All the Days Past, All the Days to Come: List 1

Man and I chose to be more prudent and sat several rows behind the curtain on the other side of the aisle.

As we stepped off the bus, whites waiting to board, unaware of what the holdup was, stepped aside to let us pass. They would board the bus and take our seats. Now Little Man and I had no recourse but to walk the miles to home.

The bus soon passed us and as it did, we stepped back into the forest to avoid the billowing dust.

We were both apprehensive, for we could not see who was driving.

“You looking good! Course, looks like the Army took a few pounds off you.”
“They’ll take a few pounds off you too when they call you up,” Little Man wryly returned with a slow smile.

Stalwart Christopher-John punched at his own stomach. “Well, maybe I can use that!”

Big Ma, too, was busy cooking, taking care of the house as well as the fields, and Stacey, who was not that old himself, was a big help to them in seeing after Christopher-John, Little Man, and me—especially Little Man, who for a while seemed to be threatened continuously with some physical ailment or impending catastrophe.

Another time a bull got loose; Papa had smashed a dexterous two-fisted punch into the face of the bull and stopped its charge toward Little Man.

But when Stacey was drafted, he was deferred because of his health.

But when Stacey was drafted, he was deferred because of his health.

Throughout our lives we had existed under the dominance of white people, had been required to be subservient to them, with no equal rights, and we had no desire to go fight more white people overseas for the white people oppressing us here.

I was long-legged, honey-toned in skin color, and the vibrant green suit that I wore, with its fitted bodice and A-line skirt cut off right below my knees, complemented me well.

I was long-legged, honey-toned in skin color, and the vibrant green suit that I wore, with its fitted bodice and A-line skirt cut off right below my knees, complemented me well.

The first time I received letters from the boys, I was incensed that so much of what they wanted us to know had been censored out.

There was always activity in the house, other young people stopping by, boisterous moments and laughter and youthful fun.

Papa had told Stacey to wait until after the war, when Christopher-John and Man would be coming back. Stacey had conceded to them, even though we all knew the opportunity to go north was now.

There was no outburst of anger, no animosity in his voice, just a statement of fact.

As he began to empty it, she said emphatically, “You’re not going anywhere, Robert.”

On one side of it was a rundown ramshackle house with unpainted wooden siding blackened with age and a huge barn in the backyard filled with rats.

The remodeling and the additions were a boon for Stacey and Dee.

That was back in early ’42, when Stacey came home from Memphis, where he was working as a trucker driving big rigs and living with Aunt Callie’s son Percy and his family.

Rie was the first Logan grandchild and everybody fawned over her.

In the summer, the heat was different, a stifling hot muggy heat that permeated the small building and seemed only to be made worse by the open screen door that allowed in the racket of the passing traffic.

In the summer, the heat was different, a stifling hot muggy heat that permeated the small building and seemed only to be made worse by the open screen door that allowed in the racket of the passing traffic.

Opening the file, he perused it for a few seconds before looking at me again.

“I also need a nurse in here.”
He became indignant. “Why? I’m a doctor!”

I was sick of the bigotry.

“Girl, you must be nuts!” surmised Henry.

"Moe didn’t have to go in with me,” I protested sullenly.

I took his chastising, but then defended lamely, “Like I said, it was the principle of the thing.”

He smiled bemusedly my way. “Course now, the police didn’t take any names about that theater incident and that was at my request..."

You and Cassie weren’t implicated in that attack on those Mississippi boys. Like I told the detective who asked me about all this, I don’t know the name Moe Turner.

Mr. Wade Jamison was a white man, a lawyer, a powerful figure in the county, and could be a formidable foe.

With so many soldiers returning, the rumors of layoffs at Willys Overland were now rampant.

“Thought he’d want to keep Morris there. He’s always doted on Morris.”

“I wasn’t saying that,” Dee demurred.

Dee allowed a contrite smile. “Well...that was different.”

Stacey was adamant. “You’ve never done it and I won’t have you doing it!”

“Or I could put my salary up as collateral,” I volunteered.

“All right then, if you insist. We’ll make you a loan, but like we said, not against the bonds.” Stanislaus glanced at Leo, who concurred. “We’ll call it an unsecured loan.”