SULA
Daughter of Lucille, the youngest sister of Louis. Lucille, while being in fact Louis's youngest sister, was, in actuality, raised by Louis and his wife, Fern as though she were their adopted daughter. As a result, when Sula was born she seemed to Louis and Fern like a grandchild, their first. Later, however, after Lucille left Fairvale, leaving Sula behind in Louis and Fern's care, Sula was raised as though she were their own daughter. After Louis and Fern's own children, Asa and John, had grown and left town and then Fern succumbed to cancer, the house they had all shared for so many years seemed empty, at times almost haunted. Both Louis and Sula spend as little time there as possible: Louis dragging himself out of bed at the crack of dawn to pick up the fresh produce for his market and not coming home most nights until he was ready for bed; Sula helping out Louis everyday after school before going home only long enough to do her homework and eat dinner before heading out again to work a four-hour shift at the train station, where she works side by side with her boyfriend, Malachi.Malachi is a year older than Sula, and sometimes he frightens her with his intensity. She senses that Malachi is troubled, and already knows from experience that life with him can be at times rude, abrupt and chilling, but despite her occasional moments of fear she remains confident that she can hold her own in the relationship; and as there is no one else in town in whom she is even the slightest bit interested, she is wholly committed to making the most of what they share, at least for now.
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