Old Josh, in: Pure Nigger [2nd Series] "Goose Creek" (1894))Episode Six)

Old Josh, in:
Goose Creek (1894)
(Episode Six)



(Josh and Silas, his older son are down by Goose Creek, in Ozark, Alabama, fishing with a wooden branch, a string, and big hook)



Josh: Yessem, old Granny Wash, was a character.
Silas: Wat she do?
Josh: It was in Goose Creek, wey de white folks likes to go, in de woods, here. An’ I meets her dere ‘way back in slavery time, in ’50s long longtime ‘before Alabama knows they were Alabama when folks (Josh hesitates)… she died in 1877, born before me, some kind of poison.
Silas: Back den de woods was full er game: all kind er wild thing. De white folks like to fish here nowadays!
Josh: I fish here too, even back in da ‘50s, I pay no diff’ence wuh dey think. , I do wat I do.
Silas: I likes this place but I don’t liks too much comp’ny.
Josh: I hear all de birds, in de woods da beast, but I dont care none, not of any live thing—dat one… (Silas intervenes)
Silas: Sho’ of, pa!
Josh: Granny Wash, she tell Sweet Molasses, ‘I knows you likes Silas, but yus too young…’
Silas: Yaw pa, I remember Sweet Molasses, she hides behind data dere
Ole tree dat sand out in de woods, it ant you can hide dere all day, when I fishen, but she does, and I sees her limb dont know wha’ dey say in bark den, or Mr. Hightower, but she comes like a howl like a mule at me…
Josh: Granny say one night her marster send hr back for Sweet Molasses, and she see a boy, by de creek, look down on him and she say you do kind er strange thing…she talk ‘bout de wild day you have, and a baby alligator come by de creek and yous tremble an’ Sweet Molasses crack you’ head to de ground and run like hell (Josh starts to laugh)

Silas: I tell yo pa, I hear a alligator, de mom I think, I jus see da teet’ I do, and I run too.

(Josh is getting a bite on his string, pulls it upward sharp, the worm is gone, and he just lets the hook back into the water, with no worm on it)

Josh: I ain’ forgit all wuh she say, and when I passes dis creek in de day I git laughin’, and wants to fish, but white folks say we oughter stay up stream, I’s hard sometimes to onderstand dere mind.

(Josh gets another bite, it’s a bullhead)



Notes: Granny Wash [born: 1800-died 1877] came from New Orleans in 1810, brought to Ozark, Alabama, and does not recollect anything else; died mysteriously of poison.

Notes: Sweet Molasses [Jefferson] alls in love with Silas: Born: 1856/1872…ongoing; has a child Minerva: 1873]. The child is poisoned, 1874, dies.