Chapter 57: Called it witchcraft.
At 5am, Panashe's mother peeped through her curtain. She watched as William and Panashe walked down to her room, luckily she could still see what was going on. William standing in front of Panashe, he was holding her hand and whispering something. Doris, Panashe's Mother could only think... she slept with him yet again. She left her son with a housekeeper so she could go serve this white man and return at 5am thinking she would go unnoticed. Doris clicked her tongue. Thinking just how disgusting was her daughter, she could not stay away from these white Neanderthals. Now like the breeding mammal, she is. She will probably get pregnant again and expect her mother and aunt Ruth to help her. Doris could feel her anger rising... her boys had returned to Sheffield but they had promised they would visit her. In all honesty, they realized maybe visiting was a bad idea. Maybe looking for their mother was even a worse idea. Noticing how she treated Panashe, they could not help but want to distance themselves but she did not know that. She assumed they would be visiting again. Unfortunately that was unlikely, anyone who came to the Gallagher plantation could not wait to leave and never return. It was hell on earth, it was a place of the condemned. Thanking God that they had not grown up there... it looked like a place that ripped souls out.
Doris turned to peep again, only to find her daughter sniffling again his chest as he rubbed circles on her back. Were they not aware that this was a public area where they could easily be seen by anyone. Doris has constantly warned Panashe but here she was again, getting caresses from a Caucasian. The other slaves already hated her as it is and here she was giving them something to talk about. As if not to say that, her mulatto child was not enough to fulfill gossips.
Bidding goodbyes, William seemed as if he did not want to let go of Panashe's hand as they pulled apart. She was whispering something and constantly nodding as if he was asking her questions. Doris had not spoken to her daughter in a while, from all the gossip she knew that William's children were now staying here... so much chaos with the spoiled brat mulatto. Her feet were starting to ache just by trying to see what they were still doing. This was absolutely disgustingly grody. She just never learns, Doris thought. Now the dress she was wearing outlines her backside very tightly. It shocked her how her daughter had become a much worse harlot than any negro ever known. She was trying to seduce him... so many thoughts were running through her mind. She couldn't wait to scold them.
Opening her wooden door that made a loud squeaking sound. Her doek properly wrapped, a Kanga around her waist all attention went one her. For a moment William was focused on Panashe until he saw Panashe's eyes looking behind him. Doris somewhat always frightened William. He was well aware that they were not on good terms, he was not quite sure if he was in a position to tell her that, Panashe did not deserve her judgement and cruelty. William felt as if he had caused their relationship to drift. It was all his fault that, her mother treated her harshly. There was silence, Doris then directed her attention on her daughter who immediately stepped away from William.
"Just how many abortions will you have? You have sex constantly and wait for me to clean up your mess as if you're not aware of the consequences. Killing innocent souls just so you can have two minutes of fun. Panashe, you embarrass me!!" Doris whimpered at the end, for some reason she felt emotional. It surprised Panashe and William that she had any emotions at all. William did not understand what she meant by that, he was not aware that Panashe had fallen pregnant after Christian... with a little moment to himself. He figured out how that case about. He only felt disconsolate. William wanted to know who those men were? He wanted to deal with them and send them to an early grave.
"Mother—"
"No, don't mother me. Enough is enough! Does it not register to you that he is trouble? He is manipulating you and—"
"With all due—"
"Be quiet Mr. Gallagher! I'm speaking to my daughter whom you enjoy taking advantage of because she is so brainless. She only thinks with her lust. When will you two ever stop acting like rabbits? Panashe you need to understand that just because you gave birth to his son, it means nothing. You still stay in that shack! You still work every single day! You still eat corn for supper! Not once did they invite you to dine with them. Stop being foolish. You will never ever be accepted, they only care about Christian not you. Stop kissing their feet already, I just cannot with you child—"
Closing her eyes, Panashe decided it was not worth it. Her mother could think whatever she wanted to. It did not matter anymore... it would not surprise her if her mother was the same person who gave out gossip to people in the commune about her. It always surprised her how people had found out that she had an abortion. No one else knew besides William's parents and her mother.
William then turned to Panashe's mother when he realized she was overstepping the boundary. "Doris, I have tried to respect you as the mother of someone whom I genuinely care about but you have really done it. We did not have sex, infact I will not be explaining anything to you. Panashe does not deserve this. She is too kind and giving, all you do is criticize her. You're a pathe—"
"Pleas—"
"No, Panashe." William interrupted her plead. "Doris, you're a pathetic excuse for a mother, you failed at being a grandmother as well. Do not think, we did not notice what you did to my son. If you ever lay a hand on my son again, I won't be responsible for what ever it is that will happen to you."
Panashe's mother immediately started laughing. "Panashe, after everything I have done for you. Here you are bombarding me, insulting me with your Caucasian Master. I give it to you, whatever it is you're feeding him is working! Pure witchcraft!" She turned to clap her hands once in disbelief.
"Doris—" Panashe only interrupted him. "It's not worth it..." with that she turned away leaving her mother and William standing there, anger clear in their eyes. They sorely hated each other and for that moment, it seemed it was something that would not be changing any time soon.
Doris clicked her tongue then turned to walk away. Her flip flops making an annoying sound as she walked away.