FIVE

Summer moved toward fall. Martha kept her thoughts to herself and joined Titay on the rounds to visit the sick and to gather herbs. Each morning she promised herself to speak to Titay about the rumor that she was leaving, but each night she could not find the courage to do so.

Finally one morning before they started on their rounds, Martha said, “Granma, I wanna talk t’ yuh.”

“Tis bout time. You gotta cide on a dress fuh the festival. You leadin the dance, yes?”

“Granma, I don’t think they really want me.”

“Who say sich?”

Surely her grandmother had heard the gossip. Why was she pretending not to know what was going on? Martha wanted to cry out, You tole that I wanna go way, but she couldn’t bring herself to say that to her grandmother. “I’ll think bout a dress,” she said.

As they made the rounds, Martha listened. Although the women never said anything in her presence, Martha felt that they watched her suspiciously. In silence she went about her work. She prepared cayenne leaves to burn slowly in fetid rooms to fumigate and purify the air; she concocted tea for colicky babies; she watched the ritual of preparing bodies for burial. She went her way as though unaware of the gossip of the women.

Three days before the fishing festival Titay called to Martha in a firm voice, “Come heah!”

Before Martha could ask why, Titay shouted, “How come yuh say you won’t lead festival cause you gon go way?”

Martha, surprised by the tone, could not answer.

“Why?”

Martha stared at the floor.

“Heah I am blievin you’s a good woman, ready t’ take m’ place cause yo work been good. I see in yuh the makin o’ a strong midwife, n bhind m’ back you go n say yuh leavin, yes?”

Martha looked at her grandmother in disbelief. “I didn’t say that, no, Granma.”

“Then who did? Why yuh lie, Mat?”

“Please, Granma, I didn’t.”

“Then who?” Titay shouted.

“I don’t know, less it be you!”

“You dare call me liar?”

It was as though her grandmother’s words had banished her to hell’s fire. “Oh no, Granma,” she cried. Shocked at her thoughts and behavior, Martha rushed from the house and fled down the path to the Gulf.

The sound of the waves compounded her fear and shame. She felt as if her grandmother was playing games with her. Titay must have told.

Martha watched the waves, knowing that she had done a terrible thing to suggest that Titay had lied. Then she wished Titay had slapped her face. She would feel purged, cleansed. But Titay wouldn’t. Now there would be a terrible silence between them and that would be far worse than a licking.

Though the sun sank and twilight was almost purple, Martha still lingered at the edge of the Gulf. Then it was dark. She hurried on the path.

In the center of the island women were gathered under the chinaberry tree, laughing and talking. As she passed they became quiet. In the dark she could feel their hostile stares.

She found the door to her grandmother’s room closed, which meant that Titay was deep in meditation, communin. Martha wanted to cry out, I’m home, Granma, but she was too ashamed. She went quickly, quietly to her room.

Hand-clapping to the beat of the music rang throughout the island. The fishing festival was underway. Martha paced up and down the room, her hands over her ears, trying to close out the merrymaking. Her long, ruffled white gauze skirt and full-sleeved blouse were perfect for a leader of the dance. Her hair, braided in plaits with many colorful beads, fell to her shoulders. If only she felt as lovely as she looked.

She thought of the past days and the silence between her and her grandmother. She had wanted to ask for forgiveness and to try to probe with Titay into the reasons why someone would want to play that horrible trick on them. But she could not break through Titay’s stony silence. Titay acted as though Martha did not exist.

Martha went to stand in the front door of the house. The music taunted her. Cora will lead. Cora LaRue! Oh no, she thought. That’s exactly what Cora wanted, to take the dancers to the sea. Cora by yo house, yes?… We jus seen er … She move quick thout sayin the time o’ day … Gert’s words flashed into Martha’s mind.

Suddenly she dashed from the house tying an emerald green scarf around her waist as she ran. Her heartbeat quickened with her footsteps.

As she came to the square, shouts from the crowd urged a dancer on. Dust rose as a gold and green skirt thrashed the air. Cora danced wildly, alone in the center of the circle. Martha was too late. So Cora will lead em, she thought, stopping on the edge of the circle. Then to her surprise, the crowd opened to include her, and in that moment Cora’s rhythm was broken.

Cora flashed an angry look at Martha, encouraged the musicians and started a new dance.

Martha suddenly felt shy. She looked around the circle. Ocie was standing between her husband and Beau. Both men were wearing the simple white cotton pants and blousy shirts of the fishermen, even though Tee was the only one going on the voyage. Beau smiled and winked at Martha. Martha lowered her eyes. Wish I liked im cause he sho act like I’m his heartstring.

A shout came from the crowd. “Dance, Martha!”

Martha’s shyness returned and she didn’t know what to do. She felt the urge to respond, but she couldn’t even clap her hands to the music.

Then Tee shouted, “G’on, Martha, shake a leg, girl!” Ocie, Beau and others joined in, and the rhythm became, “Dance, Martha, dance.”

Cora glared at Martha, stamped her foot angrily and pushed through to the edge of the circle.

I’ll show er, Martha thought. She closed her eyes, swayed to the music, raised her arms and snapped her fingers. Her movement was like a smoldering fire that bursts into flame and leaps to consume all in its way. Martha danced.

Later, as everybody danced, lost in the music, Titay shouted, “Le’s move t’ the sea.”

Martha took the scarf from around her waist and waved it high as she led them all. With scarves from their waists and heads as banners, the women danced with Martha to the sea.

On the shore, the fishermen kissed the women and children. Martha glowed with the excitement of the moment. She was surprised when Tee stooped to kiss her forehead and whispered, “Don’t wait heah too long.”

She wanted badly to embrace him, but that was forbidden, so she smiled and said, “You diffunt, yuh know?” That was their goodbye as he moved to go aboard the fishing boat.

Whispering winds and sunlit waves urged the fishermen on their way. Beau swam alongside the boat with the men and boys who were remaining in the village. The women on the woodland shore sang and waved their flowing scarves.

Titay placed her hands on Martha’s shoulders and drew Martha to her. Martha trembled. Her throat felt closed as she fought back the tears. For a moment she could not speak. Then she said, “Fuhgi me, Granma. I know now twas Cora who started it all.”

“Tis all over now. But I knowed you’d come t’ yo senses and be the woman t’ take m’ place.”

Martha moved, reluctantly, out of Titay’s arms. Titay joyfully rejoined the women on the shore.

Martha now stood alone, apart from the shouting crowd. She watched the boat become a dark speck and disappear. Tee’s whispered caution and Titay’s words battled in her mind. Twisting her scarf, she felt afraid. Alone. How could she ever leave Blue Isle?