“Can we put on our pretty dresses too, Mama?” Juanita asked.
“You certainly can,” Mama said. “I’ll set the table while you’re all getting dressed.”
On Monday the factory was buzzing with news of the arrests. “Lorena,” Lola asked, “how’s Hernando doing?”
“He’s holding up,” Lorena said. “But poor Mr. Crawford!”
“I heard he was arrested.” Lola nodded.
“Not Fredrick Crawford the house painter?” Bella asked.
“Isn’t that a shocker?” Lorena shook her head. “A group of vigilantes knocked him unconscious and hauled him out to the woods. When he woke up they flogged him with leather straps.”
“But why?” Bella asked.
“He made the mistake of standing up for Hernando and the cigar makers,” Lola said.
“I heard that Crawford knows who beat him up”—Lorena paced toward the window and turned—“but he’s not talking.”
“Who can blame him?” Lola’s eyes narrowed.
“The police will find who did it.” Bella took Lorena’s hand.
“Are you kidding? I’ll bet the police were involved,” Lola said.
Lorena clutched Bella’s shoulder. “Everyone knows the sheriffs and police are all Klansmen.”
“Let us know if there’s anything we can do for Hernando,” Bella said. It frightened her to think the police might be on the side of the Klan. Whom could a person trust?
When Bella visited Grandfather that evening, he’d heard about Mr. Crawford’s beating.
“Have the police arrested anyone?” Bella asked.
“I suspect they never will.”
“That’s what Lola says.”
“For once I have to agree with her.”
“But those people should be in jail!” Bella said.
“If Crawford values his life, he’ll keep quiet.”
“But he doesn’t even belong to the cigar workers’ union.”
“They wanted to send a warning to anyone who’s thinking of supporting the cigar makers’ cause.” Grandfather sighed. “At times like this I wish we could go back to the old days. Back then we had to be wary of rattlesnake nests and alligator holes, but men maintained a sense of honor. I’d trade the vigilantes and the Klan for snakes and alligators any day.”
On the way home Bella thought about how brave Lola was in supporting the union. She’d never understood that before. Grandfather’s stories about labor struggles had always sounded like ancient history, but could the dark times that Grandfather feared be returning?
CHAPTER 20
The Labor Temple
Friday morning on the way to the factory, Aunt Lola told Bella, “We voted to hold a parade downtown to show we’re united.”
“Good!”
“We thought so, but the cigar companies convinced Mayor hancey to deny our application for a permit.”
“What about the right to free assembly?” Bella asked.
“Now you’re talking like a union woman!”
“It isn’t fair.”
“Fairness has never held back a Tampa politician.”
“What will you do?” Bella said.
“We’re holding a protest meeting tomorrow at the Labor Temple.”
“What time?”
Lola grinned. “Are you finally coming to a meeting?”
“There’s no way the cigar companies should be able to stop us from holding a parade!”
“That’s my girl!” Lola patted Bella on the shoulder.
On the way to the Labor Temple the next day, Bella and Lola met Officer Burns. “Isn’t it a fine day for a stroll, Billy?” Lola asked.
Burns stopped and glanced behind him. Then he whispered, “It might be best to skip this meeting.”
“I’ve never missed a union meeting in my life,” Lola said.
“Don’t say you haven’t been warned,” Burns said.
When they arrived at the entrance to the Labor Temple hall, policemen lined both sides of the street. “Are you sure there won’t be trouble?” Bella asked.
“Don’t worry.” Lola took Bella’s hand and led her down the sidewalk. Hundreds of noisy cigar workers were elbowing their way toward the front door.
Inside, Lorena said, “Can you believe all the cops out there?”
“I heard the mayor deputized a thousand American Legion men and war veterans to help control the crowd,” Lola said.
“Now you tell me!” Bella said.
“Those fellows who are playing at being policemen scare me more than the regular cops,” Lorena said.
“Isn’t it great of Bella to support our cause?” Lola asked.
Lorena nodded. “So many of the young ones are unwilling to do their part these days.”
“Is it always this crowded?” Bella shouted over the noise.
“It depends on how upset we are,” Lola said.
As Lola and Bella walked down the aisle, they bumped into Cesar Hidalgo. Cesar smiled at Lola and smoothed back his hair. “Señorita García is looking lovelier than ever today.”
“You keep playing the same tune, don’t you, Cesar?” Lola chuckled.
As Lola and Bella took their seats, Lola said, “Look, el presidente speaks.”
The union president stepped up to the podium. The workers all quieted, except for Cesar, who shouted, “I say it’s time for revolution.”
Someone yelled, “Pipe down.”
“If the capitalists won’t listen to reason, I say bullets will get their attention.”
Lola whispered, “Let’s hope Cesar hasn’t been target practicing.”
“Calm down, señor.” The president rapped his gavel for order.
After the speeches were over, the cigar workers stepped out into the street. “We might not be allowed to parade,” Lola said, “but we can stand together.”
The flat crack of a pistol shot rang out. Someone screamed, and people ran in all directions. Bella stood in shock. Were the police firing on the crowd?
A man almost knocked Bella down, and a bottle smashed onto the sidewalk. Men grabbed stones and bricks to throw at the police, who charged the crowd, swinging blackjacks and pistols. A man ran past, blood spattered on his white shirt.
“Let’s get out of here.” Lola pulled Bella closer.
Bella saw a heavyset policeman coming toward them.
“Look out!” Lorena yelled as the big man raised his blackjack over Bella’s head.
“Don’t touch her.” Lola stepped in front of Bella and held up her hand.
“No!” Bella screamed.
The lead blackjack cracked down on the side of Lola’s head. Bella and Lorena reached out to catch her, but she crumpled like a rag doll.
“Tía!” Bella dropped to her knees and touched her aunt’s forehead.
Lorena knelt and pressed two fingers against Lola’s wrist.
“Is she all right?”
“Don’t you fret. Her pulse is fine,” Lorena said. The police were chasing workers on all sides, and Bella heard Cesar yelling, “¡Revolución! ¡Revolución!”
Lola’s face was ghostly white. Bella touched a wet spot above her temple. “She’s bleeding!”
Lorena looked at the cut. “Run inside and get a damp towel!”
When Bella got back, Lola was sitting up. Though she looked dazed, the color was returning to her cheeks. Lorena took the towel and gently pressed it against Lola’s head.
“I’m fine,” Lola said, pushing the towel away and rocking forward to get up.
“Sit still,” Lorena said. “You’ve got a little bump that needs to be looked after.”
“There’s one of ’em,” a deep voice drawled.
Bella looked up. Two policemen loomed.
Lorena said, “She needs to see a doctor.”
“The only thing she’s gonna see is the inside of a jail.”
“But she’s hurt!”
“That’s what happens when you throw bricks at an officer of the law.”
“She never threw
anything.” Bella stood and pointed at the heavyset policeman. “You hit her with your club.”
“That’s not what I saw,” he said. “It was a clear case of one communist rioter accidentally knocking out his buddy here with a hunk of brick.” He nudged Lola’s leg with the toe of his boot.
“Leave me alone!” Lola said. Blood had trickled down her cheek.
“We got us a live one, Cletis.” The big policeman grinned.
The short man nodded and reached for the handcuffs on his belt. “I figured we might need these today.”
“This woman has done nothing wrong!” Lorena stood up.
“Lucky we got us two sets of cuffs.”
“Please!” Bella said. “She needs a doctor.” She saw a familiar face out of the corner of her eye. “Officer Burns!”
“Billy will help us,” Lola said. Her words were slurred as if she were waking up from a deep sleep.
“Officer Burns!” Bella called, pointing toward her aunt. “Lola needs—”
“Where’s Billy?” Lola asked.
“He walked off like he never even saw me.” Bella dropped her hand to her side.
“I told you they were all Klansmen,” Lorena whispered to Bella.
Not Officer Burns! Not the man who’d always been so friendly. Bella faced the policemen. “You’ve got no right to arrest her.”
One said, “We got us a bushel basket full of blabby women today.” He bent over, snapped the handcuffs on Lola, and jerked her to her feet.
Bella shouted, “We told you, she’s hurt!”
The short man stepped toward Bella and touched his blackjack to her chin. “Shut your face, missy, or we’ll cuff you”—he nodded at Lorena—“and your scarecrow friend.”
“You ignorant—” Lorena started toward the man.
“No, Lorena!” Lola cut her off. “You’ve got your children to think of.” Lola took a shallow breath and leaned hard on Bella.
“It’s not right!” Bella said.
“They have nothing to charge me with,” Lola said.
“But—” Bella started.
“I’ll be home by suppertime.”
“That’s smart, girls,” the short man said. “I ’spect we’d a had to toss this little one back and let it grow up anyway.” He leered at Bella.
Lorena clenched her fist and drew her arm back.
“Don’t, Lorena!” Lola squinted as if she had a terrible headache.
With that the men led Lola across the street and pushed her into a patrol car.
CHAPTER 21
Arounds for Arrest
A week later Lola was still in jail. Grandfather and Mama visited her every day, but no matter how much Bella pleaded, she wasn’t allowed to go. Mama said that a doctor had stitched Lola’s cut, and her spirits were good. But Bella needed to see Lola herself.
No matter how many times the girls ran to the door, hoping that Tía Lola had been released on bail, the news was always the same.
Grandfather hired one of the best lawyers in South Florida, yet the court wouldn’t even schedule a hearing. “The lawyer can’t understand it,” Grandfather said. “They have no grounds to hold her, yet they persist.”
Bella had to do something. On Saturday, when Mama took the children to the park, Bella ran to Mary’s house.
“I’m going to see Lola.”
“You’re not old enough to get in,” Mary said as Bella led her back to her house.
“We’ll see about that.” Bella walked into her bedroom, where she’d laid out her new dress and shoes and had set some makeup on the night table.
Mary held up the nail polish. “Paris Mist?”
“I thought Lola would appreciate a present,” Bella said.
“If we do your hair up like we’d planned for the Halloween Ball”—Mary lifted the back of Bella’s hair and smiled—“you just might look old enough for this to work.”
After Mary helped Bella with her hair and makeup, she said, “You look so pretty those guards won’t want to let you go.”
“Don’t scare me,” Bella said, slipping the dress over her head.
Bella picked up the nail polish, a lipstick, a movie magazine, and a notebook for Lola. Mary said, “I know something else Lola would like.”
“What?”
“We’ll stop by my house and get it,” Mary said.
When Bella got off the trolley and looked up at the long rows of barred windows on the four-story brick jail, she felt like turning back. At the top of the center turret she saw the steel glint of a rifle barrel. Could the sights be trained on her? She stopped, but then she told herself, After all Lola has done for me, the least I can do is try to visit.
Then she remembered Mary’s joke about the police keeping her in jail. What if they made up a reason to arrest her? Maybe they’d put her in a special cell deep in the basement where they locked up girls who didn’t listen to their mothers.
Bella braced herself. She opened the door and walked up to the desk. The elderly jailer wouldn’t look up from his newspaper until Bella coughed.
“You want something?” He peered over his glasses.
“I’d like to see Lola García, please.” Her voice trembled.
“We only allow adults.” He turned back to the sports page.
“You don’t understand,” Bella said. “Lola’s my aunt, and I really need to see her.”
“Policy is policy.” His head stayed down.
“I’m much older than I look. I really am.” The man kept his eyes on the paper. “A minute wouldn’t hurt, would it?” Silence.
Bella tapped her foot. “I’m not going to leave until I see her.”
The man glared at Bella. Then he grabbed the keys from his desk and pushed his chair back. Was he going to lock her up? “How’s a fellow supposed to read about the big Florida-Alabama football game?”
“I only need a short—”
“Fifteen minutes in the visitors’ room.” He pointed to a gray door. “I’ll get her.”
“Dearie, you are a sight for sore eyes.” Lola hugged her. Bella was shocked. Lola’s eyebrows were scraggly, and her eyes had black circles under them. Her tangled hair showed dark roots. Lola frowned. “How’d you talk your mother into letting you come?”
“She doesn’t know. We’ll have to keep it a secret.”
“That’s not right.” Lola touched the red scar on her temple. “Promise me you won’t try a stunt like this again.”
“I just had to see you.”
Lola stepped back. “My, my, we did pick out a lovely dress. Turn for me.”
Bella spun and almost tipped over. “These heels are a terror,” she giggled.
“Still not ready to rumba,” Lola said.
“I’ve brought something for you,” Bella said.
Lola smiled at the nail polish. “You remembered my favorite color.” Then she looked at the notebook. “What’s this for?”
“You need to write down every single injustice you’ve suffered,” Bella said.
“Like your hero Luisa Capetillo did in her book?”
“You’re my hero too.” Bella hugged Lola. “Mary put something inside the notebook for you.”
Lola’s eyes lit up when she opened the cover. “Al Lopez!”
“That’s Mary’s favorite photo,” Bella said.
“What a sweetheart. Now I’ll have some company in my cell.”
Despite Lola’s carefree voice, her face was ashen. “Is your grandfather keeping you updated on the legal front?”
“He says you have a very good lawyer,” Bella said.
“You should see the fancy suits he wears.” Lola winked. “He must be costing your grandfather a lot of money. The good news is he’s got great hopes for our hearing.”
“They won’t be able to keep you here. I’ll testify to what I saw.”
“I know you would, dear. But let’s talk about happy things. How’s Lorena doing?”
When Bella got home, Mama was waiting for her on the front porch. “I�
��ve been worried sick,” Mama said. “Where have you been and why on earth are you all dressed up?”
“I went to see Lola.”
“Don’t tell me they let you in?”
“She was so glad to see me.”
“That’s no place for a young girl! Those wicked convicts!” Mama wrung her hands together.
“I never saw anyone but Lola, and she made me promise I wouldn’t go there again.”
“That’s beside the point! Your grandfather is going to hear about this, young lady.”
But when Grandfather arrived for dinner the next day, Mama must have decided that she didn’t want to spoil the meal by worrying him, because she never said a word.
On November sixteenth Mama and Grandfather attended a hearing for Aunt Lola while Bella looked after the children. They waited anxiously through the afternoon. Bella was sitting at the kitchen table reading a story to Julio when he poked her in the arm and said, “Book, Bella.”
“What?”
“Book.” Julio slapped at the book in Bella’s hand.
“Bad boy,” Bella said.
Juanita said, “Don’t blame him. You’ve been staring at that page forever without saying a word.”
“I’m sorry, Julio.” Bella hugged him.
“Did Tía Lola do something bad?” Juanita asked.
“Never!” Bella said.
Isabel said, “A boy at school said she tried to kill someone.”
“She most certainly did not,” Bella said. “The only thing your aunt did was stand up for what is right.”
“Why’d they put her in jail, then?” Isabel asked.
“Sometimes people are accused of things that they don’t do, but it takes time to prove their innocence. Once our lawyer speaks with the judge, everything should be all right.”
Julio said, “Walk now.”
Bella lifted Julio down from her lap. He trotted down the hall, and Bella hurried to keep up. When Julio turned into Mama’s room, he said, “Belt,” and touched Papa’s worn leather belt. He reached up. “String.”
Bella noticed a loose thread on the side stitching. She took the belt down and turned it over. The thread that held the pouch of tobacco seeds had been pulled loose. She spread the pocket open with her finger. It was empty. Her heart stopped.
Bella was waiting on the front porch when Mama and Grandfather returned.
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