Child of the Mountains (16 page)

She told me that Jake’s mama said the same thing. Them doctors was busy with their young’uns, so mama and her went to the waiting room to drink coffee and talk. Jake’s mama was real glad to get Jake into a white hospital. They moved up to Ohio from Alabama. Her and her husband and Jake’s big sister was all crowded into her brother’s family’s house. She thought Jake would get better care by being part of a study on blood diseases.

Jake’s mama also expected Negroes to be treated better north of the Mason-Dixon Line. But them Ohio doctors and nurses looked at skin color just the same. It made her wonder iffen Jake would have been better off in Alabama. They had lots of friends. Most of their family lived close by down South, and some of them had sickle-cell. “At least they would have understood,” she told Mama. “The Negro doctors would have treated us with respect and done the best they could to help Jake, even if they didn’t have a nice hospital to work in.”

As it turned out, that hospital in Ohio didn’t do BJ or Jake much good, at least as far as I can tell. After one of his hospital stays, BJ told me Jake wasn’t there. He asked Nurse Chapel iffen she knew how Jake was getting on. Nurse Chapel was setting up things on the nightstand aside his bed and didn’t even look at him. “He passed away a couple of weeks ago,” she said, as iffen she was telling him about the weather outside.

BJ said he got so angry that he felt like he had a hornet’s nest inside of him. He hopped offen the bed and stood between Nurse Chapel and the nightstand. “You tell me right now what happened to him!” he yelled.

“Get back in that bed this instant,” she said, grabbing his shoulder.

BJ shrugged off her hand and kept a-staring hard at her. “No, you tell me now.” He started breathing hard and coughing.

“All right,” she said. “Lower your voice. He contracted the flu. Children with sickle-cell anemia have a harder
time fighting off illnesses like that. It took his life. Now get back into bed.”

BJ said them hornets inside of him started buzzing so loud that he didn’t hardly know what he was doing. He kept on shouting, “No, no, no! It’s not fair!” Nurse Chapel grabbed his arms, and he started kicking her. He said he barely remembered what happened next. She pushed a button. Some orderlies runned in and held him in bed while Nurse Chapel gived him a shot to calm him down.

Over the next few days, BJ said they forced him to take pills that made him sleep. Maybe that’s what Uncle William meant about being a zombie.

When BJ comed home, he talked a lot about Jake. He said them doctors might of tried to fog up his brain, but he weren’t never forgetting about his best friend. He knowed he was going to see Jake again someday and they would have a good talk about them doctors and nurses. I didn’t say nothing, but I sure didn’t like to hear him saying things like that.

I think about Jake’s mama sometimes. I wonder iffen she knows what happened to BJ and my mama. It sure seems like they have a lot in common, both of them losing their sons and all.

And I also think about BJ and Jake, causing mischief up there in Heaven, keeping the angels right busy.

M
ONDAY
, D
ECEMBER 21, 1953

I couldn’t sleep last night. I kept thinking about talking to Mr. Hinkle again today and how I still feel like I failed my mama. So I was plumb tuckered out this morning. Afore I went out the door to school, Aunt Ethel Mae called to me. “Lydia, me and William decided you should ought to have yourself a new coat for Christmas. He’s going to take us to Charleston tomorrow and drop us off so us girls can shop.”

I wanted to hug her, but I didn’t know iffen I should. “Thank you, Aunt Ethel Mae,” I told her, wanting to bounce up and down but knowing better.

“You’re right welcome,” she said. “Now get on to school with you.”

I forgot all about being wore out as I walked to school.
I was excited about going to Charleston and seeing Christmas lights in all them stores. Maybe the Salvation Army band would be playing Christmas carols. I wondered iffen we might get us some hot chocolate at Kresge’s 5 and 10. I could feel that warm cup with that candy-bar smell in my hands already. They put whipped cream and a bright red cherry on top. Me and Mama and BJ did that one time. Uncle William dropped us off while he went to do some errands. We didn’t have no money for fancy gifts, but BJ said looking at them lights and drinking that hot chocolate was the best gifts ever. I thought so, too.

This time, I was going to get me a brand-spanking-new store-bought coat. I figured out I would like me a blue one. And I could tear my old coat into strips to make a quilt. Then I could still keep Gran close to me.

I had me two knots in my stomach today—one on account of thinking about staying after school and the other on account of being excited about my new coat.

After lunch, someone knocked on the door, and Mr. Hinkle went to answer it. A pretty lady with blond hair and blue-green eyes stood there. She had on this dark green suit and a little hat to match. She looked like some Hollywood movie star and smelled like gardenias. All them boys in my class sat up real straight when they seen her.

“Class,” Mr. Hinkle said, “this is Miss Parker. She and I are engaged to be married.” Miss Parker held up her left hand and showed us the ring. My heart felt real funny, like it sunk lower inside me. I ain’t sure why.

“Miss Parker’s family lives in Charleston, and she’s
staying with them over the holidays,” Mr. Hinkle said. “We met when we were students at Ohio State. She’s working in Ohio this year, but she’s going to move back to Charleston next summer. We plan to marry in June, and we hope all of you will come.” The two of them looked all goofy-eyed at each other. Really and truly goofy-eyed. My own teacher!

“I invited her to spend the afternoon with us. Will you help her feel welcome?” Mr. Hinkle asked.

“Good afternoon, Miss Parker,” we all sang. I weren’t too sure about her being in our classroom, even iffen she was Mr. Hinkle’s betrothed.

“I hope you really do have yourself a good afternoon,” Bobby blurted out. His face and ears got all red. We all laughed.

Miss Parker laughed, too. “Why, thank you,” she said. “Mr. Hinkle has said such wonderful things about all of you that I couldn’t wait to meet you.”

Us girls sat up straighter, too, when she said that. I felt real proud that Mr. Hinkle had told her about us. She walked around as we done our work. One time she bent down over me as I wrote a story. “Lydia,” she whispered, “I understand you write beautiful stories. Maybe you’ll let me read some of them one day.” Then she stood up straight and walked to somebody else’s desk.

I stared after her. I didn’t hear her call nobody else by their name, and I kept trying to puzzle out how come she knowed mine. I got all atwitter thinking about it. Then I got to wondering about staying after school. Was
Mr. Hinkle going to tell me to go on home so he could spend time with Miss Parker? I weren’t too sure what to make of it.

When school let out, I didn’t know iffen I should get up and go with them other kids or stay behind. Mr. Hinkle must have figured out I was all confused.

“Lydia,” he said, “after Miss Parker and I walk the other students outside, we’ll be right back.”

Maggie stuck her tongue out at me.

“That’s enough of that, young lady,” Mr. Hinkle said to Maggie. “I’ll see you after school when we get back from Christmas vacation.”

“Yes, Mr. Hinkle,” Maggie said all sticky-sweet-like.

Mr. Hinkle didn’t see Maggie smile when she walked out the door, but I sure did. I bet she was real glad she was going to get to stay after school with Mr. Hinkle. And I didn’t like it nary one little bit. I ain’t sure why it bothered me so much.

I got out a piece of paper and my pencil. I figured with Miss Parker being here, me and Mr. Hinkle wouldn’t be talking about my mama. I would have me a boring time reading want ads instead of telling him about that trial. I felt right relieved and right disappointed at the same time.

When Mr. Hinkle and Miss Parker come in the classroom, they each pulled a chair up close to my desk. I could feel my eyes get wide as I pushed back as far as I could into my seat.

Mr. Hinkle got to talking right away. “Lydia, there’s
something I didn’t tell the rest of the class that you need to know about Julia—I mean, Miss Parker.” He looked at her.

“I’m a lawyer, Lydia,” Miss Parker said.

“A lawyer?” I said real soft. “But I thought lawyers was all menfolk.”

She smiled at me, a real nice, gentle-like smile. “Most of them are, Lydia. But women can achieve their dreams, too, if they’re willing to work hard for them.”

Mr. Hinkle smiled at her, and then he turned to look at me. “Lydia, when I told Miss Parker what you said about—”

“You told her what I said?” I felt tears filling up my eyes.

“You need to understand that I thought—”

“You told her what I said.” I turned my face away from him and shut my eyes. Some tears rolled down my face. I started to reach into my bobby sock. Then I figured out I didn’t want Mr. Hinkle’s handkerchief touching my face no more.

Miss Parker tried to take my hand. “Lydia, I—”

I pulled my hand away from her. She didn’t try to take it again. “All right, Lydia,” she said. “I know you’re hurt and angry. Sam—your teacher—did the right thing by talking to me. He thought maybe I could help your mother, and he might be right.”

I didn’t look at them, and I still didn’t say nothing. I had done gone and disgraced my uncle and aunt real bad this time. And they planned to take me to Charleston and
get me a new coat and everthing. And I already knowed all about lawyers. Ain’t no lawyer going to help my mama get out of jail. They just make things a heap worse.

“You have to trust me—both of us, Lydia—if we’re going to do anything for your mother,” Miss Parker said.

“Lydia, look at me,” Mr. Hinkle said. I kept my head turned away and my eyes shut tight. “Look at me!” he said again, a little louder this time. I kept my head down, but I looked up at him. “I know you must feel like I’ve betrayed you, but I would never intentionally do anything to hurt you. I care about you. You know that, don’t you?”

I nodded—just a little. Miss Parker smiled when I done that—just a little.

“Lydia, tell me again what your dream is,” Mr. Hinkle said.

I didn’t say nothing.

“Tell me your dream,” he said louder.

I didn’t say nothing. He scooted his chair up closer to me.

“Tell me your dream!” he said as loud as that preacher at Uncle William’s church.

“To get my mama out of jail!” I said, real mean-like, looking him right in the eye. Then I started up crying. I reached down and got Mr. Hinkle’s handkerchief out of my bobby sock and wiped my face with it. He smiled at me when I done that.

Miss Parker reached over and took my hand again. I didn’t pull away this time. Her hand felt all soft, like Mama’s. When I kept on crying, she put her arm around
me, and I leaned against her shoulder. “I miss Mama so much,” I told them.

“This has all been so horrible for you, Lydia. But you’ve been incredibly strong,” Miss Parker told me. “I know you’re going to find the strength to do what else needs to be done.”

But my mama was in jail because I was so weak. I knowed that her and Mr. Hinkle would be terrible ashamed of me when they found out. And then Mr. Hinkle asked me the question I was most afeared of.

“Lydia, can you tell us what happened at that trial?”

I bit my lip and didn’t say nothing. I just shook my head no.

“Lydia, I know this is hard for you,” Miss Parker said. “But this is for your mother. You must talk to us.”

“But I ain’t supposed to,” I choked out.

“Who told you that, Lydia?” Mr. Hinkle asked.

“My uncle and aunt. They said they done been disgraced enough already. They said I best forget all about it and get on with my life.”

Mr. Hinkle and Miss Parker looked at each another. Miss Parker sighed and shook her head. Mr. Hinkle looked back at me and said, “I’ve met your aunt and uncle. I know they’re good people and want to do what’s right for you. The problem is that they’ve given up hope. You haven’t, Lydia—that’s why you still carry this dream. And Miss Parker and I haven’t given up hope either.”

“How come?” I asked.

“Lydia, when I first read about your mother’s case in
the paper and saw what they had accused her of—” Miss Parker began.

“Child ’dangerment and kidnapping across state lines,” I said softly for her. I rememorized them words.

“Yes, Lydia,
child endangerment
, which means causing serious danger to a child, and
kidnapping
, which means taking a child away from the people who are supposed to be taking care of that child. Anyway, if I were BJ’s mother, I would have done what your mother did.

“I thought surely she would be acquitted—cleared of the charges,” Miss Parker went on. “I was enraged when I found out she had been found guilty. I didn’t think there was anything I could do about it, though, until Sam—Mr. Hinkle—told me about talking to you. Lydia, I must know the whole story from you before I can decide if I can help. You need to understand that sometimes the real disgrace is not talking when the truth needs to be told.”