Joshua: A Brooklyn Tale (54 page)

For
the
rest
of
the
inhabitants
of
Crown
Heights,
there
was
the
storm;
it
had
finally
arrived.

CHAPTER 64
 

It was just past eleven-thirty. Joshua’s phone hadn’t stopped ringing for the past two hours; it seemed the entire neighborhood had his private number. He was about to go out and take a look for himself—against his mother’s better judgment—when it rang again.

“You get it, Mama. Tell them I’m out-of-town or something.”

“Wait! Joshua,” she called from the kitchen as he was nearing the door. “It’s Hannah Weissman. She sounds bad.”

He picked up in the living room. “Hannah?”

He listened to the panic in Hannah’s voice as she related what was happening. His heart began to race; he hadn’t realized how bad it actually was. The previous calls had described some degree of unrest, but nothing like what he was hearing now.

“What should we do?” Hannah asked desperately. “We have no police protection. They can just come in here and kill us if they want to. My God, what can we do?”

“How is Rachel?”

“Scared. She barely has strength to speak, and can’t even get out of bed.”

“Listen Hannah, please try to be calm, and try to calm Rachel too. I’ll be there. I’ll get you both out, I promise. Just hold on!”

Joshua hung up. Loretta stood behind him, her expression bewildered. “How are you going to help them?” she asked.

“I don’t know.”

He took a circuitous route to his office, avoiding the streets where the violence was concentrated. He opened the front door, flicked on the light, rushed to his private office, and began searching through an old file cabinet. He’d defended a lot of clients in his time, but only one who truly owed him. He found the file, pulled it, and looked for the phone number. He prayed that Willie Johnson would still be living in the same place, would be at home, would remember him after seventeen years, and would be willing to help.

A voice came on the line, but Joshua wasn’t sure. “I’m looking for Willie Johnson,” he said.

“Yeah?”

“Is this him?”

“Who’s asking?” Suspicious.

“Joshua Eubanks.”

“
Joshua
Eubanks
! I’ll be! How you been, Mr Eubanks?”

“I’m okay, Willie. Sorry to be calling this time of night.”

“Oh no! It’s okay. You can call me anytime.”

“I’m glad you feel that way, Willie, because I need to ask you a favor, and I don’t have a lot of time for chit chat.”

“What do you need, Mr. Eubanks?” Willie said as if he were ready to fill any request. Joshua felt good hearing it.

Joshua explained the situation, and what he wanted to do.

“That’ll take a few men, four maybe five.” Willie responded.

“The more, the better.”

There was a brief pause, then: “No problem. I know just the guys. You tell me where you’re at, we’ll be there within an hour.”

Joshua phoned Hannah from his office, told her to sit tight, and waited.

Willie showed on time, with four associates, two of whom Joshua recognized as having been among his alibis that infamous night seventeen years earlier. The men were large and ominous looking, exactly what was needed.

Willie looked pretty much the same, though a bit older and fatter. He embraced Joshua fiercely and introduced Joshua to the others, saying, “This here is my man, Mr. Eubanks. He believed in me when nobody else did, defended me because he knew I was innocent. Now, he’s got a problem and we’re here to help.” He didn’t have to say anything more. The others were obviously with him. Joshua didn’t want to know exactly what enterprise Willie was currently mixed up in, he was glad enough just to see the man.

Joshua explained the plan. Getting to the Weissmans’ building wouldn’t be a problem; unless, of course, someone from the street recognized him. That was where Willie’s men came in. It was their job to keep Joshua surrounded and shielded from view.

Getting Rachel and Hannah out was another matter. Joshua hadn’t completely figured that one out yet. He suggested avoiding the streets, and taking the back alleys.

“We’re going to have to hit the street sooner or later,” Willie said.

“I know,” Joshua responded, not having much else to offer.

“Look, don’t worry,” Willie said. “We’ll do what we got to do. No one in the streets is going to mess with us.” He pointed to his cohorts with pride.

“I don’t know, Willie,” Joshua said. “Those folks are angry. They’ve already scared the cops, and they think they’ve won. They’re all hyped up, and just aching for another showdown.”

Willie held back a smile, as if he were enjoying this. Two of his cohorts chuckled. “We ain’t no cops,” he said as he leaned in closer to Joshua and pulled his jacket open just enough to reveal a very large handgun hanging from a shoulder holster.

“Willie, I’m not sure I’m comfortable with…”

“No need to worry. I never use it. Just keep it for security.

His friends nodded in agreement.

Joshua then realized that they were all packing, but he was desperate and had no other options. He looked at Willie’s crew and knew that they were his best shot at getting Rachel and Hannah out. “Good,” he said. “Let’s go!”

They made it into the thick of things, and were on Rachel’s block just a few hundred feet from the entrance to her building. The crowd was yelling and breaking windows, while Willie’s crew did a good job camouflaging Joshua, who held his head down just to make sure. Then it happened, the loudest noise Joshua had ever heard—two cars blowing up in the street. He couldn’t help but straighten up to see. He’d heard about riots his entire life, and had watched them happening on TV in other cities, but being in the middle of one was unlike anything he’d imagined.

The flames illuminated the entire block, and for a split second his eyes locked with someone else’s, a familiar face not more than fifty feet from where he stood—Professor Alvin Thompson. Joshua instantly knew that Thompson recognized him by the stare and grin of satisfaction on the man’s face. Thompson had waited for this night his entire life—the uprising of the streets, the launching of the revolution. It was the crowning culmination of all his teachings and yearnings. And now it was his to lead.

Joshua realized his plan had hit a snag. He expected Thompson to use the mob to stop them, discredit him, and prove once and for all that he was the Jew-loving, Uncle-Tom others had claimed him to be. It was only a matter of seconds.

Joshua was fearful of a confrontation, especially considering the artillery that Willie’s crew had. He placed his hand on Willie’s shoulder, about to abort the plan, when suddenly to his utter bewilderment Alvin Thompson turned away. It was as if the professor hadn’t seen anything at all.

Hannah rushed to the door, opened it, and gazed strangely at Joshua’s colleagues. “They’re friends. They’ve come to help,” Joshua said.

“How can anyone help, even the police ran away,” she said, panic still in her voice.

“Don’t worry,” Joshua answered, “we have a plan.”

Joshua went into Rachel’s room, and found her lying in bed. She looked at him. “I knew you’d come,” she said. “You always come when I need you.” It was difficult for her to talk. She took his hand.

“We don’t have much time,” he said. “We have to get you and your mother out of here.”

“How?”

“With God’s help.”

She smiled, he could still do that to her.

Willie and company entered the room.

Rachel: “Joshua, who’s…”

Joshua: “Rachel, this here is Willie Johnson, and these are some of his business associates. They’re here to lend God a hand.”

Rachel: “Willie Johnson?” Hesitation. “I remember, he’s the one you…”

Willie: “One and only, Ma’am, at your service.”

Rachel: “Joshua, how can we possibly get out?”

He told her the plan.

“I can’t,” she said.

“What do you mean, you can’t? You have to!”

“Joshua, I can barely get out of bed without falling. How do you expect me to go running through the streets and alleys?”

“I’ll carry you.”

“You can’t! Not that far. You won’t be able to move fast enough.”

“A bunch of us will carry you.”

“Joshua.” she squeezed his hand. “I’m too weak. Too much pain. I can’t.” It was getting more difficult for her to speak.

“Rachel…”

“Please, I don’t want to leave my bed. Please! Just take Mama and go!”

“
No
! I’m not going anywhere without you,” Hannah insisted.

Willie held his hands up in surrender. His eyes said,
What
now
? Joshua didn’t have an answer.

Joshua: “Rachel, you’re talking crazy. We can’t just leave you!”

Rachel: “I’m not crazy, Joshua; I’m dying. There’s not much left. I’m scared for Mama. You have to help her get out of here.”

Hannah: “Stop talking nonsense! I’m not leaving! Joshua, I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but Rachel’s right; she can’t go anywhere, and neither can
I
. We’ll be okay. God will help us.” She didn’t sound too convincing. “Thank you,” she said, looking at Willie and his friends, “but we’ll be okay.”

Joshua noticed that Hannah sounded weak and frail herself. Rachel looked at him, and repeated, “Joshua, please, take her with you. For me.”

“I have an idea,” Joshua said. He took Hannah by the hand and ushered her to a corner of the room. “I can stay here with Rachel. I’ll take care of her, keep her safe.”

“
You
? What can you do?”

“Look, Hannah, if someone decides to come in here, I have a better shot at bringing the situation under control than you.”

“
Control
? You can bring the situation under control? Then why not go out on the street and do just that?”

“She’s safer with me.”

“I’m not going anywhere, but if you insist on staying also, you’re always welcome.”

“Mama,
please
! Stop arguing. Do you want me to leave this world knowing that you were harmed because of me? Is that what you want?”

“
Rucheleh
!
Stop
!” Hannah’s breathing was labored. She began swaying, and seemed to be losing consciousness. Joshua caught her in his arms and carried her to the bed. She was out.

“
Mama
!” Rachel screamed.

“It’s okay,” Joshua said, trying to sound reassuring. “I think she just fainted.”

“Mama,” Rachel called again.

“She’s unconscious,” Willie confirmed, trying to revive her.

“No don’t!” Joshua said to Willie, stopping him. “Let her be. It’s the only way we’re going to get her out of here.”

“And how’s that?” Willie asked.

“Carrying her.”

“And what about your friend?”

“I’ll stay with her. She’s too sick to go anywhere, and we wouldn’t be able to carry both of them anyway.”

“Who says we can even carry one?” Willie asked. “If she wakes up, she’s going to put up a hell of a fight.”

“You’ll just have to make it happen. And get her to a hospital right away,” Joshua said.

Willie responded with a reluctant, but conceding expression. “Okay, let’s do it before she wakes up.”

“Joshua,” Rachel said.

“What?”

“It could be serious,” she said. “We need an ambulance.”

“We do, but we don’t have one, and by the looks of things outside, there aren’t going to be any. Willie’s our best bet. They’ll get her through the mob and to the emergency room. I promise.”

“Don’t you worry, Ma’am,” Willie added.

“Joshua,” Rachel said.

He looked at her.

“You’re staying?”

“Of course I am.” He brushed her forehead with his hand.

“It’s not safe.”

“We’ll be fine.”

She didn’t argue. All the fight had gone out of her.

Willie and the others picked Hannah up and carried her from the room. “Don’t you worry, Ma’am. We’ll keep her safe and get her to a doctor right away.”

“Thank you,” Rachel said, but Willie didn’t hear. He was already out of the room with Hannah and the others. Three seconds later, the front door slammed. Rachel and Joshua were alone.