Push by Sapphire Read Free Book Online

beginning," and pick a piece of chalk out her purse and walk to the board. She write A on the board, she hand the chalk to Jermaine. Jermaine write B. Jermaine hand it to Consuelo, she write C. Consuelo hand it to Rhonda she write D. Rhonda hand it to Rita. Rita take a step and start to cry. Miz Rain say we all in this together. All us say E real loud, Rita go up
    'n write E, hand me chalk 'n I write F and so it go.
    Then we sits back down all at once, that make us laff, and Miz Rain say this is the beginning, there are twenty-six letters in the alphabet, they all have a sound. These letters make up all the words in our language. Please open your notebook, write the date, October 19, 1987, then write the alphabet in your notebook.
    After we write the alphabet in our notebook we recite it out loud together. Miz Rain say go home and practice saying it 'n saying it. On Wednesday she gonna ask each one to stand up and deliver.
    Jermaine say, "Spoze I know it already?" Miz Rain say, "Then it should be no problem for you."
    But I remember Jermaine write Q after 0 instead of P. I remember that. I gonna practice. I sure am. Miz Rain say on Wednesday she gonna talk to us about keeping a journal. Tell us again we gotta bring in another notebook for to be our journal. How is a journal different from a notebook I wanna ask but I never asked a question before in school.
    I feels little music in my head. I know I'm tripping.
    I feel the baby in my stomach. Don't feel good. I try not to think about my stomach big like this—
    the heavy pressing down on my bladder parts, like a fucking watermelon under my skin. See a doctor? My muver want me to go get on welfare.
    But I'm on welfare—hers. It's like you know, I know she ain't gonna get money for me I am' in school; she gonna always get money for my daughter 'cause she retarded. Maybe somethin'
    gonna be wrong wif this baby too. I don't care, maybe if new baby Down Sinder I can get my own check.
    But I don't know if I want check. I wonder what reading books be like.
    Miz Rain say we almost finished for the day, say she wanna spend some time with each student in little office room to side before we go. Say she gonna call us out one by one in alphabetical order. I feel panicking panicking— I don't know alphabetical order—whas that!
    Miz Rain say she be in little office, get up, then say unsure like, I never seen teacher unsure ('less you gettin' ready to hit 'era). She say, "Yall can call me Blue if you want." I look her like she crazy—why we want that? I might say some bad things I get mad or somebody fuck with me or somethin', but I try to show respect for peoples.
    So I say to myself, No, Miz Rain, I don't want call you Blue. "Or ... or," she says, "Rain, some people jus' call me Rain." Her voice got a country soun' to it. Jermaine says, "I like that, Rain." Don'
    nobody else say nothing.
    Rhonda git up after Miz Rain gone. Rhonda something.

    "OK, look at alphabets," she say loud. I wanna say you am' got to talk so loud, but I don't. "OK,"
    she say, "which name go first."
    Consuelo say, "I guess that's me." I wanna know why but I don't ask. I see Rhonda somethin' else of a lady. Wifout me axin', she say, "You git it Precious?" I says, "No." She say, "Look at the alphabets—anybody name start wif A in here." I shake my head. "Z??" I shake my head no. "C?"
    Don't shake my head. "Good!" she say. She say,
    "Consuelo start wif C, she first." She write: 1. Consuelo
    Who next? she axes me. I don't know. She point to D, E, F, G. I look Jermaine. Jermaine say, "My name start wif jr Rhonda go, H, I J— I point Jermaine. Now it's:
    Consuelo
    Jermaine
    Miz Rain stick head in door. Rhonda say, "Give us five." Miz Rain smile us 'n go back out.
    Rhonda go, UK, L, M, N, O, P—"
    UP for Precious!" I hollers. "I'm next." "You got it, you got it," Rhonda say.
    Consuelo
    Jermaine
    Precious
    "Q, R-"

    "Rita!" Thas Rita shout that. "I'm R too." Rhonda quiz us, "Which go first me or her?" Jermaine say,