"Shun the very presence of evil"

"Stay 'way frum'um! Stay 'way from ova'dere!" was the language of my grandfather.  He spoke in a pigeon language, a "country" dialect that I loved.  I was always mesmerized.  "Yup, Jap got shed dat hog." was his exchange with my aunt Beulah.  I will never forget it because I remember standing there enraptured in their conversation.  I immediately visualized a tiny house sitting on top of a hog.  Of course I knew that wasn't right so I deduced "shed" meant to get rid of.

You had to have a quick ear around my grandfather and his kin. Not only did they talk rapidly,  they held onto vocabulary from the eighteen century. "Got sum rations.  Want sumpt'n tet!?" Granddaddy asked my white  friend.  My friend was stunned, puzzled.  I was proud to translate.  "He said would you like something to eat?"

Please do not judge people and assume they are stupid because they are not formally educated and do not speak the King's English properly.  Be afraid of that evil doer with perfect speech, polite manners, fame and fortune.

Don't listen to them either.  "Look at their fruit."  Don't be intimidated when they curse you out, assault you, disparage your name.  Please do not be fooled by their titles.  It has occurred to me that any one can preach in the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church.  At least that one on Yadkin Road.

Oh yes,  Martha, I did notice you didn't try to preach in your home church, Wesley AME Zion.  You knew they knew too much about you.  I also noticed you did a lot of horrible repugnant things and always reacted vehemently with denial and  outrage knowing full well you were guilty.

No, I'm not about to forget or let it go.  I walked in on you trying to deafen, handicap my beautiful baby!  What kind of slut were you!?  When I start listing all the atrocities you deliberately committed and got away with for decade after decade, I get dizzy.

Why!? What did you get? You reaped shame.  Sure you dressed up in the finest clothes they sold at the Capital  and Fleishman's Big Store .  But what did you get?  You always drove long luxury cars, but what did you get?

You were in lust with men that violated your children!  Your father was a good man, a real Christian and you stood up in Simon Temple lying on your own father just to make yourself look good.  You hated me!  I never did one bad thing to you , ever!  Did you hate me for educating myself? Graduating  with honors ?

Did you hate me for being born? For being born  black? For being better looking? Smarter?  What was your issue?  Why did you hate me for winning a house?    A dollar house in the 'hood?  Was it because you had to marry a pervert to share your first "home"?  Had to murder your own father to afford your dream home?

Your father gave you a home, a huge rambling ranch, sixty-five acres of land, orchards, vineyards, a Tobacco allotment.  You squandered it, refused it, didn't want it because you demanded to be a sick whore.

Well, you can tell all your kit and kin I'm not about to shut up.  I've got sixty-two years worth of "tea" to spill on you and I fully intend to tell everything I know.

Praise the LORD!