Alice Walker
The Color Purple (letter 18 of 90)
DEAR GOD,

Harpo went and brought Sofia and the baby home. They got married in Sofia sister house. Sister’s husband stand up with
Harpo. Other sister sneak way from home to stand up with Sofia. Another sister come to hold the baby. Say he cry right
through the service, his mama stop everything to nurse him. Finish saying I do with a big ole nursing boy in her arms.
Harpo fix up the little creek house for him and his family. Mr. _____ daddy used it for a shed. But it sound. Got windows
now, a porch, back door. Plus it cool and green down by the creek.
He ast me to make some curtains and I make some out of flower sack. It not big, but it homey. Got a bed, a dresser, a
looking glass, and some chairs. Cookstove for cooking and heating, too. Harpo daddy give him wages for working now. He
say Harpo wasn’t working hard like he should. Maybe little money goose his interest.
Harpo told me, Miss Celie, I’m going on strike.
On what?
I ain’t going to work.
And he don’t. He come to the field, pull two ears of corn, let the birds and weevil eat two hundred. Us don’t make nothing
much this year.
But now Sofia coming, he always busy. He chop, he hammer, he plow. He sing and whistle.
Sofia look half her size. But she still a big strong girl. Arms got muscle. Legs, too. She swing that baby about like it nothing.
She got a little pot on her now and give you the feeling she all there. Solid. Like if she sit down on something, it be mash.
She tell Harpo, Hold the baby, while she come back in the house with me to git some thread. She making some sheets. He
take the baby, give it a kiss, chuck it under the chin. Grin, look up on the porch at his daddy.
Mr. _____ blow smoke, look down at him, and say, Yeah, I see now she going to switch the traces on you.