The Gift-Giver

by Joyce Hansen

  I held my breath and crossed my fingers for Yellow Bird.

  "Dorothy."

  Russell yelled out loud, "Oh, that's cold!"

  Amir turned around and looked at Yellow Bird. Bird jiggled in his chair and grinned like he didn't care. I knew better. The class got noisy.

  "I'm not finished, class!" She looked at Yellow Bird. "Now, James, I know you worked hard for that award and you passed all the tests you made up. But Dorothy worked all year and had a higher average.

  "However, I have a special gift for you. If you start out in September the way you ended up this June, you'll win many awards next year."

  We clapped and Yellow Bird bopped up the aisle to get his gift. He waved the pretty wrapped package like it was a million dollars.

  She gave out the report cards. I peeped at it real slow to see if I was promoted. Me, Mickey and Dotty, Russell, Bird and Amir would all be in the same sixth-grade class. We was glad of that.

  Well, I didn't get an award, of course. But if Yellow Bird could get a gift from Mrs. Brown, I know I could get an award next year. But in the meantime, summer was here.

  After the party we raced out of school. It seemed like this day would never come!

  12. The Nit Nowns

  "What you want to have a double-dutch contest for?" I asked Mickey.

  "For fun."

  "I don't feel like it."

  "You just don't want it 'cause you don't jump good."

  "I can jump."

  "But you don't jump good."

  "I'll show you. Okay, let's have a contest."

  "Don't back out."

  "I won't."

  Mickey and Dotty made me mad. They think they the best rope jumpers in the world. I got some of the little girls on the block to turn for me so I could practice.

  I twisted my ankle, tripped, scratched my legs and scraped my knees. Those little girls started giggling and I felt like wrapping the rope around their heads. I chased them away and sat on the stoop rubbing my legs.

  Amir was across the street watching Russell and them play stickball. When I sat down he came over.

  "You had a hard time with that rope, huh?"

  "How you know? I thought you was watching the ball game."

  "Why you get so upset?"

  "I ain't upset. And I wasn't having no hard time. Them girls don't know how to turn."

  "It ain't that important. People ain't gonna hate you 'cause you can't jump rope."

  "Why don't you mind your business, Amir? You want me to stand around and watch like you do?"

  "Sometimes it's more fun watching."

  "I like to do the things my friends do."

  "If your friends jump off a roof, you going too?"

  "You know what I mean, Amir! I'm not like you!"

  He shrugged his shoulders and went back across the street. Amir didn't understand.

  We decided to just have the contest with the girls on our block. But word got over on Union Avenue, and who of all people but the Nit Nowns decided to enter the contest.

  Now the Nit Nowns is five ugly sisters—Charlene and Charlotte, Pauline and Paulette and Baby Claudette. They live on Union Avenue. Baby Claudette is two. She can't say "sit down." She says "nit nown" instead. Ever since then Sherman call the whole family the Nit Nowns. The name stuck.

  I've never known any of the girls on 163rd Street to play with them. None of us liked them.

  One woman in my building said, "Them children look like they just reach in a box and put on whatever they pull out. They some scruffy children."

  And them Nit Nowns is always chasing someone home. I even heard that Baby Claudette be slapping other babies. I don't believe that, though.

  "They'd mess up the whole thing with they ugly selves," Mickey grumbled.

  The big problem was who was going to tell them they couldn't be in it. Mickey said, "Well, I can't tell them 'cause I don't talk to people like the Nit Nowns."

  I looked at Dotty but that was no use.

  I said, "I can't tell them either because if my mama ever caught me talking to them she'd kill me."

  Big-mouth Lavinia says, "How your mama gonna see you talking to someone on Union Avenue?"

  "She might be passing by."

  "You just scared."

  "Why don't you tell them, Lavinia?"

  "I ain't telling them nothing."

  I saw Amir coming up the street. "Hi, Amir," I said loudly. "Could you do us a favor?"

  "What?"

  "Could you tell the Nit Nowns for us that they can't be in the double-dutch contest?"

  "Why?"

  "'Cause nobody bothers with them girls."

  "Why?"

  "'Cause they mean and ugly."

  "How you know they mean and ugly if you never bother with them?"

  "They act mean and anyone can see they ugly."

  "They chase people home and is always trying to mess with nice kids like us," Mickey said, putting an innocent look on her face.

  "Maybe they just want to play with you. Did you make up rules for being in the contest?"

  "Yes. It's only for the girls on 163rd Street."

  "Tell them then. But maybe if you let them be in the contest they won't chase you home no more."

  "Amir, you scared of them too," I said.

  He just smiled and walked up the block.

  Mickey said, "Maybe we can tell them it starts at five o'clock and when they get here it'll be over."

  "Yeah. I can just see them coming down the street ready for the contest and it's over." We died laughing.

  Dotty looked at us. "But what you gonna do when they find out you tricked them?" she asked.

  "Let's don't have no contest," I said.

  "But everybody is all excited about it. Even Mr. Sam said he'd give free ice cream pops to the winner."

  "We got to have the contest. People been practicing like crazy," Mickey said.

  Next day I was coming from the store for my mother and passed by the playground. I was sorry I did. I should've went some other way. I saw the Nit Nowns playing on the seesaw. I turned my head and walked fast, hoping they didn't see me. Then I hear, "Hey, wait up." It was Paulette, the biggest one. She ran out the playground.

  "We can't wait to be in the contest. What time it start again?"

  "Twelve," I said.

  "We'll be there. And we gonna win too."

  "Okay," I said all quiet like.

  "Bye. We'll see you Saturday."

  Baby Claudette looked up at me. "Bye," she said, waving her little hands.

  Well at least they didn't run me home. I was glad no one heard me talking to them.

  As the contest day got closer, I got nervouser. Now I wished my mother would make me stay in the house. I even thought about doing something so I could be put under punishment. But the thing was turning into a big block party. Even the grown-ups was looking forward to it. This is gonna be one big mess, I thought. Me falling. And them Nit Nowns messing things up. I was sorry I got mixed up in it.

  Mickey and Dotty's mother bought us two new ropes. A lot of the grown-ups said they'd bring food. Lavinia's father said he'd give the winner a prize from the African jewelry he makes. Three of the older girls on the block said they'd be judges. Even old Mrs. Shepard said she'd make a pitcher of Kool-Aid. And the whole block would be there to see me make a fool of myself.

  When Saturday came I thought I had a fever.

  "Ain't nothing wrong with you, girl," my mother said. "It's just hot out."

  All morning I wished for something to happen to keep me in the house. Maybe it'll rain. I looked out the window. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. Not even a half a cloud. I looked down at the stoop. No one was out yet. But I could see myself down there in a couple of hours. Everybody laughing. Me twisted in ropes from my ankles up to my neck. I could get strangled.

  "Hey Ma, you could get hurt jumping double-dutch, huh?"

  "You could get hurt jumping out of bed if you don't do it right."

  I fi
nally had to face it. We went outside. Some of the women was setting up tables for the food. Maybe I'll just stand right here and faint, like they do in those old-time movies, I thought. Then they'll have to carry me upstairs and I can miss the contest. Why was I always in the middle of something dumb?

  The stoop filled up like Yankee Stadium. Even all the boys was there. And them boys never paid no mind to us jumping double-dutch until that day. Lavinia was the first to go.

  She did her double-dutch twist.

  Dotty spun in the ropes and snapped gum like crazy.

  Mickey jumped and turned round and round on one foot.

  Another girl did some steps that looked like tap dancing to me.

  Everybody wanted me to turn for them. If you don't have someone good turn the rope, the jumper gets messed up.

  I was miserable, though. Then, my turn to jump came, I felt like I had to go to the bathroom.

  "Come on, Doris," Mickey said. "Go on and jump."

  People was talking about how good Dotty was, and looking at me. Amir sat there with his head down like he was studying a crack in the sidewalk. I tried to look like I didn't care.

  "I changed my mind. I can't jump that good. I'll just turn."

  Mickey looked shocked. Someone said, "Okay, but I want Doris to turn for me. No one can turn like her."

  "Aw, Doris, come on," Dotty said. "We won't laugh. Try it."

  It was funny, I really felt better. "Naw, it's okay. Bring the next jumper on. I'll turn."

  I looked over at Amir again. He looked back at me with a smile in his big eyes.

  Things went so good and I felt so good I forgot all about the Nit Nowns. We had two more people to go and the Nit Nowns hadn't shown yet.

  "Maybe they ain't coming," Mickey said.

  But as the last person finished I see them five sisters cutting around the corner, carrying a big tray. Mickey looked at me and made a face.

  Lavinia yelled, "The contest is finished."

  Amir jumps up with his nervy self and says, "No it ain't. These sisters is in it too."

  I was some mad at him. "Amir's mouth getting big as his eyes," I said.

  Charlene came over with the tray. "We made some sandwiches for the party."

  My mother took them from her. "Oh, isn't this lovely. You some nice girls," she said. Imagine my own mother telling the Nit Nowns they nice.

  Next thing I know people coming out with card tables and all kinds of cookies, cold-cuts, potato chips, pretzels, soda and other goodies. And the Nit Nowns is getting ready to jump.

  The minute they started I knew who the winner would be—one of them sisters.

  Pauline look like she had on special double-dutch shoes. They must've been turned over in just the right spots. The heels were worn down smooth. Her feet went so fast they looked blurry.

  Charlene didn't move nothing but her feet. The rest of her body was stiff and straight. She looked cool and calm. She smiled and jumped.

  Charlotte and Paulette jumped together. They held hands and did a double-dutch dance. Everyone cheered.

  I was mad. Before they came, little Dotty had a good chance of winning. Now here comes these two Nit Nowns doing something I never seen no one else do before.

  As the judges was deciding, I said to Mickey, "Maybe they won't pick those Nit Nowns. Nobody on this block likes them."

  The judges got up. "Okay, everybody quiet. The winners are Charlotte and Paulette."

  "I knew it, Mickey."

  Everybody went over to them like they was special. Mr. Sam brought over some ice cream and more sodas. We had a real party. One lady said to me, "You really know how to snap them ropes with a lot of rhythm."

  People started talking about how we was gonna have another 163rd Street block party and double-dutch contest next summer.

  The day after the party I was sitting on the stoop making a box out of some ice cream sticks. Mickey comes running over to me.

  "We going to Union Avenue so Charlotte and Paulette can show us that double-dutch dance."

  "What? You going to play with them raggedy girls?"

  "So? They going to teach us that dance. We need you to turn for us."

  "How can you play with them?"

  "We just going to learn that dance. Come on."

  Since Mickey and Dotty was my two best friends and since I was really kind of bored, I went too.

  When we got over to Union Avenue, the Nit Nowns was jumping double-dutch. Paulette spun around on one leg. The baby laughed and clapped.

  "Look how wild them girls act," I said to Mickey.

  "You just jealous," Mickey said.

  "No I ain't. I don't care about no double-dutch."

  When the Nit Nowns saw us they grinned and waved. I whispered to Mickey. "They acting friendly now, but them girls could turn on us in a minute. Run our butts right back to 163rd Street." Mickey ignored me. Dotty was already in the middle of the ropes acting the fool with Paulette.

  "Come on Doris, turn for us," Charlotte said. I tried to smile, but it was hard. Charlotte jumped in the ropes and she and Paulette did their dance. Mickey and Dotty watched, while me and Pauline turned. I got so interested in the dance they made up I forgot about how I didn't like them.

  Suddenly I felt something pulling at my shorts. I looked down. Baby Claudette was tugging at me. "Tun, tun," she said. We cracked up. Charlene ran over to her. "Come here Claudette," she said.

  I dropped the ropes and picked up the baby. "You too little to turn," I said. "Go on Charlene, you turn. I'll mind the baby for you."

  Claudette took my hand. I'd never noticed how cute she was. She had eyes that looked like they was always smiling.

  Now Mickey and Charlene was turning while Dotty and Charlotte did the dance. "Hey, Dotty, you look like you getting it," I laughed.

  Charlene came back over to me and Baby Claudette. I noticed that she wore the prize necklace. She saw me looking at it.

  "This is a beautiful necklace Lavinia's father made," she said.

  "Yeah. Maybe we'll have another double-dutch contest and I can win one for turning."

  "You want to wear it for a day?"

  "No. That's Charlotte's and Paulette's. They won it."

  "It's okay. I mean, all of us won it. The four of us made up the dance. We like that with everything. You remember yesterday Pauline had on this belt at the contest? I'm wearing it today. We all own it."

  I looked at the belt. But to tell you the truth, I never noticed the belt she wore yesterday. All I saw was her turned-over shoes.

  Charlene sat on the steps and I leaned over the bannister and played with Claudette.

  "Doris, you want to wear the necklace?"

  "I can't do that. You won that necklace; why should anyone else wear it?"

  I felt so ashamed about the way I talked about the Nit Nowns. Charlene was so nice and Baby Claudette was cute and friendly. I reached down in my pocket and pulled out the candy I was hiding from Mickey and Dotty and saving for myself.

  "You want some candy? Give the rest to your sisters."

  "Thanks, Doris. I got to go upstairs now."

  "For what?"

  "It's my turn to cook. My mother works all day, so we take care of everything. Pauline, come here and get Claudette."

  The baby sat down on the steps with a big piece of candy in her mouth and a big smile on her lips. She looked up at me and pulled my hand.

  "Nit nown," she said. Everybody laughed.

  "Okay Claudette, I'll nit nown with you."

  Well we didn't have to worry about the Nit Nowns chasing us home anymore. But you know how it is ... as soon as one problem gets settled, something else goes wrong.

  13. Dog Days

  Russell, Amir and Yellow Bird was always together. Sherman only came around sometimes now. It seemed like Big Russell wasn't mad all the time like he used to be.

  He was planning games. Like he planned a stickball game between the 163rd Street boys and the Union Avenue boys. He planned a volleyball game�
��boys against girls—for the Gospel Church Sunday School picnic. He got the boys to practice basketball every day so they'd be able to win the school tournament next spring.

  Mickey was sure it was Amir putting Big Russell up to all this. But I said, "Mickey, you know nobody can make Big Russell do something if he don't want to do it."

  But Amir was always there and he didn't play ball. He'd just be there watching and talking quietly. I couldn't understand how it seemed like he was with them and not with them at the same time.

  He didn't even play the games that we all played together in the evening—like hide-and-go-seek, kick-the-can, and hot-and-cold. He'd just be there and it would seem like he was playing, but he wasn't.

  The weather was real hot in August—my mother calls them dog days. Sometimes people get crazy when it's hot—especially when there's nothing to do but sit and sweat.

  One afternoon it was so hot nobody played anything. We just tried to find a shady spot on the stoop. That's when the mess started.

  Mickey said, "Where's Amir today?"

  I said, "He the only one got enough sense to stay in the house."

  I don't know who, but someone said, "What sense? I hear that boy's dumb. He ain't really our age. He way older."

  "How come he was the smartest one in the class?" I said.

  "He been left back so many times he knows all the work," Lavinia said.

  "That's ridiculous. How you know?"

  "I heard."

  "I heard the same thing," T.T. said. "That's why he acts like an old man."

  "That boy is smarter than all of you put together," I yelled.

  I thought Russell and Yellow Bird would defend their friend. All Russell said was, "Yeah. He's a little strange."

  "Russell, I thought you was his friend."

  He didn't say anything. Then I said, "Just 'cause he don't act like everyone else, why that make him dumb?" Then everyone jumped down my throat.

  "You like him," they said.

  "You sweet on little Amir."

  Even Russell and Bird laughed and joked. I didn't say anything. I was mad at all of them.

  Mickey said, "Ain't he a little too short for you? Y'all look like the odd couple."

  "Well, that's better than looking like Mickey Mouse's mama," I yelled.