The Sharecropper Prodigy (17 page)

             
I took my luggage and started out the door, hugging Abby with my free arm and shaking Ben’s hand. “You call me as soon as you have something to tell me,” Ben said. “I’m prayin’ for you. Ain’t nothin’ would make me happier than my two best friends to wind up together. I wouldn’t have to make but one visit that way.”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

             
The bus was crammed full of people who were visiting relatives for Christmas, although the topics of conversation was dominated by the war. Most people didn’t know much at all about Japan, other than the fact they had attacked us and were now the enemy. I found out there were a few young men on the bus who had already signed up and were leaving for basic training in a few days. They would not be able to spend Christmas with their families. The Japs had sure picked an inconvenient time to attack us. I was able to talk to a couple of the men, who were both two years older than me, on what to expect once I joined. They told me what their experience had been so far, but both of them had joined the army and weren’t sure about the marines.

             
When the bus finally pulled into the little space beside the gas pumps at my Uncle Joe’s store, I saw I was the only one getting off in Collinwood. The sky was overcast with ominous clouds that threatened a cold rain. I didn’t think it was quite cold enough for snow. I stepped off and the driver helped me with my luggage, wishing me good luck with my stint in the marines, before he pulled away. I stood there for a minute, smelling the exhaust that lingered from the diesel engine. For some reason, I had always loved that smell. I walked to the front door and noticed the big Coca-cola thermometer read forty-four degrees. Not cold enough yet for snow, but the rain that looked certain, would be a miserable one. Suddenly, I had a melancholy feeling that came out of nowhere. I should have been happy to be home. I hadn’t seen my aunt and uncle, who had practically raised me, in six months. I hadn’t seen Rachel in two years. Was I on a fool’s errand? Chasing after something that would never be? Not only was I going to have to leave this place in a couple of days and venture into the great unknown, a place that I might never return from, but I would most likely have to leave with a broken heart. Rachel was in college and surrounded by young men from everywhere. Some were from well-to-do families that had the money to show her a good time and give her the things she deserved. Why would she ever consider wasting her time on somebody she had grown up with and had never shown the least bit of interest in? What could I give her? I was leaving and may never come back. Her life would go on and the college boys weren’t going anywhere.

             
I tried to work up a hatred in my mind for those boys who had the great fortune to be able to spend time with Rachel everyday. Did they know how lucky they were? But as hard as I tried, I couldn’t succeed. Some of them were like Ben and had brilliant minds that needed to be nurtured. I had always had a hard time trying to hate someone I had never met, anyway. I knew I should hate the Japs, and did hate the act they had committed, but I was sure they weren’t all evil. At some point, I would probably be trying to kill young men that were forced to be there against their will and had no animosity towards me or my countrymen whatsoever. Some of them would probably have somebody at home they loved like I loved Rachel. Some may have broken hearts like I was almost sure I would have shortly.

             
I opened the door and was surprised to see there wasn’t a soul inside except my Uncle Joe. I couldn’t remember a time when there weren’t at least four or five other people in the store. Uncle Joe was restocking some shelves and hurried over to shake my hand when he heard the bell above the door tinkle. The familiar smells permeated my senses and gave me a warm, comfortable feeling. I could smell the fresh shipment of oranges that had just arrived over all the others, and it was the first time I felt like Christmas would truly come, despite the terrible things that had happened.

             
“How have you been, boy?” Uncle Joe asked me, the handshake transitioning into a hug. “And how is that little genius friend of yours?  I’ll never forget the day he put that bunch of ignorant blowhards in their place. I may be the only white man in Collinwood whose proud of him, but I surely am proud. Tell ’im I said so when you see ’im.”

             
“I’ll be sure to do that, Uncle Joe,” I answered. “I’m proud of him, too.”

             
“Well, let me tell you now how proud I am of you,” Uncle Joe said, putting both his hands on my shoulders. “I understand you are about to join the army and go whip those Japs. And not only that, you’re gonna be leavin’ behind a job makin’ more than a dollar an hour. Do you know how many grown men in this county would give anything to have a job like that? You are a smart boy and an awful hard worker, Tom.”

             
“Thank you, Uncle Joe,” I said sheepishly. I always felt uncomfortable when someone was singing my praises. “But I’m gonna join the marines, not the army.”

             
“Oh,…. I see. Well, that’s just as good, my boy.” Uncle Joe had been in the army during World War I and had been in France. I guess he was hoping I was going to follow in his footsteps. I stayed about thirty minutes chatting with Uncle Joe and eating some hoop cheese and crackers and drinking a Dr. Pepper. I had never been able to find cheese anywhere in Atlanta that was as good as Uncle Joe’s. I decided while we were talking to leave the store and go straight to Rachel’s house instead of going home first. I was ready to get this over with and let the chips fall where they may.

             
“Can I leave my stuff here for a little while, Uncle Joe?” I asked.

             
“Why, sure you can, boy. Leave it as long as you need to.”

             
“Well, I have another favor to ask you. Reckon I could borrow your truck for a little while? I need to pay a visit to somebody.”

             
Uncle Joe had a twinkle in his eyes as he smiled. “I reckon my truck knows the way over to the Winston place,” he said. Since Uncle Joe still had one of the few telephones in town, he knew almost everything that went on. But I hadn’t told anybody but Ben and Abby about Rachel. Surely Ben hadn’t called somebody about it before I got here.

             
“How would you know where I was goin’?” I asked him. “Did Ben call somebody and tell them?”

             
“No, Ben ain’t called nobody, boy. Who’s he gonna call here? His family is in Cherokee County now. I got eyes, though. I see the way you look at that girl when both of you are in here. And I see the way you stumble around tryin’ to talk to her. That’s the same way I acted around your Aunt Jenny.”

             
As comfortable as Uncle Joe and Aunt Jenny were with each other, it was hard to imagine a time when they weren’t together. They were like one person in separate bodies, sometimes. They always knew what each other was thinking and seemed to communicate without having to speak.

             
“Well, are you just gonna stand there with your teeth in your mouth, or are you gonna go?” Uncle Joe said. “The keys are in my truck, now git!”

             
Uncle Joe always managed to keep nice vehicles. The 1939 Ford pickup looked like it did the day he bought it at Baker Ford in Gadsden. I puttered along slowly down the long driveway to the Winston house, trying not to get any mud on the truck. My heart was racing and I had butterflies in my stomach that felt more like giant birds trying to get out of a glass room. The house came into view and the first thing I noticed was a long, white Cadillac parked in the driveway behind Mr. Winston’s car. I knew immediately who it was, because there wasn’t another car like it anywhere around. Freddy Wilkins. Freddy Wilkins, who had thick, sandy blond hair that never seemed to be out of place and snow white teeth that were so perfectly straight they didn’t look real. Freddy’s daddy owned the cotton gin over in Cherokee County as well as a general store, and farmed about three-thousand acres. Freddy had always had about anything he wanted. He was a couple of years older than Rachel and was widely known as a skirt chaser.

             
I sat in the truck, wondering whether to get out or come back later. The rain I had been dreading had just started, so I didn’t figure Freddy was going anywhere, anytime soon. My question was answered when I saw Mr. Winston coming from his barn, running to keep from getting too wet. He recognized me and motioned with his hand for me to get out. He was smiling like he was glad to see me. I reluctantly opened the door and jumped out, trotting to the front porch. The cold rain felt like daggers hitting my face. Mr. Winston was holding his hand out when I got on the porch.

             
“Hello, Tom. Boy, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen you. How are things in Atlanta?”

             
“Pretty good, sir. Me and Ben both have good jobs and Ben is in college at Morehouse. How have you been?”

             
“Doin’ fine son, just fine. Rachel has been keeping me updated on you two. I can’t believe little Ben is in college. I knew he was smart for a ni…. ah, for a black boy, but I never dreamed he would go so far so soon. So what about you? You still got that good job?”

             
“I had it up until two days ago, sir. I’m joining the marines as soon as I get back to Atlanta.”

             
“Well, I would talk you out of it if I could. War is an ugly thing, Tom. I was with your Uncle Joe in France and we saw things that I still have nightmares about. I bet Joe does, too. But nobody could talk us out of it, either. We thought it was gonna be this big adventure and we were gonna be heroes. But it wasn’t anything like that, I can assure you.”

             
“I know it ain’t gonna be an adventure, sir. I’m dreadin’ it like the plague, but my country was attacked. I feel like it’s the right thing to do.”

             
We both stood there in awkward silence for a minute, shivering. Mr. Winston saw me shaking. “Well, come on in the house out of the cold, Tom. I don’t know where my manners are. I hadn’t even asked you the reason for your visit.”

             
“I…I wanted to talk to Rachel, sir. But I see she has company.”

             
“No, no. It’s just Freddy. I don’t know what they’re doin’, but I’m sure she’ll be glad to see you.”

             
He opened the oversized, arched front door and waited for me to go in, then followed me, taking off his shoes. I looked down at my shoes. They were brand new and I had bought them for this occasion. “Do I need to…..”

             
“No, no, Tom. It’s just a habit with me, and mine were muddy. I would never ask company to take off their shoes.” He walked down the hall looking in all the rooms. Then I followed him into the kitchen where Lizzie was busy working on supper. I thought it was a long time until supper, so I figured Freddy was staying and she was fixing something special. I was wishing I had gone home.

             
“Have you seen Rachel, Lizzie?” Mr. Winston asked, tasting something she was cooking and getting his hand slapped for it.

             
“I think her and Mr. Freddy are upstairs, somewhere. How are you, Tom?” she asked without looking up from her chores. “We sho’ have missed you since you been gone.”

             
“I’m fine, Lizzie. And I’ve missed y’all, too.”

             
Mr. Winston walked to the bottom of the stairs and yelled in a booming voice, “Raaacheeeel, you’ve got company, come on down.”

             
“Be right there,” I heard in a muffled voice.

             
Rachel and Freddy were laughing about something when they came down the stairs. Freddy was dressed in fashionable clothes and had a nice looking, pull-over sweater on that looked like it was expensive. I suddenly felt like my new clothes were inadequate. Rachel was still laughing when she looked up and saw that it was me. Her laughter stopped immediately.

             
“T….Tom. I…I had no idea it was you. How are you doin’ and how is Ben?” I knew I was probably the last person on earth she expected. She had just talked to Ben a couple of days ago and knew he was doing fine.

             
“I’m good, Rachel, and you?”

             
“Fine, just f…fine. You know Freddy.”

             
I offered my hand and Freddy took it, smiling with his perfect teeth. “Hello, Tom. Long time no see, pal.”

             
I’m not your pal,
I was thinking. I would like to have gone upside his head with a two-by-four. Suddenly, I put a face on the hatred I had tried so hard to work up on the college boys that got to hang out with Rachel. The face was Freddy’s. I knew I had no right to feel that way. Freddy was being nice to me and it seemed genuine.

             
“Tom, it’s so good to see you,” Rachel said. “It’s been ages and I have missed all my old friends. Listen, Lizzie is fixing a big supper and you must stay.”

             
“No, ah….you already have company and I don’t want to impose. I just wanted to come by and say hello and let you know I’ll be leaving for awhile.”

             
“Oh, where are you goin’, Tom? Did you get a new job with that company you are workin’ for?”

             
“No, I’m joining the marines as soon as I get back to Atlanta.”

             
“No, you can’t do that!” Rachel said, too loudly. “I….I mean, who will watch after Ben if you’re gone?”

             
“Abby will take care of Ben. She is like a mother hen to both of us.”

             
“But….but, what if something happens to you? Why…it would kill Ben. And of course, we….ah….we would all miss you, too.”

             
I noticed Freddy was looking awkward. He was shifting his weight from one foot to the other. “Hey, I’ll tell you what, Rach. Why don’t you take some time and catch up with Tom. I mean, you can see me almost anytime while you’re home. He’s goin’ off to fight a war and you might not see him for a long time.” All of a sudden I felt bad for wanting to hit Freddy with a two-by-four. I didn’t have to hate him after all. That was good, because I didn’t want to hate anybody.

             
“You don’t have to leave on my account, Freddy. I can come back some……”

             
“No, no. You two haven’t seen one another in a long time, Tom, and you’re leavin’. Now I won’t take no for an answer. You stay and y’all catch up on things. I’ll call you later Rachel.” Freddy walked to the front door and opened it. “And Tom, you take care of yourself and be careful, you here?”

             
“Thank you, Freddy. I will. You take care, too.”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

              After Freddy left, we all stood there awkwardly for what seemed like an eternity. Lizzie went back to the kitchen, but Mr. Winston hung around asking me questions about Atlanta and my thoughts on the Japanese attack. I could tell Rachel was making every subtle gesture she could come up with to try and get him to leave, but he wasn’t taking the hint. Finally, she just came right out with it.

             
“Papa, Tom came to see me. Do you think we could have a few minutes alone before supper?”

             
Mr. Winston looked like he was a little embarrassed. “Oh…sure, I’m sorry, you two. Sometimes when I get started, I don’t know when to stop.”

             
“That’s okay, Mr. Winston,” I said. “I enjoy talkin’ to you.”

             
Mr. Winston walked down the hall and went into his study. Now the butterflies in my stomach really became active. My throat felt like it had an enormous lump in it, and my palms were sweating. I was having trouble getting a deep breath. It was like I was breathing through a burlap sack or something.

             
“Could, ah…., could we go somewhere and talk alone?” I asked Rachel.

             
“Sure, Tom. We can go upstairs if you’d like.”

             
Rachel seemed like she was almost as nervous as I was. I didn’t know what to make of that. But, I guessed since we hadn’t seen each other in two years, it was only natural. I followed her up the winding staircase and was surprised when she led me into her bedroom. I was even more surprised when she shut the door. The room had a distinct, feminine smell that is hard to describe. There was a vanity table filled with make-up and all sorts of perfumes that Rachel seldom ever wore, or at least she didn’t used to. Her bed was covered with a canopy that reminded me of a mosquito net. I stood there, not knowing if I should sit down or not. There was only one chair in the room, unless you counted the little fragile chair that sat in front of her vanity. I certainly wasn’t about to sit there.

             
“We can have a seat on my bed, if you’d like,” Rachel said, her voice noticeably trembling.

             
“Okay,” I said, waiting for her to sit down first.

             
We sat there in silence for a minute, Rachel smiling and me fiddling with the fringe on the bedspread. “So, Tom, are you still likin’ your job? I heard you were makin’ good money.”

             
“Oh, yeah. I love it. I hate to have to leave it,” I answered.

             
“Tom, I really do wish you’d reconsider about joinin’ the military. You…you know how much Ben depends on you. Why he tells me all the time….”

             
“I depend on him more than he depends on me,” I said. “I probably would have never gotten the job without him. He impressed the foreman with his math skills…..”

             
“Don’t say that, Tom. You are very intelligent, and a hard worker. You would do well no matter what you decided to do.”

             
“Well, thank you, Rachel. I’m glad somebody thinks so,” I said, laughing a little. Since I had loosened up a little, I decided I might as well go ahead and just lay it all out before I lost what little nerve I had. We could make small talk for hours and I was afraid if I didn’t do it now, I never would.

             
“Rachel, uh…..there’s…..uh, there’s something I need to tell you. Ah…this ain’t gonna be easy for me, ‘cause I don’t have a lick of experience at it.”

             
“Okay, Tom. Wh…what did you want to tell me?”