The Color Purple by Alice Walker Page A

children daddy?
    The girls had a little separate room, I say, off to itself, connected to the house by a little plank walk. Nobody ever come in there but Mama. But one time when mama not at home, he come. Told me he want me to trim his hair. He bring the scissors and comb and brush and a stool. While I trim his hair he look at me funny. He a little nervous too, but I don’t know why, till he grab hold of me and cram me up tween his legs.
    I lay there quiet, listening to Shug breathe.
    It hurt me, you know, I say. I was just going on fourteen. I never even thought bout men having nothing down there so big. It scare me just to see it. And the way it poke itself and grow.
    Shug so quiet I think she sleep.
    After he through, I say, he make me finish trimming his hair.
    I sneak a look at Shug.
    Oh, Miss Celie, she say. And put her arms round me. They black and smooth and kind of glowy from the lamplight.
    I start to cry too. I cry and cry and cry. Seem like it all come back to me, laying there in Shug arms. How it hurt and how much I was surprise. How it stung while I finish trimming his hair. How the blood drip down my leg and mess up my stocking. How he don’t never look at me straight after that. And Nettie.
    Don’t cry, Celie, Shug say. Don’t cry. She start kissing the water as it come down side my face.
    After while I say, Mama finally ast how come she find his hair in the girls room if he don’t never go in there like he say. That when he told her I had a boyfriend. Some boy he say he seen sneaking out the back door. It the boy’s hair, he say, not his. You know how she love to cut anybody hair, he say.
    I did love to cut hair, I say to Shug, since I was a little bitty thing. I’d run go git the scissors if I saw hair coming, and I’d cut and cut, long as I could. That how come I was the one cut his hair. But always before I cut it on the front porch. It got to the place where everytime I saw him coming with the scissors and the comb and the stool, I start to cry.
    Shug say, Wellsah, and I thought it was only whitefolks do freakish things like that.
    My mama die, I tell Shug. My sister Nettie run away. Mr. _____ come git me to take care his rotten children. He never ast me nothing bout myself. He clam on top of me and fuck and fuck, even when my head bandaged. Nobody ever love me, I say.
    She say, I love you, Miss Celie. And then she haul off and kiss me on the mouth.
    Um, she say, like she surprise. I kiss her back, say, um, too. Us kiss and kiss till us can’t hardly kiss no more. Then us touch each other.
    I don’t know nothing bout it, I say to Shug.
    I don’t know much, she say.
    Then I feels something real soft and wet on my breast, feel like one of my little lost babies mouth.
    Way after while, I act like a little lost baby too.

DEAR GOD,
    Grady and Mr. _____ come staggering in round daybreak. Me and Shug sound asleep. Her back to me, my arms round her waist. What it like? Little like sleeping with mama, only I can’t hardly remember ever sleeping with her. Little like sleeping with Nettie, only sleeping with Nettie never feel this good. It warm and cushiony, and I feel Shug’s big tits sorta flop over my arms like suds. It feel like heaven is what it feel like, not like sleeping with Mr. _____ at all.
    Wake up Sugar, I say. They back. And Shug roll over, hug me, and git out of the bed. She stagger into the other room and fall on the bed with Grady. Mr. _____ fall into bed next to me, drunk, and snoring before he hit the quilts.
    I try my best to like Grady, even if he do wear red suspenders and bow ties. Even if he do spend Shug’s money like he made it himself. Even if he do try to talk like somebody from the North. Memphis, Tennessee ain’t North, even I know that. But one thing I sure nuff can’t stand, the way he call Shug Mama.
    I ain’t your fucking mama, Shug say. But he don’t pay her no mind.
    Like when he be making goo-goo eyes at Squeak and Shug sorta tease him about it, he say, Aw,