"Ma was the cook for the white folks. Grandma Perry come from North
Carolina I heard 'em say. She was a widow woman. When company come they
would send us out to play. They never talked to us children, no ma'am,
not 'fore us neither. I come a woman 'fore I knowed what it was. My
sisters knowed better than tell me. They didn't tell me nothin'.
"When it wasn't company at ma's they was at work and singing. At night
we was all tired and went to bed 'cause we had to be up by
daybreak--children and all. They said it caused children's j'ints to be
stiff sleeping up in the day. All old folks could tell you that.
"This young set ain't got no strength neither. Ma cooked and washed and
raised five children up grown. The slaves didn't get nary thing give 'em
in the way of land nor stock. They got what clothes they had and some
provisions.
"Ma was ginger cake. They said pa was black. I don't know. Grandma was
reddish and lighter still than ma. They said she was part Cherokee
Indian. Her hair was smooth and pretty. She combed her hair with the
fine comb to bring the oil out on it and make it slick. I recollect her
combing her hair. It was long about on her shoulders.
"I heard about the Ku Klux but I never seed none of 'em.
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