Evelyn smoothed her shirtwaist dress as she got behind the wheel of her car. She took a deep breath to calm herself. How many board meetings had she attended as the liaison for the Parent Teacher Association? But this one was different. She had been powerless, but now she had a plan. She had been told to retain her class, just like Colleen and two other teachers. Except for the student walkouts, the desegregation of the Kettle Creek Schools had avoided more serious confrontations and personal injury. Tonight could be different. Even Annie Mae was riled up. She was the force behind the group that was insisting on an emergency meeting of the school board.
As Evelyn drove along the unpaved streets of her neighborhood, she passed small groups of students walking toward the main road. She noticed that they were carrying blankets. Puzzled, she stopped her car. As she rolled down the window to speak to a group, one of them came over to her. It was Sissy, Frank’s sister, and right behind her were her friends Kendra and Pearl.
“Sissy, where are you going?”
“Oh, hi, Miz Glover. We’re just walking to our high school to meet some friends.”
“With blankets? Does your mama know what you’re doing?”
“No, she left the house right after dinner for the parish school board meeting.”
Kendra and Pearl stood back, whispering to each other, shifting from one foot to the other as they waited for Sissy. They looked nervous.
Evelyn called them over. “Where are your manners? Don’t you greet your old third-grade teacher?”
As the girls approached the car, Evelyn could see that they also had food wrapped in bags under the blankets they were balancing. She realized the rumors must be true: the students were on the way to their old high school and were prepared to stay.
“Oh, Miz Glover, please don’t tell us to go home. We have to go.”
Evelyn was impressed that these children, as she still thought of them, had the courage to stand with the seniors to protest the graduation decision. She was on her way to the board meeting to do the same. Even if she told them to leave, she knew they’d just return after she drove away. They had more spirit than she did. The year had worn her down. And she worried about what the next year would bring.
Evelyn recalled a recent newspaper interview with the superintendent, which described the “professionalism” of teachers who had worked through the closing and the unifying of the Kettle Creek Schools. The superintendent credited the staff for the smooth transition. “We should hire good teachers, pay them well, and provide them with the tools they need. … The keys to good schools are good teachers. … Failure in schools is due to teachers who are not flexible, who don’t have enthusiasm or love for the children.”
Clearly, he didn’t know the staff at West Hill Elementary. He had hired good teachers. If the school board had provided them with the tools they needed, things would have been better. Would any teachers retire or move away after this school year? Evelyn wondered what would happen to her.
“Miz Glover, are you okay?” Sissy’s voice brought her back to the present. She realized the girls were staring at her silently.
“Promise me you’ll be careful and run home if there’s any trouble. Can you do that?”
“We promise, Miz Glover.”
Evelyn left the girls and drove onto the pavement with a worried heart. She knew that Annie Mae would not be happy with her decision to let them go. Annie Mae thought her daughter was home, but at least Evelyn knew where Sissy really was. Who’s watching Rachel and Baby James? Oh, Lordy, did I do the right thing?
As she passed the high school, she saw that it was still boarded up and locked. The only lights were from the streetlamps near the parking lot. Students were quietly gathering in the side yard, laying down blankets. It looked peaceful, as if they were going to have a picnic.
The five-mile drive down Highway 179 seemed longer than usual and very still. She scanned the road. Shouldn’t there be more traffic? She tapped her fingers on the steering wheel. How many folks would be there? That question was answered as she searched for a parking spot. Was she late? Had she missed it? The lot was full; some cars were on the lawn, and a few were parked diagonally along the side roads, making it difficult to pass. She finally found a spot past the white high school and had to walk two blocks to Kettle Creek Elementary.