Though he was an old man, he was thrilled to hear it again. LYNN NEARY, BYLINE: When Zora Neale Hurston first met Cudjo Lewis at his home in Alabama, she called him by his African name, Kossola. Lewis came to this country aboard the last ship that brought slaves across the Atlantic. It's called "Barracoon," and it's based on a series of conversations that she had with Cudjo Lewis.
Actually, it's an old book that's only now being published. I try forgive him.Zora Neale Hurston, the legendary writer from the Harlem Renaissance, has a new book. “De man dat killee my boy, he de paster of Hay Chapel in Plateau today. Maybe, I doan pray right, you unnerstand me, ’cause he die while I was prayin’ dat de Lor’ spare my boy life. I so sad I wish I could die in place of my Cudjo. She lookee at his face and tellee him, ‘Put whip to yo’ horse, baby.’ “He pray all he could. He tellee her, ‘Mama, thass whut I been doin’!’ “Two days and two nights my boy lay in de bed wid de noise in de throat. She keep telling him all de time, ‘Cudjo, Cudjo, Cudjo, baby, put whip to yo’ horse!’ “He hurtee so hard, but he answer her de best he kin, you unnerstand me. She keep standin’ at de foot of de bed, you unnerstand me, an’ lookee all de time in his face. It make me cry ’cause it hurt Seely so much.
It hurtee his mama so her breast swell up so. Oh, Lor’! It hurtee me see my baby boy lak dat. We tookee him home and lay him in de bed. Oh, Lor’! De people run come tellee me my boy hurtee. He make out he skeered my boy goin’ shoot him and shootee my boy down in de store. Oh, Lor’! He shootee my boy in de throat. Dis man, he hidin’ hisself in de back of de wagon, an’ shootee my boy. Derefo’, you unnerstand me, he hidee hisself in de butcher wagon and when it gittee to my boy’s store, Cudjo walk straight to talk business. He have words wid my boy, but he skeered face him. He doan come ’rest him lak no sheriff and he doan come fight him lak no man. If he mad wid my Cudjo ’bout something den he oughter come fight him face to face lak a man. If my boy done something wrong, it his place come ’rest him lak a man. (Over)1 “He say he de law, but he doan come ’rest him. Somebody call hisself a deputy sheriff kill de baby boy now.
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