Document text
EALAYAA2 11401
Written Sys
nil. Leal* Weiner
Reeeerek Worker
Georgia Writers' ?rejoin
Athens
•4
bitted ays
Ars. Reggie I. Freiman
alter
Georgia linters. Project
Athens
IPA Area 4
October 10* 1939
September 19, 1939
Lisa Johnson (Negro)
1110 Newton strvot
Athens, Georgia
Midwife
Bradley
;In A FAST 'MK
The ascent to Una Jones house was the most
preoarious feat I ever attempted. The main road
leading to the foot of the hill was 'bad enough,
dusty, rocky and full of ruts, but when I began to
climb, my oourage almost failed me. There wan a name,
beaten path leading to the top.. On *soh side were
weeds and grass, while the path itself was nothing
but rooks, stones, and washouts.
Finally reached the top of this incline which
brought me to a long flight of steps. These were very
rickety, almost hazardous. rbbally I reached the top
and found myself on the narrow porch.
Maria met me at the *sad of the steps, 'Good
events**, Kiss, come right in. 'rouse hadler hard climb,
ain't youTo
*Yes, Maria, but I feel fully repaid for it, for
look at that beautiful view you get from her..'
And indeed it was lovely. The city spread in the
distanoi like a panorama. The hills and valleys made
you feel you were in the mountains, while the brew**
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rem4aded you of the seashore.
The home was a ramohaskle affair. It was divided
into two epartmants, and the two rooms on the right
were the ones in Mkioh Maria and her family, four in all,
lived. The front room was the living room and bedroom
eombined, while the back room was used for 4104,14Mge
cooking, and eating. These were both scantily furaish-
ed and in great disorder. The room which you 4ared
first contained as iron bed and two pies", of worn
carpet for rugs. At the windows were lase ourtains that
at one tine had been of good quality but had 119110 their
best days. The only very notioable thing in this room
was a radio, turned on with such volust I ea& scarcely
hear my own voice. In this room slept the good.fer-nothing
daughter, Lisa, and son-ini.law, Jake, who was at home
hiding from the avow* (vagrancy) officer. Jake was
very mush opposed to work.
Maria and John, her husband, slept, 000ked, and at*
in the other room. In the back yard, smoke was rising
from around the pot where olothes were boilingefor this
was wash day.
Ne sat on the front porok to enjoy the braise
while we talked. Maria was fitty.five years old and in
appearance she was not very prep.'s's
Oa her head
was an old fait hat of Wel* John's, the brim almost
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oompletely gone, and through the torn crown bits of
her kinky hair were peeking up.
"Honey, please pandon my looks, I'se been washin'
ter -day. I don't looks lak die when Ilse on a job. I
dresses up den -you know I'se a midwife. Yes,I lisps ter
bring little bi,bies inter die world. I ain't had no
oases lately, makes me wondah what folks is doinl.
Makes me short o money too, case now dey ain't stab
a turrible mount o' money in dat, but its bet tern
nuthin'.
"Tell me something of your life, Maria, and how
you happened to beoome a midwife?" I asked.
"Well", she began, "I wus born down here in
Washington, Georvia, Wilkes County. I lived there a
long time. Den I wanted to git ter a bigger place, so
I moved to Athens. Jus been hpre fifteen years. I
married when I 'us twelvesyes, Lawd, I did, dat is to
my fust husban. You know I'se had two, Honey. Yes, I's40
ben married all mah life. I had a baby when I wuz
tirten, Den I didn't stop til I had fohteen ohillun.
Tell de trufe, Miss, I wuz sorter fast like all de gals
and boys ter day. Guess data how I had ohillun so fast.
NO, I ain't slo"bout nothint I do's.
"You know, I quit mah fust husband. I wuz sorter
orazy 'bout 'tin at flat, but aftah awhile I found out
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married life wusn't whut I thought for, so I ouit Iim.
stunk wid 'im til all dose ohillun wuz growed up.
Den I No when he jound me, I didn't hab no chillun,
and he sho to. God won't goine ter le' me wid none. I
and him just couldn't git long. I couldn't sarve de
La wd stayih' so worried up, so I just quit. Mali chillun
finally died, 'scusin' Liza neah. She's mah baby, and
ae is twenty-foh.
"I didn t have no speohil trainin' for mah wuk,
Isousin' whut I got from de doctors and 'aperience.
Dat's de best anyhow, all de teaching in de world don't
hop you none lessen you oho 'fluff oatoh a baby. De fust
time sorter settee you, but aftah day hit comes easy.
Why, Miss, I cotched mah fust baby when I wuz fohteen
.years old, and hit wuz my mammy's, and a gal. I allus
wuz curious pout things lak dat and as I done told
you I wuz sorter fast like, and I got ter followinl
doctors round and just thing youse know I wuz cotohinl
babies too.
"I don't never has any truble, well not but once.
I Aad a white gal patient. Lawsy, she wuz a sight.
I wrasseled wid 4ier for twenty -foe hours. De baby did
come though, and hit wuz all right 'oept sorter ale
bout ketchin' its bref, so I holds it up and spanks,
and, God, how it did holler. Dat gal's pa, he sont
fer me. We lived on his place and he thought dey
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pouldn't do nothing witout me.
Looking down at herself, she said, "Miss, Ilse sho
don't look lak die when I'm on a case. I has white
uniforms, and I wears them when I knows head oltime.
Sometimes though, dey don't give you time to hardly git
anything on. Hurry callsoyou know. Most in general dey
speaks ter you and engages you when dey ham been ootch.
ed 'bout foh months.
4Dey pays you five dollars down in ',vanes. Den
when de time comes dey is 'posed to pay de*lance. Course
now if anything happens for instance, I gits sick or go
away den I'm sposed to refund de five dollars. No,
I don't ev-3..h send for a doctor, less ob course sumpint
ha4ens dat I ain't specting. Fust thing I does when I
goes on a case, I Ixamine den ter see if de baby is
..mor
coming straight, if it ain't I sends for de doctor.
And I allus kePps a doctor spotted in ease ob trouble.
She paused in her conversation to pick up a lit-
tle baby who had come from an adjoining apartment.
"Here comes mah baby she said. "She thinks Ilse
her mammy." And still talking to the child she said,
"Honay, tell whut yer been doinl a'day. Been havin'
ter 000k and wuk hard. Well, lay yo little haid down
and take yourself a little nap while I holds yer. 4
Gently shaking the child on her knees, she con-
tinued,
N- loves ohillun, but, Wild, ain't dey lots
ob trouble.
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Ter nevah know *hut yer bringin' 'em in die world far.
Der's Liza in dere, she's just out ob de stockade, and
dat sorry husband in dere too. Dey wus eont up fir
fightin' each odder.
bA:lk ter *hut I wus saying, my biggest trouble
in being a granny is I'm fast and I wants things to
move off fast too. Why, When I had mah fohteen, I didn't
have ter hab but a pain or two and dere de younguns wuz.
'Dey ain't lak dat though. Some hat' ter be coax-
ed and petted long but for me I wuz illus raring ter
go. I sho had a time wid my last patient. She wuz young
and high-strung and look lak she won't nevah gwine hat
dat lby, but atter while she calmed town and got ter work.
G.ost ob my patients ls been dare beta' so dey knows how
ter do.
'Law no, Honey, I don't fool wid politios, don't
knows nothin' bout aim. 1 guess I'se religious long as
folks don't make me mad. I e..oes ter church one* a month.,
but jus let somebody cross me up and I ousses lak hell.
Looking up the street, Maria suddenly becam alarmed.
colickly se called to Jake. 'setter it back in dere quick,
son dPre es de vacancy cop.' Then to me *Dem cops is
jus been run in' wild roun' here ter day. I thinks day is
wrong, but we has to have laws, and it's de cop's place to
enforce em.
"And so Jake aasn't a job?" I said.
"No, malt, he ain't been outler de stockade very long
for beatinl his wife." And speaking again to Jake in an
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anxious tone of voice, '3on, don't you speck you better
git out and it youself a job? I don't wants yer in any
mo' trouble". Maria rambled on about the trials and trib-
ulations of married life and raising a family of no -count
ohillun.
"John, I bilieve I told yer is my second husband.
He's lots olderinl than I is. Hots seventy-six. Oh,
likes hint very well, He ain't able ter do any hard wuk.
he jus sorter wuks de garden and piddles round de house
a little. He had foh y.)unguns hisself when he married
me, but I Couldn't fall out ut dat, case I had fohteen
myself. I has to do de thinkin' ancl wUkini at die house,
but den date my life. J)hn's old and harmless. Den, too,
it's sorter nice ter Lave somebody ter ball out when I
gits mad.
"Dere comes de poliehy man an I ain't got no money
fer him. I declare if de storks don't git busy I don't
know whut is ter become ob de grannies.
"Good eveninl," se said to the insurance .collector.
"No, sir, I jus ain't got you no money die time, but jus
gimme til next week. I think I got a case dat I hopes will
pay me well. I'll sho hab yo'r money next time.
Seating hers -1f again, se began to express her sent-
iments inn) uncertain terms about the young people.
"Boung folks is so Dey oughtembe prayin',
lattin' ready ter die, but dey ain't. Dey's live wires,
jus runin' round de country gittin' babies who don't know
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whole dey daddiesloausint so much trouble.
4eaking to te otrs, shF said, "3ay is anybnly
listin' to dat radio? Turn it off. Dis lady oain't
:Isar Aer ears.
"Don't turn it off on my acoount, Marla", I said.
41 must be going."
"Well, 1 sho has enjoyed taking to you, and say,
liss, if you k: -lows ob anybody who needs a granny, please
ter let me knog."