How Sweet the Sound

by Vanessa Miller

  As she continued to look at the stars, Shar steepled her hands and prayed to God, “Lord, I don’t know why I’m not strong like Sallie or Mahalia. I don’t know why I can’t just do Your will without questioning You about all the hardships we been facing. But I am trying to change my ways.”

  Her surroundings were beautiful. The colorful leaves danced on the trees. Shar wanted to join them in the dance. But there was still something in her way, blocking her blessing. Shar didn’t know how to move it and didn’t know for sure if she truly wanted it moved. “Lord, I sure could use some guidance.”

  “Shar, Shar, help me.”

  At the sound of her name, Shar jumped and ran for the front door. She had never before heard the audible voice of God in answer to one of her prayers, and Shar doubted very seriously that the Lord would be asking her for help. She put her hand on the doorknob, getting ready to turn it when she heard the whispery voice again.

  “Help me, Shar.”

  “Nicoli?” Shar turned slightly and saw a figure in the shadows on the side of the house.

  Dragging his left leg and holding his arm against his side, Nicoli came into view. “It’s me.”

  Shar walked back down the porch steps and went to Nicoli. As she got closer to him, her steps were halted as she caught a glimpse of his face. She gasped and then rushed over to him and lightly touched his swollen and bloody face. “What happened to you? Who did this?”

  “They’re going to kill me, baby.”

  Looked to her like Nicoli had taken the beating of his life, like if he had taken one more blow there wouldn’t be no life left in him. It was then that she wondered if she could live in a world that did not include her Nicoli. She didn’t know what kind of fool that made her, but she didn’t care either. Nicoli was hurt. He needed her. “Who wants to kill you? What’s going on?” She was torn and panic-stricken as she pulled him closer to her.

  “I owe a lot of money to,” he winced, and with a sharp intake of breath, he sat down on the ground as if his legs wouldn’t hold him one second longer, “really nasty guys.”

  Stepping back and putting her hands on her hips, she demanded, “What have you been doing, Nicoli? Didn’t we agree that you wouldn’t gamble anymore?”

  With remorse in his eyes, he lowered his head. “I know, I know, baby. But I had no choice. I’ve been trying to raise enough money to get back to my hometown so I can introduce you to my family.” Raising his head and looking like a raccoon about the eyes, he told her, “And anyway, a colored man don’t have too many options. It’s not like I’m ever going to be able to go to college and get me one of those fancy jobs.”

  “That’s just an excuse, Nicoli. Colored people been going to college for years now, and I’m right proud of the accomplishments that have been coming our way, thanks to colored people out there making a difference.” As she said those words she thought of Landon and the difference he was trying to make in her neighborhood. The difference between the two men couldn’t have been clearer.

  “I don’t see none of those so-called fabulous colored folks putting food on our table. I’ve been crawling under every rock I can find to earn enough money to take care of you, but you don’t appreciate nothing I do. Now people want to,” his voice broke off as he said, “kill me.”

  Her heart lurched. She took her hands off her hips and sympathy coated her words. “I don’t understand. They already beat you up. If they wanted to kill you, wouldn’t they have done that when they had a chance?”

  “They’re giving me two days to come up with the money.”

  The door to the boardinghouse opened, and Sallie leaned out and hollered, “Shar, who you out there with, gal? Get on in this house.”

  Shar turned toward the house and yelled back, “It’s Nicoli. He’s been hurt bad. Come help me get him in the house.”

  Sallie stalked over to them. She took one look at Nicoli sprawled out on the ground and said, “Shar, if you’ve got any sense, you’ll get yourself in that house,” she pointed toward the boardinghouse, “and don’t look back.”

  “I can’t just leave him out here like this. He needs our help.”

  Scowling like a pit bull, Sallie pointed an accusatory finger in Nicoli’s face. “If you care anything about this girl, you’ll get outta here and leave her alone.”

  “Me and Shar is getting married.” Nicoli pulled himself off the ground, and while hunched over, he breathed fire in Sallie’s face. “I’m not leaving her alone just because you don’t like me. You got no say so when it comes to me and Shar.”

  “It’s not that I don’t like you . . . I don’t like what you stand for. You a able-bodied man who don’t want to work hard for what you get . . . you just want money to rain down on you from heaven above. I know all about your kind, and you ain’t no good.”

  “You don’t know nothing about me.” Nicoli limped toward Sallie, trying to get closer to her.

  Shar stepped in between the two and put her hands on Nicoli’s chest, pushing him backward. “Please don’t argue like this.”

  “You heard what she said,” Nicoli pointed at Sallie. “She thinks you’re too good for me.”

  “You got that right,” Sallie said, not backing down.

  Still holding Nicoli back, Shar turned to Sallie. “Go back in the house, Sallie. I get that you don’t want Nicoli inside, so just let me talk to him and then I’ll come back in, okay?”

  “I don’t like it, Shar. And I don’t think your mama would want you out here late at night with this rabble-rouser.”

  “I won’t be long. Just give me a minute, okay?”

  Shaking her head as she turned back toward the house, Sallie said, “If you’re not in this house in five minutes, I’ll be coming back to get you. And I won’t be alone.”

  As the door slammed shut, Shar told Nicoli. “You’ve got to go. Sallie will come back out here and beat you with a stick if you don’t do as she says.”

  “Girl, ain’t nobody scared of Sallie Martin but you.”

  “Please, Nicoli, just go and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “I can’t just go, Shar. I need your help, and this time you can’t say no, not if you truly love me.”

  “What can I do? I don’t have any money to give you.”

  He grabbed hold of her arm and shook her. “Think, Shar. You don’t have money, but you do have that wonderful voice that can make us all the money in the world if we play our cards right.”

  As she stepped back, Shar’s eyes grew. “I know you’re not talking about what I think you’re talking about.”

  He reached out for Shar, fear in his eyes. “It’s the only way, Shar. You love me, don’t you?”

  Did she love him? Shar had thought that she was in love those first few weeks when Nicoli was wooing her and on the day that he announced that they were engaged. But that was a different Nicoli. The beat-up gambler standing before her now was some other Nicoli. And Shar didn’t know if she wanted to love this Nicoli anymore.

  When she didn’t answer, Nicoli ran his hand through his hair and twisted his lip as he backed up. “Okay, I know that I have been difficult lately. But you don’t want to see me dead just because I’ve been gambling, do you?”

  “Trying to fill me full of guilt ain’t going to work. I didn’t put those dice in your hand. So why should I go against everything I believe just to help you out of this jam?”

  “Shar, it’s really no big deal. The man I owe the money to owns a nightclub and he told me that he will forgive my debt, if you will sing in his club this weekend.”

  All her life she thought her voice was given to her so that she could praise God. Could she really use her voice for something other than praise to God?

  “If you don’t help me, baby, I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

  The look on Nicoli’s face was a mix of fear and sorrow. He got back down on his knees and crawled to her. She could see the pain reflected on his face with each movement, even before the tears bubbled up in his eye
s. “I got no where else to go, Shar. I done burned every bridge I had.” He was now directly in front of her. He leaned his head against her stomach and let out a gutteral cry that sounded like an animal howling at the moon. “Please don’t let me die.”

  Closing her eyes, Shar wished she was back home in Chicago with her mama and daddy protecting her and showing her the way. She’d prayed for God’s help and all she’d gotten in return was Nicoli, leaning and depending on her. Lifting his head off her stomach, she stepped back so she could look him in the eye.

  “Are you gon’ help me, Shar. I promise, if you do this, I’ll never ask you for another thing as long as we live.”

  Shar looked toward the boardhouse, knowing full well that she should do as Sallie said, but before she could stop herself she was saying, “I’ll do this on one condition.”

  Light came back into his eyes as he got back onto his feet. “Anything, baby, anything.”

  “You’ve got to stop drinking and gambling.”

  “After what happened tonight, you don’t have to worry about me no more, Shar. I’m going the straight-and-narrow way from now on.” He crossed his heart with his finger to add emphasis to his pledge.

  “You better mean it this time, Nicoli, because I’m not going to live the rest of my life getting you out of jams that you got no business being in.”

  17

  Landon walked down The Stroll with Nettie as they headed to one of his favorite eateries. A few years back Landon never would have escorted a lady on State Street between 26th and 39th streets, because that was where the action was. That section of State Street had been packed with colored people night and day. But back in the early ’20s it had been mostly men lining the streets. At night the lights blazed and the sidewalks were crowded with people attending the jazz clubs and those who just wanted to gawk at all the activity. During the daylight hours people lined the streets while loitering, gossiping, and just watching the people. But that was before the Savoy Ballroom opened on 47th and South Parkway in 1927. Now most of the nightlife was over by the Savoy, so Landon felt comfortable walking those streets with Nettie.

  Nettie’s eyes were wide and curious as she glanced around her surroundings. She grabbed hold of Landon’s hand as they walked into the restaurant and said, “I’ve never been down this side of State Street before. My mom said it was too wild and loose over here for a young lady, but it doesn’t seem like much of anything is going on.”

  Landon wanted to kick himself. Why hadn’t he considered Nettie’s feelings before taking her to dinner? “If you’re uncomfortable here, we could always go somewhere else,” he told her.

  Patting his shoulder, she lightly pushed him forward, further into the small restaurant. “Didn’t you say this is one of your favorite places to eat?”

  “They have the best meatloaf and mashed potatoes I’ve had the pleasure of sampling in the Chicago area.”

  “Well then let’s grab a seat so I can check out the menu.”

  “But I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable. I should have asked you where you wanted to eat, before making a decision in the first place.” Landon was bothered by what he had done because in his heart he knew for sure that if it was Shar he was taking out, he would have fallen all over himself to make sure that everything was to her liking.

  Nettie wrapped her hand around Landon’s arm. “I only commented about the area because my mama had warned me so severely about hanging out around here. But things seem fine to me. I don’t think she would be alarmed at all to know that I was having dinner with my pastor over here.”

  “Well as long as you’re okay, then I’m okay.” Landon escorted Nettie to an empty table in the middle of the restaurant. He pulled the chair out for her, and Nettie sat down.

  When Landon was seated across from her, Nettie told him, “I’ve only kept company with one other man, Pastor, and all he ever did was sit on our porch with me. So believe me, I’m thrilled to be out to dinner with you.”

  “Do me a favor, Nettie.”

  “What’s that, Pastor?”

  “Since we are keeping company and all, call me Landon when we aren’t at church, okay?”

  Smiling, with a look of adoration in her eyes, Nettie put her hand on top of Landon’s as it lay on the table. “Sure, I can do that, Landon.” She said his name as if trying it out to see how it felt on her lips.

  “Hey, Pastor Landon, you back for some more meatloaf and mashed potatoes?” a server asked as she stood in front of the table grinning at him.

  “You better know it, Patty. And you can throw some peas and cornbread on my plate too,” Landon moved his hand from Nettie’s and glanced toward her as he said, “Patty, I’d like to introduce you to Miss Nettie Johnson. She and I work together at the church. She’s my right hand, isn’t that right, Nettie?”

  The light dimmed a bit in Nettie’s eyes as she turned to Patty and said, “Yep, I’m his assistant.” She got a bit more animated as she declared, “And we’re doing mighty important work that’s gonna be felt all through the Black Belt.”

  “I know all about the work you and Pastor Landon have been doing. My ma and pa are having dinner here tonight. I told you about them, remember, Reverend?” She pointed to a table near the back of the room where an older, distinctly well-dressed couple sat.

  Landon turned toward the table and then asked, “Are they still having trouble buying that house?”

  “The bank manager told them flat out that he wasn’t loaning money to no coloreds trying to move in a white district.”

  Landon shook his head, wondering when the day would come that they would be known simply as a man or woman and not be judged first by the color of their skin.

  “Well these bank managers won’t be able to treat our people like that for much longer. Not once Pastor Landon and the NAACP get through with them,” Nettie said with great pride.

  “That’s what I told my parents. Would you mind speaking with them tonight?”

  He glanced at Nettie, and she nodded. Landon then turned back to Patty and said, “Of course, please ask them if they’d like to have their dinner at our table.”

  “I sure will,” Patty said hurriedly. But just before leaving the table she turned back to Nettie and asked, “Do you know what you want to eat?”

  Nettie lifted her hands, indicating that they were empty. “I don’t have a menu.” She then waved at the air. “Just bring me what Landon is having.”

  “Two meatloaf specials coming up.”

  “Oh, but instead of peas, I’ll have some corn, please,” Nettie told her.

  Patty left the table and rushed over to where her parents were seated.

  Looking over at Nettie, Landon wondered if he had made a mistake bringing Nettie to a place where the people knew him and knew what he was trying to do in the community. “I’m sorry about this. I had no idea that her parents would be here tonight.”

  Nettie waved the apology away. “I don’t mind, Landon. This is what we are about.” She leaned closer to him and added, “And those two look like they might have some money saved up for their down payment.”

  Landon smiled. He had a partner in Nettie. She cared about his cause and had made it her own. As Frank and Judy Joseph sat down at the table and enjoyed dinner and fellowship with them, Landon discovered that he had, indeed, found his seventh couple who were not only willing, but also well able to purchase a good home.

  As they began their trek home after a successful business meeting/date, Nettie said, “Didn’t I tell you those two would have a down payment to put down on their house?”

  “You were so right.” Landon grinned from ear to ear as they walked down State Street. “But I still can’t believe that they managed to save fifty-five hundred dollars. I don’t know anyone with that kind of money.”

  Nettie put her hand on Landon’s arm as she said, “God is blessing our work, Landon. You will get all ten couples that the NAACP needs for their case, and God will provide a way for us to get all the
down payment money that we need.” She lifted her hands as if in praise to God. “I feel it. I believe and I know it’s going to happen.”

  Landon glanced over at Nettie. Her enthusiasm was electrifying, and Landon was beginning to grab hold of it and forget about his need to know where all the money would come from. Hope was filling Landon’s heart; his life’s work would be realized.

  Nettie started clapping her hands and singing a praise song. She nudged Landon. “Come on, sing with me.”

  Landon wanted to close his eyes in order to block out the pain entering his heart. He had been having such a wonderful time with Nettie, feeling as if she might be a kindred spirit. But as he listened to her sing the song Shar had sung the first day he saw her, Landon began wondering if he had done the right thing when he decided to keep company with Nettie.

  If a simple praise song could cause his heart to ache for Shar Gracey, he probably wasn’t ready to keep company with anyone. He saw Nettie safely to her door, and then as he walked home, he let his mind drift a few years back. But instead of hearing Nettie’s voice, Shar was singing and he was falling in love all over again.

  In an attempt to shut his mind off from dreaming foolishness, Landon tried to concentrate on Nettie and the beautiful evening they had shared. Living in the past would get him nowhere fast. Shar was engaged, and he needed to get over her. But telling himself those simple truths didn’t stop Landon from wondering what Shar was doing and if she was thinking about him, just as he was thinking about her that night.

  Walking into the speakeasy was like stepping into utter darkness. The lights were dimmed, with a spotlight on the small dance floor. Men sat at the bar, guzzling down alcohol and laughing like hyenas. They all seemed to be having a good time, but Shar felt an undercurrent of something she just couldn’t put her finger on. All she could think of was that these must be some of the same men Nicoli gambled and drank with. And Nicoli didn’t seem to be having so much fun when she saw him the other night.