The Castle Cross the Magnet Carter (21 page)

 

ELIOT

Which way does the
E
point?

Dr. Leibowitz put his big machine over my eyes, it scary! Brush agains my eyelash, what if my eyelash get caught in there!

Mama!

I'm right here, baby. I hear her I don't see her.

Which way do the
E
's point, Eliot?

I point my finger to the right, to the leff, up, up, leff, down.

Very good. How about now?

Mama!

I'm right here, baby.

When it over Dr. Leibowitz say, Pick out your frames.

I look at Mama. Any color I want?

Any color you want.

There's black! There's brown! There's red-brown! There's light blue! I like light blue!

Try em on, he say.

I try em on, look in the mirror. I want em!

Try another pair, she say.

I can't have em?

I jus want you to try more than one before you make a decision.

I pick a brown pair. I try em on, look in the mirror. I want em!

I come home wearin my black pair. Everything I see only one of. We walk in, I see Dwight one Dwight. He look at me. I think he gonna be mean.

But he smile. They look good, Eliot.

I love my brother!

Week later school start. Mrs. Brent. We hear she strict! She seem strict!

There are things I will
not
tolerate in my classroom. No tardiness. No talking while I'm talking. And no nose picking,
that's
a one-way trip to the principal.

But after a few days she nicer. To
me
she nicer. She like me! I do my work! I'm smart!

Class, what did we learn yesterday about the poetry of Paul Laurence Dunbar? What makes him so distinctive?

My han up!

Eliot?

He write in die-lect
an
standard.

Mrs. Brent smile at me!

Yes, he wrote some poems in the Negro dialect of the time and others in the standard American English. He was as adroit as any white poet writing in the language, but he also had pride in the English of his own people. Now what do you think “adroit” means from the context. Eliot?

He wrote jus as good as the white people!

Very good!

Dwight huggin the covers! I pull em back, he pull em harder! October startin chilly! Dwight still sleep, Saturday he sleep forever!

I hear somethin. Coal truck! Coal truck! Run down the steps!

Mama already top a the basement lookin down. Don't let her see me! They open the basement winda, pour the coal down the shoot! It all loud, she can't even tell I'm right behind her! Coal so pretty, coal smell so good! October 11th, firs coal a the year!

I can tell when they almost finished, coal mountain! I tiptoe away. Mama catch me starin at the coal mountain, she be mad! She fraid I play in the coal mountain, eat the coal mountain like lass year. I ain't! I told her I ain't, promise!

I go through the shortcut bushes find Parker, play with Parker. But I keep thinkin bout it, thinkin bout coal. I come in the kitchen. My mama upstairs. Late mornin, soun like Dwight still ain't up. Quiet, quiet, I run to the basement door! Step down the steps, easy! easy!

Coal! I love the coal, hahaha! I love bein in the coal mountain, toppa the coal mountain! My behine buried in the coal mountain! I'm the queen an the coal mountain my dress! Hahahaha! Coal smell good. Mmm. Coal lick good.

Eliot!

Quiet quiet.

Eliot, I'ma fry some bacon. You want some bacon?

I love bacon! But I ain't hungry. I'm full. I'm full on coal, hee hee hee.

Then I hear her callin outside for me, I run up the steps! Up to the bathroom! I worsh myself worsh myself clean clean clean!

Eliot!

I got dirty outside, Mama, I'm worshin up!

Didn't you hear me callin you?

Uh-uh.

Well hurry up an come on down here.

I walk in the kitchen. Dwight already eatin his bacon, he like it a little soff. I like it crisp! crisp! Dwight take a bite, then stop froze. Starin at me. Mama turn aroun, gasp!

You been in that coal?

Uh-uh! Uh-uh! Dwight whole body shakin. Stop laughin, Dwight!

Why you tellin
him
stop laughin?
You
the one actin silly. An you been eatin it too, aintcha? How many times I gotta tell you not to eat coal? It ain't food, boy!

Stop laughin!

Now smile, she say.

I do. Dwight almost fall off his chair! Mama pull a han meer out the drore, show me. I shoulda brushed my teeth, black black.

Stuck inside all resta the day! I can't even say Night to Parker! Cry myself to sleep, wake up snifflin. The tree branches outside the winda make a shadow dance in our room. When Dwight's not here, I don't like that shadow dance!

Dwight come to bed, I'm bawlin again. Dwight turn away, don't say nothin like he don't hear me like he death or somethin. You act like you don't hear me like you death or somethin, Dwight!

Dea
f
. He still don't turn look at me!

I had to have my Saturday night bath Saturday day, I couldn't go outside resta the day!

What was you gonna do? Walk aroun filthy?

An no pie! Why I gotta have early bath
an
no pie,
two
punishments! Cruel an unusual!

Eliot! she holler. Stop that cryin an go to sleep!

I put my hans over my mouth,
try
not to cry!

You better stay outa that coal, he whisper.

I can't help it! It shiny! It smell good!

You better stay out.

The wind blow, the tree shadows dancin.

In my dream me an Mama an Dwight
all
buried in the coal mountain,
all
happy tastin the coal mountain, hahahaha!

How many's in your class? She walk me to school early today, before Dwight leave. We stop in D'Angelo's.

Seventeen! Then I get another thought. Seventeen in my class, today
October
seventeen. My birthday! My birthday! I'm glad my birthday's Friday. At school they gonna sing Happy Birthday, if my birthday was Saturday I don't get that!

We color jack o'lanterns. I ain't never seen no jack-o'-lanterns before, I guess the white people make em. Sometime my mama call me punkin. My jack-o'-lantern got three teeth. Enda the day everbody sing Happy Birthday to me! Then Mrs. Brent give everbody a long fat pretzel stick! I love long fat pretzel sticks! Crunch crunch crunch! Then she say, Mrs. Campbell bought us all these pretzel sticks for Eliot's birthday. Tell Eliot thank you for his mother. An everyone thank me for my mother!

Mama! Mama! They all thanked me for my mother Mrs. Campbell for the pretzel sticks! She waitin outside for me.

Did they? She smile, hole my han.

In the kitchen, I look at her makin cake!

I'm seven! I'm seven! I'm seven! I get cake I get ice cream. I get chocolate cake chocolate ice cream Happy Birthday, Eliot! Happy Birthday, Eliot, hahahaha! The telephone ring!

Hello, Mr. Seven!

Hi Daddy!

How it feel, ole man?

I'm bigger!

I know.

When you comin home, Daddy?

Thursday. You wanna hear a joke?

Yes!

Why are fish so smart?

Cuz they wear glasses!

No.

Cuz they read!

Cuz they live in schools.

Oh! Hahaha!

Get it?

Yeah! Cuz they live in schools an read! Hahahaha!

I blow out all the candles! Know what I wished for, Mama? I wished for marbles, an a puppet, an some cars, an a secret. Where you goin!

Studyin with Carl. Dwight got his coat on already!

How you study with Carl? He go to the white school!

We both got the same current events.

My
birthday!
My
birthday!

Get offa that chair, she say.

My
birthday. I say it softer. He gotta stay.

We both got tests Monday. An tomarra he got company, his uncle comin for the day. We don't study together today, we both flunk.

Liar!
She smack my behine. I mean
fibber!

We gotta know all the capitals a the war.

We ain't in no war!

Just cuz we ain't in it don't mean it ain't there. Dwight lookin at her, not me. I say France, he say Paris. Quiz each other. We gotta study. I sure don't know Luxembourg. I sure don't know Latvia.

Okay, she say.

No! But he already out the door, goin to Carl's. I don't like that Carl! Birthday posed to be four of us. No Daddy, now Dwight gone. Now
Mama
gone!

But she come back. Burlap sack. I look inside.

Eight of em. Eight people on the clothespins, Mama dressed em up! Ole man with the cotton beard. Bride in her gown. Sailor in his sailor suit. Pullman Porter.

I'm makin a puppet story with my clothespin people! Dwight come in front door while I'm settin on the steps makin my story.

Dwight! I ain't mad atcha no more for leavin my birthday.

He walk by, take off his coat like I ain't said nothin!

Dwight! Didn't ya wonder what my secret birthday wish was? It's a secret! I already had the secret even before my birthday, I been holdin my secret since June!

Better not tell or it won't come true. Then he trot pass me upstairs.

I never thoughta that. Good thing I didn't tell!

November, I still keep my secret! Drawr a turkey. My turkey tail feathers is red an blue an yella an green an purple. Donny say, That ain't a turkey, that's a peacock.

I say, Turkey.

He say, Peacock.

Turkey!
I slap him!

Boys! say Mrs. Brent.

Hunnert on my spellin test! Firs Friday a December. Hoppin to Dwight, waitin for me bottom a the school steps.

So what? You always get a hunnert your spellin tests.

I spelled police. Know how Emma Jean spelled police? P – O – L – E – E – S. Haha! Know how Donny spelled police? P – L – E – A – S – E. That's
please
, not police! Hahahaha!

Dwight don't say nothin. He don't even tell me shut up.

How you do
your
spellin test?

Seventh grade don't got spellin tests.

Oh.
You
know how to spell police?

Walk faster, it's cold.

Okay. Jeanine say her daddy say it gonna snow tonight. You think it gonna snow tonight? We wake up tomarra, all white. All snowy white everywhere, Saturday!

Walk
faster.

Okay. Look. I'm jumpin. Hahaha!

Walk right, fool.

I run in my door. I got a hunnert my spellin test!

Lemme see! she say. Then she lookin it over. Dwight go on upstairs.

Dontchu speak?

Hi.

What's the matter?

Nothin.

See. Freight. Honor. License. Police. They ain't easy, they ain't cat an sat!

I know.

You proud a me?

I'm proud a you every day. She lookin up the steps.

I'ma show it to Daddy! Daddy comin home Sunday?

Uh-huh.

I'ma show it to Daddy. Jeanine was the only other one got all hunnert percent every Friday till lass week she spelled anchor wrong an she cried. Wamme spell anchor for ya? Where ya goin?

See what's goin on with your brother.

In bed I go, How come you was sad after school?

He quiet a long time, then he say, George Worshinton Carver.

Who's that?

You don't know who George Worshinton Carver was?

Was he parta The Society for the Prevention of Calling Sleeping Car Porters George? Hahahaha!

Inventor.

But was he a inventor parta The Society for—

No.

He was like Thomas Edison?

Cep George Worshinton Carver's colored.

Colored
inventor?

Uh-huh.

What he invent?

All kindsa stuff. From food. He turn food into all kindsa stuff.

How come he made you mad?

He ain't made me mad.

Sad?

He
ain't made me sad!

Who did?

Dwight roll over away from me so I know that's all the answers I'm gettin on that subject.

Dwight. I'ma tell ya my secret. I ain't tole nobody else! I been keepin this secret all the way from June. It was my birthday wish secret!

Hmm. That all Dwight say so I know I better talk fass fore he sleep!

I wisht when we go to the March on Worshinton we get to see Mr. Randolph again!

It quiet. Then Dwight roll over on his back, lookin at the ceilin, frown his face. Then he roll again, turn to me, look right at me. Whatta you talkin about?

Mr. Randolph! I wanna see him when we go to Worshinton.

We ain't goin to no Worshinton.

Yes we are! March on Worshinton!

Eliot! That was called off! That was sposed to happen July 1st, that was called off months ago!

My breathin fass fass.

You better not cry. Geeminee, all this time you been thinkin it was still gonna happen?

Why they call it off!

Cuz Mr. Randolph met with President Roosevelt an he told President Roosevelt give colored people the jobs or we gonna march. So President Roosevelt gave colored people the jobs, gave Daddy his job. So we didn't march.

Why President Roosevelt gotta do that!

Dwight laughin to hisself. Go to sleep, boy. I look at the ceilin, sighin. Nothin to do but sigh, sigh, try not to cry.

After a while Dwight say, Got somethin for ya. He turn on the light, make me squint. Pull out the drore, pull out his tablet, tear off a page.

It's me, Dwight drawred me. I'm grinnin, I wear my glasses, I hold my spelling test, A-plus. I like it!

I know Dwight ain't lyin. But maybe he make a mistake? I hope he make a mistake. But I know he think he ain't made no mistake cuz he bein nice, wake up middle a the night an I got all the blankets an he jus curled up tryin to keep warm no covers at all.