Guardian by Julius Lester Read Free Book Online Page B

focused on anyone or anything. Sweat glistens on his forehead and above his upper lip.
    â€œWhat about it, Bert? Is that nigger telling the truth?”
    Bert recognizes Zeph’s voice. “Well, Willie claims Zeph done this,” he says in a hoarse voice, as if he has swallowed his tears. “But—but no white man would do that to a white girl just entering the flower of southern womanhood.”
    Though Bert spoke so softly that only those next to him could hear, the crowd does not need to hear his words. They know what Bert had to say if he was going to continue living in Davis.
    â€œAnybody gon’ over to Shireville to get the sheriff?” someone asks.
    â€œHe’s gon’ fishing with his brother-in-law.”
    â€œShouldn’t we wait for him?”
    â€œFor what? We know who done it, and we know what needs to be done.”
    â€œAnd the sheriff would be mighty angry if we brought him back from his fishing trip to deal with a nigger.”
    â€œThat’s the God’s truth!”
    And the crowd moves Willie toward the square, toward the large oak tree.
    Ansel does not understand. “Big Willie didn’t do it, Papa,” he says to his father in a quiet voice, mindful of Reverend and Mrs. Dennis at the front of the church, looking down at their daughter’s body.
    â€œWell, we don’t actually know that,” Bert responds to his son.
    â€œYes, we do,” Ansel insists. “That’s Zeph’s knife. Everybody knows that’s his knife. And Zeph is all bloody.”
    â€œThis is grown-ups’ business,” Bert responds, angry now. “You hear me? We didn’t see a damn thing. You understand me?”
    Just then Reverend Dennis walks up.
    â€œBert? I believe the boys could probably use some of that good stout rope from your store. My daughterwould be alive if I hadn’t let you talk me into hiring that nigger. We all knew he was crazy. What in God’s name were you thinking wanting that nigger to work here where he could do what he did to my daughter?”
    â€œReverend, I—”
    â€œThe boys could use some rope, Bert.”
    â€œYes, Reverend. Let’s go, Ansel.”
    â€œGet the rope by yourself!” Ansel says.
    Bert grabs Ansel’s upper arm and squeezes it tightly as he hurries him outside. “You listen to me,” his voice quiet but hard. “I don’t like this any more than you do. Don’t you think I know it’s wrong? Well, I do, but what I think is right and wrong is different from what they say is right and wrong. And at this moment, what I think is right and wrong ain’t worth pig slop. You’re going to come with me to get the rope, and we’re going to stay around and watch whatever happens, whether we want to or not.”
    2.
    When Bert and Ansel return to the square with the rope, a large bonfire is blazing beneath the tree. The crowd has swelled in size, and it looks like everybody in town is there. Though the fire only intensifies the stultifying heat of the night, the fire also makes it easy to see, and everyone’s eyes are on Big Willie.
    Two men hold him tightly by the arms while another ties his hands behind his back. Willie is bare chested because someone has ripped off his khaki shirt with its military stripe. His face is bloody, and blood pours from his mouth because anyone who wants to hit him does, using an ax handle someone took from Anderson’s Store because everybody knows you’ll break your hand if you hit a nigger’s hard head with your fist.
    Willie would have been beaten into unconsciousness if someone hadn’t realized it would be better to keep him conscious so he would know, so he would feel what was happening to him.
    Ansel looks around for his mother but doesn’t see her. He didn’t expect to. He sees her parents, though, his grandparents. He scarcely knows them becausehis mother does not let him visit them nor