“So, how have you been? The last time we talked you were stressing about finals.” Ruthie squinted against the sun, her freckled nose wrinkled.
“I’ve been okay.” I glanced at Beau. “Daddy was working a lot this year, so we didn’t get to spend as much time together as we usually do. How about y’all? How was your school year?”
Beau grinned. “I made the soccer team.”
Ruthie rolled her eyes. “You should see him on the field. He thinks he’s the coolest cat there.”
I giggled. “And you, Ruthie?”
“Well, I joined the drama club at school, and golly you should see the lead in the play. He’s so dreamy!”
Beau nodded. “Isn’t he just amazing?”
Ruthie rolled her eyes. “You’re just jealous every girl in the school is fawning over him instead of you.”
I glanced at Beau, reminded again of how lucky I was. He noticed and winked at me. “I’ve got my favorite girl right here.”
I blushed and smiled as Duke walked up. “Mom said to come in for dinner.”
Beau slid his hand into mine as we walked into the house. “How was school really?” he whispered.
I was caught off-guard. I thought I had masked it so well. “I’ll . . . tell you later.”
He turned a thoughtful look upon me. “I’ll take you up on that.”
I rested my head on his shoulder.
“Goodbye, doll.” Ruthie gave me a fierce hug. “I’ll be over a few hours early so we can get ready together!”
I grinned and hugged her back. “Good night, Ruthie.”
“Do you need someone to walk you home?” Beau looked at the darkening sky.
Ruthie gave a carefree laugh. “No, thank you. I know you two want to catch up. I’ll see you later.”
“If you’re sure . . .” Beau wavered.
Ruthie had already walked into the dusky street, as a cheerful whistle escaped her lips.
I turned to Beau. “Thank you for coming tonight.”
He chuckled. “You’re my girl. Of course I came. Now”—he pulled me to the swing on the porch and I nestled beside him—“you were going to tell me about how school really went.”
I stared into the sky for a long time. “Don’t tell Ruthie?”
“Why?”
“I don’t want her to get upset.”
He sighed.
I looked at my hand in his, resting on his knee. Smelled the honeysuckle. And blinked back tears. “I’m such a rule follower, you know.” I glanced at him through tear-filled eyes. He rubbed my hand with his thumb, sending warmth straight to my stomach. “And my friends . . . Well, I thought they were my friends . . . They’re not.”
“Did you get blamed for something?” His protective frown brought a smile to my lips.
“No, I didn’t. But when I didn’t go along with them . . . We’re not friends anymore.”
“What did they do, Lottie?”
“They cheated on the tests. And when I found out they did it . . . I . . .”
“You told the teachers.”
I nodded, my eyes wet with tears. “I wrote an anonymous note to the teacher. My friends figured it out, and they were furious. Did I do the wrong thing?”
Beau pressed his cheek against the top of my head. “I think you did the right thing, baby.”
“Some of them had a lot of pressure to get good grades. You know how some parents are . . . They keep pushing their kids, even when they give it their best.”
“Did they give it their best before they stole the answers?”
“Yes. And they would’ve gotten good grades!”
“Then you did the right thing, baby.”
I pressed my face against his chest. “Thanks, Beau.” A shuddering sigh escaped my lips.
I opened my eyes to the sun—and Duke. “What are you doing in here?” I mumbled, turning over.
“I have something I want to show you.”
“Duke, I’ve been to Birmingham every summer since I was five. What haven’t I seen?” I opened an eye to watch him, still squinting against the sun.
“You haven’t seen Birmingham like this!”
“Where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise.”
“Duke . . .” the warmth of my bed was keeping me from moving.
“We’re leaving in fifteen minutes,” he said, and ran out the door.
The bus stopped, and I squinted against the morning sun. “Well, Duke, I haven’t been here before.” I watched the people walk in front of me. “Where are we?”
He shrugged.
“Duke?”
He pushed at the small of my back, forcing me off the bus. His green eyes followed a few girls as they walked past. “Do you mind if I . . . ?”
“Duke, you can’t just leave me.” I reached out to grab him in exasperation.
“Only for a minute.”
“Duke!” I almost stomped my foot as if I was four instead of sixteen.
“I know where you can stay until he comes back.”
I turned to see a young boy behind me. “I think I should stay right here.”
“Maybe you should move out of the bus stop? The heat is awful here.”
“No, thank you. Duke’ll be back soon.” I stopped the boy. “Where am I?”
“You’re in downtown Birmingham.”
I blinked. “Oh . . .”
Before I realized what was happening, another boy ran past me and tugged my purse off my arm. I gasped. “Stop!”
I ran after him in a moment of panic before I realized I had gotten myself even more lost. “Help! Thief!”
I saw the little boy up ahead—much too far for me to catch. I slowed and saw him turn his head—maybe to see if his partner in crime was with him, I don’t know.
He collided with a young colored man who fell flat on his bottom. Keeping his wits about him, the young man gripped the little boy’s arm and refused to let go, grabbing my purse at the same time.
I rushed over.
“Does this belong to you?” He reached out his hand with the purse.
Without thinking, I helped him up before taking my purse. “Yes! Thank you!” I looked at the little boy. “I could turn you in to the police, you know.”
The boy’s eyes went wide.
“But I won’t—this time. If I hear of you doing it again, I will.”
He nodded with vehemence.
“You can let him go.” I nodded to the young man.
He did so, and the boy disappeared in a split second. I turned to the young man. “Thank you so much. I’m Lottie.” I put my hand out for him to shake, and he looked at it before his darker one joined mine.
“Freddy.”
“Just Freddy?” I tilted my head, studying his deep brown eyes.
“Just Freddy.” His arm was wrapped around his torso.
“Are you hurt?” I leaned forward, but he stepped back.
“I’m fine.”
“Well . . . thank you, again.” I scrutinized the way he was holding his arm to his stomach.
“You’re welcome.” He turned and walked away.
“Lottie!” Ruthie tackled me with a bear hug and a laugh bubbled up inside me. She rushed up to my room where we would spend hours talking, I knew. I followed her into my room, where our two dresses for the night were laid out on my bed. After she had twirled around the room, she soon got bored and begged to get to her favorite part—applying makeup for an evening of food, dancing, and visiting with friends.
The next day was one of my favorite kind—I had nothing to do. I stayed in bed reading until lunch, and after that I sat in the sun, swinging. But I was plagued with worry for Freddy.
Finally, I couldn’t stand it anymore. I sneaked out of the house and stepped on a bus headed downtown. When I got off the almost-empty bus, I got a sinking feeling in my stomach as I realized I had come down here for nothing—I didn’t even know if Freddy was going to be here again. It was when I felt a tug at my purse—which I had wound se
veral times around my wrist—that I stopped brewing over my misfortunes and focused back on reality.
“You!” I gasped, looking at the same little boy I had seen the day before. This time I was quicker than he was, and I grabbed his wrist.
His eyes widened when he realized who I was.
“I told you not to steal ever again!” My eyes narrowed and he stumbled backward—but not out of my grasp.
“I was—”
I decided not to listen to his explanation. “Do you know where to find that boy you ran into? Where he lives?”
He frowned. “Why?”
“Show me where Freddy lives and I won’t tell the police.” The words popped out of my mouth. He nodded.
He took me to a part of town with what looked like three-room homes with rickety porches and leaky roofs. “He lives . . . here?”
The boy nodded. “Now, don’t tell?”
I glanced at him. “Not this time.”
He left me at the door. I chewed my lip. I had come all this way, hadn’t I? All I had to do was knock on the door. I raised my hand to rap my knuckles on the wood—but the door was pulled open before I could.
“Oh!” I took a step back, my face heating. “Sorry.”
Freddy studied me with his dark eyes, his hand resting on the door frame. “What are you doing here?”
Did that mean he remembered me? Do I reintroduce myself? Or should I just tell him? Will he think me odd? My face heated once again as I realized there had been an awkward silence. “I-I came to . . .”
Freddy’s penetrating gaze made me very self-aware as I tugged on my skirt.
“To check on you.”
When he raised an eyebrow, I blazed on in my explanation. “I thought that your arm might have been injured when that boy ran into you. I wanted to make sure that you . . . were alright.” I swallowed and winced when I heard how loud it was.
“Who is it, Freddy?” a female voice called out. My eyebrows rose.
Freddy didn’t take his gaze off me as he called back. “A girl I met yesterday.”
More often than naught, a boy who studied me for no particular reason scared me beyond belief. The fact that he was colored could’ve scared me even more, but for some reason . . . It didn’t. In some way, it made me feel . . . safer.
“A girl?” The voice came closer. “Why is she standing on the porch? Invite her in!”
Freddy raised his eyebrow again. “Do you want to come in?”
I knew I shouldn’t. Not only did my aunt not know where I was, Freddy couldn’t have been a year older than me. The very idea of me alone with a boy sent Auntie May to near hyperventilation.
“Freddy?” The girl settled a gentle hand on his shoulder, but it was her gaze that caught my eye. She wasn’t looking at Freddy, she wasn’t looking at me. She was looking ahead, her eyes clouded. A question in my glance, I looked at Freddy, and back at the girl.
Curious, I took a step forward. “I’m . . . Lottie.”
The girl grinned. “I’m Sara. If you’re sticking out your hand, I apologize, for I don’t see it. I lost my eyesight as a little girl.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry.” My hand pressed itself against my heart.
She smiled. “No need. I’ve learned to see with all my other senses. Won’t you come in?”
I looked at Freddy, who looked like he was covering a smile. Something inside seemed to nudge me toward the door. I nodded, forgetting she couldn’t see me. “Of course. Thank you for inviting me.”
Freddy held open the door—a courtesy most young men seemed to forget. “Thank you,” I murmured. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust so I could take in my surroundings. One big room served as a kitchen and a living room, with doors that led off to two separate rooms.
“Please, sit.” Sara patted on the couch beside her. I did, and Freddy went into the kitchen.
“Lemonade?”
“Oh . . . Yes. Please.”
Sara turned to me. “How did you meet Freddy?”
Freddy joined us, catching my eye. Something in his look made me hesitate.
“Lottie’s purse was stolen, and I retrieved it for her.”
Sara unleashed a proud smile. “That sounds like you, Freddy.”
We made small talk for a few minutes, before Sara posed a question.
“Are you watching the clock, Freddy?” She reached her hand out to put her glass on the table. I watched, fascinated that she could put it on the table without seeing. I then looked at Freddy.
Freddy smiled at his concerned sister. “I’m watching it, don’t worry.”
“Where do you work, Freddy?”
“I work at the grocery store.”
“He’s not telling the whole story.” Sara’s eyes sparkled, and it caught me off-guard. “He’s participating in the bus boycott.”
I looked at Freddy. When it became obvious he wasn’t going to explain, I spoke up. “Bus boycott?”
Sara nodded with ecstasy. “When Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat last year, the rest of us decided to back her—we’re not using the buses right now.”
I tilted my head. “You aren’t using the bus? How long does it take you to get to work?”
“Half an hour,” Freddy said, glancing at Sara.
“The only problem is, Freddy often works the whole day.”
“And I hate leaving you alone.”
“He’s such a good brother, isn’t he?” Sara beamed. “You needn’t worry, Freddy. You used to be fine when you had to leave me.”
“That was before Hanna got married and didn’t have time to check on you.” Freddy stood, and my lips began to move before my brain could catch up. “Let me check in on Sara during the week.”
“You?” Freddy’s eyebrows had almost disappeared.
“That would be such fun!” Sara begged. “Please?”
“I’ve got time. My friend Beau has a summer job and Ruthie’s taking a class.”
Sara stood, her excitement contagious. “Please, Freddy? I get so bored by myself all day.”
Freddy shook his head with a chuckle. “You just said you were fine without me.”
“Well . . . I need girl time.”
Freddy rolled his eyes. “Lottie, you don’t have to do this.”
I nodded and heard my heart thud. “I don’t mind. The weekends are when I can hang out with my friends and you’ll be off on the weekends . . . ?”
Freddy nodded.
“I’ll check in on you, Sara. Monday. I’ll be here around eleven.”
Sara reached out and found my hand, giving it a squeeze. “This is so exciting! I love it.”
At the time, if you had asked me why I had spoken up to visit Sara, I wouldn’t’ve had an answer. Now I know it was all part of a plan.
A plan to change our lives.
“Sara?” I knocked on the door. “Are you here?”
“Of course!” Sara sang. “Just a minute. Freddy left his things lying in the hallway—he doesn’t normally do this, he was just in a—ouch!”
“Sara?” I clutched a fistful of my skirt and realized I had much concern for this girl I barely knew.
“I’m fine,” she called, turning the knob on the front door. “Like I said, he was in a hurry. His alarm clock didn’t go off at the right time.”
“That’s too bad,” I said with a frown as I stepped into the house.
“Lemonade? Oh, and Freddy helped me bake cookies last night . . . ?”
I grinned. “I would love some cookies—and lemonade sounds great.”
Sara grinned right back at me. “I can tell we’re going to get along wonderfully!”
Over the next several weeks, we did. We had more in common than Ruthie and I. Not that I didn’t love Ruthie any less . . . It was more like my heart expanded. Staying with Sara, I learned that their parents had died, and Freddy had taken care of her ever since.
Sometimes I would be there when Freddy came home from work. No matter how hard his day, it was like he dropped his worries ou
tside the door, once confiding in me that Sara had learned to read him like a book. He never wanted to worry her.
One day, I came by and breezed in, not even announcing myself. “Sara, I brought a new book! I thought we could read it—Freddy! What are you doing here?”
Freddy’s eyes had a carefree look I had never seen before. “I have the day off—we were going on a picnic. Would you like to come?”
“I would love to!”
Sara emerged from her bedroom and I looped my arm through hers. “Great! It’s a bit of a walk, but it’s worth it.”
We walked for what seemed a very long time. Bugs buzzed around us and sweat trickled down my back. We finally reached a lake, which enticed me with its cool waters. I slid off my shoes and waded in, laughing at Sara’s astonishment at the coldness of it.
“Let’s eat!”
We turned, and I saw that Freddy had spread out the blanket and taken out the food. “He’s got it all set up,” I whispered, pulling Sara toward it. “I hope you’re hungry. It looks like he could feed an army.”
She grinned. “Freddy cooked it all, too.”
I sat down and helped Sara situate herself. “Aren’t you a good cook,” I teased him.
Freddy nodded. “Sara wasn’t much of a help.”
“How dare you! I was a very big help in the taste-testing department,” she retorted.
I laughed. “Can we eat now?”
Freddy nodded, and they both bowed their heads. I followed suit and Freddy spoke a short, thankful prayer. He looked up and fixed a plate for Sara. “The chicken is at twelve o’clock, the corn cob is at three, and the potato salad is at eight.”
Freddy handed me a plate, then fixed his own. After we had finished, I helped Freddy pack up the food and asked Sara if she wanted to go wade again. “Oh no,” she laughed. “I’m too full. You two go on. I’ll stay here.”
I looked at Freddy. He nodded, and we both stood, going over to the water. Within a few minutes of wading, I couldn’t help but splash some water in Freddy’s direction. With a grin he splashed me back, darting to another area of the lake. I laughed and splashed back.
He counterattacked, and it drenched me. I gasped. “Freddy!”
Freddy’s rare laugh filled the air—a smile was often the only reward I got. I got closer in order to drench him as much as me, but he moved further down. Before I could stop, I lost my footing and slid right into him, realizing he had led me right into some mud.
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