Evelyn knocked on Annie Mae Woods’s door. They had planned to go to a meeting about the school closing at the church hall.
The dead bolt slid, and the door opened wide.
“Hello, Sissy. Is your mama ready?”
Sissy stepped back without answering and gestured toward her mother, who stood in the kitchen. She had just put the phone back on the hook.
“What’s wrong?” Evelyn asked.
“Frank’s not home yet. Something happened.” Annie Mae’s face clouded with worry. “He claimed to have an early football practice, but I knew it wasn’t true. He overslept, and I delayed him more by asking him to take his sisters to school.”
“Yes, I saw him walking Rachel to her line,” said Evelyn.
“But he didn’t meet her after school. It’s not like him, Evelyn.”
Worry surged through Evelyn’s body.
“Annie Mae, there was a problem in the morning at the high school. We got a note to keep the children inside at recess. That’s all I heard.”
“A problem? What kind of problem?”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t know. All the reporters and the folks with signs were gone when we walked into the school at lunchtime.”
“Reporters? Signs?” Annie Mae clutched her hands to her chest. “Sissy, why didn’t you tell me?”
“I’m sorry, Mama. I didn’t want to get you upset. Frank took Pearl and me into school after the dog scared us.”
“A dog? Sissy! What else?”
“Come to the meeting,” Evelyn said. “Leave Sissy with Rachel and bring James along. The reverend might know more.”
Annie Mae hesitated but then nodded.
The church’s heavy door creaked when Evelyn pushed it open. The reverend was sorting pamphlets beneath a large, arched window. She caught his worried expression before he managed to mask it.
“Good evening, Evelyn, Annie Mae—and look at this fine boy. Hello, James. Why, doesn’t he look just like his daddy, God rest his soul.”
“Good evening, Reverend,” Evelyn said. “Can we help you with that?”
“No, no. Praise to God, and have a seat in His house. I believe we’ll wait for the others before I share the news.”
Alarm spread over Annie Mae’s face.
Evelyn spoke first. “Reverend, Frank hasn’t come home from school yet. Do you know something about that?”
“Frank? No, I didn’t hear—”
The church door flew open with such force that it blew the pamphlets the reverend had just sorted. Evelyn wasn’t surprised to see their friend Mavis enter. Her grand entrance almost knocked off the smooth pixie-style wig she insisted on wearing. Mavis didn’t mean to attract attention, but she always did.
“Evening, Reverend. Evening, Evelyn. And Annie Mae—hoo, hoo! Look at James! Not a baby anymore. Those hands, those feet. Like a puppy, he is. He’ll grow into ’em. Be bigger than your boy Frank. No one can get past Frank on the field. Best fullback this town has ever seen!”
A stream of people followed Mavis, filling the church with energy and concern. Men came in their overalls from the tire factory, women in their maids’ uniforms, and civilian clerks from the army base in their tidy suits and skirts.
Evelyn counted more than thirty people. She could see that they were all feeling the day’s heat as she wiped her own brow. The hard wooden pews didn’t provide much comfort, either.
Reverend Wilford stood at the front of the room. “Welcome to the Lord’s house. Let’s begin with a prayer.”
Pray hard, Evelyn thought. Pray for wisdom. Pray for peace.
After the prayer, the reverend looked uncomfortable and pulled at his white collar, as if to let some steam out. “Good people, Mr. Peterson came to speak to me last night. He has concerns over some decisions beyond his control.
“As you know, today is the first day that our children were placed in the white school. We will face challenges, but the first is our football team. Rumor has it that the coaches of the white team are putting our players in as second string.”
Annie Mae gasped. All eyes turned toward her.
Mavis shouted what everyone was thinking: “Frank is counting on that football scholarship! What about the Thanksgiving game?”
The reverend pulled at his collar again. He spoke slowly. “All that I can tell you now is that Mr. Peterson and I are meeting with the coaches to try to resolve this issue.”
Everyone started talking, finishing each other’s thoughts.
“Reverend, you know this is going to get hot.”
“We might hear things, but …”
“Doubtful we can stop it.”
Evelyn didn’t miss how Annie Mae tried to hide her tears by sneezing into her handkerchief.
The reverend cleared his throat. “We don’t want anyone to get into trouble or get hurt. We must learn from what happened in other towns. Back in August, there was a fight at the New Egypt High School.”
People shook their heads, muttering.
“There was a riot—colored against whites.”
“The police teargassed the colored students.”
“Two hundred arrested.”
The room fell silent as the church door creaked open again. One of the high school cheerleaders burst in. She shouted, “Six students have been arrested! Miz Woods, Sissy told me you were here. Frank needs you at the police station.”
Evelyn gasped as she looked at Annie Mae.
Pray for wisdom.