Tesssssssatookit!” He said crying in a loud screeching scream with tears and snot running down his face. “What!” she said. “Tesssssssatookit!”, He, again, said muffled through a scream, which bounced off the doorway and rushed down the street. “What. . . ? Boy, come on in and sit down,” she said fanning her hand, placing it on the small of his back, and ushering him inside. “Now, where is your bike?” she said. “Tessa took it. She pushed me in the mud, kicked me, and took my bike.” “Tessa. . . . Ophelia’s granddaughter?” Agneu nodded. His grandmother shook her head. “Yeah, that little girl got the devil in her. Always have. . . . I’ll call her grandmother and get your bike back. Her grandmother is going to get her good,” his grandmother said, taking a towel from a stack of freshly folded laundry that was on the arm of the couch. She wetted the towel in the sink and wiped his face and hands. “I am going to get you some clean clothes too now, okay?” she said and backed back to make sure that his face was clean, kneeled down, and wiped his nose. He stood with one eyebrow raised, scratching his stomach that protruded and hung over his belt. He rubbed his eye with his finger. His grandmother smiled. “See now, that’s the face I know.” Then, she took his hand, walked him into the kitchen, and put him on her lap. “I hate her, grandma,” Agneu said, with his eyes raised in a gleaming stare. She laughed. “Don’t go hating people now, ain’t gone do you no good to hate. . . . besides the Lord don’t want us hating.” [End Page 103] “But I do hate her. I hate her. I hate her. I hate all girls, Grandma.” “Boy,” she said and laughed, “Please don’t hate all girls.” She continued. “You gone hate all girls because one pushed you off a bike into the mud?” “No, all of them be doing stuff. I . . . hate . . . them . . . I . . . hate . . . them . . . I . . . hate . . . them,” he said with his arms crossed and jaws puffed. “You might want to marry one someday, Agneu,” she said. “Noooooooo, I ain’t never getting married!” “You might think differently when you get older because not all girls are bad.” “Tessa is bad.” “Yeah, but not all girls are bad. Some are sweet.” “I ain’t never know no sweet one, Grandma.” “Well, some are. Did you know that God picked a wife for you?” she said and placed her finger on his shoulder. “She’s out there and she’s a little girl now just like you a little boy.” “I don’t want that girl,” Agneu said with his nose turned...
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