BOMAW 1-3 (79 page)

"Look... I know where I went wrong. Please, have a seat and give me a chance to correct this." The principle urged and walked out of the office closing them inside.

Sylvia wasn't sure if she should wait or go outside. Shawn's temper scared her sometimes. She looked down at Angela, who asked. "My dad can really get mad! What'll we do now?"

Sylvia looked toward the door, it opened with Pauline bringing her coffee and Angela juice on a tray with cookies, looking pass Pauline's entry Sylvia spotted a black teacher looking in at her, she didn't know at that time that it was 'Cora Beverly'. She smiled at Sylvia and winked, turned and seemed to float out of the office after Pauline had shared a bit of what had taken place with her. "Please have a seat, I brought you coffee and juice for your daughter." Pauline offered, still nervous and feeling bad. She'd told Stan herself about Beth, but he'd discarded it from her as well. She felt in this day and age, it was common place to see such couples and it didn't bother her one way or the other. They had a state trooper on the interstate who was black, his wife was white, it was commonplace now but that Beth had ideas of her own.

"Thank you...but... I'm pregnant, not drinking coffee right now. Angela you want the juice?"

"No thank you." She answered. Pauline brought it in and placed it on the desk. "Perhaps some milk then?"

"No...we're fine." Sylvia returned, smiling at the woman.

"Well, just in case you change your mind, here it is, help yourself. If you need anything, you just get my attention Mrs. McPherson."

"Thank you but I think we should leave, my husband is angry enough."

"Stan will be able to talk him down. Just give him a moment, we'll take care of it... I assure you we will."

Sylvia turned back and had a seat. "Let's sit and give it a few minutes, see what happens." She instructed Angela.

"Thank you." Pauline added closing them in once again.

"I hope my dad doesn't hit him." Angela spoke her thoughts looking at Sylvia.

"Would your dad hit him?" Sylvia asked, having witnessed him attack another man, but that had been under different circumstances, understandable.

"He's hit people before... if he gets really mad - he'll hit him." Angela informed her. Sylvia groaned, and then asked, "Has he ever... hit your mother before?"

Angela looked surprised by that question. "No... he's been so mad that he hit stuff in the house, but he never hit my mom. He put holes in the walls sometimes, and he broke some doors too... but, he never hit her." Angela informed her with honest wide eyes. Sylvia groaned again, not sure of what to think and wondered if Shawn needed to attend a few sessions of anger management. The relief was that he didn't hit women, but his temper left one quaking in their shoes. They sat quiet a few moments giving Sylvia time to think and she suddenly asked, "Angela... how are you going to be able to face possible ridicule that is racist based. I'm black, you're not - your father is not. This is all new for you, a new school... and now this. Are you ready for this?"

She shrugged looking down at the floor, then up at Sylvia. "I don't understand what the big deal is? Why does it bother some people, so what if you're black... what's wrong with being black?"

"Angela, America was set up by a nation of whites who felt themselves superior or better than black people, or any other race for that matter. Trying to keep a hold on that superiority they feel is so precious, they get angry when someone like them... someone white, goes against their ideas, and involves themselves with someone black so intimately as your father has with me. They look at your father's actions, as an act of treachery, betrayal against their established social rank. It makes some of them angry that he's with me, they feel that he should be with his own kind...standing with them to maintain a pure white race...or better word actually... tribe."

"But why? Why are white people better than black people? Who says?"

"There is no such thing as one color of people being superior over another. Its all in the minds of men who need to feel powerful... ummm, look... it's too much to get into right now. We can talk about it a little at a time as you feel the need - but for now - I need to know if you're going to be alright with me coming to school to pick you up?"

"I don't like this Sylvia... this is so stupid! My dad loves you and I love you too, - as for them, they can all kiss our ass!"

"Angela! That - young lady is a no - not allowed! I'm not gonna have you using that kind of language, even if it is in my behalf...and - I love you too." Sylvia smiled and hugged her, "I'm just a little frightened that you may not be ready for this."

"I'm not afraid. If kids don't like me because you're my mom... then they don't like me, because I'm sure not going to be liking them! They better not get me mad!"

Sylvia gazed down into her lovely face and fought back laughter, she could see it already - this child was going to be a scrapper. She had a feeling she was going to be at this school quite a bit.

Stan walked out of the school to see Shawn leaning against his vehicle with his arms crossed, the second bell rang and the last of the students were going in.

"Mr. McPherson-..."

"Where is my wife and my daughter?!"

"I asked them to wait inside while we talked out here."

"I've said all I have to say... not in the mood to talk right now-..."

"Oh come on Mr. McPherson, let's be reasonable at least! Okay you want me to admit it!? Beth is a racist! The fact is, America is still just that! 21st century and still a bunch of narrow minded, pea brained individuals exist! For my part, I was wrong to try and dust over it, but Mr. McPherson - where are you going to run to get away from it? Its just about everywhere! Don't teach your daughter to run from it. Teach her to stand in the face of it and deal with it logically."

"I tell you what - you're the ruling authority here - make a stand for what you know is right! Don't sugar coat! Don't dust over! Don't look aside! When the powers that be, stand for what is right, then my little girl will have a chance! But until then, as her father, as my wife's husband... as long as they have me, I'll do the fighting for them - so don't you tell me how to run my family."

Mr. Shaw sighed, this man was not going to let him out of this, he was not standing down. Now - he wished he'd just let Beth go, but that was going to create another little problem for him, but he couldn't let this happen again.

Shawn stood a moment, knowing that he needed to cool down, however when it came to Sylvia... he had a trigger temper, especially with race issues, no one was going to shame her and make her feel unworthy and cut her as that Beth had. He had to stare her down, because the alternative would have been to hit her, and he didn't hit women. As for Mr. Stan Shaw, he knew for the most part, a portion of what he said was right, however it was easy for him to be so logical about the whole issue, it wasn't the woman he loved being belittled. No... he would not back down, in wasn't in his nature to, but he would try to reason with him because Angela needed to be in school, she'd missed enough time already. He shifted his posture a bit and wasn't so ready to pounce, it was his turn to wipe his hand over his face and take a deep breath. Even so, something was going to have to give here.

"Mr. McPherson, I want to work this out with you. I don't wish you to leave here thinking I'm a racist bastard and this school is where we breed."

"Tell me something, why has her behavior been tolerated? You admit to knowing she's a racist, yet you let her go on working here in this office, where hundreds of children from whatever background must travel through and possibly face her ostracism. While this is most certainly a majority white area, I don't for a moment believe we are the only interracial couple in the area, I know better... I've seen others. So why has she been tolerated? Or should I be asking this question of others and present a case to the school district?"

"That won't be necessary. I give you my word... she will be dealt with."

"She shouldn't be here. This is a place for education and open minds... not psychological cripples."

"I agree."

"Yeah - that's all you've said... that you agree, I want to hear more than you agree. I want to hear dismissal talk, because I'm willing to bet - you have grounds to dismiss her on, you have to - knowing what you do! You've just ignored them because you can't be bothered! Doesn't effect you...but you know what, if she's still working in that office in a few days... its going to effect you. That's not a threat either... that's a promise! If my daughter is going to attend this school, my wife will be here to pick her up. Will be here for teachers meetings, will be here when any matter that needs seeing to is presented. In case of all that, my wife should not have to be subjected to that... she's a human being with human rights and as her husband - I'm not going to stand idly by and let anyone, you or otherwise... tromp all over her rights!"

"I can't argue with you on that sir... because we both know that you're right." Stan had no choice, taking a deep breath, he promised. "She'll be dismissed."

"When?"

"By the end of the week."

"Not good enough."

"We'll need to hire someone to replace her."

"Unemployment is high... won't be a problem."

Stan Shaw took a deep breath, he was dreading the up and coming event. He knew that she would threaten to disclose their affair to his wife, he was stuck and couldn't figure a way around it. He was going to have to break it off and confess to his wife before Beth got to her.

"I'm waiting... when?"

"Tomorrow."

"Why not today?"

"Mr. McPherson, you have my word... tomorrow will be her last day here. You have my word."

"Good enough... now lets get my daughter registered."

Early Morning L. A.

It wasn't something Jeremiah cared about doing, but he needed to get the ball rolling. It was early and he was parked a few cars away from Deidre's car in her warehouse apartment parking lot, watching and waiting for her to come out and start her day. He'd driven by the previous day to get a look at the place, at the area where she lived. Was fortunate enough to catch her pulling in to park. He watched her cut her engine and step from her white Mercedes. It had been some time since he'd seen her, but he had to admit, despite her being white... she was very attractive. She had a smooth elegance about her that only accentuated her natural good looks. The glimpse of her hadn't been a long one, but enough to formulate his idea to finally reconnect with her.

As he waited, he remembered back to when he was a young boy and his mother worked for them. She had been tall and lanky, long blond hair and always staring at him. Smiling when they made eye contact. One day waiting for his mother, he'd wandered around the grounds just looking at the lay of the house, admiring it. He stumbled across her in the back by their tennis court, she was hitting at balls that flew at her from a machine. He stood at the fence watching for a few minutes until she noticed him.

"Hi!" She called out to him and walked to the fence where he stood. He had been young and cocky, confident and full of youthful arrogance, and so of course only nodded to her. He'd been wearing a medium size afro, blue jeans and a T-shirt cut off mid waist. Deidre had thought him cute, always had. "Wanna play?"

"Naaaw, not my thing." He answered, he was 15 she was 11.

"How do you know? You ever play before?" She asked, standing with her tennis racket in hand, wearing her white mini tennis ensemble.

"Psssh - yeah!" He lied. "I didn't like it. I prefer basketball... maybe some baseball now and then, tennis - a girls game."

"No its not... there are lots of men who play tennis."

"Hmph... you mean sissy white boys."

"Arthur Ashe wasn't a sissy white boy, he was a black man."

"Who?" He asked taken by surprise.

"Arthur - Robert - Ashe Jr. ... he played tennis and was a record breaker in the 60's."

"Yeah right... you just sayin' that."

"It's true... really, ask your teachers when you return to school tomorrow."

And he had. That had been the turn around point for him. He'd always gotten good grades, but until then, he hadn't known about black men like Arthur Ashe. Having learned about him, turned on a research of other black pioneering men. From that moment on, he knew that his future would be different from other black men. Their friendship grew gradually, but as all young boys feel inclined to do, he had to tease her here and there, now and then, asking once.

"Don't you have any friends, why you always here by yourself?"

"I have friends at school." She answered.

"What about when you get home, don't you get bored?"

"Sometimes I do... you could be my friend if you wanted to."

"Don't want to, why I wanna be friends with some skinny little white girl? You ain't even cute."

Deidre gasped shocked, "That's mean! And I'm not gonna always be skinny! I'll get breasts, and a butt one day."

He laughed at her, "Don't bet on it. White girls never got no butt!"

"They - do - too! And so - will I!"