Baby Suggs talked as little as she could get away with because what was there to say that the rootsof her tongue could manage? So the whitewoman, finding her new slave excellent if silent help,hummed to herself while she worked.
When Mr. Garner agreed to the arrangements with Halle, and when Halle looked like it meantmore to him that she go free than anything in the world, she let herself be taken 'cross the river. Ofthe two hard thingsstanding on her feet till she dropped or leaving her last and probably only livingchild — she chose the hard thing that made him happy, and never put to him the question she putto herself: What for? What does a sixty-odd-year-old slavewoman who walks like a three-leggeddog need freedom for? And when she stepped foot on free ground she could not believe that Halleknew what she didn't; that Halle, who had never drawn one free breath, knew that there wasnothing like it in this world. It scared her.
Something's the matter. What's the matter? What's the matter?she asked herself. She didn't know what she looked like and was not curious. But suddenly she sawher hands and thought with a clarity as simple as it was dazzling, "These hands belong to me.These my hands." Next she felt a knocking in her chest and discovered something else new: herown heartbeat. Had it been there all along? This pounding thing? She felt like a fool and began tolaugh out loud. Mr. Garner looked over his shoulder at her with wide brown eyes and smiledhimself. "What's funny, Jenny?"
She couldn't stop laughing. "My heart's beating," she said.
And it was true.