Chapter 67

    Somebody had to be saved, but unless Denver got work, there would be no one to save, no one tocome home to, and no Denver either. It was a new thought, having a self to look out for andpreserve. And it might not have occurred to her if she hadn't met Nelson Lord leaving hisgrandmother's house as Denver entered it to pay a thank you for half a pie. All he did was smileand say, "Take care of yourself, Denver," but she heard it as though it were what language wasmade for. The last time he spoke¹ to her his words blocked up her ears. Now they opened her mind.

　　Weeding the garden, pulling vegetables, cooking, washing, she plotted what to do and how. TheBodwins were most likely to help since they had done it twice. Once for Baby Suggs and once forher mother. Why not the third generation as well? She got lost so many times in the streets ofCincinnati it was noon before she arrived, though she started out at sunrise. The house sat backfrom the sidewalk with large windows looking out on a noisy, busy street. The Negro woman whoanswered the front door said,"Yes?""May I come in?""What you want?""I want to see Mr. and Mrs. Bodwin.""Miss Bodwin. They brother and sister.""Oh.""What you want em for?""I'm looking for work. I was thinking they might know of some.""You Baby Suggs' kin², ain't you?""Yes, ma'am.""Come on in. You letting in flies." She led Denver toward the kitchen, saying, "First thing youhave to know is what door to knock on." But Denver only half heard her because she was steppingon something soft and blue. All around her was thick, soft and blue. Glass cases crammed³ full ofglistening things. Books on tables and shelves. Pearl-white lamps with shiny metal bottoms. And asmell like the cologne she poured in the emerald house, only better. "Sit down," the woman said.

　　"You know my name?""No, ma'am.""Janey. Janey Wagon⁴.""How do you do?""Fairly. I heard your mother took sick, that so?""Yes, ma'am.""Who's looking after her?""I am. But I have to find work."Janey laughed. "You know what? I've been here since I was fourteen, and I remember likeyesterday when Baby Suggs, holy, came here and sat right there where you are. Whiteman broughther. That's how she got that house you all live in. Other things, too.""Yes, ma'am.""What's the trouble with Sethe?" Janey leaned against an indoor sink and folded her arms.

　　It was a little thing to pay, but it seemed big to Denver. Nobody was going to help her unless shetold it — told all of it. It was clear Janey wouldn't and wouldn't let her see the Bodwins otherwise.

　　So Denver told this stranger what she hadn't told Lady Jones, in return for which Janey admittedthe Bodwins needed help, although they didn't know it. She was alone there, and now that heremployers were getting older, she couldn't take care of them like she used to.

　　More and more she was required to sleep the night there. Maybe she could talk them into lettingDenver do the night shift, come right after supper, say, maybe get the breakfast. That way Denvercould care for Sethe in the day and earn a little something at night, how's that?

　　Denver had explained the girl in her house who plagued her mother as a cousin come to visit, whogot sick too and bothered them both. Janey seemed more interested in Sethe's condition, and from what Denver told her it seemed the had lost her mind. That wasn't the Sethe she remembered.ThisSethehadlostherwits,final(woman) ly, as Janey knew she would — trying to do it allalone with her nose in the air. Denver squirmed under the criticism of her mother, shifting in thechair and keeping her eyes on the inside sink. Janey Wagon went on about pride until she got toBaby Suggs, for whom she had nothing but sweet words. "I never went to those woodland servicesshe had, but she was always nice to me. Always. Never be another like her.""I miss her too," said Denver.

　　"Bet you do. Everybody miss her. That was a good woman."Denver didn't say anything else and Janey looked at her face for a while. "Neither one of yourbrothers ever come back to see how you all was?""No, ma'am.""Ever hear from them?""No, ma'am. Nothing.""Guess they had a rough time in that house. Tell me, this here woman in your house. The cousin.

　　She got any lines in her hands?" "No," said Denver.

　　"Well," said Janey. "I guess there's a God after all." The interview ended with Janey telling her tocome back in a few days. She needed time to convince her employers what they needed: night helpbecause Janey's own family needed her. "I don't want to quit these people, but they can't have allmy days and nights too." What did Denver have to do at night?

　　"Be here. In case."In case what?

　　Janey shrugged⁵. "In case the house burn down." She smiled then.

　　"Or bad weather slop the roads so bad I can't get here early enough for them. Case late guests needserving or cleaning up after. Anything. Don't ask me what whitefolks need at night.""They used to be good whitefolks.""Oh, yeah. They good. Can't say they ain't good. I wouldn't trade them for another pair, tell youthat."With those assurances⁶, Denver left, but not before she had seen, sitting on a shelf by the back door,a blackboy's mouth full of money. His head was thrown back farther than a head could go, his hands were shoved⁷ in his pockets. Bulging⁸ like moons, two eyes were all the face he had above thegaping red mouth. His hair was a cluster⁹ of raised, widely spaced dots made of nail heads. And hewas on his knees. His mouth, wide as a cup, held the coins needed to pay for a delivery or someother small service, but could just as well have held buttons, pins or crab-apple jelly¹⁰. Paintedacross the pedestal he knelt on were the words "At Yo Service."

1 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

2 kin   

n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的

参考例句：

• He comes of good kin.他出身好。
• She has gone to live with her husband's kin.她住到丈夫的亲戚家里去了。

3 crammed   

adj.塞满的，挤满的；大口地吃；快速贪婪地吃v.把…塞满；填入；临时抱佛脚( cram的过去式)

参考例句：

• He crammed eight people into his car. 他往他的车里硬塞进八个人。
• All the shelves were crammed with books. 所有的架子上都堆满了书。

4 wagon   

n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车

参考例句：

• We have to fork the hay into the wagon.我们得把干草用叉子挑进马车里去。
• The muddy road bemired the wagon.马车陷入了泥泞的道路。

5 shrugged   

vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀，什么也没说。
• She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩，装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 assurances   

n.保证( assurance的名词复数 )；担保；把握；（人寿）保险

参考例句：

• They called for assurances that the government is committed to its education policy. 他们要求保证政府切实执行其教育方针。
• She gave repeated assurances of her loyalty. 她反复保证她的忠诚。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 shoved   

推，猛推，乱推( shove的过去式和过去分词 )； 乱放； 随便放； 胡乱丢

参考例句：

• The people shoved to get on the bus. 人们你推我挤争着上公共汽车。
• He shoved me roughly aside. 他粗暴地把我推到了一边。

8 bulging   

膨胀； 凸出（部）； 打气； 折皱

参考例句：

• Her pockets were bulging with presents. 她的口袋里装满了礼物。
• Conscious of the bulging red folder, Nim told her,"Ask if it's important." 尼姆想到那个鼓鼓囊囊的红色文件夹便告诉她：“问问是不是重要的事。”

9 cluster   

n.串，簇，群，组；vi.群集，丛生；vt.集中

参考例句：

• She held a cluster of flowers in her arms.她抱着一束鲜花。
• A cluster of tourists was surrounded in the hill.一群游客被困在了山中。

10 jelly   

n.冻，果子冻，胶状物

参考例句：

• We had toast and jelly at breakfast.我们早餐吃的是烤面包和果冻。
• The medicine was a clear jelly.这种药是透明的胶状物。