GIRL

Jamaco Kincaid GIRL

Wash the white clothes on \1ondav and put them on the stone the heap; wash the color clothes on Tuesday and put them on pump cook clothesline to dry; dont a alk barehead in the hot sun, kin fritters in sery hot sweet oil; soak your little cloths right after von take them off; when buying cotton to make yourself a nice blouse, be sure that it doesnt have gum on it, because that way it wont hold up well after a wash; soak salt fish oernight before ou cook it; is it true that ou sing benna in Sunday school?; al avs eat your food in such a way that it wont turn someone elses stomach; on Sundays try to walk like a lady and not like the slut srou are so bent on becoming; dont sing benna in Sunday school; you musmt speak to wharf-rat boys, not even to give directions; dont eat fruits on the streetflies will follow von; but 1 dun t sing henna on Sundays at all and never in Sunday school; this is how to sew on a button; this is how to make a buttonhole for the button you have just sewed on; this is hew to hem a dress when you see the hem coming down and so to prevent yourself from looking like the slut I know ou are so bent on becoming; this is how von iron your fathers khaki shirt so that it doesnt have a crcae; this is how you iron your fathers khaki pants so that the dont have
306

a crease; this is how you grow okrafar from the house, because okra tree harbors red ants; a hen on are growing dasheen, make sure it gets plenty of\vater or else it makes our throat itch when you are eating it; this is how von sweep a corner; this is how von sweep -a whole house; this is how you sweep a yard; this is how you smile to someone oti dont like too much; this is how you smile to someone you dont like at all; this is how you smile to someone you like completely; this is how you set a table for tea; this is how von set a table for dinner; this is ho you set a table for dinner a ith an important guest; this is how von set a table ibr lunch this is how you set a table for breakfast; this is how to heha c in the presence of men who dont know you very well, and this way they wont recognize immediately the slut I have warned you against becoming; he sure to wash e cry day, even if it is ith your own spit; dont squat down to play marblesyou are iiut a box. you know; dont pick peoples flowersyou might catch some thing; dont throw stones at blackbirds, because it might nor be a blackbird at all; this is how to make a bread pudding; this is how to make doukona; this is how to make pepper pot; this is how to make a good medicine for a cold; this is how to make a good medicine to throw away a child before it even becomes a child; this is how to catch a fish; this is how to throw back a fish you dont like, and that wa, something bad wont fall on you; this is how to bully a man; this is how a man bullies you; this is how to lo e a man, and if this doesnt work there are other a avs, and it they dont work dont feel too bad about gi ing up; this is how to spit up in the air if you feel like it, and this is how to move quick so that it doesnt fall on you; this is how to make ends meet; always squeeze bread to make sure its fresh; but what ifthe hither wont let me feel the brLad?; you mean to say that after all you are really going to be the kind of woman who the baker wont let near the bread?

307