The Castle Cross the Magnet Carter (22 page)

 

 

DWIGHT

Ain't seen Carl a while. Afternoon after firs day we got together. Tole me there's eight sections his school, A through H. He got placed in 7-B, second smartest, week later tole me his dad talked to the principal, moved him up to A. How many sections your school?

One, we all nineteen seventh grade the same class. There ain't that many colored in the county.

For a time still went to his house, him bringin friends home. Most of em were alright, but then talkin bout some teacher from their school or some girl from their school an there I am, mute-dumb.

Middle a September I stop by Roof's. He settin floor a his porch grumblin, She said I gotta do homework first! I gotta write a stupid essay on what's my opinion about Congress just brought back the draft peacetime. He writes somethin, then That's enough for now. Runs into his house to look for his football an I see he ain't got farther than
Rufus Barton, 7-H
. Over the fall, I fine myself spendin more time with Roof. The new friend his mama mentioned turn out to be Zack Rhodes, live up Jake's Hill. Zack's tall for the ninth an Roof's short for the seventh so they sure make a pair. Neither of em has any interest in talkin about school so with them I never feel outside the conversation.

Eliot's glasses all fogged up in the December mornin freeze. Gotta admit he look cute, though sometime I miss the way his eye useta slip in toward his nose. Come on boy, it's cold! He catch up, grinnin. I drop him off with the little kids firs floor an climb on up the stairs, secondary.

Genevieve Watson! What do you know about George Washington Carver?

Miz Carey's short an stout an fast. High voice, twitter like a bird, always seem to be in a good mood. But don't make the mistake a thinkin easy-grader.

Genevieve goes to the fronta the class. She start to read from her report but Miz Carey grab it from her right off.

I didn't ask What did you
write
,
I asked What do you
know
.

Genevieve's eyes like saucers.

From what Genevieve recall from her report an what Miz Carey fill in I piece together this. Born jus before Emancipation on the Missouri farm a Moses Carver. Baby George an his mother kidnapped by slave traders, Moses trades a racehorse to get George back, George's mama never found. George an his brother raised by their master an mistress like their own children, no local school take colored so mistress teach em to read an write. Still a kid when he goes to Kansas, closest colored school. College in Iowa. Music an art, accomplished pianoist! Then science for his higher degrees, then at Tuskegee forty-seven years teachin colored farmers an conductin scientific experiments.

An abridged list of accomplishments:

• Ð
  developed crop rotation
  
• Ð
  invented over three hundred uses for peanuts, more n a hundred for sweet potatas, soybeans an pecans
  
• Ð
  made a member a the Royal Society of Arts in England, which very few Americans ever got invited into
  
• Ð
  One a his students was the Crown Prince a Sweden!
  
• Ð
  Advised Theodore Roosevelt an Gandhi from India!
  
• Ð
  His painting displayed in the 1893 Chicago World's Fair!
  
• Ð
  Once speakin before Congress the Southern reps heckled him at firs, but he mesmerize em, his ten minutes extended, then extended, then extended . . .
  

My han shoot up!

Dwight Campbell!

What was his painting?

A flower. George Washington Carver was a gifted painter, his subjects plants, flowers, landscapes. The painting that had been displayed in the World's Fair was of the
Yucca gloriosa,
a rose. Other questions?

I look aroun. No one say nothin. My han shoot up! Everybody lookin at me, usually I ain't got much to say in school.

Dwight Campbell!

What other kindsa products besides food come from the food?

Paints! Plastics! Cosmetics! Gasoline! Of all his hundreds of inventions, he only patented three.

My face puzzled. But. Then I remember raise my han.

Dwight Campbell!

But couldn't he a been a millionaire? Patented em all?

Yes, he could have. But this is what he said about his discoveries: “God gave them to me, how can I sell them to someone else?”

Percy Moore grunt.

What was that, Percy Moore?

Nothin.
Any
thing, I didn't say
any
thing.

Dwight Campbell!

He still alive?

Yes! Though he is quite up in years now. She gaze at all the notes she wrote on the board. I often think of his poor mama. To be kidnapped away, her babies stolen from her. And on top of this grief, what sort of miseries was she subjected to, her will not her own, her life the ownership and whim of another? Oh the anguish! The despair! Ponder that!

We do.

And the bitter irony. George born one year before emancipation. One year later he and his mama never would have been separated.

Fool.

Hand up, Percy Moore! And if you have something to say, say it loud enough for all to hear.

Percy raise it.

Percy Moore!

He shoulda took the money.

Sold the patents.

Yeah.
Yes
.

Well he didn't. He was not greedy. Other questions?

Percy mutter somethin else to Tobias Proud and Mokie Wiley an Genevieve Watson. Tobias snicker, Mokie frown skeptical, Genevieve's mouth fly open.

What's going on over there?

Nothin, says Percy. Nothin.

The bell rings. Lunch.

Percy Moore. I'd like to speak to you for a moment?

You sure all up under Miz Carey today, Campbell, says Percy in the locker room.

I liked it, I say an shrug, sniff under my arms, hopin after forty minutes a basketball drills I don't stink too much.

Liked what? says Chester Reese from the eighth. Seventh, eighth, an ninth all got gym together.

George Worshinton Carver, says Marco Wiley. His twin Mokie changin his shirt nex to him, them twins share a locker. Clear down the aisle Richard from the ninth dresses. When we picked lockers back in September I know he waited to see where I would go jus so he could pick his far away as possible. He ain't spoke to me wunst this year, not meet my eyes. The girls always hangin on him.

She goes
He was not greedy
, Percy makin fun of Miz Carey's high fass-talk. A lotta the guys get a kick out of it. Percy continue: An I said Yeah well I know what he
was.

What? says Chester.

A punk. Percy snickers.

What! says Chester.

How
you
know? says Mokie.

I heard stuff.

You heard stuff.

He
got
some man! says Percy. Some other colored scientist, work with him.

You're full of it Moore, says Marco slammin his locker. Then he think better of it, smile. Or maybe it's cuz you seen his picture, want him for yourself. Some of em fallin out laughin. That handlebar mustache, Marco go on. Those big brown eyes.

I look up, almost jump back seein Richard standin near. Listenin, some kinda amusement on his lips.

Say whatcha want, says Percy. I know what I know.

I slam my locker ready to go.

So whaddya think, Campbell? says Percy.

I'm tyin my shoe not lookin at em. I don't like the looks a that bow so I untie it, tie again.

Ast you a question. How's your great Negro hero rate now?

I look at him. I jus learnt about George Worshinton Carver today like the resta yaw. Now how I'm sposed to know bout his personal life.

Percy an Chester crack up. Personal life! says Chester.

That how all the white boys talk? asks Percy. Your
friends
?

Everyone lookin at me, waitin for me to answer. Some of em I see the twinkle in the eye. Richard's face I can't tell. He don't got the smile no more but what he replace it with I ain't sure of.

You wanna know what I think, Percy?

Yeah I do.

Here's
what I think. George Worshinton Carver was a gifted artist an genius scientist who invented hundreds a products an revolutionized agriculture. He taught poor colored farmers an he taught Swedish royalty. Three different presidents asked to meet with him which he did. He coulda been a rich man but instead chose to serve humanity, one a the greatest men ever lived in the eyes a colored
an
white but goddamn if it don't take one a his own race to try an bring him down.

Flyin out the locker room I hear everyone cheerin behind me, this is my victory. But victory ain't what I feel. What I feel is when you say somethin but it didn't come out quite right but you not completely sure what went wrong. Duck in the hall bathroom, pantin, pantin the sweat, headache like explodin.

After school Eliot waitin for me on the sidewalk, jumpin like a damn flea, talkin bout some spellin test. Halfway home there's a moment all the sudden I think I'll be sick right on the sidewalk, but it pass.

Set up on my side a the bed, arms huggin my knees.

What's wrong?

She catch me by surprise, standin in the doorway. Figured she be all caught up in Eliot's spellin achievements downstairs.

Nothin.

Somethin. I don't answer an she come set on the bed but still gimme space.

What happened in school today?

My head poundin.

Whadja learn?

I swallow. Talked about Gift a the Magi.

Oh I remember that one. You like it?

It was okay.

What else?

Crackle. Ole house. Mama an Daddy say it's settlin but I don't think houses ever get settled, they constantly changin, livin.

Parts a the heart. Right ventricle, leff ventricle, aorta, posterior vena cava—

Eliot laugh loud from downstairs. Nobody else there but somethin tickle him, livin his own little world.

Whatchu smilin at? she asks.

Eliot. You hear him laughin? Then all the sudden I'm bawlin. Her arm aroun me, pull me close to her. When the cries dry up, I tell her We learnt about George Worshinton Carver.

That interestin?

Uh-huh. Even through the closed winda can hear Miss Onnie yellin at one a her tabbies. Then Eliot runnin, prolly wantin to go outside to her.

The sobs again!

Big baby!

No you ain't. Teenage is a lotta tears. You gonna be a teenager soon.

Then I'm quiet.

People can be mean.

They sure can.

Like, somebody, a real good person, a real special person does good things for mankind an all they can do is say things about him.

Bad things?

I stop. I stare at her. I look down.

Is things always bad cuz people says they is?

The house crackle crackle.

You was little, Eliot a baby. Me an your daddy take yaw to the park, you gotta go, you can't use the bathroom like the little white boys an girls, your daddy gotta take you to the woods an you cryin cuz it ain't that you gotta pee, it's number two an ain't no toilet paper in the woods but that the way it gotta be, goin home right after that cuz you cryin, poop on your leg. That might be the law but that ain't right to me! What other people claims is right an wrong ain't necessarily— She don't finish, she wipe her eye. People gotta stand up for themself. Nobody do it for em.

The wind blow hard, rattle the windas.

Sometime I look at you, sad. Make me sad. Teenager's a funny time, mixed-up time. But then I come up here, cleanin your room an I find your drawins. Then I remember you got somethin dancin bright inside a you. Most people spend their life tryin to find somethin an here my son not quite thirteen already see it. Then I feel okay, I know my son Dwight gonna live a happy life.

Cryin again! She hole me both arms an I think this is it, this moment with my mama. An my little brother downstairs happy an hoppin, I ain't never gettin married! I don't wanna grow up, I want it always to be this, me an Mama an Daddy an Eliot, always together.

Nex mornin I sketch us, my family. Daddy be home Sunday, tomarra! I'll show him my drawin. An I sign it which I don't always do: Dwight Campbell, 12/6/41.

 

ELIOT

I wake up with a cold—an Daddy comin home Sunday, tomarra! Mama checkin my forehead an bringin me Coke, Daddy come home Sunday mornin bring me a horse! Little wood red horse but the afternoon everything different. She checkin on me, but somethin else worry her face. Daddy too! The radio on all the time.

Monday I feel all better! But it late! Mama I don't wanna miss school, I wanna get the Perfect Attendance certificate again!

Mama smile a little, happy I'm feelin better to run down the steps but still ain't happy like she oughta be!

No school today, she say. An go back to the radio! Her an Daddy an Dwight ears to the radio, President Roosevelt on the radio an this remine me a what Dwight said the other night about the March on Worshinton called off.

Mama! Dwight say we ain't goin to Worshin—

Sh!

I look at em an now I know. All these months I keep a secret inside, figure I don't say nothin it come true. But now I know we ain't goin to Worshinton!

Basement. Usually I'm bad in the coal only wunst a winter but I need it! Bury my legs in it! wipe my face the tears. What Mr. Roosevelt jus said is true so true. This
is
a date live in infamy.

 

DWIGHT

Christmas afternoon Mama say I run outa the brown sugar, my sweet potatas gonna be a disappointment this year an Daddy say Ain't nothin you cook ever a disappointment love
knock knock
.

Only wunst or twiced before Carl ever been inside my house, now here he come, guess seein how I made out presents-wise. I got clay an toy soldiers an gloves, Eliot got a fire truck an jack-in-the-box an mittens. Carl all polite meetin my daddy firs time, thankin my mama for the cookie, then: Come over see mine.

I suspect Carl's place be floor-to-ceilin Christmas. Instead he only got one but it's big: bike.

Pretty soon hard to get these, says Mr. Talley, touchin the tires. Rationing rubber.

Mrs. Talley gave Mr. Talley a nice chest set which apparently he an Carl been wearin out, so now Carl teaches me. Mr. Talley stands gazin at us sippin his Christmas coffee, which I get a whiff of walkin by, a little like the brewery.

You hear the Japs took Hong Kong today? Mr. Talley asks me. His laugh is big, Santa jolly an somethin else.

Christina says, I learned another carol an she goes into the family room with Mr. Talley followin an we hear from the piano God Rest Ye Merry then Hark the Herald while Mrs. Talley in the kitchen keepin a watch over the dinner preparations while I win firs chest game (Carl:
Beginner's luck!
) an then he beats me game two (Carl:
See?
) an Christina an Mr. Talley walk past us to the kitchen an Mrs. Talley comes out an says, Mr. Talley and Christina are helping themselves to the Christmas cookies, Dwight, you come get some whenever you want, an I say, Thank you, an Carl goes, Come on, an I follow him into the family room.

One two three one two three to me's a waltz an I say so but Carl don't answer, jus keep playin it, eyes on the music. My lessons ended long ago. Carl got bored teachin me, an anyhow after school started I wasn't comin over so regular anymore. The sheet music Carl playin from says Moonlight Sonata. Eventually Mrs. Talley come in quiet quiet, searchin through the drores of a dresser for somethin, eventually start to hum Carl's tune without thinkin which I think is nice. Somethin very holiday come over me an just a moment me an her catchin a smile at each other an a little laugh escape me but it cut off quick when Carl suddenly bang hard on the keys an stop playin. He don't even turn aroun to look at her, all she gets his back. Oh sorry, she mutter, an gone. Now he resume, his fingers sailin the keys. The minutes go by an I'm thinkin it's bout time to leave when she come again, all tiptoe, tray a cookies, two glasses a milk. Firs she han me mine. Thank you, my lips move. All delicate she place the other glass top a the piano above Carl, no soun she make, only the piano like we in a silent movie, Carl's eyes on the music ain't missed a note. She about to go but then can't, drawn to the notes she close her eyes, smile, swayin ever so gentle, an Carl so skilled he keep playin uninterrupted with his left han while his eyes stay on the sheet music while takin his right han off the keys usin it to pick up his full glass a milk an hurl it all in his mother's face. She sputter, make this funny gasp an Carl put the glass down back to playin with both hans, the music never stopped, while the white drippin off his mother's chin and she leave, shuttin the door behind her ever so quiet. I stare at the empty glass, my knee start to shake. Then Carl finishes. Octave with the left hand, triplet figuration with the right, he says. That's Movement 1:
Adagio sostenuto
. Then he proceed on to Movement 2.

**

By tradition Roof always invited to my house on my birthday Febyuary second. Ain't seen Carl in a while but seem wrong not to invite him too, he invited me to his in January at the roller rink. I told him I asked my mama an she said no, the roller rink colored gotta bring their own skates an I ain't got none. Carl tole his mama an Mrs. Talley on the phone to the rink to verify it's true an it is, so she call aroun an one a the boys invited had a ole pair he let me borrow an my mama wa'n't happy cuz she wanna boycott the damn rink but she didn't wamme be rude to Carl so I went. Mrs. Talley paid for everbody's entrance an then left an we skated. She said no one had to bring a present though I notice half the boys did. I'm a little embarrassed by mine so relieved Mrs. Talley insist Carl don't open any of em till after he take em home. The skates didn't fit my feet right an gay me blisters but the boys rented the skates got blisters too so that wa'n't nothin.

Roof an Carl, wonder how that be. But by some stroke a luck Carl's sister got a piano recital so Carl gotta decline my birthday.

My mama gimme a new pad an charcoal pencils. I know I'm givin ya nothin you don't already have. But just so's you don't run out.

Thanks, Mama.

We ain't never expected a present from Roof so sprised he hold out somethin. Cartoon cut outa the paper. I know you been collectin em, he say.

Nex day settin on my bed after school, slice a leftover cake. Firs I make the double V like she asked me to. Then I pick up the cartoon Roof gimme. I open my little drore filled with the clippins.

One of em is three Congressmen on a horse. The horse is branded
NEW DEAL
. The men are singin
Oh, the Old Gray Mare, She Ain't What She Used to Be
. President Roosevelt drives by in a fancy new car which says
WIN THE WAR
and he tells the men on the New Deal horse
Turn Her Out to Pasture, Boys. We've Got to Get Going
.

There's ones encouragin people to buy war bonds signed Dr. Seuss, an I wonder how a doctor got time also be a cartoonist. This man seem to appear on all of em, this Oriental man with big teeth an big spectacles. One has him an Hitler's faces on Mount Rushmore, their eyes closed, the Oriental man's teeth's so large he doe'n't seem to be able to close his mouth.
DON'T LET THEM CARVE
THOSE
FACES ON OUR MOUNTAINS! BUY UNITED STATES SAVINGS BONDS AND STAMPS!

Then there's cartoon clippins nothin to do with the war, like a blond white child in a white outfit nex to a little colored child more tattered. Neither of em looks dirty, yet the white kid says,
WHY DOESN'T YOUR MAMMA WASH YOU WITH FAIRY SOAP?
There's a colored maid so happy the family she works for has a Tracy sink:
m-m-m-MM! They sure have the
Nicest
things
. An Topsy Tobacco, the skippin little dark girl with the nappy hair:
I IS SO WICKED!

An the Pullman Porter overhearin the white couple upset cuz the lady caught a cold on their honeymoon. The Porter smiles an speaks nothin like my daddy.
Pahdon me, fo' overhearin' yo', but Sal Hepatica does BOTH dose things. It's a min'ral salt laxative and it helps Nature counteract acidity too. Las' trip a doctah tole
me
.

What I'm wonderin is how come the colored people an the Japanese people don't look human, or don't
act
human. I don't know who that Japanese man is. It don't look like Emperor Hirohito, it don't look like Prime Minister Tojo, but that white man sure is Hitler. Cartoons sposed to exaggerate the person. But why when the person ain't white all that gets exaggerated's the race?

Dwight!

She can holler up to me but hate if I holler back, I'm sposed to jus drop what I'm doin an come down.

Makin her list. Needja to go to D'Angelo's. Some sugar, butter. I give her the double V I made for the front winda an she smile, gimme a kiss. While she searchin through the cupboards to see if she forgot anything I look at the
Pittsburgh Courier
letter-to-the-editor again, taped on the icebox door.

Being an American of dark complexion and some 26 years, these questions flash through my mind: “Should I sacrifice my life to live half American?” “Will things be better for the next generation in the peace to follow?” “Would it be demanding too much to demand full citizenship rights in exchange for the sacrificing of my life.” “Is the kind of America I know worth defending?” “Will America be a true and pure democracy after this war?” “Will colored Americans suffer still the indignities that have been heaped upon them in the past?”

This may be the wrong time to broach such subjects, but haven't all good things obtained by men been secured through sacrifice during just such times of strife?

The “V for Victory” sign is being displayed prominently in all so-called democratic countries which are fighting for victory over aggression, slavery and tyranny. If this V sign means that to those now engaged in this great conflict then let colored Americans adopt the double VV for a double victory; The first V for victory over our enemies from without, the second V for victory over our enemies within. For surely those who perpetrate these ugly prejudices here are seeking to destroy our democratic form of government just as surely as the Axis forces.

Mrs. D'Angelo's mindin the store. Most an genrally she's friendly as Mr. D'Angelo but today in a little argument at the cash register with a white lady. Figure it might be a few minutes before Mrs. D'Angelo free to ring up my sugar an butter an salt so I flip through the comics
.

Dwight! How
are
you, dear?

I look up from
Captain America
.

Hi.

I haven't seen you in ages! I don't think you've been over for a visit since Christmas!

Mm. Well, Carl's birthday.

Yes, we
saw
you then but it wasn't at our
house
. I
love
having you around the family. You
are
one of the family! You've been with us since we moved here, it doesn't feel right not seeing you every day like we used to.

Aw.

Oh! Her eyes closed, hand on her heart. The present you gave Carl. So perfect! The best gift by far! It's hanging over the piano. Framed.

I laugh a little, shift my feet.

But I guess you didn't know! Carl hasn't thanked you. I told him to make sure he thanks all the boys at school but you're not in his school.

I nod, glancin over at Mrs. D'Angelo an the lady, their voices gettin louder. My credit is
good
,
the lady say.

I'm so sorry Carl couldn't come to your birthday but I think Christina would just have been devastated if he'd missed her recital.

That's okay.

Well he has your present. When can you come over and get it?

Oh. He didn't have to do that.

Well he did. His first friend in Humble. I hope you'll
always
stay friends.

I try to smile. Hard to look her in the face.

How about Saturday afternoon? I can make you some of my brownies. You like those, don't you?

They're gonna put the Japs on the concentration camps, an I hope all the wops an the krauts go there too! hurls the white lady at Mrs. D'Angelo as she leaves, slammin.

Everybody's in the family room! says Mrs. Talley when I drop by two o'clock Saturday. Soon's I walk in I see it: drawin I made a Carl playin the piano framed an hung over the upright. Carl settin cross-leg on the floor, some kinda mail-order catalog on his thighs. He look up when I walk in, but like his mind distracted go right back to the page.

Which one? says Christina, puttin her leff wrist in fronta me, then her right. Firs I'm confused, then I realize each had its own smell.

That one, I say.

See? she say to Carl an Mr. Talley. Carl don't look up. Mr. Talley been standin starin at me since I walked in, wineglass in his hand, smile on his face.

I hear congratulations are in order, he says.

Yes! Both the boys are teenagers now, says Mrs. Talley. Practically grown up. I'll get the brownies, an she's gone.

On the wall's a world map that wa'n't there lass time I was here. There's red thumbtacks in the U.S., Canada, Britain, France, Australia, New Zealand, an the Soviet Union. There's blue thumbtacks in Germany, Japan, Italy, Poland, Denmark, Holland, Belgium, Norway, France, the Channel Islands, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Romania, Hungary, Finland, Estonia, British Somaliland, an the Philippines.

Recent action in the Pacific theater, says Mr. Talley. The Japs captured Manila, Kuala Lumpur. But we're fighting back in the former, or so says the danged yellow press. Whoops. He tries to pour from a wine bottle into his empty glass but the bottle's just as empty.

You drank that whole Chablis Dad, says Christina, holdin a han meer an tryin different lipstick colors.

Look at that map! says Mr. Talley. Ever think you see America red? But between the Soviets as Allies, and Axis Japan gnawing at Red China, well.

Here you go, Dwight. Mrs. Talley enterin with brownies. These have walnuts, these are plain. She puts the plate on a table, then settin on a soff chair, picks up her spectacles an takes some embroiderin she'd been workin on. I don't think I ever seen her settin down before.

Empty, says Mr. Talley, still clutchin the bottle, smilin an lookin at Mrs. Talley.

You've had enough, she says without lookin up.

Edwin enlisted, says Christina, suddenly droppin her meer to look at her mother.

Yes, you've mentioned that, says Mrs. Talley.

I'm going to write him every day. Christina don't wear pigtails no more, graduated to a bob. Carl takes a pen an circles somethin in the catalog.

Carl, do not vandalize my catalog! says Mr. Talley, though there's a little smile on his face, like he oughta be madder but right now he's feelin too good to be.

I'm worried about him, says Christina. He's gonna be a flyer.

I'm thirsty, says Mr. Talley, walkin out with his glass. Carl brings me the catalog.