“Crazy thing!” Janie commented, beaming out with light. Thought y’all might lak uh lil music this evenin’ so Ah brought long mah box.” Finally she smiled and he sung middle C, put his guitar under his arm and walked on back to where she was. He frowned and struggled with the pegs of his imaginary instrument watching her out of the corner of his eye with that secret joke playing over his face.
Tea Cake stood there mimicking the tuning of a guitar. She heard somebody humming like they were feeling for pitch and looked towards the door.
It was early in the afternoon and she and Hezekiah were alone. He waited a week exactly to come back for Janie’s snub. Fact is, she decided to treat him so cold if he ever did foot the place that he’d be sure not to come hanging around there again. He was probably the kind of man who lived with various women but never married. Maybe he was hanging around to get in with her and strip her of all that she had. Then again he didn’t look like he had too much. Must be around twenty-five and here she was around forty. In the first place he looked too young for her. Janie wanted to ask Hezekiah about Tea Cake, but she was afraid he might misunderstand her and think she was interested.
