made this happen too soon with one of your secret
herbal concoctions. You backward Cajun faith healers
believe in all sorts of superstitions. You probably
think the baby will curse you or something. Isn't that true? The baby's death would solve the problem for
you, wouldn't it?"
"What? Of course not," Mama said. "What a
terrible and ridiculous thing to say. If anyone is
thinking like a backwards Cajun, it's you!" Mama
retorted.
But Gladys continued to nod, convinced of her
own suspicions. "I heard stories about traiteur ladies
killing babies because they thought the babies were
born with evil souls. When they wash them off,, they
deliberately drown them or they suffocate them when
no one's looking."
"Those are stupid lies. No traiteur would take a
life. We are here to ease pain and suffering and drive
away bad things?'
You said it There. You said it," she accused,
pointing her right forefinger at Mama. "Drive away
bad things. If you think a baby's bad . . "
"A baby can't be bad," Mama insisted. "The
baby can't be blamed for its own birth," she explained,
"especially if the mother was raped," she added
pointedly, but Gladys didn't look convinced. "I'll be right here, every minute," she said,
"watching your every move."
"Fine," Mama said. "You do that."
Gladys folded her arms across her chest and
dropped herself into the pink cushion chair across
from me.