DEAR GOD,

Harpo want to know what to do to make Sofia mind. He sit out on the porch with Mr. ____. He say, I tell her one thing,
she do another. Never do what I say. Always backtalk.
To tell the truth, he sound a little proud of this to me.
Mr. _____ don’t say nothing. Blow smoke.
I tell her she can’t be all the time going to visit her sister. Us married now, I tell her. Your place is here with the children.
She say, I’ll take the children with me. I say, Your place is with me. She say, You want to come? She keep primping in front
of the glass, getting the children ready at the same time.
You ever hit her? Mr. _____ ast.
Harpo look down at his hands. Naw suh, he say low, embarrass.
Well how you spect to make her mind? Wives is like children. You have to let ’em know who got the upper hand. Nothing
can do that better than a good sound beating.
He puff on his pipe.
Sofia think too much of herself anyway, he say. She need to be taken down a peg.
I like Sofia, but she don’t act like me at all. If she talking when Harpo and Mr. _____ come in the room, she keep right on.
If they ast her where something at, she say she don’t know. Keep talking.
I think bout this when Harpo ast me what he ought to do to her to make her mind. I don’t mention how happy he is now.
How three years pass and he still whistle and sing. I think bout how every time I jump when Mr. _____ call me, she look
surprise. And like she pity me.
Beat her. I say.
Next time us see Harpo his face a mess of bruises. His lip cut. One of his eyes shut like a fist. He walk stiff and say his teef
ache.
I say, What happen to you, Harpo?
He say, Oh, me and that mule. She fractious, you know. She went crazy in the field the other day. By time I got her to
head for home I was all banged up. Then when I got home, I walked smack dab into the crib door. Hit my eye and scratch
my chin. Then when that storm come up last night I shet the window down on my hand.
Well, I say, After all that, I don’t spect you had a chance to see if you could make Sofia mind.
Nome, he say.
But he keep trying.