JARED WENT back into the tomato fields the next day, but it would have made no difference to him if he were picking tomatoes or beans or corn or celery or cucumbers or cutting sugar cane. His thoughts were only on Cloma and the baby. He knew he must now get them out of Angel City, that it was beyond reason for the boy to either survive or grow up in such a place and under such conditions, but he also knew he must not do anything to endanger Kristy. He would not even think of risking one life for another. Although he constantly searched his mind for every possible avenue of escape, his answers came up blank.
Late that afternoon, Jared sat on the ground outside the room, still totally preoccupied with his thoughts of leaving Angel City. Cy was drinking the wine Jabbo had given him before supper. Jared turned to him and said, “You think Creecly might let us go now that the baby has come?”
Cy put down the bottle. “You know better’n that.”
“We’ve got to get out of here. There must be a way.”
“Don’t you fool aroun’ an’ get yo’self in bad trouble again,” Cy said. “You got that baby to look out for now.”
“That’s why we’ve got to leave here now,” Jared insisted. Then he got up suddenly. “I’ll go and ask Creedy.” Cy shook his head in dismay as he watched Jared go around the side of the building.
Creedy was standing by the trailer, talking to Jabbo. Jared walked up, stopped directly in front of Creedy and said abruptly, “Why don’t you let us go now?”
The question caught Creedy by surprise. He said, “How come?”
“This ain’t no fit place for a baby, and you know that as well as I do.”
“What’s wrong with it? I’ve seen nigger women pickin’ in the fields with babies strapped to their backs. What’s so diff’rent about your woman?”
Jared wanted to lash out and strike Creedy with his fists, but he controlled the anger and said, “I’ve been pickin’ fer you fer a long time, and I know I'’e more than paid off the debt several times over. Why don’t you let us go now?”
“Ain’t nobody leaving Angel City owing me money!” Creedy exploded. “Nobody! You ought to know that by now! I ain’t got time to listen no more! I’m busy!”
Jared glared harshly at Creedy, then he turned and went back to the barracks. He dropped down beside Cy and said, “What kind of a man is Creedy? Where’d he come from?”
“Most likely he was hatched in a buzzard’s nest.” Cy looked at the anger in Jared’s eyes, knowing how the foolish quest with Creedy had ended. He said, “I done tole you befo’. The woods is full o’ men like Creedy. He’s scratchin’ fo’ ev’rything he can get, an’ he don’t care how he gets it. He done gone so far he couldn't tum back if he wanted to. He used to do this just to us niggers, but now he don’t care who it is. You best stay clear o’ him. He ain't human no more. He’s daid too, just like all these folks in here he’s done knocked the life out of.”
“They’s some good in ev’ry man,” Jared said. “The Lord tells us so.”
“The Lord ain’t never lived in no migrant camp,” Cy said. “Creedy ain’t human no more. You best stay clear o’ him.”
For the rest of the week, Jared tried to brush the anger from his mind. He thought of many things other than Creedy and Angel City and the apparent hopelessness of his situation. He also spent more time after work with Clomaand the baby, and he didn't mention escape to Cy again.
On Sunday afternoon, Creedy brought all the children to the camp for the regular weekly visit. The next Tuesday would be Christmas Day, and Creedy had decided to leave them in the camp until Tuesday afternoon and avoid the expense of his housekeeper cooking them a Christmas dinner. Jared was thankful that Kristy would be with them for a few days, giving him a chance to try and find out what was bothering her so badly and perhaps bring her out of her deep depression. When Cloma first told him about Kristy's change, he did not listen, but what she had said gradually came through to him. He hoped that the change was simply because she was separated from the family.
The buses left for the fields as usual Monday morning, and a clear dawn was breaking as Jared started down the tomato row. He had decided to use Christmas as a tool to bring joy back to Kristy and make her her old self again, and he was sure this would work. He wanted to do something good for her and for everyone, and he was consumed with the same excitement he had always known on Christmas Eve. Cy watched him smpiciously when he started humming as he worked.
When the bus stopped at the store that afternoon, Jared made purchases other than the necessary food. He wanted to buy a red bathing suit for Kristy, but the store did not stock such items. Instead, he bought large bottles of cologne for Kristy and Cloma, a straw cowboy hat for Bennie, and knitted blue shoes for the baby. For Cy he selected a shaving mug, for Cy’s son a toy bugle, and for Bertha a yellow cloth bonnet. He also bought a roll of pink ribbon, a package of red crepe paper, three boxes of paper cups, a basket of apples, a carton of eggs, and two pounds of bacon.
When he came into the room and Cloma saw all of these things, she knew that he must have spent the fast of their savings, but she said nothing. This was the first time since they arrived in Angel City that she had seen happiness in his face, and she wanted to share this with him. She cut the sacks into pieces and wrapped each gift in brown paper, then she tied them with pieces of pink ribbon. Jared took the gift for Cloma out to the cookshed and wrapped it himself.
After supper, Jared did things that puzzled all of them. He brought three empty bean hampers from behind the cook-shed and placed them together like a flat-topped Christmas tree; then he wrapped them with red crepe paper. Next, he brought the washtub from beside the hydrant and placed it on top of the hampers. On another hamper he sat the basket of apples.
Inside the room, lined against the walls, there were sixty-eight bottles of wine. With Bennie helping, all of the bottles were taken outside and emptied into the tub.
When all of this was finished, Jared asked Bennie and Kristy to go with him to the hampers. Bennie was puzzled but excited and eager, but Kristy turned back toward the room. Jared stepped in front of her and said, “It’s Christmas Eve, Kristy. We’re gain’ to have a party just like we’ve always had.”
For a moment Kristy remained silent, and then she said slowly, “It would be Christmas ... in West Virginny ... but there’s no Christmas here.”
“That’s not so, Kristy,” Jared said gently. “It’s Christmas ev’rywhere. God isn’t just in West Virginny. We’ll have a fine party ... it’s Christmas ev’rywhere.” He reached out and gripped her hand tightly.
Cloma held the baby on a hamper outside the room and watched as Jared led Kristy out to the decorated hampers with Bennie following. Jared started to sing, “Silent Night ... Holy Night ... All is calm ... All is bright .... ” Bennie joined in immediately, but Kristy remained silent.
People came out of the rooms and peered curiously at the strange gathering. One by one, and then in groups, they gradually drifted forward, forming a circle around the hampers and blending their voices into the singing of the carols. Soon all the camp was there. Jared marveled at the perfect blending of the rich Negro voices. He had never heard Christmas music sung so beautifully.
Kristy did not join in the singing, but she suddenly looked up and said, “Don’t you worry none about me, Papa. I’m not fittin’ to cause you worry. I’m sorry, Papa, I don’t mean to be a bother to you.” Jared tightened his grip on her hand.
After several more carols, paper cups were dipped into the tub of wine. The apples would be given out and eaten later. Soon again the camp and the surrounding fields were ringing with the sounds of Christmas.
Once Jared looked over and noticed Jabbo and Clug standing beneath the floodlight on the east end of the building, watching. He walked over to them and said, “Why don’t you join us? It’s Christmas Eve.”
They both looked perplexed. Jabbo said, “Mistuh Creedy didn’t say nothin’ ’bout no singin.’”
“Creedy’s not here tonight,” Jared said. “You can join us if you want to. It’s up to you.”
For a moment they seemed hesitant, but as Jared walked back to the circle, Jabbo and Clug turned and disappeared in the direction of the trailer.
No one wanted the music to stop. It was after midnight when the camp again became silent, and the people drifted slowly back to their rooms.