Twenty-six
After Patrice went away to college, the girls rode the bus to my house every day after school. Neither Blanche nor I would even dream of having them stay home alone. Re'Netta and Danita excelled in school, just as their older sister had. Grace did not do as well. Blanche would often get notes home saying Grace had trouble staying focused and on task in the classroom. When she entered the third grade, she was assigned to a trim, pretty, blonde teacher named Miss Folsom. Grace liked her well enough at first, but she began to withdraw after the first few weeks of school.
Blanche asked her what was wrong, but Grace would only say things like, “Miss Folsom got mad at me today." Or “I don't think Miss Folsom likes me."
Blanche was obviously not happy, but she didn't say anything about it until Grace came home in tears with a note for “The Parents of Grace Lowery."
Miss Folsom was apparently at her wit's end, and I'm using the term “wit" rather loosely here, because Grace could not seem to finish her work in class. Her solution, according to the note, was to send Grace to the principal's office to be paddled for her offense.
“The very idea," I nearly shouted, “of paddling a child for not finishing the outlining of simple letters when she can already read a book, is absolutely asinine."
“She can't be disrupting the class, though," Blanche reasoned.
“Disrupting the class?" I exploded. “It doesn't say a word about disrupting the class. It says she's not finishing her work. It says she has been separated from the class by a dividing screen and moved away from the window so she won't be distracted or inclined to daydream. It doesn't say anywhere that she's bothering anyone at all. This is wrong, Blanche. This is not Grace's fault."
I felt so protective of Grace, in that moment and for years afterward, that I literally trembled with anger.
“What do you think I should do, then?" Blanche asked.
“Well, for one thing, I think you should make it clear that Grace will certainly not be spanked for something she has no control over."
“But she's got to finish her work," Blanche said.
“I agree," I said, “but it won't help her a bit to be frightened into finishing it. For God's sake, Blanche, hasn't she been through enough?"
I regretted those words the moment they left my mouth. Blanche stiffened immediately and glared at me with as much disdain as I have ever seen aimed in my direction.
“You ain't got to tell me what she's been through, Miz Ora."
“Blanche, I'm sorry," I began.
“I know exactly what my child has been through," she continued. “And I know it ain't gonna get any easier for her, that's for sure. But she got to do the same as every other child in that classroom, and that includes finishing her work, no matter how boring it may be."
“Blanche, listen to me," I pleaded. “I know she has to do her work. I know she has to find her way in the world, but this teacher does not like her and you and I both know why."
“So, I'll ask you again. What do you think I should do?"
“I think you should have her moved to another classroom."
“Huh," Blanche grunted. “They ain't gonna move her on my account. I can tell you that right now."
“They'll move her on mine," I said, ignoring the second round of regret I felt.
“And you think that'll help her? You throwin' your weight around for my child?" She grunted again. “Shows what you know."
I sighed then and sat down at the table, putting my head in my hands. What did I know? I'd never had a child of my own and, Lord knows I'd never been colored. Didn't matter what the rules should be. It matters what they are, if you're going to play the game.
“I think we should get Gracie some help, Blanche." I said wearily. “And you know what I mean, so don't even act like you don't."
“I am helpin', Miz Ora," Blanche said. “I'm helpin' her live in this world."
“But she needs more..."
“I'll see can I get her changed to another teacher," Blanche interrupted, “but I don't wanna hear another word about help. I'm helpin' her the best I can, and that's gonna have to do."
“But if she can just talk to someone about it," I tried again.
“I done made up my mind, Miz Ora. What's done is done and we all just got to move on. You say another word about it and I'll quit."
My head snapped up then.
“I'm serious. I'll quit and go home. I got to put this behind me now. I can't be talkin' about it and thinkin' about it and cryin' over it every time I turn around. And I can't have you runnin' around tryin' to fix everything, either. We got to live in this world, Miz Ora, and we got to do it on our own."
I stood then and faced her, fighting back the tears I felt stinging my eyes.
“Blanche, I'm sorry about all this."
“I know," she said, softening. “But, Eddie was right. Things was just against us all along. We all did what we thought was right and now we just got to live with it."
And so our vow was made and sealed and never broken as long as Blanche was alive. We did not speak of it again.
Chip and Clara Jean married in the spring of 1979. Always the prudent one, Clara Jean insisted on a long engagement, though I'm certain Chip would have had her at the altar far sooner than she allowed. They eventually had two sons, who are the spitting image of their daddy. Chip quit the sheriff's department after a few years and transferred to the Mayville Correctional Facility, where Eddie lived the remainder of his life. I often wondered if he had done that as a favor to me. He had, after all, promised to look after Eddie for me, though I never expected him to take his responsibility to that level. Clara assures me it was nothing more than a financial decision and I hope that's true. She continued to work for Judge Odell until he retired in 1983 and then she stayed home with her sons. They have done well and I am as proud of them as if they belonged to me alone.
By the time Grace was eighteen years old in 1988, she had two children, not much more than a year apart. She dropped out of school when she got pregnant the first time. It was hard for me to watch her life unravel the way it did. I wanted to help her, but Blanche kept her away from me for the most part. I suppose she figured I had already done enough.
Grace stayed home with her children during the day, but I found out soon enough that Blanche kept them at night while Grace went out. That must have been when Grace started doing drugs.
The twins graduated in 1984. Sweet, quiet Danita married her high school sweetheart within the year. She grew up with Curtis Bledsoe and knew his heart was for the Lord. They moved away for a time, while Curtis went to Bible College and became a pastor, then they moved back to Mayville and started a family together. They are together to this day.
ReNetta went to a cosmetology school after she graduated. She has never married and is a hairdresser at a local salon. I always thought that was a perfect vocation for her, something that would always satisfy her inquisitive mind and creative spirit. She's good at it, too. She stops by every now and then with pictures of the hair shows she does. My goodness, I never knew how many wild and intricate styles were possible with hair. I've kept the same simple hairstyle I've worn for as many years as I have been gray. ReNetta has tried to get me to go for something different, but I put my foot down on that one.