didn’t like Max. She was trying to poke holes in my
strategy. But she did have a valid point.
“I don’t know. He has to take
it. He wouldn’t embarrass me like that.” Max was too kind.
“He wouldn’t? Okay, if you’re
sure. I don’t know him as well as you do. It actually sounds like a great
idea to me. Good luck. What are you getting him?” She liked the plan.
Great.
We talked a little more, and I
told her I hadn’t decided what to get him. She told me she would try to think
of something, too.
I presented my idea to Aurelia
and Dominique right before we boarded the bus, and they liked it. I was
finally gaining the support I needed. Still, no one had any thoughts about what
the gift should be. Perhaps the perfect gift would present itself in time. I
still had two weeks before Christmas vacation.
Aurelia sat with me on the bus
that afternoon. We were near the back, and Dominique was sitting up front with
Lydia Burns. Johnny and Max were in the backseat, and Terrance and Mason were
right behind Aurelia and me.
Things had been quiet lately so I
wasn’t expecting any trouble that day. The bus was just about to leave WMHS
when Johnny pushed the door open with his foot and climbed inside. After
tripping over Larry Burton’s feet and then falling down in Erma’s lap, Johnny
made his way towards the back of the bus. I knew something was about to
happen.
As he passed by, I could smell
the alcohol fragrance that emanated from Johnny’s body. He sat down in the
back across from Max, and I heard the clanking sound of glass. I glanced back
and saw that Johnny was holding a bottle of Southern Comfort. He took a large
gulp of the honey-colored liquid and offered the bottle to Max, but Max waved
it away. Johnny proceeded to empty the bottle as we made our way home.
Aurelia and Dominique exited the
bus when we reached the first stop. As I waved goodbye, I noticed that the
back of the bus had grown strangely quiet. I was anticipating an outburst
from Mason since that seemed to be an everyday occurrence, but the subject
matter wasn’t exactly what I had expected.
“Aren’t you gonna wave goodbye to
your girlfriend, Johnny?” Mason asked slyly.
“What? Who?” Johnny was
blathering like the drunken idiot he was.
“Dominique. She just got off the
bus. I think she’s waving at you.”
I was curious to hear Johnny’s
response. For all I knew, Johnny might like Dominique. She was very pretty. I
should have realized that it was all but taboo for whites to date blacks. It
was the South, and some things hadn’t changed in over a hundred years. Still,
I hoped that Johnny would just tell Mason to shut up, the way Max did when Mason
had inferred that I was Max’s girlfriend. In the end, I wished I had gotten
off the bus with my two friends.
“That nigger is not my
girlfriend!” Johnny was yelling at the top of his voice.
“She’s not entirely black,” I
heard Mason say. “Her mother is white.”
“In my book, she’s a nigger.”
Johnny was causing my blood pressure to boil – and I’m not sure I even knew
what that meant back then.
I could hear a voice inside my
head saying, “She’s your friend. Aren’t you going to say something?”
I wanted to, believe me. But
remember, I’m a big coward. Talking up to anyone was difficult for me, but
talking up to Johnny was impossible. Luckily, someone else spoke up.
“Johnny!” It was Mrs. Decker the
bus driver. She stopped the bus well in advance of the second bus stop.
Johnny ignored her until Max
pushed him out of the seat. “What, Mrs. D?” he finally asked.
“Get off my bus right now.” She
opened the door and pointed outside.
“Wha…what? You gotta be
kidding?” Johnny had made it to the front of the bus by now.
“I’m not kidding, Johnny Roberts.
I’ll put up with a lot of things, but you will not use that word on this
strategy. But she did have a valid point.
“I don’t know. He has to take
it. He wouldn’t embarrass me like that.” Max was too kind.
“He wouldn’t? Okay, if you’re
sure. I don’t know him as well as you do. It actually sounds like a great
idea to me. Good luck. What are you getting him?” She liked the plan.
Great.
We talked a little more, and I
told her I hadn’t decided what to get him. She told me she would try to think
of something, too.
I presented my idea to Aurelia
and Dominique right before we boarded the bus, and they liked it. I was
finally gaining the support I needed. Still, no one had any thoughts about what
the gift should be. Perhaps the perfect gift would present itself in time. I
still had two weeks before Christmas vacation.
Aurelia sat with me on the bus
that afternoon. We were near the back, and Dominique was sitting up front with
Lydia Burns. Johnny and Max were in the backseat, and Terrance and Mason were
right behind Aurelia and me.
Things had been quiet lately so I
wasn’t expecting any trouble that day. The bus was just about to leave WMHS
when Johnny pushed the door open with his foot and climbed inside. After
tripping over Larry Burton’s feet and then falling down in Erma’s lap, Johnny
made his way towards the back of the bus. I knew something was about to
happen.
As he passed by, I could smell
the alcohol fragrance that emanated from Johnny’s body. He sat down in the
back across from Max, and I heard the clanking sound of glass. I glanced back
and saw that Johnny was holding a bottle of Southern Comfort. He took a large
gulp of the honey-colored liquid and offered the bottle to Max, but Max waved
it away. Johnny proceeded to empty the bottle as we made our way home.
Aurelia and Dominique exited the
bus when we reached the first stop. As I waved goodbye, I noticed that the
back of the bus had grown strangely quiet. I was anticipating an outburst
from Mason since that seemed to be an everyday occurrence, but the subject
matter wasn’t exactly what I had expected.
“Aren’t you gonna wave goodbye to
your girlfriend, Johnny?” Mason asked slyly.
“What? Who?” Johnny was
blathering like the drunken idiot he was.
“Dominique. She just got off the
bus. I think she’s waving at you.”
I was curious to hear Johnny’s
response. For all I knew, Johnny might like Dominique. She was very pretty. I
should have realized that it was all but taboo for whites to date blacks. It
was the South, and some things hadn’t changed in over a hundred years. Still,
I hoped that Johnny would just tell Mason to shut up, the way Max did when Mason
had inferred that I was Max’s girlfriend. In the end, I wished I had gotten
off the bus with my two friends.
“That nigger is not my
girlfriend!” Johnny was yelling at the top of his voice.
“She’s not entirely black,” I
heard Mason say. “Her mother is white.”
“In my book, she’s a nigger.”
Johnny was causing my blood pressure to boil – and I’m not sure I even knew
what that meant back then.
I could hear a voice inside my
head saying, “She’s your friend. Aren’t you going to say something?”
I wanted to, believe me. But
remember, I’m a big coward. Talking up to anyone was difficult for me, but
talking up to Johnny was impossible. Luckily, someone else spoke up.
“Johnny!” It was Mrs. Decker the
bus driver. She stopped the bus well in advance of the second bus stop.
Johnny ignored her until Max
pushed him out of the seat. “What, Mrs. D?” he finally asked.
“Get off my bus right now.” She
opened the door and pointed outside.
“Wha…what? You gotta be
kidding?” Johnny had made it to the front of the bus by now.
“I’m not kidding, Johnny Roberts.
I’ll put up with a lot of things, but you will not use that word on this
Similar Books
