“So, you really want to build and open a bed and breakfast?” Bernadine asked her as they sat having lunch at the Dog.
“I do. I like entertaining people, at least for short stays, so a B&B would be perfect.” She glanced around. Gina the Jukebox was playing Chaka Khan’s “Stop on By,” which could barely be heard above the noise of the lunch rush.
“Is it always this crowded in here?”
“Lately, yes.” Bernadine then told her about the new restaurant she wanted to open.
“If you need another investor, count me in.”
Bernadine saw people staring curiously at Tina. “Everyone in here wants to know who you are. When you’re done eating, would you mind meeting a few people?”
“I’d love to.”
“Most of the ladies are out at Tamar July’s place getting ready for our annual August First gathering, so for now, I’ll introduce you to some of the men.”
“Lucky me.”
After their meal, she took Tina over to meet Trent and Barrett, who was on his lunch hour from the store. Both were gracious.
Bernadine explained to Trent, “Tina may be moving here to open a bed and breakfast. Can you stop by my office later so we can fill you in?”
He eyed Tina for a second as if he weren’t sure what to make of her, but agreed. “Sure. Text me when you’re ready to meet up.”
“Will do.”
Then she steered Tina over to Bing and Clay. Bing gave her a big smile of welcome. Clay just nodded.
“What’s up with the Clay guy?” Tina asked as they moved on.
“Still pouting because his lady friend found someone else.”
“He’s kind of cute.”
“Neanderthal brain where women are concerned, though.”
“Oh. I don’t do Neanderthals. Not even cute ones.”
“Exactly.”
In the kitchen, she met Rocky and Siz, and received a big hug from Crystal. “Aunt Tina! What are you doing here?”
“Just dropped by to check on your mom. Are you staying out of trouble?”
Crystal grinned. “Pretty much.”
“That’s no fun.”
“Tell me about it, but I have my own place now. You’ll have to come see it.”
“Will do.”
They left the kitchen and stepped back out into the sunshine. “Now where?” Tina asked.
“Now. The grand tour.”
While Bernadine drove her around the countryside, she told Tina about the history of Henry Adams, the Exodus and the founding Dusters. She and Tina had discussed the subject before but this was the first time she’d seen the town with her own eyes.
Tina said, “I’m from Minnesota originally, and I look at all this flat land and think about the snow, and the wind that had to be blowing here during the Dusters’ first winter. It must have been awful, especially for those from the south. They were remarkable people to have survived.”
Bernadine agreed. “And to live in dugouts underground?”
“Unbelievably remarkable.”
“Are you sure you want to live here?”
“Positive. We need to build an airstrip long enough for our jets, though.”
Bernadine laughed. “Check!”
They went back to her office. She sent Trent a text and a short time later he joined them to talk about potential building sites.
Tina studied the large map he’d rolled out. “How about here, near your rehabbed hotel?”
“There’s probably enough space. Any idea how big you want the place to be?”
“Five, maybe six bedrooms. Bernadine said you have out-of-town contractors and such going in and out of here a lot.” She glanced at Bernadine. “What do you think?”
“I think you could fill that easily. There’re also people coming into Franklin for funerals and weddings all the time. This might give them more options when deciding where to stay.”
“How long do you think it’ll take you to get it built?” Tina asked him.
“We could maybe get it up by first of December, depending on the weather and how long it takes your architect to finish the design. We’ll need to get the site cleared, pull permits, and all that.”
“That would be great. I’ll pay for extra crews if that will help?”
“It will.”
She looked pleased. “Then make it so, Captain.”
“You got it.”
Trent left to get started.
“So,” Bernadine asked, “Are you spending the night? I have plenty of room.”
“No. I’m going to head home and get started on hiring an architect. So, what’s happened with Mal? Anything new?”
She told her about the discouraging call from the PI.
“That’s not very good news, is it?”
“No.”
“Do you really believe he’s been embezzling?”
Bernadine let out a loud sigh. “My heart says no way, but my brain doesn’t know what to believe at this point.”
“I’ll keep a good thought for you, honey.”
“Thanks.” Tina called her chopper pilot, who’d been chilling at the airport in Hays.
When he arrived, the two friends shared a parting hug.
Bernadine said, “I can’t wait for you to move here.”
“Me, too. Tell Crys I’ll see her place next time. I’m so excited to get this off the ground. I’ll be in touch.”
A few minutes later, Tina was gone and winging her way home.
Bernadine was pleased that her good friend would be moving to town but still saddened by the drama surrounding Mal.
The August First celebration began with the parade of the family flags. As the kids marched onto the field, the large crowd stood silent, pride shining in their eyes. The flags debuted Father’s Day as a tribute to the men of Dads Inc. Back then, the fatherless Wyatt led the procession with the big blue and gold Henry Adams flag, but this time he held high one Bernadine and the adults had never seen. It was pale yellow and had the crest of the United States Army prominently displayed in the center. Gemma’s hand flew to her mouth and tears filled her eyes. Flanking the army crest were two others: the black and gold shield of Alpha Phi Alpha, founded in 1908 as the first African American fraternity, and the blue and gold shield of Sigma Gamma Rho, the African American sorority founded in 1922. The Herman kids walked proudly behind Wyatt.
Bernadine turned to Crystal, standing with her. “Did you make their flag?”
“Yes. We worked on it the nights Ms. G. had class. The Army crest is for Wyatt’s mom, of course. The Alpha crest is for the Hermans’ dad, and the Sigma is for their mom. Did you know Martin Luther King was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha?”
“No.”
“Neither did I, but Lucas knew.”
“That’s outstanding.”
Behind Lucas marched the other kids bearing the flags with their family crests: July, Acosta, Garland, Payne, and Clark. Eli was in California so there was no one to carry the James’s standard. Bernadine saw Rocky gently rub Jack’s back as if acknowledging his son’s absence.
One by one the flags were set in stands on the far end of the field and fluttered in the wind like a display of nations. The attendees cheered loudly.
When the applause ended, Tamar walked out to the center of the field. “Welcome to our August First celebration. We gather on this day as our Ancestors did to commemorate Emancipation. To honor that fight, the children of Henry Adams will recite Francis Ellen Watkins Harper’s iconic poem ‘Bury Me in a Free Land.’ As many of you know it’s the most famous poem of its time—recited at abolitionist meetings, in churches of all faiths, and memorized by schoolchildren.” She paused a moment before adding, “This was not an assignment they were given. They came to me and asked if they could make this part of the program. I’m proud to have them represent us.” She gave Amari a short nod and he stepped up and recited the poem’s opening verse.
“Make me a grave where’er you will,
In a lowly plai
n or a lofty hill;
Make it among earth’s humblest graves,
But not in a land where men are slaves.”
Devon took up the second verse:
“I could not rest if around my grave
I heard the steps of a trembling slave;
His shadow above my silent tomb
Would make it a place of fearful gloom.”
Jasmine had the third verse:
“I could not rest if I heard the tread
Of a coffle gang to the shambles led,
And the mother’s shriek of wild despair
Rise like a curse on the trembling air.”
Alfonso Acosta spoke the fourth:
“I could not sleep if I saw the lash
Drinking her blood at each fearful gash,
And I saw her babes torn from her breast
Like trembling doves from their parent nest.”
Tiff Clark continued:
“I’d shudder and start if I heard the bay
Of bloodhounds seizing their human prey,
And I heard the captive plead in vain
As they bound afresh his galling chain.”
Leah Clark stepped up, her voice clear and pure:
“If I saw young girls from their mother’s arms
Bartered and sold for their youthful charms,
My eyes would flash with a mournful flame
My death-paled cheek grow red with shame.”
Then it was Lucas’s turn:
“I would sleep, dear friends, where bloated might
Can rob no man of his dearest right;
My rest shall be calm in any grave
Where none can call his brother a slave.”
They all lined up to recite the last verse as one:
“I ask no monument, proud and high,
To arrest the gaze of the passers-by;
All that my yearning spirit craves,
Is bury me not in a land of slaves.”
In the silence that followed, Bernadine and many of the adults wiped their damp eyes. The performance had been so moving it took people a moment to recover. Once they did, the applause echoed to the heavens, and the kids executed a solemn bow.
After that it was time for fun. There was music, sack races, egg tosses, push-up contests—led by the colonel—checkers, and chess. Jasmine had yet to beat Leah, Brain, or Amari in chess, but she was determined to do so and challenged them to matches every chance she got.
The weather was unseasonably cool, but perfect for the outdoors gathering, so rather than wait for the sun to drop to play the highly anticipated Little Brother of War, they decided to start right after lunch.
As the teams gathered and prepared, the honoree, Eula July, was given a prominent seat at midfield. Accompanied by Thad in his motorized chair, she appeared frail as she made her way slowly on her cane, but her smile beamed like a young girl’s.
Bernadine carried her lawn chair over to a spot on the sidelines and saw Crystal a few feet away talking to Diego July. She didn’t know if her daughter still carried a torch for the motorcycle-riding bad boy or not. He’d already broken her heart once; admittedly through no fault of his own, but she prayed his visit didn’t lead to Crystal’s Heartbreak: The Sequel.
Lily set her chair down next to Bernadine. “Lord, is Crystal going back for more heartache.”
“I hope not.”
They watched as the girl who’d ridden into town with Diego, a beauty named Marissa, walked over to join them. She was no longer wearing the revealing halter top and booty shorts she’d arrived in, and was instead conservatively dressed in a black tee and jeans.
Lily said, “The wardrobe change was Tamar’s suggestion.”
Bernadine chuckled. “I figured that.” Bernadine was taken aback seeing how easy the conversation appeared to be going with the three. In fact, at one point, Crystal laughed and Marissa laughed, too.
Lily said, “I’d love to be close enough to hear what they’re talking about.”
“Me, too. I’m pleased nobody’s taking off earrings or searching for Vaseline.”
They shared smiles and directed their attention to the field.
Even though the Henry Adams team outnumbered the Julys two to one, it didn’t help. Griffin, Trent, and the three Julys on the Henry Adams team did their best to score and defend, but the opposing team was too fast and too skilled. Leah caught a pass on her stick from Griffin and went streaking to the goal only to be blindsided by a body check from one of the younger Julys that hit her so hard, she was knocked to the ground. He laughed, she got up, gave him a smile, and viciously kneecapped him with her stick. He dropped like a stone and was rolling on the ground in pain when she turned on her heel and walked to the penalty box. The Henry Adams supporters roared approvingly.
The home team did score one goal, however. Lucas. He caught the pass on his stick and somehow managed to elude Team July. He would tell Gemma later he thought about the flying squirrel in the myth, and, using the moves he’d learned in soccer, threaded his way to the goal. When he threw the ball past the July goalie, he was so ecstatic, you’d’ve thought he’d scored for the win in the World Cup finals. But, it was the only point his team would make. Final score: Henry Adams 1, Team July 12.
After more music, food, and dessert, everyone lined up for Marie Jefferson’s iconic game of Simon Says. It was a tradition they all enjoyed. There were about fifty people at the gathering; forty were eliminated in the first ten minutes. One of whom was Zoey, who when eliminated, angrily took the Lord’s name in vain in a voice loud enough to be heard in Chicago. “Goddamn it!”
Time stopped.
Everyone froze.
Tamar eyed her.
Zoey shrank.
Mama Roni called out, “Marie. Ms. Miami will be at your house in the morning to do some painting.”
“No problem,” Marie called back.
Zoey’s eyes went wide as saucers. “Mom!”
Roni wasn’t having it. “How many times have I told you about keeping that mouth and temper of yours in check?”
With everyone staring, Zoey looked down at her green tennis shoes.
Reg, also frustrated by her behavior, said in a calm voice, “Your mom and I have talked to you. Reverend Paula and Tamar have talked to you. Everybody in town has, too. Maybe a little paint will make it stick.”
Bernadine almost felt sorry for Zoey. Almost. But the Garlands were right. Their daughter was headstrong and fearless in a way that would serve her well in the future, but a game of Simon Says didn’t warrant that kind of language from an adult, let alone an eleven-year-old child. Particularly in Henry Adams.
The now sobbing Zoey sat down next to her parents. Roni draped an arm across her daughter’s shoulders, placed a kiss on her forehead, and settled in to watch the rest of Simon Says.
As the game progressed, Trent and Gary were the last two players still standing. They’d both been Marie’s students back in the day, and she had a tough time eliminating them. She used every trick in her book but neither would bite. In the end, she gave up and declared them co-winners.
Fireworks would close out the August First fun once darkness fell, but in the meantime, the big cleanup got underway. When Bernadine and Lily cleared tables, it made her think back to her first year in town. There’d been a celebration for Marie’s birthday and during the cleanup, Mal quietly confessed his battle with alcoholism. She’d been so moved by the admission, that he ceased being the caricature of an old player, and instead became a man of flesh and blood. Lord, she missed him.
“Mom. Do you think you can talk to Zoey’s mom for me?”
It was Devon. Bernadine and Lily looked up from their trash bags.
“About what, Dev?” Lily asked.
“Letting me help Zoey paint Ms. Marie’s fence in the morning.”
Lily scanned his earnest face. “Did you ask her?”
“Yes. She said, no.”
“Then, that’s your answer, baby. This is betwee
n Zoey and Ms. Roni. It’s not my place to try and change her mind.”
“But she helped me when I had to paint it.”
“I know she did.” All the kids had painted the fence at some point but Zoey had managed to avoid the novel punishment until now.
“But it’s not fair,” he argued, looking miserable. “That fence is like a thousand miles long.”
“I can’t help, Devon. Maybe ask Ms. Roni again in a few days. Okay?”
He sighed. “Okay.”
Bernadine and Lily watched him walk back across the field to where the rest of the kids were gathering up the folding chairs. They all stopped to listen as Devon apparently relayed his conversation with his mom. Amari gave him a consoling pat on the back and they returned to their task.
“Poor Dev,” Lily said. “Last year he’d wanted Zoey boiled in oil and she felt the same way about him.”
“Maybe Roni will change her mind at some point.” But Bernadine had no plans to intervene either because this was the wake-up call their beloved Ms. Miami needed.
Under the supervision of fire chief Luis Acosta, the fireworks filled the night sky. There were reds, blues, streaks of white, and lots of oohs and ahhs from the crowd. Tamar watched the show from her back porch along with Eula and Thad. Although she didn’t want to admit it aloud, she was exhausted.
Eula said, “This is wonderful. You’ve quite the town here, Tam. Wish I could stay and visit until the cows come home.”
“Did you have a good time?” Tamar asked, pleased by Eula’s words.
“I did, indeed. How about you Thad?” Eula asked him.
“Ditto.”
“Thanks again for the ball game,” she said as a golden palm tree flared to life above the field.
In rapt silence, they watched the show for a few more minutes until Eula struggled to her feet. “Tammy, I think it’s time for this old lady to get to bed. I had more fun today than I’ve had in years. Decades maybe. And your children are simply outstanding.”
“Do you need help?”
“No, I’ll be fine. See you both in the morning.”
As the door closed behind her, Griffin stepped out of the darkness and onto the porch. He’d taken his cousin Harper to the ER to have his Leah-bashed knee looked at.
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