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Young Mr. Shelton sat on the back porch in his favorite wicker chair,
feeling as low as one of Big Daddy's old hound dogs. He tried to strum
out a pleasant tune on his banjo, but he couldn't. His finger just
wouldn't.
His man Sam, the colored man who worked for him, Good, faithful, Sam,
opened the screen door and asked, "Mister Andrew, are you going to
stay
out here all night, boss?"
Young Shelton wasn't up to talking to anyone, not even to Sam.
His father, who nearly everybody called "Big Daddy," and the rest
called
"Boss Shelton," had ordered him to marry, to "produce fruit"!
"Boy, you have diddled long enough! I want my name to carry-on, you
understand, boy!" thus Spoke Big Daddy Shelton to his son.
Young Shelton was Big Daddy's only son. As he put it plenty of nights
over a bottle of gin: It wasn't his fault that his daddy had three
daughters and only one son. The old booger should have had other sons,
if he was so insistent that his name be continued!
Young Shelton did not cherish his bachelorhood above all else. He would
have hasten to sacrifice it gladly to please, Big Daddy, and to receive
the
bonds and property the old man promised to shower upon him on that
day he took a wife. Big Daddy promised the boy a hundred thousand acres
of prime land on that future day, when he made him the proud grandfather
of a grandson. There were plenty of lovely ladies from good families
whom
would have loved to wed Young Shelton. He had his choice of delicate
roses.
"Boss?" Sam said. "The mosquitoes are biting tonight, boss. If
you
stay sitting there, they will bite you."
"Let them," said Young Shelton.
"Yes, boss."
"Sam," Young Shelton said, "How long have you worked for my family?"
"Since we were children, boss."
"I can talk to you, can't I, Sam? I can tell you ..." Young Shelton
stopped,
looked away from Sam.
"Shall I get out a bottle of gin, boss?"
"Yes, two glasses."
Young Shelton got up, followed Sam inside, where he served the gin and
tonic
in the sitting room, where Young Shelton could discuss with him his
troubles without
the risk of being overheard. Once Sam was seated, Young Shelton continued:
"I've
heard stories that there are herbs and ointments that can help a man
grow bigger
where a man needs to be bigger, for the ladies. Have you heard anything
about this?"
"I've heard something."
"Sure you have, you're colored; but I suppose you don't --"
"Miss Tilly," Sam said. "She has helped a number of young white gentlemen."
"Sam, you butlers don't trade stories of your employers!"
"I am afraid some do."
"You don't discuss me with --"
"Never, boss! Never!"