His Own Where by June Jordan Read Free Book Online

Angela.”
    Angela don’t answer right away. Buddy waiting for the answer. Look at her face and feel himself not strong enough to help.
    Angela go on. “They have this system. Points.
More times you go to Mass the more points you be collecting. Points mean you get privileges. Like boys once a month. Or going home for a weekend. So you try for points. Next thing you know you start feeling like already you a nun. I’m fourteen and I think about what be happening when I grow up. Do I want to be like my mother. Do I want to be a nun. And I don’t know between my mother and a nun. I don’t know no more.”
    Angela sound funny. Hoarse. Buddy feel scare that she will cry.
    “Angela! I break you outa here!”
    “What you mean? What you saying?”
    “Listen baby, I mean liberation. Here and now! All you gotta do is follow me!”
    Tears come from Angela.
     
    And Buddy feel himself whirl around and run back to the building.
    Angela running after him.
    Buddy bolting room by room trying to find a signal.
    Find the dining room bell. And ring the bell and ring the bell and ring the bell. All the sisters run to the parlor look like overheated penguins.
    All the girls run to the parlor, look like children.
    Buddy ring the bell like bells be going outa style.
    Bell, bell, bell.

    He make a speech: “In the name of the Father, in the name of the Son, in the name of the Mother who got together with the Father and got that Son, I liberate my Angela, here and now. This is Eastertime in Middlebrook. Love is rising up. Love is rising up. I tell you, Jesus was a one hundred percent, hip to the living, female-loving dude. A loving dude.”
    Buddy make his speech, the nuns come flying at him. Gray robes, black and shapeless clouds of cloth material.
    Buddy dodge among the nuns, and cry out,
    “Peace, peace, sister. Find yourself a priest.”
    Everything be all confuse, the sisters grabbing at each other, wide sleeves flapping furious, headpiece falling off.
    The girls thrash to the doorway. Sisters like obstacles to impede and block their passage. The girls in sweaters, sisters in robes. Buddy yelling, “Peace, find yourself a priest.”
    Buddy grab Angela and tackle through three sisters, their weight bewildering their movements. Buddy say, “Sing, Angela, you be singing. This is liberation!” Angela not say nothing, stay close behind Buddy. Reach the doorsill. Start they running out to the car. Get inside, discover other girls be hiding in the car. Waiting for the lift, waiting for liberation.
    Buddy start the car, the car take off, they on they way. And speeding.

    Tears continue from her eyes and Buddy standing still in front of Angela. Hands at his side.
    Angela say, “Buddy, next weekend they let me go home. Visit my family for the weekend. Buddy. You want me to come to you then?”
    Buddy answer her yes. His head feel hot. His eyes feel hot. His body cold. They plan together what will happen. When she leave her parents Sunday for the trip back up to Middlebrook. Then instead she will come to the house of Buddy and his father. Then they will then they will then they will do what they have to do. For liberation.

thirteen
    buddy believing that alive mean go. He do it. He go there. Do this. Do that. Not so much the speed, but the pattern. Do it. Go there. Make a pattern. Break a pattern. Back and forward, round and round. Curve and drift. Stop to start. Start to stop. Blur and solid:
    When I’m alone with you
All my worries taking flight
All my sadness out of sight
When I’m alone with you
When I’m alone with you
When I’m alone
With you alone.
    Buddy trying to prepare for love inside the house of his father. He nail together and he sand things smooth. Clean and clear. Write down write up long list of things he wish that he could spread around for Angela to see. Then he sit down quiet thinking songs and thinking of his father. Think-how they Angela and Buddy have to find a way to stay together.

    Angela come back to Brooklyn with