The Book of Night Women

by Marlon James

  —Forgive me, Isobel, I don’t understand.

  —No better than negro I am, no breeding nor bearing, no education on how one becomes a proper lady. Have you not heard what Edward Long has said about us? Even we backward Creole women have heard of it. Seems he think we are ignorant blackie lovers who are to be pitied. Do you pity me, Humphrey?

  —Isobel. This is a tragedy, a real—

  —Please. You think it’s a tragedy for them? Look at them outside this window playing at remorse. You don’t know them like I do, Humphrey, but how could you? How could you know what goes on in the mind of these niggers? Get out.

  —Isobel?

  —Them! Me don’t want no stinking nig—I don’t want to be around any goddamn nigger laughing behind my back. Get out. Get out! Get out!

  —Really, Isobel! There’s no call for—

  —You think I’m a witch, don’t you? You think I’m a hellion. I’ll bet you weren’t thinking such when—

  —Isobel!

  Miss Isobel sit back down on the bed, with her back to everybody.

  —Just get them out, Humphrey, my stomach grows sick from the sight of niggers.

  —And I don’t want any goddamned nigger food, Miss Isobel say. Massa Humphrey point to the dresser bench for Lilith to put the tray.

  —God is punishing me for my sin, Humphrey, surely he is.

  —You’re sick with grief. It’s only fitting that—

  —Oh, enough with your patronizing! I know how much of a family’s honour is tied up in the daughter’s purity, Humphrey, even if you don’t. Thank God Papa died before hearing news that I was a degenerate. That would have killed him.

  —I don’t think—

  —I dare ask, do you ever think at all? Did you think what you were doing to a poor lady when you had your way with—

  —Had my way? Had my goddamn way? I don’t remember putting you in shackles and dragging you into my bedroom, the room you’re sleeping in right now, may I remind you. Not for the first time, may I remind you. And if you really want to pass bl—Oh, will you set down that blasted tray and get out!

  Lilith put down the tray so swift that the teacups tumble. She and Homer step out of the room quick, only Massa Humphrey face was getting red quicker.

  —You have certainly defiled me, sir, was the last thing Lilith and Homer hear before Massa Humphrey slam the door. Lilith back at the crooked mirror looking. Lilith wondering if the mad version of her goin’ jump out again, maybe right there. She wonder if it is all this heavy thinking in her head that drawing her cheeks down so till she start to look meager. Lilith turn to go back downstairs but Homer grab her hand and pull her over to the door. Massa Humphrey and Miss Isobel don’t finish yet.

  —No, Isobel, you are not yourself, Massa Humphrey say.—I will not. I will not! Isobel!

  —Then get out! Miss Isobel scream. The door swing open and another Get out fly through before Massa Humphrey. The massa so frighten he don’t even notice Lilith and Homer tumble down on the floor as he step past. Lilith peek inside and see Miss Isobel readjusting her dress.

  Massa Humphrey finally convince Miss Isobel to go through with the funeral, almost a month after the fire. Homer hear the massa talking to Robert Quinn ’bout the father body that burn so stiff in the tub that they have to break it up just so he can fit in a casket. Robert Quinn say they found what they believe to be the mother and they should just take whatever they find, put it in two casket and call that the children. Lilith hear Homer tell Pallas and Callisto. Lilith run through the kitchen around the back of the house and vomit.

  At the funeral everybody expecting Miss Isobel to break from the pew like wild goat and run to the coffins. Lilith expecting her to bawl and wail and keen so loud that the church roof rattle. She expect bawling that drown out the bell. Loud enough that them God would come down and point Lilith out as the evildoer and drag her straight off to the lake of fire where wicked negroes burn. But instead Miss Isobel was a stick. People expect Miss Isobel to be in black but she wearing the same purple dress, even though Massa Humphrey said he would buy her a whole new wardrobe or have Homer make her something.—I’d rather burn in hell than be draped in something a nigger made, she say. Almost every woman have a veil covering them hair but her.

  Since the fire, Lilith feel wrong whenever she eat, and don’t have no desire for it. She will eat the boil potatoes and milk and throw it up every time she think of two baby flesh burnin’ into one with a negro who trying to save them on top. Lilith wonder if she kill them first, gentle-like, before they feel any burn. She wonder again what kind of spirit give her madness, then take it away for her so that she see what madness did. Lilith bedding soak with tears and when she think ’bout how she not to cry and how every white devil get what he or she deserve, she soak the bedding some more. What only Lilith know is that Miss Isobel all cried out. Soon, burned baby start to follow Lilith. A stump of ash that try to cry from what fire melt together. The stump follow her. Behind it another stump with ash crackling and bits falling off. Behind it another stump of ash, bigger than the two, with the belly fat and a head with a wig. All screaming and coming after her. Lilith wake up.

  Homer wake up early to see Lilith already working on breakfast. —With all this energy, you might as well be a field nigger, Homer say. Lilith say nothing. Lilith stay in her corner and peel yam and potatoes, cut up fruits, boil vegetables, scrub the floor on her knees and clean out Massa Humphrey mother’s chamber pot. Lilith working hard in the mother room and when she run out of things to do she do them over. When she come back down to the kitchen Lilith so tired that she barely notice that one and two womens quick to step out of her way. She turn to grab the washbucket and see womens look away from her quick. One of the mens come in with a bunch of banana and leave it far off in the corner for Lilith to pick up herself. Lilith look to see if Homer looking. She go up to the mistress room and stay long because the mistress blank face is the only one in Montpelier that don’t have no judgement in it. Lilith working like mule until she so tired she can’t even move. Lilith on the kitchen floor sleeping until Homer drag her to her mat.

  In deep night, Lilith wake up. But then she see her and rage fly up in her head. She grab the nearest thing to fling at the dark woman in the corner, a silver plate that wear down and rusty now. As she go to fling it, the woman not there anymore. Lilith cry till she cough. Then she stop all of a sudden to check if anybody hearing her through the dark.

  She hear a whimpering and know is not her. Then a scream. Then the smell of burnin’ flesh, sour like dirty hair and stink like roasting goat. Lilith feeling sweat run down her face or mayhaps it was tears running without her say-so. Francine dead in her place and in the most wickedest way. Three man too but all she can see is the girl. But which nigger would make choice to take that punishment? Lilith is not Homer, a woman who look like she would have dignity if death come for her. She hate herself for being frighten like any nigger girl. She want to forget her name. Francine ash come all the way up from Kingston and settle down on her, Lilith can feel it. She try to think of true womanness and true darkness but neither come from thinking. A girl killed in the most cruelest way. And two baby. Two baby who was goin’ grow up wicked anyway. Two baby.

  She go outside. The moon shy tonight, only showing half her face. Lilith walking to where she think the cave of the six womens be, but frown when she remember Callisto and Gorgon and Pallas. But maybe they have the potion, the magic, the spell to make a woman forget. Something stronger than the most secret tea. She turn to go to them, but stop. They goin’ want to know what she trying to forget. Homer in particular. Lilith walking the estate and seeing the fields. Before too long, be crop time when the negroes work night and day. She fearing the Johnny-jumpers but she hoping too. Maybe she should get punishment and maybe they would deal with her body the way nobody know to deal with her head. Just then when she looking over the field, she see something jumping up and down, rising above the bush, then down, and then above again. L
ilith run to hide behind a old cart. She hear before she see who. The sound of hoof on dirt. A horse. A dark horse with a rider to match. Lilith go to scream but catch her mouth. Nigger know all ’bout creature of darkness riding horseback at night. But then the rider yell at the horse and the dark hat, dark coat and dark boots show who, even as the shadow under the hat hide the face. She gallop through the gate and gone.

  Miss Isobel.

  Nightwomen

  20

  BAD FEELING IS A COUNTRY NO WOMAN WANT TO VISIT. SO they take good feeling any which way it come. Some time that good feeling come by taking on a different kinda bad feeling. Near three month now, first every day, then three time or twice a week, then whenever she wish, Miss Isobel leave the plantation, riding out on horseback on a real saddle, like a man. Most night, Lilith awake and outside hiding behind bush even though sometimes several day pass and she don’t see her. There was a spell, almost for two fortnight, when she seem to stop altogether, but then she start up again one week in September and start back in earnest. Sometimes the sky so bright with moon colours that Lilith see that she wearing man clothes. Massa Humphrey’s, mayhaps. Lilith then go back to the kitchen and wait till Miss Isobel come back. Sometime Lilith drop asleep, only to jerk herself back up. Most time Miss Isobel come back just as the sun start peek up in the sky.

  Lilith have a hard day’s work ahead of her, so she start. Lilith work so hard that Homer say she must be missing her days at Coulibre. Sometimes in the early morning she see Robert Quinn. Sometimes Robert Quinn see her before she see him. Them times she would back away from the window and watch him face. Quinn stop taking care of him hair these days and he belly start to poke in front of him, but him jaw still strong and him eye still bright like a cat. He would look in the kitchen window for a while, then turn and go off, the horse waiting as the field slaves file down the road. Lilith know why they marching so. This be October 1, the first day of crop time, and five months later when all this finish, at least a fifth goin’ be dead.

  Even white man come to crop time in fear and trembling. The overseer shout louder, the slave-driver drive harder, the Johnny-jumper whip longer and the negroes work they fingers down to a stump. The massa worry himself till he fool and like the field negroes he don’t sleep. Most time the field negroes work all through the night cutting cane, trashing the leaves, dodging rat and snake, and piling the cane together to send to the mill. Crop time is where the slave reap the cane and the massa reap the money. The overseer too, with his commission of every hogshead over one hundred twenty. On Montpelier, crop time is what keep the estate going. Next to rumor of rebellion, crop time is the only time a white man lose sleep.

  —How much worm you catch this morning?

  Lilith jump. Homer step in the kitchen, wearing the blue dress that she put on to go out. Lilith clutch her chest trying to settle herself.

  —You heading out somewhere?

  —Into town with Massa Quinn, he want some drapery and things to make him house look decent and since he don’t have no white woman company, me be the next best thing.

  —What ’bout the breakfast and luncheon?

  —You used to cook at Coulibre and nobody never dead. At least not from that.

  —What you mean?

  —Me don’t mean a thing, girl chile, other than you can cook the food and manage a kitchen, so do the two of them like we woman always call to do.

  —Them not goin’ hear me. You see how they all treatin’ me like leper. You can’t say you no see it too.

  —On the contrary—

  —What that mean?

  —It mean on the contrary. Something tell me you not goin’ suffer no difficulty.

  —But—

  —Butt is what you get from goat. Can’t keep backra waiting when him deh on haste. Homer put on her blue bonnet and step through the door. She stand up outside long time and wait. Lilith look at her.—Do you work and stop watch me back, Lilith, Homer say even though she didn’t turn around once. Lilith step away from the window.

  Near a hour later, Lilith step timid-like into Massa Humphrey room to see Miss Isobel fast asleep. Lilith set the tray of food down on the table by the window and pull back the curtains.

  —What de bloodcloth! Blow it out! Blow it out, Miss Isobel say, half into the pillow, and half into the air.—The curtains, the curtains, curse you, Miss Isobel say.

  Lilith draw the curtains and darkness sweep over the room again. Lilith see man clothes on the floor, white blouson, white breeches and black boots messed up with mud and grass. They peep out from a white sheet that messed up with mud also. She pick up the breeches and it smell like a drunk man, with liquor, tobacco and something she can’t fathom. She pick up the sheet, which smell the same, with marks that look like hands all over it. Miss Isobel in the bed, her back to Lilith. A knock on the door wake her up good.

  —Isobel? Isobel, it is I, Massa Humphrey say.

  That give Miss Isobel a start. She roll over the bed quick to check the ground and gasp. She look up at Lilith with the clothes in her hand.

  —Isobel? Massa Humphrey say.

  Miss Isobel and Lilith look at each other for a long time, her hair down and flowing over her shoulders. Lilith take off her apron and wrap the drunken clothes. Miss Isobel still looking at her.

  —Isobel, may I enter, Massa Humphrey say.

  —A minute, if you please, a minute, Miss Isobel say.

  The two womens look at the boots. Lilith kick the pair under the bed. Miss Isobel set up in the bed.

  —Come in, Miss Isobel say.

  Massa Humphrey step in with him shirt untuck and no boots on. The massa step with long stride first, but when he see Lilith, he stop and move slower.

  —Really, Master Wilson, I’d sooner take you for a common peasant.

  —My apologies, Miss Isobel. My concern for your well being, well, . . . it overrides my attention to decorum. Leave us, he say to Lilith.

  —Stay. She was just about to hand me my breakfast tray, Miss Isobel say. Lilith set the bundle on the floor, grab the tray and put it on the bed over Miss Isobel lap.

  —Well, it does my heart good see you eat, Miss Isobel.

  —Three hurrahs for your heart, then. Now you may go, Miss Isobel say to Lilith.

  Outside, Lilith linger for a little bit. Long enough to hear Massa Humphrey say, I will not, Isobel. Lilith turn to go downstairs but slip in the room next door.

  —I am nothing more than your trifle, your Creole courtesan, then, Miss Isobel say.

  —I must entreat—

  —Oh, will you quit speaking so pompous, Humphrey, your head will soon explode.

  —Pompous? Pompous! My dear woman, are you aware that when you speak you—

  —Have a little of the colony in me? Yes, Humphrey, yes, ’tis like a taint on my own damn blood, if you must know.

  —I will not take advantage of someone grieving—

  —I do not need to be comforted, Humphrey Wilson, I need to be fucked. Rutted like a common cow. Does that shock you? Are you quite horrified? Do you find me improper? Why should you? You made me this way and now I’m nothing but a leper to you. Is that what you want to hear? Do you really wish to know how base I can be, Humphrey? I’m sick of feeling like an orphan—even a whore’s lot is better then mine. I would kill my family again to swap grief for pleasure!

  —Isobel! You’re not making sense—

  —You’re the one not making sense, you hypocrite.

  —I . . . I shall return when you’re civil.

  —Return when you’re hard, I have no use for anything civil.

  Massa Humphrey storm through the door and leave it open. Lilith pass Miss Isobel door to see her pouring something from a metal flask into her tea, then gulping the whole thing down like a thirsty nigger. After midnight, Miss Isobel gone out riding again, this time with no moonlight or clouds to show the way. She wearing the man clothes, the same clothes Lilith wash and dry and put back in the room that afternoon while Miss Isobel act
like she sleeping.

  The next morning Homer up before Lilith.

  —Lawdy to clawdy, ah tired! Homer say when she see Lilith coming into the kitchen.

  —Tired from what? Lilith say, trying not to act surprised.

  —Tired from honest living, she say. Massa Quinn take me all over Kingston yesterday, to shop after shop after shop. Me’d almost think me shopping with the mistress if he didn’t know so little ’bout drapery. Two time the man pick up osnaburg cloth and ask if it can make curtain. Me have to remind him that only nigger wear osnaburg. And now me and the womens have curtain to make. Them teach you how to make curtain at Coulibre?

  —No.

  —Too bad. Could use another hand. Massa Quinn look like he in a haste.

  —In a haste for what?

  —That be him own business. But I tell you this, the way Massa Robert fixin’-fixin’ up the little overseer house, you’d think he expecting a wife.

  One night Lilith still awake from working, but this be different work. The great house dark except for a dim lamp Lilith holding up with her right hand, that colour the walls orange. She set the lamp on a table outside the bedroom door and step in. Miss Isobel lying in the bed and the only sound in the night be her breathing. Lilith set down the boots that she polish and shine herself, and leave. The next morning, she go back to the bedroom early and grab up the same boots, now soiled with mud, and the same man clothes on the floor that stinking up the room. Miss Isobel fast asleep but on the floor, peeking out from under the bed, be the metal flask. Lilith pick it up slow and careful-like and twist the cap off. She smell it and frown, closing it back quick. The something-else smell, the thing that all over the stinking clothes was in the flask too. Whatever it be and whatever Miss Isobel do, taking care of her was Lilith work now. She didn’t know how much work a nigger must do to forget. How long a nigger must work until she feel debt pay or punishment enough.

  Massa Humphrey learn to treat Miss Isobel bedroom like a whole ’nother house. He don’t go in there much no more and when he do, he don’t stay long. At one point he ask Homer where Robert Quinn be and she remind him that is crop time. Oh, yes, massa say and touch him lip. Little time later, Massa Humphrey on horseback galloping down to the cane field. Homer at the window seeing them ride back together, slow-like, with the horses trotting. Massa Humphrey burst out laughing and slap Robert Quinn on the shoulder. Robert Quinn laugh too. When Massa Humphrey come back through the kitchen, he look ’pon Lilith for a good while with one eyebrow raise. He step to her, then stop, then turn and gone ’bout him business. Couple nigger notice. Lilith don’t look at them, but stare out of the window until she sure they not looking at her. Her palm sweaty, she know.