Guardian by Julius Lester Read Free Book Online

around your age. Before I know it, you’ll be ready to take over from me.”
    Ansel does not know what to say. He liked helping his father, but when he tries to imagine working in the store for the rest of his life, he can’t.
    If only he knew what he wanted. Until he does, he doesn’t see any point in saying anything to his father.
    As father and son cross the street to the car, they see Big Willie hurrying out the front door of the church. He looks quickly to his right and left, and seeing Bert and Ansel, he runs to them.
    â€œMistah Bert, suh! I’m glad it’s you. Yes, suh!” Willie is a tall and rather ungainly young man. His face looks as if it absorbed every death he witnessed, those he was agent of and those he was not. He is wearing a khaki military shirt with a private’s stripe on the sleeve. But the shirt is dirty and torn, as if he has not taken it off since his discharge.
    â€œWasn’t me, Mistah Bert. No, suh! I didn’t have nothing to do with it, but I know I’m gon’ get blamed for it. Something like this happen, nigger gets blamed every time. Yes, suh. Sho’ do. But I ain’t done it.”
    â€œWhat are you talking about, Willie?”
    Willie points toward the church. “I seen him. I seen him just as sho’ as I’m seeing you and Mistah Ansel. Yes, suh. The young Mistah Zeph.”
    Bert hurries to the church and goes inside. In the dim light at the front, he sees and does not want to believe what he sees.
    â€œAnsel! Go outside!”
    Instead of doing what his father tells him, Ansel says, “Papa? What’s he doing?”
    Zeph Davis the Third turns at the sounds of the voices. In his right hand is a knife. It is slick withblood. On the floor in front of the altar lies a body, the skirt raised to reveal her nakedness.
    Ansel does not wait for an answer from his father, who is still trying to understand what he is seeing. Ansel screams, “Mary Susan! Mary Susan!” and runs to the front of the church. He stops and stares at her nakedness. Then, realizing what he is doing, he pulls down the skirt to cover her.
    In doing so, he sees a ripped blouse and severed bra. The exposed breasts are red and slick with blood.
    He wants to stare, but feels that he shouldn’t, that Mary Susan would not want him to.
    He takes the blood-soaked blouse and pulls both sides over her bared breasts, careful not to touch them.
    Zeph looks rapidly from Ansel to Bert, back and forth, back and forth, breathing heavily, not knowing what to do, what to say.
    Then he sees Big Willie in the shadows at the back of the church.
    â€œHe did it!” Zeph shouts, pointing at Big Willie. “He did it!”
    â€œMistah Bert? Suh, look at me. Ain’t no bloodnowhere on me. Look at him. He covered with blood, her blood.”
    â€œYou know niggers, Bert!” Zeph breaks in. “They do all kinds of stuff with roots. That nigger probably got a mojo that can take blood off his hands.”
    â€œI seen him, Mistah Bert. I seen him. I was up in the balcony. I likes to sit up there when no one’s around. It’s real peaceful.
    â€œThat’s where I was when the preacher’s girl, Miz Mary, come in. I wanted to leave right then ’cause I knowed it wouldn’t look good if I was alone in the same place with a white woman. But wasn’t no way I could get out without her hearing. Seein’ me, she might get the wrong idea and start screaming. So I just stayed right still.
    â€œShe went to the altar and knelt down to pray. I wondered what could be weighing so heavy on the heart of someone as young as she was. If she’d been a nigger gal, I could understand. Us niggers need all the prayer we can get. Yes, suh.
    â€œMiz Mary hadn’t been there long when I heard the door of the church open and he come in. I thought maybe the two of them had decided to meet up together at the church, but when she turned aroundto see