Alice Walker
The Color Purple (letter 20 of 90)
DEAR GOD,
Just when I was bout to call out that I was coming in the yard, I hear something crash. It come from inside the house, so I
run up on the porch. The two children be making mud pies on the edge of the creek, they don’t even look up.
I open the door cautious, thinking bout robbers and murderers. Horsethieves and hants. But it Harpo and Sofia. They
fighting like two mens. Every piece of furniture they got is turned over. Every plate look like it broke. The looking glass
hang crooked, the curtains torn. The bed look like the stuffing pulled out. They don’t notice. They fight. He try to slap her.
What he do that for? She reach down and grab a piece of stove wood and whack him cross the eyes. He punch her in the
stomach, she double over groaning but come up with both hands lock right under his privates. He roll on the floor. He
grab her dress tail and pull. She stand there in her slip. She never blink a eye. He jump up to put a hammer lock under her
chin, she throw him over her back. He fall bam up gainst the stove.
I don’t know how long this been going on. I don’t know when they spect to conclude. I ease on back out, wave to the
children by the creek, walk back on up home.
Saturday morning early, us hear the wagon. Harpo, Sofia, the two babies be going off for the week-end, to visit Sofia
sister.