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Chapters (153)
  1. Beulah Land
  2. Dedication
  3. PART ONE
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. PART TWO
  27. 1
  28. 2
  29. 3
  30. 4
  31. 5
  32. 6
  33. 7
  34. 8
  35. 9
  36. 10
  37. 11
  38. 12
  39. 13
  40. 14
  41. 15
  42. 16
  43. 17
  44. 18
  45. 19
  46. 20
  47. 21
  48. 22
  49. 23
  50. PART THREE
  51. 1
  52. 2
  53. 3
  54. 4
  55. 5
  56. 6
  57. 7
  58. 8
  59. 9
  60. 10
  61. 11
  62. 12
  63. 13
  64. 14
  65. 15
  66. 16
  67. 17
  68. 18
  69. 19
  70. 20
  71. 21
  72. 22
  73. 23
  74. 24
  75. PART FOUR
  76. 1
  77. 2
  78. 3
  79. 4
  80. 5
  81. 6
  82. 7
  83. 8
  84. 9
  85. 10
  86. 11
  87. 12
  88. 13
  89. 14
  90. 15
  91. 16
  92. 17
  93. 18
  94. 19
  95. 20
  96. 21
  97. 22
  98. 23
  99. 24
  100. PART FIVE
  101. 1
  102. 2
  103. 3
  104. 4
  105. 5
  106. 6
  107. 7
  108. 8
  109. 9
  110. 10
  111. 11
  112. 12
  113. 13
  114. 14
  115. 15
  116. 16
  117. 17
  118. 18
  119. 19
  120. 20
  121. 21
  122. 22
  123. PART SIX
  124. 1
  125. 2
  126. 3
  127. 4
  128. 5
  129. 6
  130. 7
  131. 8
  132. 9
  133. 10
  134. 11
  135. 12
  136. 13
  137. 14
  138. 15
  139. 16
  140. 17
  141. 18
  142. 19
  143. PART SEVEN
  144. 1
  145. 2
  146. 3
  147. 4
  148. 5
  149. 6
  150. 7
  151. 8
  152. Copyright
  153. Books by Lonnie Coleman published by Classica Libris (digital editions)

“Well,” she said, “I think I will.” He moved to help her. “No, I can do it now.” After drinking she set the jug down and leaned her head against a bare branch that forked off the log. “I thought about it,” she said.

“You have?” He squatted near her so that their heads were more nearly level and waited.

“I thought and thought about it, and it seem to me to all go back to that day—you remember?” He nodded. “Hot as the soles of the devil’s feet. I was washing clothes. I can see you and Floyd now, sawing wood and then slipping off to go fishing. And pretty soon I followed you.” Her chin jutted; the flesh of her face firmed with the intensity of her thinking. “Seem to me it all goes back to that day and them that followed. Everything. You think about it.” He blinked and waited. “Still and all, I don’t blame you; I blame God. You spect there is a God? He ever hold your hand or pat your shoulder? He never, mine.” She rested her head against the jutting branch again, closing her eyes. A minute later she began to snore. She snored four times lightly and the fifth time heavily and raspingly.

Leon moved to her and shook her arm gently. Waking, she pulled Alonzo’s old coat close about her, her face blankly content.

Leon said, “Shouldn’t you go home? I’ll walk you over.”

She shook her head. “I be all right. Just let me rest here. You don’t need to stay.” She closed her eyes.

He looked at her for a minute or two, but she seemed to be comfortable and easy enough where she was, so he decided to go. He put the stopper in the jug so that it would not spill its contents if she happened to kick it while she slept. He looked at the sky and saw no sign of rain. Quiet as a mother leaving the nursery after getting her child to sleep, he put his foot into the left stirrup and swung his body onto the horse. Stroking the horse’s neck to make him gentle, he turned and went out of the copse.

7

Doreen was in love with her brother James, and because she was, she knew—and she was the only one besides James who did know—that he was in love with Rachel.