Miss Lucille and the milk

My friend was talking with me about his childhood. He had told me of times he remembered from the past often. Somehow the subject of milk came up on one ocassion. That triggered this tale. He informed me that from time to time his family would visit his great grandfather and mother. The great grandfather moved often and was often in isolated or very rural areas of warren county Georgia. One Sunday the family drove out to this rural area and arrived at his great grandfather’s place. The sun was shining bright but the day was not too hot. My friend had played under the Pecan tree while adults talked. At about two or three in the afternoon. My friend became hungry as children often will do. He went and told his mom that he was hungry. She told him that they would be going home soon. Naturally to the child it seemed an eternity of time had passed and the adults were still talking. Then the sky suddenly turned very dark. His great grandfather remarked that they would likely get some rain.

 
It was the usual custom in Georgia that all windows were secured and doors were close when a storm came up. The air cooled, and it was not too stressful with the house closed up. His great grandfather had asked miss. Lucille when dinner would be ready. She had taken her time in getting the fire started in the wood-burning stove. My friend’s family could not leave for home as the roads in the area were all dirt and they became boggy during rains. Most Georgia soil handles rain well. As soon as the rain stops the soil become dry and firm enough to drive on with no bogging. The water soaks into the earth very quickly. The house was closed up and all was quiet. My friend began to wander the hall of the house. He came to the kitchen where miss Lucille was sitting in the dark waiting for the storm to pass so she could cook. He said that he asker her for some milk to drink. He could not recall what her reply was. He did recall that he went back to his mother and told her that miss Lucille did not give him any milk. 

His great grandfather heard the conversation and immediately got to his feet. He went directly to the kitchen. He got very close to Miss Lucille. He believed that he may have slapped her in addition to his harsh words to her. He told his great grand son that she would give him some milk. Miss Lucille was a very dark black woman. There in the dark kitchen she had a rag on her head and her face blended into the darkness according to him. He recalled that after his grand father left the room, she glared at him, walked over shut and latched the kitchen door. Being locked in the same room with her sent a strange sensation over him. She told him to stay right there. While he watched her she went behind the stove and came out with a coffee can. She lifted her skirt pulled down her under pants, and squatted over the can and looked him in the eye smiling while she relieved herself. She got up adjusted her clothes, put the can away and unlatched the kitchen door. She got a glass and filled it with milk from the churn. She told him that he had better drink all of it.  Her behavior placed him in a different sense of relationship with her. She then told him that he was just like his great grandfather and ran him from the kitchen.