Summary: Chapter 11
Maya shields herself against the confusion of St. Louis
by reading fairy-tales and telling herself that she does not intend
on staying there anyway. Vivian works in a gambling parlor at night.
Maya pities Mr. Freeman because he spends his days at home waiting
for Vivian to return. Maya begins sleeping at night with Vivian
and Mr. Freeman because she suffers from nightmares. One morning
after Vivian has left the bed and the house, Mr. Freeman sexually
molests Maya. He does not rape her but rather masturbates on the
bed while holding her close to him. Afterward, he threatens to kill
Bailey if Maya ever tells anyone, but Maya, who does not understand
what has happened and who actually enjoyed being held by someone, cannot
understand what caused such a threat. For weeks, Mr. Freeman ignores
her, and then molests her again. Again, he ignores her for weeks.
Maya feels rejected and hurt, but she loses herself in other things,
such as books. She wishes she were a boy because the heroes in all
her favorite books and stories are male. Bailey welcomes the move
to St. Louis and he makes friends, with whom he plays baseball.
Maya, however, does not make any friends during this time. She and
Bailey begin to grow apart, so she spends her Saturdays in the library
reading fantastic adventures.
Summary: Chapter 12
In late spring, after Vivian stays out all night one time,
Mr. Freeman sends Maya to buy milk. When she returns from the errand,
Mr. Freeman rapes her. He threatens to kill her if she screams,
and he threatens to kill Bailey if she tells anyone. Afterward,
Mr. Freeman sends her to the library, but Maya returns home because
of the intense physical pain she feels between her legs. She hides
her underwear under her mattress and goes to bed. Vivian thinks
she might be coming down with the measles. Later that night, Maya
hears Vivian argue with Mr. Freeman. In the morning, Vivian tells
Maya that Mr. Freeman has moved out. When Bailey tries to change
the linens, the bloodied panties Maya has hidden under the mattress
fall out.
Summary: Chapter 13
Vivian takes Maya to the hospital. Bailey privately urges
Maya to name the rapist, assuring her that he would not allow the
culprit to kill him. Maya reveals Mr. Freeman’s name, the authorities promptly
arrest him. Maya thinks of herself as a grown woman, remembering
that her nurses told her that she has already experienced the worst
that life has to offer.
Maya feels caught in a trap when the attorney asks her
whether there were any sexual incidents with Mr. Freeman prior to
the rape. She fears rejection from her family if she admits to the
previous incidents, but she does not want to lie either. Ultimately,
she lies to the court and Mr. Freeman receives a sentence of one
year and one day in prison. Surprisingly, he is temporarily released
after the hearing, and a white policeman visits later that night
to tell Grandmother Baxter that Mr. Freeman has been beaten to death.
Maya hears them quickly drop the subject and briefly discuss casual
matters before the policeman leaves.
The family never speaks of the incident, and
Maya convinces herself that Mr. Freeman was killed because she lied
in order to condemn him. Thinking that she has sold herself to the
Devil, Maya resolves to protect others by not speaking to anyone
except Bailey. At first the family accepts her silence as fallout
from the rape, but after some time, they feel offended and become
angry and violent with her.
Summary: Chapter 14
Maya and Bailey return to Stamps, though Maya is not sure
whether Momma has sent for them or whether her St. Louis family
simple became unable to handle her silence. Bailey misses Vivian,
but Maya finds herself relieved to return to the barren world of
Stamps. Bailey exaggerates the wonders of the big city to the curious
residents, developing his sarcastic tone, but no one notices his
insults. He remains kind only to Maya. She understands Bailey’s
frustration, and he understands her silence.
