The Castle Cross the Magnet Carter

by Kia Corthron

  That was a different club.

  The total membership a that White Only club from lass week was you an your sisters till they quit at supper time.

  This is a different club!

  Giggle giggle. Lucy Deucy laughin, buryin her head in the hangin laundry sheets.

  This one’s the Tarzan Club. No! The Train Club. I can be the engineer an you can be the porter.

  How about I be the engineer an you be the porter?

  Okay, he says. Picks up a piece a glass an pricks his finger.

  I ain’t doin blood brothers with you no more, Roof, you got a different club every week, my fingers is sore.

  This one’ll last.

  A winda opens from the second floor. It’s Tisa. She steps right out on the roof over that extended firs floor back room, walks down to the ledge, hangs off a few seconds, then drops to the ground. Like a circus every day at Roof’s!

  I wanna be in the club, Tisa says, standin on the ground like that five-foot fall wa’n’t even fazin.

  Nope. Only open to peoples seen the inside of a train. You ain’t.

  She turns to me. I can be parta the club, Dwight?

  I shrug. His club, I say. There’s pink, an pastels ain’t so common in jus ten pieces a chalk.

  Lucy Deucy chokes for a second on grass she jus ate. Roof goes over an I think he gonna smack her back like I done Eliot but instead he give her a hard smack on her behine. She screamin.

  How many times you told not to eat grass? he says, grabbin her under her arms an bringin her up the steps. Miss Ray Anne opens up the door.

  What’s goin on? Oh hi Dwight honey.

  Eatin grass again, says Roof, handin his sister to his mother.

  Miss Ray Anne’s skinny as a beanpole cep for that great big belly she’s carryin another three weeks.

  How many times you been told? Miss Ray Anne sets Lucy Deucy on the floor inside, now hollerin her head off.

  That’s nice, Dwight. Tarzan an Jane an the lightnin bugs. Miss Ray Anne admirin my work, like she don’t even hear Lucy Deucy.

  Thank you.

  You sure are an artist. You know that girl plays Jane’s only sixteen years old? Then she goes back in, steppin right over howlin Lucy. Lucy wails a while longer settin inside a the door, then gets up to go upstairs still shriekin.

  I’ll do spit brothers, I offer.

  Okay. We both know spit ain’t strong a bond as blood but it’s far as I’m goin today. We spit on our palms, shake.

  This club is exclusive, says Roof, catchin Tisa out the corner of his eye. Only people seen the baggage car on the train get in. I don’t look up from my work but sense her givin him the glare.

  Blacks can get in too, he go on, if ya got the right qualifications.

  What did you call me?

  Colored.

  I got my own club, says Tisa, settin on a half-buried tire. Exclusive. I know she don’t even know the word.

  Like we wanna be a part of some girls’ club.

  You can’t but Dwight can. We meet by the dock every Thursday. It’s called the Swimmers Club.

  I look up. Roof snaps hard eyes at his sister. The door opens, Miss Ray Anne holdin Lucy Deucy who unbelievably ain’t decreased her holler volume one iota.

  Who dipped this soup out an only ate half? Her eyes on Tisa. Tisa groans, stomps back inside. When the door’s shut an it’s half-quiet Roof walks over to the fence, leans his back against it. I sure am lookin forward to the seventh a June, he says.

  Sixt, I correct. That’s the lass day.

  Seventh. The sixt she gonna warm my behine wunst she sees my report card. He take off his shoes an wade in a mud puddle. I flunk every test, he say, but always I pass. D-minus D-minus D-minus. Cuz what teacher gonna write F an sentence herself to another year a me? He find this little wood fishin rod an start fishin in his puddle. So sixt, last day a school be hell. But seventh. That be starta my freedom.

  Finish my sketch. Can I keep this chalk? If yaw ain’t gonna use it.

  We’re gonna use it.

  It was stuck in the groun for the wind an the rain.

  We’re gonna use it.

  I throw the whole dang box back down in the yard. Then come down myself. Couple Budweiser bottles, few bricks. Baby bike half buried in the dirt, takes some muscle to pull it out. Roof kickin aroun his puddle. This water here’s plenty deep enough for me, he says.

  Roof’s scared a the water, Roof can’t swim. I ride aroun on the little bike, my knees high in the air like some circus clown.

  Hey. Think I got a bite, says Roof, an liffs his fishin rod out, a little metal part magnetized to a filthy pink fish an a filthy blue fish, the catch a the day.

  ELIOT

  Here come the train! Here come the train!

  Through the mountains, roun the bend. Humble got lotsa mountains, Humble in the valley mountains all roun, someday I climb them Apple-layshun Mountains! He wavin the flag! The man wavin the flag, Mama!

  I know. She lookin down the railroad tracks, her lips turn up to smile. If ain’t no peoples gettin on the train, the man don’t wave the flag. If the man don’t wave the flag, the train don’t stop in Humble! Them days we hope Daddy can get to the winda, wave at us while the train roll past. But the man wavin the flag! Hoppin, Mama hole my han tight for fear I run out in the tracks, I won’t!

  Train slow, slow. Stop. Mama an me look up an down, where they get off?

  There he is! There’s my daddy let the peoples off! I try to run but Mama hole my han tight. It almost nine at night but sometime she let me come see Daddy. He put down the step, they step down, he take their suitcase, hole it for em they step down. When the peoples all off he turn aroun, grin at me an Mama, we come hug tight! Then his grin fall down. Where’s Dwight?

  I hollered for him. Off with Roof prolly. He be here Friday.

  Daddy always happy! happy! see me an Mama. But always the happy lose somethin he don’t see Dwight. We here, Daddy! We here!

  My daddy train porter the Capitol Limited, New York go to Worshinton go to Chicago Chicago back to Worshinton back to New York, train stop in Humble on the way! Twenty-one hours goin to Chicago, then he gotta stay there all day till nex train goin back to New York, then he gotta spend the night till nex train back to Chicago, sometime six days past fore I see my daddy! Goin to Chicago he stop in Humble right fore bedtime but comin back from Chicago happen 5:30 in the mornin, Mama don’t wanna wake us so we can only see him sometime comin but she get up see him comin an goin.

  Dark when we get home. Dwight better be there or he in trouble!

  Where was you? I hollered for you when we went to see your daddy.

  Dwight shrug. Roof’s. I don’t know. He settin at the kitchen table drawrin.

  Well I tole him you gonna see him goin on Friday.

  He shadin in his drawrin, say nothin. She smack his arm.

  What!

  You heard me.

  I heardja! I’ll be there Friday!

  Don’t gimme no lip! He sigh.

  In bed Dwight sleep, I listen to the rain. Dwight useta wanna go every time Daddy goin through town. He don’t see the sad Daddy get, We here, Daddy! The rain harder, make me gotta pee! I don’t like walkin to the bathroom in the dark by myself! Dwight. Dwight!

  What.

  I gotta pee!

  He mad but get outa bed come with me. One time he wouldn’t an I got so scared to go by myself I didn’t. He hit me an I started cryin, an she mad at him, Why’s he cryin? an I think Dwight gonna get in trouble but when she find out I’m cryin cuz Dwight hit me cuz I peed the bed then she hit me! How old are you, boy? She tell him he don’t never have to go with me but he say Yeah, an I’m the one have to sleep in the wet bed with him, so after that he always come with me if I wake up gotta go.

  Relief! But I gotta run cuz soon’s I’
m done Dwight headed back to the bed, even fore I pull up my underpants! He do that on purpose!

  Why you play with Roof when you pose to come see Daddy? You useta come all the time see Daddy with me an Mama! His back to me, he say, Cuz I ain’t a big baby like you. I say, I’ma tell Mama an Daddy you said that. He don’t say nothin but I know his eyes goin all rolly, even in the dark.

  I dream I got a new playfriend we climb the trees. She’s dirty, she’s Roof’s little sister that died, I don’t know her name. When I wake up I don’t tell no one bout my dream. Mama say I gotta be nice to Roof cuz his little sister died. But she say don’t never say nothin to Roof bout his sister but sometime I wonder bout his sister. Whatta you starin at? Roof say. Button my lip! I say an run off. There’s other dirty white families Mama call em white trash but one time me an Mama alone in the kitchen an I call Roof’s dirty white family white trash an Mama slap my arm.

  Here come the train! My mama hole me tight while my daddy the porter help the peoples off the train, take their suitcases for em. He turn aroun to us. He look tired, tired. The porters got very long shiffs, Mama say, they get very short rests. He come to Mama an me smilin an then he raise his face an his face got the worry. Where’s Dwight?

  Mama surprised. He was jus here—

  Dwight come out the train station, done bought a red hot cimmamon ball, suckin on it. I notice he didn’t buy none for nobody else!

  Boy, whatchu doin in there! your daddy’s train pullin up.

  Dwight look at her, but mostly his eyes on Daddy. Daddy oughta whoop him good, fronta all these peoples. He prolly think he’s too big for that. Hahaha!

  But Daddy don’t look like he gonna whoop him. Come ere son, say Daddy. Dwight do an Daddy give that miscreant the warmest hug of all. I seen miscreant on Dwight’s vocabulary list. Miss McAfee said you learn a vocabulary word by usin it in a sentence so I jus did.

  DWIGHT

  There’s us an nex to us is Miss Onnie an nex to Miss Onnie Cooper’s. Coopers was this ole white couple, spry when I was little, later feeble, later dead. For a few months after some grown man granson from Virginia’d show up occasionally, an eventually For Sale out front.

  Train Club last about two days. Then I suggest the Architeck Club, which Roof ain’t a speck impressed on till I commence siftin through his well-stocked junkyard an start erectin my tower with what I find, now he all interest. Hey Dwight, how bout some planks from this ole cart for the castle? How bout wheels from this toy wagon, how bout this doll head for a gargoyle? I say tower, Roof say castle, we meanin the same. Yet all the time our mind on Cooper’s, findin excuses to walk down the street an glance over, but no move-ins never show up.

  Then Thursday after school. Day before lass day, big fat movin truck an two white men struggling with a couch up the eight porch steps. The white school jus three blocks away so Roof always beat me home, Roof already there grinnin at me.

  Toldja, he say. We set on Mr. White’s brick wall, it stand about a foot an a half off the groun. Mr. White’s colored, Mr. White’s a ole drunk lives direckly crost from Cooper’s, he don’t mind we set here, our front-row eye view.

  Now the movin men pullin twin beds out the trunk. See? says Roof, like I ever disputed him on whether there was kids in the move-in family. We haven’t yet seen anybody from the move-in family. Jus the movin truck which is enormous, and the movin men which is several. Next: piano. Not the big black gran kind like in the Ginger n Freds. Just a regular brown but me an Roof sure ain’t seen nothin like it cep school.

  They’re rich, Roof says, all awe.

  An art! The movin men’s liftin big flat things wrapped in cloth, an one a the cloths slips off an I see these ain’t framed family photographs, these is paintings! An a big heavy heavy desk with carvins all meticulous, a black wastebasket hand-painted Japanese ladies!

  Roof!

  His mother. He grumblin, Cuz I didn’t take the garbage out.

  Roof! She got a powerful holler, even with her stomach overflowin with baby.

  What!

  Come take the garbage out like I toldja!

  Roof all sarcasm: Like our kitchen, you really can tell the difference between what’s garbage an what ain’t. But he goes.

  Vanity. Two a the men holdin the bottom the drawers removed, one walkin sideways with the meer. Accidentally the meer bang gainst the hangin porch swing. The hangin porch swing was the Coopers’, come with the house. It’s a scratch maybe, no tragedy, but the front door fly open an a white lady pop out, Please be careful!

  Hi.

  I give a start! Didn’t see this white boy standin before me. Look to be bout my age. Blond.

  Where you live?

  I point.

  You like backgammon?

  What’s backgammon?

  You like checkers?

  I nod.

  Backgammon’s like checkers, except smarter. Come ere. I’ll graduate you.

  He walk ahead, leadin me right into his house, right through the front door while the movers is negotiatin the queen-size headboard. Follow him upstairs.

  This is my room. I look aroun. Still bare cept a twin bed with nekked mattresses, little dresser.

  This whole room yours? You don’t gotta share?

  My sister got her own room.

  He lay out the board an the checkers a backgammon an we set on the floor. A little studyin to remember the setup patterns but besides that I catch on quick. He wins two games an we deep in the third.

  Carl!

  I figure it’s the same white lady tole the movers Please be careful. I look at the boy. He don’t look up.

  Carl!

  His eyes don’t budge from studyin his nex move, like he’s deaf to the woman. Maybe she’s callin his brother? He got a brother?

  Her footsteps comin up the stairs. When she reach the top, Carl! Didn’t you hear me oh! Hello!

  Even though she yellin at him, her voice all soff, smilin.

  Hi.

  Carl, you didn’t tell me you had a friend.

  I guess you got the hang of this goddamn game cuz this time you goddamn gonna win, an with that he make the suicide move which he got no choice to do. My eyes pop out my head! This boy cussin in fronta his mama?

  What’s your friend’s name, Carl? Sweet as roses.

  I don’t know, he says, lookin at me. What’s your name, friend?

  Dwight.

  Well Dwight, I just went out and got a few groceries. Would you like an apple? And some milk?

  Yes, please.

  Carl?

  You plannin on movin today or tomorrow, Dwight?

  We on the fifth game, him wantin to make up for losin the lass two, when she comes up with two glasses a milk an two apples sliced up pretty on two saucers, like tea with the queen.

  You’re learning from the best, she says. Carl was runner-up to his school’s backgammon champion.

  He cheated! Carl snaps.

  I’m Mrs. Talley.

  Thank you, Mrs. Talley, an I take a delicious sip to demonstrate my appreciation.

  Then Carl turns to her for the firs time, smilin. Thank you, Mom.

  Now she smiles big. Well I’ll leave you two boys alone, an she turns an leaves.

  Should I shut the door so we’re not disturbed again? Carl asks while she still most definitely in earshot. Before I can answer he stans an slams the door so hard I hear somethin fall an crash downstairs. Carl rolls. Doubles! He snaps his fingers, happy-skippin his men roun the board as I wait for Mrs. Talley to come stompin back up the steps an scream at him. But all I hear’s the sound of a broom sweepin below an though I stay till my suppertime I never see her rest a the day.

  ELIOT

  Whatchu cryin for?

  I stop. There Miss Onnie, where she come from? Starin at me, big blue eyes steel eyes.

  I
ast you a question, boy. Settin on the curve blubberin.

  Now I blubberin loud. Jeanine uncle gonna drownd Parker!

  She look at me hard.

  My kitten! Bea Ann say Jeanine don’t give em all away before June the fith, Jeanine uncle gonna take em to the crick, drownd em! An my mama won’t lemme take Parker! An today June the fith!

  Stop that bawlin!

  I stop it but I got the hiccups.

  Bring it here.

  Lookin at her.

  Bring the damn thing here. If it ain’t diseased, I’ll take it.

  I run! Miss Onnie savin Parker’s life! Miss Onnie the nicest white lady I know! There’s Jeanine!

  What?

  Miss Onnie savin Parker’s life!

  Huh?

  Miss Onnie say if tannie kitten ain’t diseased, she take him!

  He ain’t diseased.

  She take him!

  Jeanine go inside her house. Somethin smell nice smell warm from her kitchen. She come back out with Parker.

  Parker! Take him in my arms, he gettin big! Miss Onnie savin Parker’s life so your uncle don’t drownd him!

  Uh-uh. He was gonna take the whole nest but we give all the rest of em away. This the only one leff. Mama said the kitten all big, like a real person now, Uncle Ramonlee don’t got the heart. You wanna brownie?

  Me an Jeanine at Jeanine’s kitchen table, brownies all warm.

  I ain’t goin, says Uncle Ramonlee. Damn white man’s war.

  Well maybe it ain’t gonna happen, says Jeanine’s mama.

  Oh it gonna happen.

  Well maybe they won’t call you.

  Oh they gonna call me. Nineteen, why won’t they call me? All them white boys gonna need some colored service, whip up the slop for em, kitchen. Not me.

  Miss Onnie! Miss Onnie! I got the cat, here’s Parker!

  Miss Onnie feedin her cats in her yard, all wantin the milk, all wantin the scraps. Mama say Miss Onnie got seventy-leventy cats!

  Lemme see.

  Miss Onnie take Parker, she look him over head to toe.

  Okay. I got my girls fixed anyhow, he won’t be botherin em.

  She drop Parker in with the rest. He fightin for the food. Them big cats won’t let him in!