The Sharecropper Prodigy

by Malone, David Lee

  “Do you think we will get involved in the troubles in Europe? Abby asked.

  “We’ll have to,” Ben replied. “We’ve already declared war on Germany The people in this country have been against it, but everybody’s sentiments will change now that we’ve been attacked with such ferocity. Hitler should have been stopped a long time ago. Neville Chamberlain should have learned from history that you can’t reason with a mad man like Adolf Hitler. If Churchill had been prime minister five years earlier, Britain and it’s allies might have been able to nip the thing in the bud.” Ben got up from his chair and walked to the kitchen window. “Roosevelt used the attack from the Japanese to garner support for the war in Europe. He did the right thing, too. We should have already been involved and trying to help our greatest ally. Nobody wants war, but you can’t let a despot like Hitler just keep goin’ unchecked. The world has never seen a man with such evil ambitions as his.”

  I looked at Ben in amazement. “How in the world can you excel in your studies, especially at the pace you are going at it, and find the time to keep up with everything that’s goin’ on in the world.”

  “I don’t have any choice,” Ben answered. “What good is having all the knowledge there is in science and mathematics, if the tyrants of the world take away your freedom to use them. Why do you think this country has advanced beyond any other in history, when we are still just an infant compared to great empires that lasted hundreds of years like the Roman Empire and the British Empire? There is only one reason. Freedom. Freedom to think and to express ourselves without fear of retribution from a centralized and obtrusive power. James Madison and the other framers of our constitution were geniuses. They were the wisest men besides Jesus Christ and Solomon who ever lived. They foresaw all the possible ramifications of letting government get too much power, so they added the Bill of Rights as the first ten amendments. The second amendment is what I like to call the worst case scenario. The right of the people to keep and bare arms shall not be infringed. A lot of people don’t realize what their true intentions were. I believe the founders saw the potential of a government reaching too far and becoming too powerful at some time in the future, and knew the only way the citizens could retaliate and have any kind of recourse was for them to be armed. Armed and informed. Our form of government was designed and will only work for a well informed and educated people. Why do you think it was illegal to educate slaves? Because knowledge is liberation, that’s why. That’s the reason that schools in the south are still segregated, too. They still think an educated black man is a threat to their way of life.”

  Ben was on one of his rolls and there was no stopping him now. He had already assumed his favorite posture he used when he was lecturing. It was the same one he’d used that day in my Uncle Joe’s store when he was dressing down Charlie Stone and the other men.

  “When Alexis de Tocqueville came to this country from France in 1831, he was mesmerized by how much the common person knew. Anybody who had finished two years of schooling could read and comprehend what they read. Even a mountain man, in the most remote frontier, could read a newspaper and could tell him, at least in rudimentary terms, how our government worked. Especially when it was going too far and was doing something they felt was infringing on their freedoms. One of the reasons he decided to visit was because he or nobody else in Europe could believe that a country that had been around less than fifty years was already equal, if not superior, to the European countries that had been established for centuries. When he saw the passion the citizens had to stay educated and informed, he knew right away that was one of the primary reasons we were able to advance as quickly as we had.”

  Ben paused for a moment, knowing he had just delivered an unsolicited lecture when the focus was supposed to be on my getting ready to leave. He looked at me as if he were a little bit shamed.

  “I apologize, Tom,” he said. “This evening is not about me. It’s about you, and I’m monopolizing the conversation.”

  “That’s okay, Ben,” I said laughing. “I learn more when you are giving one of your passionate lectures than I would in a month in the classroom.”

  *****

  I didn’t sleep much at all that night and it had little to do with my anxiety of what lay ahead once I’d taken the oath to defend my country. That’s what should have dominated my thoughts, but it wasn’t. I knew there was something I had to do before I went down to the United States Marines recruiting office. If I didn’t do it I knew I would regret it the rest of my life, which may not be a long time, considering where I was most likely going. I decided to leave first thing in the morning. For all I knew, I would be mustered in and sent to boot camp immediately once I’d signed up, so the marines would have to wait for at least a couple of days.

  I hadn’t confided to anybody about what I had to do, but would have to tell Ben in the morning. I thought about just telling him I had to go back home and say goodbye to my Aunt Mary Kate and Uncle Lee, which would have been the truth. I was going to see them, but that wasn’t my primary reason for wanting to go home. I had to tell Rachel Winston how I felt. How I had felt for most of my life. I had thought about sending her a letter or even calling her on the telephone to ask permission, but decided just to show up in person and lay it all on the line. I didn’t expect anything in return from her, but I felt like I would explode if I didn’t get this off my chest. I knew she was home because Ben had talked to her on the phone the day before and she told him she was on Christmas break from The University of Alabama.

  *****

  Ben wasn’t surprised in the least when I told him my plans the next morning. “I knew you loved that girl,” he said. “Anybody with any sense at all could see it written all over your face when you saw her. You always acted like you had two left feet and you lost your ability to speak anytime she was around. You might want to work on the speech thing while your on the bus.”

  “How do you think she’ll react?” I asked him. “Has she ever said anything to you about me?”

  “She’s a woman, Tom. There ain’t no telling how she’ll react. As far as what she’s said about you, she’s probably as guarded on the matters of the heart as you are. As close as her and me are, that’s one discussion we never ventured into. I will tell you that she always talked about you bein’ a gentleman and that she thought you would go places because you were such a hard worker.”

  “That sounds like something she would say about her brother,” I said, suddenly feeling like I might be making a mistake.

  “There’s only one way you will ever know,” Ben said, putting his hand on my shoulder. “Get your ass on the bus and go. I would give anything if I could go with you, but I have finals today and tomorrow.”

  I couldn’t help but laugh when Ben told me to get my ass on the bus and go. Ben very seldom ever swore, though I don’t consider the word ass swearing. But it was about as close as Ben ever came.

  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 go
nna 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.”