Read The Color Purple for Free Online Page A

announcement. Talk with his head leant to the side.
    He come right to the point.
    Just couldn’t rest till you got her in your house, could you? he say, coming up the step.
    Mr. _____ don’t say nothing. Look out cross the railing at the trees, over the top of the well. Eyes rest on the top of Harpo and Sofia house.
    Won’t you have a seat? I ast, pushing him up a chair. How bout a cool drink of water?
    Through the window I hear Shug humming and humming, practicing her little song. I sneak back to her room and shet the window.
    Old Mr. _____ say to Mr. ____, Just what is it bout this Shug Avery anyway, he say. She black as tar, she nappy headed. She got legs like baseball bats.
    Mr. _____ don’t say nothing. I drop little spit in Old Mr. _____ water.
    Why, say Old Mr. ____, she ain’t even clean. I hear she got the nasty woman disease.
    I twirl the spit round with my finger. I think bout ground glass, wonder how you grind it. But I don’t feel mad at all. Just interest.
    Mr. _____ turn his head slow, watch his daddy drink.
    Then say, real sad, You ain’t got it in you to understand, he say. I love Shug Avery. Always have, always will. I should have married her when I had the chance.
    Yeah, say Old Mr. ____. And throwed your life away.
    (Mr. _____ grunt right there.) And a right smart of my money with it. Old Mr. _____ clear his throat. Nobody even sure exactly who her daddy is.
    I never care who her daddy is, say Mr. _____.
    And her mammy take in white people dirty clothes to this day. Plus all her children got different daddys. It all just too trifling and confuse.
    Well, say Mr. _____ and turn full face on his daddy, All Shug Avery children got the same daddy. I vouch for that.
    Old Mr. _____ clear his throat. Well, this my house.
    This my land. Your boy Harpo in one of my houses, on my land. Weeds come up on my land, I chop ’em up. Trash blow over it I burn it. He rise to go. Hand me his glass. Next time he come I put a little Shug Avery pee in his glass. See how he like that.
    Celie, he say, you have my sympathy. Not many women let they husband whore lay up in they house.
    But he not saying to me, he saying it to Mr. _____.
    Mr. ____look up at me, our eyes meet. This the closest us ever felt.
    He say, Hand Pa his hat, Celie.
    And I do. Mr. _____ don’t move from his chair by the railing. I stand in the door. Us watch Old Mr. _____ begin harrumping and harrumping down the road home.
    Next one come visit, his brother Tobias. He real fat and tall, look like a big yellow bear. Mr. _____ small like his daddy, his brother stand way taller.
    Where she at? he ast, grinning. Where the Queen Honeybee? Got something for her, he say. He put little box of chocolate on the railing.
    She sleeping, I say. Didn’t sleep much last night.
    How you doing there, Albert, he say, dragging up a chair. He run his hand over his slicked back hair and try to feel if there’s a bugga in his nose. Wipe his hand on his pants. Shake out the crease.
    I just heard Shug Avery was here, he say. How long you had her?
    Oh, say Mr. _____, couple of months.
    Hell, say Tobias, I heard she was dying. That goes to show, don’t it, that you can’t believe everything you hear. He smooth down his mustache, run his tongue out the corners of his lips.
    What you know good, Miss Celie? he say.
    Not much, I say.
    Me and Sofia piecing another quilt together. I got bout five squares pieced, spread out on the table by my knee. My basket full of scraps on the floor.
    Always busy, always busy, he say. I wish Margaret was more like you. Save me a bundle of money.
    Tobias and his daddy always talk bout money like they still got a lot. Old Mr. _____ been selling off the place so that nothing much left but the houses and the fields. My and Harpo fields bring in more than anybody.
    I piece on my square. Look at the colors of the cloth.
    Then I hear Tobias chair fall back and he say, Shug.
    Shug halfway tween sick and well. Halfway tween good and evil, too. Most days