The Castle Cross the Magnet Carter

by Kia Corthron

  Miss Onnie, he gonna starve! Look, the big cats won’t let him get no food!

  He ain’t gonna starve. Miss Onnie use her foot, push big cats out the way. Parker eat some. Then she let big cats back.

  I don’t think he got enough, Miss Onnie.

  Mine your business, little boy. Look at all them cats. Think I don’t know how to raise cats? Then she go to another dish, push big cats out the way so a little blacknwhite get a taste. I know how to care for the runt.

  Eliot! My mama callin.

  What’s the new family like?

  We in the kitchen, supper. Mama wanna know all bout the new white family movin in, askin Dwight.

  I don’t know. They okay.

  Tomarra’s lass day, Mama. Then summer vacation!

  I know. She answer me but eyes still on Dwight.

  Where they from?

  Ohio.

  They got kids?

  Yeah. Boy my age. Carl. He got a sister. Forget her name.

  What kinda work the daddy do?

  I don’t know! I jus met em today!

  Don’t get smart.

  I got my cat, Mama! I got Parker!

  Now she turn to me. Didn’t I tell you no cats?

  Miss Onnie say she take care a him for me!

  Oh. Ain’t Miss Onnie already got seventy-leventy cats?

  Ring. Mama get the phone.

  How come he move here today when he posed to be in school? I say.

  Where he moved from they already finished school. Don’t you go grillin me too.

  I stop grillin Dwight, eat my macaroni an cheese. I love macaroni an cheese!

  Mama come back. Why your teacher wanna see me tomarra?

  I wait for Dwight to answer, sometime he in trouble with his schoolwork! Then see him an her’s lookin at me.

  I don’t know. Maybe cuz I’m gettin the Perfect Attendance certificate!

  That didn’t sound like what it was.

  I peer through the bushes, I see all them cats but I can’t find Parker. Then I see him, bring him to our yard. Mama ain’t in the kitchen, I run in, get a bitta milk, lay it out our back porch for Parker. Nex mornin fore lass day a school I do the same: Parker’s breakfass. School half-day, then dismissal, all the kids gone but me. Me an Mama standin at Miss McAfee’s desk: cryin! cryin!

  Stop that cryin, boy! You did it.

  I didn’t mean to do it!

  Now how you didn’t mean to color in your schoolbooks.

  Jus one! Jus the readin book! I forgot I did it! I didn’t mean to!

  Well, Miss McAfee says. Miss McAfee look like Marian Anderson, smile like Marian Anderson cep today I see no teeth. Well. You have been the best behaved boy in the class all year, Eliot. I must say I’m surprised at you.

  Miss McAfee surprised at me! She only say that to the bad kids! I’m cryin!

  Stop that. Mama smack my arm. It don’t hurt my arm but it hurt my feelins. I try stop cryin.

  How much the damage gonna cost us, Miss McAfee? Worry her face. I almost start cryin again! I know we ain’t got no money!

  Well, say Miss McAfee. Since this is your first infraction. The teachers still have to be at school two more days. I want you to write one hundred times I shall not vandalize school property. Say it?

  I shall not vandalize school property.

  I’ve written it here for you. Now you copy it a hundred times, alright? You know what vandalize means? You know what property means?

  I get it from the contest.

  Context. But now she smile.

  I’ll use it in a sentence, that way I learn it. When you vandalize somebody’s property, you hurt their feelins.

  Very good. You’ll bring your paper back to me tomorrow?

  Yes.

  How much the damage gonna cost us, Miss McAfee?

  Miss McAfee shake her head, like we don’t gotta pay. Then she open her desk an pull out the certificate. Congratulations on perfect attendance, Eliot.

  I try smile but my eyes still wet. On Miss McAfee’s desk the book open for us to see, the pages I vandalized. Dick an Jane runnin with Spot the Dog. I took a brown crayon an colored in Dick an Jane.

  So I’ll see you tomorrow, Eliot.

  Yes.

  She turn to my mother. He never says Yes ma’am.

  Yes ma’am was from the slave days, say Mama. I told him I ever heard him say it, I’d smack him.

  When we outside Mama look at my certificate, look at my report card. In the firs grade they don’t give A-B-C-D but everything Miss McAfee write is high an lass thing she say

  Eliot is a superior student, of extraordinary curiosity and ability. It has been a delight to have had such a fast learner in my classroom. I could hardly keep up with him!

  Mama smile at my report card at my certificate. What kinda special cake I should bake for these? Chocolate?

  I wa’n’t expectin that!

  I set at the kitchen table, write it over an over while she mix the batter. She look at my work. Them P’s startin to get sloppy.

  Too many P’s in property! My arm tired!

  Okay, you take a little arm rest till I say.

  Okay! I stand, gonna find Parker.

  Stay right there.

  I set, sigh.

  If you hadn’t turned Dick an Jane colored, you wouldn’t have homework after the lass day a school. But her mouth turn up like to smile.

  In come Dwight.

  Where you been?

  Carl’s.

  Where’s your report card?

  Huh. Huh, where’d I put that?

  Find it.

  He do, an from the look on her face I know Dwight ain’t gettin no special cake tonight. She taken him upstairs but firs she look to me: Your break’s over.

  28. I shall not vandalize school property.

  After supper I lay out Parker’s supper milk, by nex mornin breakfass he expectin it, waitin for me! Then me an Mama walk my homework to Miss McAfee an she smile, ack like nothin bad never happened. She say, Have a good summer, Eliot! Don’t stop your reading! I say, Yes, Miss McAfee! Mama think ma’am is slave talk, even though Miss McAfee colored Mama say Don’t never say ma’am but still respeck your elders: Yes, not Yeah.

  Mama gone to Miss Idie’s part-time, I layin out Parker’s milk meal an here come Dwight.

  Better not let Mama catch you givin milk to that tabby. Fan your behine.

  Miss Onnie got too many cats. Parker don’t get enough!

  He get enough. Miss Onnie’s voice from behine the bushes. Dwight take off! I wanna take off but lee Parker fend hisself?

  Come ere, Yella Cat. I see her feet through the bushes but bushes high, Miss Onnie ain’t tall enough see over the top. Yella Cat, why she call Parker that? Yella ain’t a name! An he a tannie!

  Like it hang in the air, high over my head. Water sailin over them hedges, floatin below the clouds, then it fall. Splash! Parker scream an run, I run cry into my house. Everything happen fass! When Mama get home see me all wet I cry, I tell her how Miss Onnie threw the water over the bushes drownd me! Mama march me over there, bang bang Miss Onnie door. When Miss Onnie come, my Mama tongue flyin, han on her hip.

  Miss Onnie say I told that boy I take care a my cats. I don’t appreciate him lead em off, sneak feedin em milk at your house.

  My mama look down at me. What milk?

  Home I get the whippin. She take a switch! I cry an cry. You think we got money for milk wasted on cats? Then she say go tell Miss Onnie I ain’t gonna do that no more. I try wipe my face go over. My behine don’t hurt cuz Mama don’t never hit hard but I always forget that while she doin it.

  Where all the cats? Miss Onnie’s yard usually fulla cats, now I see none. Then I find em. They all inside Miss Onnie’s house at the windas lookin out. There’s Park
er. They all lookin out, backa the yard. Their mouths movin, they cryin to get out! But it kinda look like they singin to get out, they in the cat choir!

  There Miss Onnie backa the yard, throwin bread crumbs to the birds. The birds everywhere.

  Miss Onnie, how come you locked all them cats up inside?

  She don’t look at me, jus tossin the crumbs. Birds gotta eat too, she say. An shouldn’t have to worry they get et in the process. She got a lotta bread crumbs. The more she throw, the more birds come.

  I help?

  She open her bread crumb bag bigger. I put my han in. Me an Miss Onnie feedin the birds!

  Sorry I fed Parker when you said no, Miss Onnie. I won’t do that no more. Tear in my eye.

  She tossin.

  I said I’d take care a that cat, you ack like I’s a liar. I’m seventy-three never tole no lies, my mama name me Honesty. I stuck by it.

  DWIGHT

  You play badminton?

  Nope, but Carl show me how to set up the net, his backyard. Half-day, lass day a school. I beat him off the bat, 21–16. Nex game he givin me all manner a criticism on my serve, my swing. Still I win, 21–14. He pretty mad game three. Jumps way ahead, 17–11. Then I start closin in. 17–12. 17–13. 17–14. 17–15.

  I’m thirsty, he say. You want some iced tea? An he drop his racket like game over an go into his house. At the door he turn: Comin?

  I follow into his kitchen. We settin at the table drinkin, then some skinny teenage girl come in, hair light brown, darker n Carl’s blond. Short pigtails. Walk right by us like she ain’t surprised at all to see some colored boy, stranger in her house. She go straight to the icebox.

  I just made that iced tea! You drank it all?

  Carl smile an shrug.

  How many glasses you have?

  Carl still smilin, sayin nothin. I raise a finger.

  One. Maybe you had one, but he drank the rest of the pitcher before you got here. She slams the icebox door an walks out mad into the other rooms.

  You got sisters?

  I shake my head.

  God blessed you.

  I got a little brother.

  My piano lesson’s getting ready to start. Haven’t even unpacked and already she got a damn piano teacher coming over. You play?

  I shake my head.

  Come on, an he throw half his ice tea down the sink, then walk out for me to follow.

  The firs-floor room with the piano ain’t livin or dinin, an extra room they call the family room. He’s good. Somethin classical, somethin boogie woogie. He’s fast! Doorbell.

  There she is, you gotta go. Come over later, I’ll help you with that serve.

  Ain’t lookin forward to it but gotta go home sometime. Ain’t carried nothin from school but my report card an it I slip under a front porch slat, then I slip in through the back porch. But there she is, cross arms waitin for me. Eliot settin at the kitchen table writin somethin all teary.

  Where’s your report card?

  Huh. Huh, where’d I put that?

  Find it.

  An after I do: Why you get that D?

  No point lyin. I tell her we had to do a report on Civil Disobedience and a report on Benjamin Banneker an I didn’t do neither. I don’t tell her Mr. Darcy specially mad I didn’t turn in Benjamin Banneker when we go to Benjamin Banneker School.

  Now, summer vacation, she homeworkin me.

  Civil Disobedience

  By Henry David Thoreau

  That’s as far as I get when I look up out my window, see Carl tightnin his net. I’m back fore she get home from workin Miss Idie’s so how she find out I don’t know, but there she stand: Badminton? Badminton?!

  Her whippins most n genrally’s just a few smacks on the butt, they wouldn’t hurt much if it weren’t for my refusin to cry so she hit harder, it sting on the skin but sting harder on the inside, both us all the tears. So nex day I figure I go to the liebary, take the report seriouser.

  Civil Disobedience

  By Henry David Thoreau

  In Civil Disobedience, Henry David Thoreau says prison is “the only house in a slave State in which a free man can abide with honor.” Henry David Thoreau was very very mad about slavery and about war against Mexico. Henry David Thoreau was all for not paying taxes to support an injust government and went to jail for it. Henry David Thoreau wrote “Law never made men a whit more just; and, by means of their respect for it, even the well-disposed are daily made the agents of injustice.” Law began with the Magna Carta.

  Mr. Darcy liked quotes, an quotes adds words. Ninety-five. Ninety-six if you count “well-disposed” as two, one oh two if you count the title an “By Henry David Thoreau.” Mr. Darcy wanted the reports to be four hundred but my mother don’t know that. We had a separate lesson about the Magna Carta so thought I’d throw that in. I show it to her. You can do better than this for Benjamin Banneker. But I don’t have to start that till tomarra.

  Wanna sell lemonade?

  We go into the kitchen, his mother stirrin up the pitcher. She look up at me an smile. Hi Dwight. I filled the pitcher, plus two glasses extra for you boys now.

  We gotta make a sign, Carl says. We go up to his room, he pull out colored pencils an paper, write LEMONADE 2¢, neat enough. I gotta go to the bathroom, he says, an by the time he come back the LEMONADE 2¢ sign also feature a mouthwaterin pitcherful with ice an lemons, a flyin cow jumpin over a smilin man in the moon.

  What’s that got to do with lemonade?

  Customers will be drawn to the picture. Attract em. Then we sell.

  That’s wonderful, Dwight! says Mrs. Talley, walkin by with a basket a laundry. You have artistic talent. But I’m sure you’ve been told that before.

  Too much, says Carl, an takes another piece a paper to redo his minimalist design in three seconds flat, bringin it out with us no further discussion.

  Drunk Mr. White takes a cup, an Miss Onnie on her way to D’Angelo’s for eggs an butter, an Miss Priscilla an Miss Pauline out on their daily walk, the two elderly white sisters up the street always lived together. Carl asks me about each a our customers, but I hardly get out a sentence fore he’s announcin his own opinions, none of em good. It ain’t that he don’t like em exackly. He jus find em all funny, an not the kind a funny he’d tell em to their face.

  Then comes Roof. He stand right in fronta our table.

  Hi. All he say, look at me.

  Hi. This is Carl. This is Roof.

  Hello, say Carl smilin all polite so I know for sure he gonna badmouth Roof soon’s his back’s turned.

  Where you been? Roof asks me.

  Inside mostly. Punishment. My report card.

  Roof looks at Carl, then back at me.

  I woulda come up but I figured you was on punishment too. You tole me your report card was gonna be worse even n mine.

  I already got beat for that, an he glances at Carl again, then walks away.

  He your friend?

  Uh-huh. Sometimes.

  Roof?

  Rufus.

  Oh. I don’t wanna talk about Roof no more an I guess Carl gets this cuz he drop the subject, start goin on about Miss Priscilla an Miss Pauline’s funny lookin stockins again.

  When we up to thirty we call it a day, an I take him to D’Angelo’s. The penny-anny, Tootsie Rolls an Cracker Jacks an nigger babies an still fifteen to pocket. But Carl claim since it’s his mama’s lemon an sugar invested into it an his mama made it, he think it more n fair he keep ten an allow me a nickel. Then we do some badminton. He win the firs two an when the third get to be 19–13 my favor he suddenly remember he gotta clean his room, collect the rackets an head inside.

  That’s a forfeit, I say. My win.

  If it makes you proud to win by default, then sure, your victory, he say, shuttin the door behind him.

 
Nex day I’m settin on our front porch slidin chair not slidin, weighin the pro n con a Carl when here come Roof. I look over an he’s there, bottom a my porch steps lookin up at me. You wanna treasure hunt? he ask.

  The Messengill house couple blocks over is a piece a junk, broken windas an big holes in the floorboards, trashed out, whatever furniture leff stole long ago. Wunst I fell through the rotted-out steps goin up to the second floor. The Messengills was said to be rich, so the thing was to find treasure amongst the junk. What flies in the face a this wealth theory is the house is small, no mansion for sure, but then people comes back with it was only one a the Messengills’ houses. The only thing we ever come out with is a broken piece a chandelier or ole boot, which of course is wholly valuable.

  Okay, I answer. Maybe.

  Maybe?

  Yeah, okay. I glance toward Carl’s house an Roof follows my look.

  What’s he like?

  Carl? Oh he’s great. Taught me backgammon. You ever play backgammon? Like checkers but more complicated. Strategy. He’s got a nice board.

  How old is he?

  Our age! Guess he’ll be at your school in the fall. Badminton too! I helped him set the net up in his yard. See it? Now I start slidin in the slidin chair. His mother’s nice too, always bringin us snacks.

  So I got this idea. That ole fireplace, front room a Messengills. Them loose bricks. Remember? Where else treasure be buried?

  That lemonade stand, we cleaned up! Spent most on the penny-anny, but the leftovers we split.

  I show Roof my nickel. Roof’s eyes get slitty.

  You should hear him play the piano! Every time I go over there his mother makes us snacks. Lemonade, or apples an milk.

  You already said that.

  Yeah well. Just I was thinkin a showin him the path down to the crick today. So that might be a conflict with us an Messengills.

  Roof stare at me.

  Well, I guess me an Carl could go to the crick tomarra. I prolly should go down, let him know not to expect me today. By this point his mama prolly come to expect me too! Every day Carl want me there!

  His mama don’t mind niggers in her house?

  I stop rockin. Me an Roof’s eyes glued.