Colorblind

by Leah Harper Bowron

  “Ha, ha,” said Will.

  Lisa began to get an uneasy feeling. Her father walked over to Mrs. Stewart.

  “What seems to be the problem, Carol?” Mr. Parker asked.

  “Lisa just needs to select another cake because the Loomis cake has been disqualified,” said Mrs. Stewart.

  “Disqualified—what are you really saying, Carol?” asked Mr. Parker.

  “I’m saying that the Loomis cake might violate the health code,” said Mrs. Stewart.

  “And how could her cake possibly violate the health code?” asked Mr. Parker.

  Tears began to well up in Lisa’s eyes as a small crowd gathered in front of Mrs. Stewart.

  “I’m saying that the Loomis cake may have been baked under unsanitary conditions,” said Mrs. Stewart.

  “Nasty,” said Will.

  “This is nothing but ignorance—pure ignorance,” said Mr. Parker.

  “I’m saying that because the Loomis cake was baked in the quarter, the kitchen could have been unsanitary,” said Mrs. Stewart.

  “You tell him, Carol; we don’t want her dirty cake,” said Betty Brown.

  “Dirty cake, dirty cake,” said David.

  Lisa began to cry and buried her head in her father’s suit. Mr. Parker held his daughter close.

  “Do you still have Miss Loomis’s cake?” asked Mr. Parker.

  “It’s in the back,” said Mrs. Stewart. “If you want it that much, you can have it, you colored cuddler.”

  Mr. Parker ignored Mrs. Stewart’s comment and turned to Lisa.

  “Come on, Lisa,” said Mr. Parker. “Let’s go get your cake—your beautiful cake.”

  Mr. Parker took Lisa’s trembling hand in his, and they walked through the swinging doors to the kitchen. There in the corner on a step stool next to the brooms and mops stood Miss Loomis’s cake. It was a three-layer devil’s food cake covered in white icing. The dark chocolate cake was visible through the white icing. Candy corn and candy pumpkins encircled the cake.

  “It’s beautiful, Daddy,” said Lisa, regaining her composure.

  “Yes, it is, Sissy,” said Mr. Parker. “I’m so proud of you—you did a brave thing tonight.”

  “Thanks, Daddy, but you were braver,” said Lisa. “Daddy, what’s a colored cuddler?”

  “Well, prejudiced people like to say the phrase ‘colored cuddler’ to feel superior to not only colored people but also white people who respect colored people. But this phrase cannot hurt us, Lisa, because we know the truth—white people are not better than colored people.”

  “That’s right, Daddy,” said Lisa with a shaky smile.

  “Let’s get out of here and go do something fun,” said Mr. Parker.

  Lisa dried her eyes and smiled.

  “I want to go to the haunted house—Mrs. Cart-wright is the mummy,” said Lisa.

  “Lead the way, Sissy,” said Mr. Parker as he proudly carried Miss Loomis’s cake past Mrs. Stewart and out of the lunchroom.

  Lisa led her father to the school library, which had been transformed into a haunted house. The library door had been covered in brown construction paper, and plastic spiders and bats were hanging from the doorway. Inside, the room was dimly lit with green lights. Three spooky stations awaited visitors, with each station manned by parents dressed up as the mummy, Dracula, and Frankenstein.

  “May I have a ticket, please?” Lisa asked her father.

  Mr. Parker set the cake down and got a ticket from his pocket.

  “Here you are,” said Mr. Parker. “Don’t get too scared.”

  “I won’t, Daddy,” said Lisa. “See you soon.”

  Lisa handed her ticket to Mrs. Powell and entered the haunted house. A large plastic spider dropped down from the ceiling onto Lisa. She screamed. Lisa had trouble seeing what was in front of her until she saw the mummy costume and smiled.

  “Hi, Mrs. Cartwright,” said Lisa. “This is Lisa.”

  “Hi, Lisa—I mean, Wendy. How do you like my costume? Pretty nifty, huh?” said Mrs. Cartwright, who was swaddled in white rags to look like an Egyptian mummy.

  “Your costume is great,” said Lisa.

  “Well, the mummy commands you to reach your hand into this box of bats and find the token,” said Mrs. Cartwright.

  Lisa timidly stuck her right hand into a box of feathers. At the bottom of the box was a plastic whistle. Lisa pulled the whistle out of the box and handed it to Mrs. Cartwright.

  “Very good, Lisa,” said Mrs. Cartwright. “The mummy now commands you to reach into this box of snakes and find the token.”

  Lisa stuck her left hand into a box of rubber bands. At the bottom of the box was a button. Lisa pulled the button out of the box and handed it to Mrs. Cartwright.

  “Very good, Lisa,” said Mrs. Cartwright. “The mummy now commands you to reach into this box of bones and find the token.

  Lisa stuck her right hand into a box of plastic tubes. At the bottom of the box was a penny. Lisa pulled the penny from the box and handed it to Mrs. Cartwright, who gave Lisa three pieces of candy.

  “Why, I’d recognize those boxes anywhere—they are from the Green Ghost game,” said Lisa.

  “That’s right,” said Mrs. Cartwright. “Now take five steps forward, and you will meet Count Dracula!”

  Lisa walked five steps in a forward direction, but instead of meeting Count Dracula, Lisa met Will and David in their ghost costumes. Only something was different about their costumes. Very different. In the green light a luminous cross appeared on the front of each costume. The crosses extended from the boys’ shoulders to their feet. Lisa knew what this meant. Will and David weren’t really ghosts. They were dressed up as members of the Ku Klux Klan, who burned huge crosses in front of Negroes’ houses to scare them.

  The boys began to taunt Lisa.

  “We’re gonna get Miss Loomis; we’re gonna get Miss Loomis,” they both whispered in singsongy voices.

  Lisa started to cry, and the boys ran out of the haunted house.

  Lisa was at another crossroads. If she did nothing, then Will and David might hurt Miss Loomis. If she told her father about Will and David’s threats against Miss Loomis, then Will and David might hurt her tomorrow on the playground. Lisa summoned her courage.

  “I’ve got to save Miss Loomis,” she thought.

  Lisa decided to leave the haunted house at once, but she had great difficulty retracing her steps in the green light. When she saw Mrs. Cartwright, she knew she was near the entrance.

  “Lisa, you’re going the wrong way,” said Mrs. Cartwright.

  “No, ma’am, I need to leave now,” said Lisa.

  “Is everything all right?” asked Mrs. Cartwright.

  “I’m fine—it’s just a little too scary for me,” said Lisa.

  Mrs. Cartwright escorted Lisa to the library door and out of the haunted house.

  “Thank you,” said Lisa.

  “You’re welcome,” said Mrs. Cartwright.

  Lisa looked around for her father. Mr. Parker was sitting in a chair with Miss Loomis’s cake in his lap.

  “Hi, Sissy,” said Mr. Parker. “What’s the matter?”

  For the first time in her life Lisa had the courage to tell her father about Will and David.

  “Will and David are dressed up like members of the Ku Klux Klan, and they may be after Miss Loomis,” said Lisa.

  “We need to get to her room immediately,” said Mr. Parker.

  “Follow me,” said Lisa.

  Lisa and her father walked down the corridor and up the stairs to the second floor. Miss Loomis occupied the room that was farthest from the stairs.

  “Come on, Daddy,” said Lisa, “her room is down here.”

  Lisa led the way down the main second-floor corridor. Mr. Parker walked more slowly than Lisa because he was carrying Miss Loomis’s cake. They passed all of Lisa’s other classrooms, which were filled with students and their parents.

  As the two approached Miss Loomis’s classroom, Lisa noticed someth
ing immediately.

  “Daddy, something’s wrong,” said Lisa, “the lights are off.”

  “Wait for me,” said Mr. Parker.

  Lisa stopped at the door to Miss Loomis’s classroom and peeked through a window. In the dark she saw the two fluorescent crosses on the costumes of Will and David. She could not see Miss Loomis.

  “Daddy, hurry,” called Lisa. “Will and David are inside.”

  “I’m almost there,” said Mr. Parker. “Remain outside.”

  “Yes, sir,” said Lisa. “And Daddy, I don’t see Miss Loomis.”

  Lisa could hear voices coming from inside the room. The voices of Will and David.

  “We’re here to run you out of town, spook,” said Will.

  “You coon, you need to leave this school soon,” said David.

  “Why, we might have to burn a cross in your front yard,” threatened Will.

  Mr. Parker joined Lisa at the door to Miss Loomis’s classroom. He could see the two large fluorescent crosses painted on Will and David’s ghost costumes.

  “Stay outside with the cake,” said Mr. Parker as he placed the cake on a desk outside the classroom door.

  Mr. Parker opened the door, walked inside, and turned on the light. He saw Will and David parading in front of Miss Loomis’s desk. Crouched behind her desk was Miss Loomis. She was crying.

  “Will and David,” said Mr. Parker, “get out of here immediately, and if you ever bother Miss Loomis again, I will personally see to it that you are expelled from Wyatt.”

  Will and David stomped out of the classroom. Then they saw Lisa and the cake. They also saw that Mr. Parker was preoccupied with Miss Loomis. So the boys took a chance.

  “Well, if it isn’t Miss Smushed Nose,” said Will. “You may be wearing a pretty mask, but you are ugly on the inside.”

  Lisa began to tremble. She saw her father comforting Miss Loomis inside the classroom. She felt trapped. She was scared. Too scared to scream.

  “Why, what if something happened to this cake?” said David.

  “Please don’t hurt the cake,” pleaded Lisa.

  “Don’t worry,” said Will, “that cake has Negro cooties, and we would never touch it.”

  “Yeah, I’ll bet you will turn into a Negro if you eat it,” said David.

  “C’mon, David,” said Will, “let’s get out of here—we’ve had enough fun for one night.”

  Lisa watched the two boys run down the corridor and away from her. She was safe. She walked into Miss Loomis’s classroom.

  Miss Loomis was talking to her father. She was wearing a black shirtwaist dress with a pumpkin pin on the lapel. In front of her desk was a long table decorated with a Halloween tablecloth. On the table was a large crystal plate filled with chocolate cupcakes decorated with orange icing. The plate was full. Next to the cupcakes was a sheet of paper for the parents to sign. The sheet was blank.

  Lisa saw her father give something to Miss Loomis.

  “Here is my card,” said Mr. Parker. “Call me if these boys give you any more trouble, and I will take care of everything. I encourage you not to quit—why, what would my Lisa do without you?”

  “Hi, Daddy. Hi, Miss Loomis,” said Lisa tentatively. “Is everything all right now?”

  “Everything’s fine now,” said Mr. Parker, smiling. “Why, Miss Loomis has just been telling me what a good student you are.”

  “That’s right, Lisa,” said Miss Loomis shakily, “you are my shining star.”

  “Guess what, Miss Loomis,” said Lisa. “I won your cake in the cakewalk.”

  “I am honored,” said Miss Loomis.

  “So are we,” said Mr. Parker, glancing at his watch.

  “We’ve got to go,” said Mr. Parker. “It’s time to meet your mother and the boys.”

  “Please sign the parents’ sheet,” said Miss Loomis. “I have to turn it in to the principal’s office.”

  Mr. Parker looked down at the blank sheet of paper and shook his head.

  “Where are the other signatures?” asked Mr. Parker while signing the sheet.

  “Why, you were the only parent to visit my classroom,” said Miss Loomis.

  “Well, they don’t know what they’re missing,” said Mr. Parker. “Ignorance, pure ignorance.”

  Lisa and Mr. Parker left Miss Loomis safe and sound. She would not be haunted by any more ghosts that night. Lisa and Mr. Parker, who was carrying Miss Loomis’s cake, went back downstairs, where they met Mrs. Parker, Harold, and Mark. Mrs. Parker was holding the blue ribbon so that everyone could see.

  “A cake,” said Harold, “Sissy won a cake!”

  “It’s Miss Loomis’s cake,” said Lisa proudly.

  “I would have chosen Mrs. Duke’s cake—it’s German chocolate,” said Mrs. Parker.

  “Penelope, don’t get started,” said Mr. Parker.

  “Whatever you say, dear,” said Mrs. Parker while smiling at Lisa.

  “Boys,” said Mr. Parker, “I sure am glad that you are friendly ghosts—I’ve had enough of mean ghosts to last a lifetime. Let’s all go home and have a piece of Miss Loomis’s cake.”

  “Ozella, too?” asked Lisa.

  “Ozella, too,” said Mr. Parker.

  Reverend Reed was waiting in his car for Miss Loomis. She finally arrived carrying all of the Halloween cupcakes from her open house. She was crying.

  “I want to quit,” cried Miss Loomis. “I can’t take it anymore.”

  “What happened?” asked Reverend Reed.

  “The two mean boys, Will and David, dressed up like Klan members,” said Miss Loomis. “They said hateful words and told me to quit teaching at Wyatt.”

  “Calm down, Annie,” said Reverend Reed. “Now, how do you know that the boys weren’t really dressed up as ghosts?”

  “Because their white costumes had glow-in-the-dark crosses painted on them,” said Miss Loomis. “And Will threatened to burn a cross in my front yard.”

  “Did the boys lay a hand on you?” asked Reverend Reed.

  “No,” said Miss Loomis, “but they scared me to death with their words.”

  “Pay attention to the Scripture, Sister,” said Reverend Reed, “and turn the other cheek to these boys. Besides, if you quit, then these white boys win. Now, you don’t want that, Annie.”

  “I will turn the other cheek,” said Miss Loomis, “but Principal Breen could force me to quit due to the low attendance at my open house.”

  “You let me handle Principal Breen,” said Reverend Reed. “You just focus on your classes, and everything will work out for the best.”

  “Yes, sir,” said Miss Loomis.

  Reverend Reed noticed that Miss Loomis was still trembling.

  “How about I get one of the church elders to sit in his car in front of your house tonight?” asked Reverend Reed.

  “I would like that,” said Miss Loomis. “I’m so scared that I can’t stop shaking.”

  “Well, you can calm your fears,” said Reverend Reed, “because no one is going to hurt you. You have God on your side.”

  “I know that’s right,” said Miss Loomis.

  A full moon held vigil over the houses of Miss Loomis and Lisa. The moon made no distinction between the parts of town in which they lived. Its beams shone on white or Negro, rich or poor alike. The moon held no prejudice.

  That night Lisa dreamed of Miss Loomis. She dreamed that Miss Loomis gave Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech before thousands at the Lincoln Memorial. Dr. King stood on the sideline and clapped. Lisa then dreamed that Miss Loomis turned into a pumpkin that Will and David began to carve.

  Chapter Thirteen

  The Corn King

  Halloween may have been over, but there was still excitement in the air. The Big Bear grocery store in the Parkers’ neighborhood was hosting a celebrity—the Corn King.

  The Corn King was one of the tallest men in the world. He stood almost eight feet tall in his bare feet. When he wore his crown, he was over eight feet tall.

  T
he Corn King was not really a king. He was the official sponsor of the Corn King Margarine Company, which gave him the title of Corn King because this company used corn oil in its margarine.

  Whenever the Corn King appeared at a grocery store, the store would run a special on its Corn King margarine. If a customer bought a package of Corn King margarine, the Corn King would give the customer an autographed photograph of himself.

  The Corn King was really just Howard Small from Dayton, Ohio, who just happened to be considered a giant in height. Mr. Small began his career as “the Tall Small” in freak shows at carnivals. He soon grew to be the star attraction at carnivals. When his carnival act was in Indianapolis, an executive with the Indy Margarine Company saw “the Tall Small” and asked him if he would like to be the official sponsor of his company. When Small accepted this offer, the name “Corn King” was born. Small graduated from being just a sideshow act at small-time carnivals to the star of national commercials.

  A king was born. So when the Corn King was slated to appear at the Big Bear grocery store in Montgomery, Alabama, on November 20, 1968, it was a big deal. Everyone wanted to see the Corn King—everyone, that is, except Lisa.

  To Lisa, the appearance of the Corn King was like the freak show all over again.

  “First the bearded lady, then the Corn King,” thought Lisa. “What will be next, the harelip?”

  Lisa was determined not to go see the Corn King. But try as she might, she was fated to gaze upon this autumnal giant.

  “Lisa, you simply must go,” said Mrs. Parker. “Why, everyone will be there.”

  “But I can take care of baby Elizabeth while you take the boys,” said Lisa.

  The boys were dying to see the Corn King. They thought he was a real king like Old King Cole. They also thought he was a giant that lived in the sky atop a beanstalk.

  “Ozella will take care of Elizabeth,” said Mrs. Parker. “Besides, I need you to help me with the boys—the crowd could be enormous.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” said Lisa.

  On the appointed day, Lisa, Harold, and Mark piled into their mother’s car for the short ride to the grocery store. Lisa was holding a Polaroid camera to take pictures of the boys with the Corn King. Harold and Mark were wearing play crowns and holding plastic swords.