Old Josh, in: Sweet Pea hard-hearted, 1893

Josh’s wife had left him and the kids at an early age, Rebecca Boston Jefferson, nicknamed, Sweet Pea; now that Josh was in his 90s, Jordon wanted to know the story of his mother…


Josh: Well, you axe me ‘bout your maw, Sweet Pea—wey she gone, wuh happen to her. I ain’ knowin’ fer sure. All I kin say is, if-in you know Sweet Pea, you know Sweep Pea? I guh tell you wuh I know cuz I know you dont know nothin’.
Sweet Pea be a bad woman to be wit. She talk kindly an’ she have a look dat satisfy you’ eye, but she be huntin’ for danger. You know Sweet Pea ain’ never known to not meddle in nobody affairs, an’ she pretend she is soft an’ kind to everybody, mens an’ womens, an’ old folk and all. She aint never change she friendly ways to nobody ‘less dey got somthin’ fer her. Your maw waz one of dese kind er niggers dat would cut you’ th’oat in-ef you do her wrong, an’ if-in you didn’t she been polite, a mannerable nigger I ever see. De white folks love her. And when I met her you’ ole paw was crazy ‘bout her, and she give me de chillum like God sent.
Her moest fault waz mens folk, an’ dey ain’ say nothin’ ‘gainst her, none on ‘em. An’ dem mens wuh likes her git tangle up with er other mens and she never have sense enough to stop. She were sure a dang’ous woman. I ain’ never seen a bad woman folk love so much.

Jordon: I ain’ known maw, ain’ nobody knowin’ maw but you paw, the last time I sees maw, was da first time I sees her, and she only wanted to visit wit you fur some money, I reckon, dat some years ago. She a walkin’ like a lion cat, she look back onct an’ den swing her self ‘way like a bird in flight, we ain’ never seen her since.

Josh: Sweet Pea fade wid de sun set an’ dat is good, and if-in I never sees her an’ youall never sees her ‘gain, we is two lucky niggers! Now lets find some moonshine son, and drink to dat.

Short Story /sketch, No: 416 (Episode 83, written 6-18-2009)