MULATTO (Iyila) (Editing)

chapter fifteen ~ Dedicated to Duke

      

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“I know you like Burns!”

“Iyila. Ha don lag no one,” Deila quickly chipped in, chuckling while she spoke. Iyila opened her mouth in surprise as she stared at Deila. “Oh my God!” she exclaimed and covered her mouth with her palm while Brown only laughed at the two girls bantering. Tari busied herself with her fruit as she grinned from one person to the other, obviously without knowledge of what the older negroes were talking about.

“Ya hav’ ter leave Deila 'lone, shes say she no lag anyone,” Brown playfully said and passed another fruit to Tari who nodded in thanks, but Iyila quickly displayed her disaproval by shaking her head.

“I have noticed how she stares at him, as if she would eat him if ever such an opportunity is presented before her,” Iyila said. Brown laughed again. Tari also did the same even though she had no reason for it, it was better than to be left out of the story.

“Ha don lag no one, ha jus' admiras his face, das all.”

“Why do you deny the truth. You melt whenever you see him. I notice how you become weak whenever you see him,” Iyila insisted.

Laughing, Deila slapped off a mosquito that had been bothering her ears before she replied Iyila. “Ha don wanna eat no one. Ha no melt or become weak, ha jus'__”

“Love him?” Iyila snapped. “No! Burns a figh man, he's lavely and kand, peaceful, gentle, he's nor lag every negro. He's speak so figh lag you and Dedeny,” Deila coyly said, twisting the hem of her gown.

Iyila wanted to say more but Dedeny's name seemed to affect her too much. She hid her uneasiness behind a smile but Tari noticed her it. “Dedeny lags you Iyila,” Tari calmly said.

“That is not true, he hates me just like he hates them White,” Iyila said, whispering the white part.

“He's say it.  He's say ya so brave ter save me.”

Iyila chuckled, how can a man like Dedeny find any good in her? “Tis the truth Iyila, he's say it by self.” Tari tried to convince her but she shook her head. It was too expensive to be true.

“Ya ken neva no, he's a figh man fo' Gad's sa'e Iyila,” Deila said. 

“You see good in everything Deila,” Iyila warmly said and signalled Tari to pass her a fruit; Deila scoffed. “An yo always see bah in everything.”

“I  see the hate in his eyes.  He will be very glad to kill me.”

“Ya don no Dedeny,” Brown quickly said. There was no playfulness in her voice and Iyila noticed it. A soft midnight breeze swept past them, it made Iyila tingle a little.

“Dedeny is a lavely man. Ha remember when he's brough hear by massa. Ah firs',  he's no wanna talk to nobody, he's cry and cry and cry. Buh when he talks ya won pidy him. He is nor lag all these negroes dah disturb. He's serve so one day he's gonna raise his own family, Iyila. He's no bah negro,” Brown said while they all listened.

Iyila uneasily shifted on the bare wood on which she sat. The crickets had started their song and the owls from the nearby bushes were already hooting. She could not tell them of her encounter with Dedeny which gave birth to the reason why she addressed him as the hallway boy. Perhaps he was good to Brown, Tari, and even Deila, but she could not believe he liked her. Iyila sighed and stared at the silver like ball that illuminated the sky and the earth. The moon was a full one and she wondered what it was made of. Perhaps God and His angels resided there. Perhaps there was truly a peaceful place referred to as Heaven, perhaps Sarabi was there.