just wanted the night before to be a bad dream, but I knew it wasnât. I knew he was lying back there in the Low Meadows, waiting for Mr. Gordon to come for him.
By the time I had eaten my fourth biscuit my belly and heart were both hurting.
I looked out the window at the menfolk.
It scared me to death when Mr. Gordon opened the double doors to the casket factory. I could see caskets stacked on top of one another like âbacco in the âbacco barn after we finished priming.
âBean, how do you know all of this? Were you in the room with Mr. Bro. Wiley when he died?â Mrs. Gordon asked.
âNo, maâam. I was in the hallway. I reckon I was acting just like somebody with no manners. I was listening in and I peeped sometimes to see all that I could see.â
I wanted Mrs. Gordon to stop asking questions so I could hear what the menfolk were saying. That way I could go back and tell Pole. But she never broke a row. She asked me a million questions.
Next thing I knew TJ and LJ drove up. I reckon they enjoyed having a telephone. Mr. Gordon put one in the twin brothersâ house, because he knew that death might come at any time and he would have to call them. TJ and LJ married twin sisters named Lessie and Bessie. They all lived together and them sisters shoâ did some bragging about having a telephone. Miss Lottie Pearl said there was no need for them to brag âcause they ainât got a soul to call. The only other coloreds with a telephone are the Creecys. But Lessie and Bessie werenât thinking about Miss Lottie Pearl. They bragged whenever they pleased.
âTime-time to go,â Papa yelled to me.
âThank you for the biscuits,â I told Mrs. Gordon. âBye, Miss Margie,â I said.
âSee you later, young man,â she said as kindly as if I was a white boy.
Mrs. Gordon followed me to the back door and waved at the men.
âGood morning, fellows,â she said to the twins.
âMorninâ, Mrs. Gordon.â TJ and LJ tipped their hats and waved back.
While she was waving, I remembered what Miss Lottie Pearl told us to ask Mrs. Gordon.
âMrs. Gordon, Papa forgot to tell you that Miss Lottie Pearl would like for you to call up to Chicago to let the white folk know that Mr. Bro. Wiley dead. She want them to get word to Willie as soon as possible.â
âYou tell Lottie Pearl that I will do it today and for her not to worry.â
âHop in, Bean. We-we riding home with Mr. Gordon. Iâll come back for Mule Bennett before the sun goes down,â Papa said.
âOkay, Papa, and I told Miss Gordon what to tell Willieâs boss.â I said it with pride because I remembered. Then I looked at the hearse.
âWe riding in the dead folksâ car?â
âNo, son, in my car,â Mr. Gordon said. âThe hearse is to bring the body back to town.â
I couldnât believe it. I had never been in a new car before. I rode in Mr. Thomasâs work truck all the time and Uncle Goatâs car even though it broke down once a week. Mr. Gordon held the back door of his Ford for meâand just for a moment, I was a king. I looked at the silver dashboard with the nice radio. I could smell the black leather. I rubbed my hand on the seat. It was soft as butter.
Mr. Gordon winked at Papa. He was grown and he could wink all he pleased, but I was as happy as a tick on a dog.
The rest of the coloreds might be in a Depression but judging from his car I could tell Mr. Gordon wasnât hurting for money. Papa always said folk ainât gonna stop dying, so Mr. Gordon wonât run out of money.
TJ and LJ followed us in the hearse. Folk walking and driving on Main Street slowed down for the funeral car out of respect. The colored women downtown shopping for the white folk waved.
Mamaâs friend and Mrs. Carterâs maid, Miss Lillian, yelled out to Papa: âIz Mr. Bro. Wiley gone?â She had enough smarts to know