The Water Is Wide by Pat Conroy Read Free Book Online

remember.”
    I returned to the classroom a chastened man. No more half-Nelsons on that particular day. I winked at Big C. Then I began the interrogation.
    â€œO.K., gang, loosen up. Shake those hands and feet. We are going to dust the cobwebs off those sweet little brains of ours. Prophet, you are going to have the opportunity to prove that you are a genius before all the world today. Carolina, you are going to shine like the sun. Everybody is going to look good.”
    One of the questionable themes developed in two years of teaching was the necessity to put students at complete ease. It worked well in Beaufort, but the Yamacraw kids looked at me as though I were a mentally deficient clown.
    â€œWhat country do we live in, gang? Everybody tell me at once,” I exhorted.
    No one said a word. Several of the kids looked at one another and shrugged their shoulders.
    â€œGang,” I continued, “what is the name of this grand old, red, white, and blue country of ours? The place where we live. The land of the free and the home of the brave.”
    Still there was silence.
    I was struggling for the right words to simplify the question even further. “Does anyone know what country we live in?” I asked again.
    No one answered. Each child sat before me with a pained and embarrassed look.
    â€œHave you ever heard of the United States of America?” I asked.
    â€œOh, yeh,” Mary, one of the eighth-grade girls said. “I heared it. I heared it in I pledge a legent to the flag of United States of America.”
    â€œThe Pledge of Allegiance. Good, Mary. Then you knew what country you live in.”
    â€œNo, just know pledge a legent.”
    â€œAll right, gang. Now the first golden nugget of information we are going to learn this year is that all of us live in the United States of America. Now the next thing I want someone to tell me is this: who is President of the United States in this year of 1969?” Again there was silence.
    â€œDoes anyone know?” I asked.
    Everyone shook his head. Frank raised his hand. “John F. Kennedy,” he said.
    â€œYeh,” the whole class answered, looking to me for approval.
    â€œYeh,” I responded. “That’s great, Frank. Why did you say Kennedy?”
    â€œHe good to colored man,” answered Frank.
    â€œYeh,” the class answered.
    â€œYeh,” I agreed.
    â€œCan anyone tell me who the first President of the United States was?”
    Silence again.
    â€œEver hear of George Washington?” I asked.
    Only a couple of students nodded their heads affirmatively. The rest had not.
    â€œWho can tell me who Willie Mays is?”
    No one could.
    â€œAll right, gang, relax. We are going to get off these goofy people for a while. I am sick and tired of talking about people. Let’s talk about water. Who can name me an ocean?”
    Fred looked at Top Cat and Top Cat looked at Fred, who was staring intently at me. None of them had ever heard of any ocean.
    â€œI’m going to give you a hint,” I said, “one of the oceans washes up against the shore of Yamacraw Island.”
    Cindy Lou lit up and shouted, “Oh, he mean the beach.”
    â€œThat’s right, Cindy. Now what is the name of the beach?”
    â€œThe beach, man,” she answered indignantly.
    â€œNo, I mean the name given to that whole ocean.”
    â€œI tole you it was the beach,” she said angrily.
    â€œO.K. It’s the beach,” I agreed. “But it also is called the Atlantic Ocean. Have any of you ever heard it called that?”
    All heads shook sadly and mournfully.
    â€œWell, don’t worry about it,” I continued. “That kind of stuff is easy to learn. Just by talking about it, without even thinking real hard, you have learned what ocean is by Yamacraw. Mary, if I were a stranger on this island and I met you on the beach and asked you what body of water this was I was walking next to,