Passage Rewrite | By Victoria

From Chapter 7, Pages 78-80
Voice of Jody

          I tried not to think about getting older. I could feel it taking over my body more every day. The more I ached, the more I tried to keep the town’s eyes off me. The only way I knew how to keep the condemning eyes from staring at me was to put them onto Janie. Janie’s my wife, and it should be in her best interest to keep me happy.
          I’ve never seen a person cut tobacco worse than Janie. One day, Steve Mixon asked Janie to cut a plug of tobacco for him. Of course, Janie cut it all wrong.
          “Janie, you’se always embarrassin’ me lak dat. You know yo’ ain’t s’posed to cut it dat way.”
          Steve Mixon seemed to think it was funny, though. He was laughing so hard, he was nearly crying. I didn’t find it at all funny. I wanted to smack Janie right across her dumb head. I snatched the plug of tobacco out of Mixon’s hands and cut it the way it should be cut.
          “Calm down, Brother Mayor, it cut done fine, but yo’ should neva put uh ‘oman and uh knife tuhgether,” he laughed.
          “I god! You’d think uh ‘oman of her age would know how tuh cut uh plug of tobacco by now. You’se and yo’ saggy butt ain’t good fo nothin’ ‘round heah.”
          I heard the town’s folks roaring with laughter. I laughed a little, too. Janie didn’t mind to be poked fun at, besides if the folks laugh at her, they won’t have enough time to be laughing at my looks. But out of sheer disrespect, Janie fought back.
          “Jody, why yo’ have tuh be so mean lak dat? Mah doings have nuthin’ to do wid mah looks.”
          “Now whut’s wrong wid you? You shouldn’t be getting’ all hurt ‘bout you’se looks. You ain’t young lak yo’used to be. Yo’ now uh ole ‘oman.”
          “Ah ain’t as ole as you, Jody. Yo’ done ‘bout ten years older than me. You’se always tryin’ to hide yo’ age lak dat, but dem folks notice.”
          “You’se gettin’ all mad, now. Treatin’ me no bettuh than a piece uh meat. It’s not lak nobody heah is lookin’ for a wife outa yuh.”
          “It ain’t right fo yo’ to be treatin’ me lak dis. Ah reckon ah looks mah age. Humph! Yo’ belly sags past dem knees uh you’se and you’se always braggin’. You think Ah look ole! You look like you’se from ‘nuther planet when you pull down yo’ britches.”
          I fumed with anger. I couldn’t believe she said those words to her own husband. Embarrassment draped over me like a heavy, wool blanket. The folks laughed. I felt as if I had been robbed of my manhood. No woman should ever treat a man like that. After all that I have given to her and done for her, she should be treating me like a king. I no longer considered her as my wife. I would forever be embarrassed in this town, my town! Folks will stare and pity me. I will no longer attempt to talk to Janie or put any effort onto her. I had no words left to say to her, so I hit Janie with all my strength and dragged her out of the store.