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It took Abby several minutes to convince them that she wasn't sick but thinking ahead. She knew that of the two of them, Kenji would be the one to understand. Patricia would fight it no matter what.
"We will do our best to comply with your wishes." Kenji replied.
"That's all that I'm asking for." Abby replied with a smile.
"Abby, are you sure that you aren't sick?" Patricia asked.
"I feel wonderful and plan to watch you graduate from medical school which reminds me. I am more than able and willing to watch the children to give you additional study time." Abby said changing the subject. "I can come here if you like or they can come to my house."
Patricia accepted grateful for any extra help that she could get. The science classes still worried her in spite of Kenji's belief that she would do well.
***
Saul made it through each work day with the help of some of the others. He knew that the light skinned was right and made every attempt to stay out of Dewey's way. If there was another confrontation, he would stand as he did before, but he wasn't going to look for trouble either. He noticed that he was rarely alone and if he was, Dewey was nowhere to be seen. He didn't get to properly thank the man who had spoken up first after Harry until a few days later.
The man, Clinton Walls accepted the thanks with a curt nod of his head and walked away. Saul finished his shift in considerable pain, but it was getting easier to do more of his own work. The swelling in his eyes had gone down enough that he could see adequately and the bruises while still a vivid black and blue were beginning to fade.
Dewey hadn't and wouldn't be forgetting about him anytime soon so Saul kept his guard up at all times. He also knew that it was only a matter of time before Dewey would manage to catch him alone. Joshua and Reggie had managed to find out who Dewey was and where he lived.
"We want to have a little talk with him." Reggie said.
"Please don't do that." Saul said. "I'll deal with it on my own."
It had taken him some hard talking to convince them not to interfere and a promise on his part that he would ask for help if he needed it. Neither man had been happy that he had gone back to work so soon, but they understood his rationale.
"Just watch your back." Reggie told him.
Reggie, Saul found out was Cora's nephew who was visiting for the holidays from Huntsville, Alabama. He had just arrived on the night of the fight with Dewey. He didn't find out about Saul until he got there. As the week passed, Saul and Reggie became friends. It was with Reggie that Saul discussed his future with and told the story of Jacob in its entirety.
"Your friend sounds a lot like Uncle Joshua." Reggie commented. "I also agree with Uncle Joshua in that Jacob was murdered in plain sight. The question is what are you going to do about it? The way I see it is that if you at least the ball rolling, it would go a long way toward honoring your friend."
"That's true, but what can they do from here?" Saul asked. "Who would believe a felon?"
"I can't answer the first question." Reggie replied. "But I can answer the second one. You have several things to your advantage. One, you're white. Felon or not, that's going to carry some weight.Two, you've already been in contact with that lawyer so you have a history with him and three, what you told him turned out to be true."
"The other issue is this," Saul said. "My family is still down there. If Ellis finds out that I've said anything he'll do something to them."
"If their safety wasn't an issue would you go see the lawyer?" Reggie asked.
"I ... Yes." Saul replied after a brief hesitation. "But how would I manage that? There is no one close by or at least no one that would help them."
"May I ask a personal question?" Reggie asked.
"I guess so." Saul replied.
"How does your mama feel about black folk?"
"Her feelings softened a little when I told her about Jacob." Saul replied. "Why do you ask?"
"I just had a thought, but if she doesn't care for black people; then it isn't an option. Are you sure that there's no place that they can go?"
"I'm sure." Saul replied.
"There is another option." Reggie said. "You could bring them here."
"Here?" Saul asked. "Where would they live?"
"I was just making a suggestion." Reggie said.
"I know." Saul said. "And as much as I like the idea, I don't have enough money saved to get them all here. But I still have a decision to make don't I?"
"Another personal question." Reggie said. "Why were you in prison?"
"I killed my father." Saul said. "He was hurting my sister and I hit him over the head with an iron skillet. I didn't mean to hit him as hard as I did, but... he died soon afterwards."
"Let me ask you another question." Reggie said. "Why didn't you take another way home last week? You knew that Dewey was waiting for you. And when you saw him; why didn't you run? You knew that there wasn't a chance in hell that you could win."
Saul thought about his answer.
"My father was a miserable man who thought that everyone needed to be as miserable as he was. The highlight of his day was watching us cringe when he came home from work. He was a bastard. But... he did teach me something and that was to never run from trouble. He used to say that once you run, you'll keep running. I knew that I was going to get my ass kicked, but I refused to run and I will never run."
"Saul," Reggie said after a moment. "Were you listening to yourself?"
He had been.
"Reggie, will you help me write a letter to my mother?" He asked.
"Of course." Reggie replied. "Have you thought about what you want to do with your life? Surely you don't want to be a bag boy forever."
"That's the other thing that I've been thinking about." Saul said. "I've never considered myself a religious man until I left South Carolina. Most of the people that I met on the train were Christian people who shared their food with a white man when they didn't have to. Going to church with Joshua and Cora has made me realize a few things... I think that I want to be a minister."
Reggie didn't speak for several minutes. Saul's revelation surprised him, but then; it really didn't. He admired Saul's quiet strength and courage.
"I think that you would be a good minister." Reggie said.
"Do you really think so?" Saul asked.
"Yes I do." Reggie replied. "What we need to do is to step up the pace on your learning to read as it stands now, you wouldn't make it through a college course. I plan on staying for a while and I'd be happy to help you."
"Reggie, what did you do before you came here?" Saul asked.
"I was a school teacher." Reggie replied with a smile. "Shall we go write that letter?"
****
Isadora was disappointed at how fast the visit home was going. She and Noah would be on the train the day after New Years for the journey back. Noah had decided to stay with them after he had gone back to his hotel room to find it ransacked. Most of his clothes had been shredded and the words "uppity nigger" had been scrawled on the room's only mirror and on the walls. Noah had made no comment other than he was glad that he thought to take his valise with him. When he checked out, the clerk told him that he had to pay for the damages to the room. Not wanting to start an argument that he knew he wouldn't win, Noah paid the extra money and checked out. It was another reminder of why he hated Mississippi.
Isadora walked to town on full alert. She listened to every sound, quickening her step if she heard anything that didn't sound right to her ears. Noah had asked if she wanted company, but she said no. She wanted to walk this walk so that she could refresh her memory.
She made it to town without incident and went to Mr. Whitman's office. Seeing that he was with a client, she walked to the general store to buy a few staples for her family. Noah had given her the money and told her to get whatever she could carry. She looked at the prices and decided to go to the same black owned store that Noah had bought the ham from. She knew that the Mr. Humphries would appreciate it and that Noah would approve.
She was at the back of the store and walking toward the entrance to leave when she heard him.
"Come on sugah" He was saying to someone. "The wedding is in a few weeks and I've already spent a fortune."
"Just this one thing... please?" A soft voice pleaded. "I promise that I won't ask for another thing."
"I believe that's what you said the last time." He said his tenor voice filled with amusement. "But go on, I'll meet you there."
Isadora was frozen in place, her mouth was dry and her heart was pounding so loud that she was sure that he could hear it. She waited until she heard the front door of the store open and close. Thinking that he had gone, she stepped out. Too late she realized her mistake and tried to step back; but he saw her.
"Well if it isn't the college girl." He drawled. "I heard that you were back." He said.
Isadora couldn't speak. She looked down unable to look into his leering face. She took a step backwards when he stepped closer to her.
"You've been the talk of the town." He said softly. "An attorney huh? I always knew that you were smart for a nigger. In fact, I always thought that you were too smart for your own good. But... you sure did feel good..."
Isadora's face burned at the memory and then anger set in. She looked up at him with eyes filled with fury and hate.
"If you like, I can set up a repeat performance... "
Isadora snapped. Before she realized what she was doing, she slapped him across the face as hard as she could. The store owner looked up and then looked away. He had no desire to get mixed up in whatever the mayor's son was into.
"I could have you arrested for laying hands on a white man." He said as he rubbed his cheek. "And then you could kiss that college education good bye."
Isadora took a shaky deep breath. He was right. She followed Noah's example and chose not to fight a fight that she had no hope of winning. She would concede the fight in order to win the war. But she wasn't leaving until she had her say.
"I hear that you're getting married." She said. "Congratulations."
He stepped back confused by her change in attitude.
"Enjoy your life while you can." She said. "I'm not threatening you; I'm just wishing you well and warning you that you'll see me again."
She pushed past him, decided not to wait for Mr. Whitman and took another way home. She no longer needed to refresh her memory. It was a longer walk by a mile and she got to the store just before Mr. Humphries was closing for lunch.
"You jus' caught me." Mr. Humphries said when she walked in. "What can I get ya?"
Soon Isadora had more than she could carry and needed to use the bike with the cart. As she biked the two miles home, she tried to forget the encounter in town. She wasn't ready to share her anger and outrage... not yet.
"What did you do?" Her mother asked. "Buy out the store?'
"I left a few things." Isadora said smiling.
Something about Isadora caught her mother's attention.
"You alright?" she asked.
"I'm fine." Isadora replied. "I'm just thinking about how fast the time flew."
"It sure did." Her mother agreed. "It was sure nice havin' you home."
"It was good to be here." Isadora said. "In a few years I'll be back."
"What you mean?" Her mother asked surprised. "Why you wanna come back here? There ain't nothing here."
"You're here." Isadora said wishing that she hadn't said anything. "This will always be home for me."
"I understand, but baby; this place has so much hatred. You need to be where you can do some good. This place ain't ready for you."
Isadora didn't reply. If she did, she would have to explain why she had to come back.
"We'll see." She said. "Graduation is a long ways off."
Noah stood on the other side of the door listening. He wanted to know why it was so important to Isadora that she came back. He also knew that she wouldn't tell him unless he revealed something about himself. Then the question became how badly he wanted to know what Isadora was hiding.
***
The first of Nick's family arrived on December 30. The rest of them would arrive on the morning of the 31st. He had given Abby's offer of having people stay with her some thought and decided that his parents would be a good match. His brother, sisters and their spouses would stay at a hotel. He didn't even consider Kenji and Patricia's offer. He already knew what the reaction would be and he wouldn't and couldn't do that to them.
He looked over at Hana who was dressing for the evening. He could tell that she was nervous even though she tried to hide it. It was at her insistence that they were even seeing his family before the wedding.
"Maybe if we meet before the wedding, all will be well." She said.
He didn't agree, but it was worth a shot. Then she invited Kenji, Patricia and the children along with John and Hattie. He tried to change her mind, but she stood firm.
"These are our family and I am not ashamed of them. I would rather have them meet tonight than tomorrow. If your family cannot accept ours, then they will have an opportunity to change their minds about attending the wedding."
Nick didn't like it, but conceded that she had a point. Kenji, Patricia and the others were informed of the probability of a problem. He strongly suggested that the children be left at home. Kenji agreed and asked Joel and Penny to babysit since they had no New Year's Eve plans.
Abby arrived first with Nick's parents. She had spent a day with them and had decided that if they left, it wouldn't be too soon. Nick's father grated on her nerves from the moment they walked in the door. His mother hadn't been much better.
"So do you know this Jap broad?" Louis Alexander asked.
"I know Hana quite well." Abby replied bristling.
"I'm sure that she's a nice woman." Julia, Nick's mother said. "But she's the enemy!"
"The war is over." Abby said. "And Hana was never an enemy to this country. In fact, many of those interred were born here."
"Planted as spies no doubt." Louis replied as he looked around the living room.
Abby bit her tongue. She could see that there was no reasoning with them. What amazed her was that given their own humble lifestyle, they were making snide remarks about the house.
"You don't have a pool?" Julia asked.
"No." Abby replied. "I don't swim."
"I don't know, but Nicky made this place sound like a resort." Louis said.
"Just what did Nicky say?" Abby asked.
"He said that we would be staying at a nice place... and I guess it is; it just isn't what we were expecting." Louis said.
"Louis, you're being rude." Julia said. "Thank you for opening your home to us." She said to Abby. "I smell dinner cooking; can I help you with something?"
"No, why don't you make yourselves at home?" Abby said wanting a few minutes to gather her wits.
She had just gone into the living room to announce dinner when she heard Nick's parents talking.
"Who are these people?" Julia was asking. "Is that a colored woman with a Jap? And that one must be her..."
"Those are photos of my family." Abby said interrupting them before they said anything to really set her off. "The lovely woman standing next to Nick is Hana. Standing next to her is her son Kenjiro and his wife Patricia. The two little ones are their children Ralph and Marie. The tall distinguished looking black man is Patricia's father John and the beautiful woman next to him is his wife Hattie who happens to make the best apple pie on this side of the earth."
Julia and Louis looked at each other and then at the photos.
"Are they going to be at the wedding?" Julia asked.
"Of course they are!" Abby snapped. "They're family aren't they?"
Julia blinked at her tone but said nothing. What had their son gotten himself into?
Dinner was tense at best, but Abby refused to apologize. If Louis and Julia decided to leave, she would take them to the train station herself. She was actually hoping that they would want to leave, but no such luck.
"Dinner was good, thank you." Julia said softly.
"You're welcome." Abby replied. "I have one of Hattie's pound cakes for dessert if you're ready."
"Hattie... she's the colored woman who makes the pies right?" Louis asked.
"Yes... would you care for a piece of cake?" Abby asked.
"You got coffee to go with it?" Louis asked.
"Of course." Abby replied gritting her teeth.
She got up from the table and began to gather the dirty dishes. Julia began to help her. When they were alone in the kitchen, she apologized.
"Louis is like any man," she said, "He's got his ways. I'm sorry if he offended you."
Abby wondered how parents like these could have raised someone like Nick. The bigger question was why their obvious bigotry didn't affect him more than it had.
"So do you really claim all of those people as family?" Julia asked as she scraped the plates.
"Yes I do and that includes Nick." Abby replied. "I should also tell you that I take offense to any snide or blatant comments that are made about any of them. The coffee is ready and the cups are in the cabinet next to the stove."
Abby wished that she could slip away and call Nick to give him a heads up, but the opportunity didn't present itself. She could only hope that he had a clue.
***
Hana finished dressing, kissed Nick and went to the kitchen to finish dinner. Nick followed her to the kitchen to help, but was caught by the ringing of the doorbell. He opened the door to let Abby and his parents in.
"Come in." he said a tad stiffly. He could already see the thoughts that were swirling around in his parents' head.
"I thought that you were some big time lawyer." His father said looking around the living room.
The comment reminded Nick of why he had never invited his family to visit. Instead of addressing the comment, Nick turned to his mother.
"Mom, you look great." He said as he kissed her on the cheek.
"And you're just as handsome as ever." Julia replied.
Nick greeted Abby next murmuring a thank you in her ear. He could only imagine what the last several hours had been like for her. A moment later, Hana came in from the kitchen.
"Hana honey, come meet my parents." Nick said holding his hand out to her.
Hana walked toward him and took his hand relieved when he pulled her into his side.
"Mom, Dad; this is Hana . Sweetheart, this is my mother Julia and my father Louis. The others should be here soon."
"Welcome to our home." Hana said with a shy smile and bow. "Please sit down. Dinner will be ready as soon as the others arrive."
No one missed the fact that Nick's parents hadn't spoken to Hana when she addressed them. Instead they stared at Hana as if she was something other than human. It took Nick making the same suggestion before anyone moved. By the time they were sitting. Kenji and Patricia and the others with the exception of the rest of Nick's family had arrived.
The introductions if possible, were even tenser than before. The tension rose to the roof when Nick's siblings and their spouses arrived. His Brother, Tyler had fought in Germany and had participated in D-Day. Both of his sisters' husband's had fought in the war with one of them fighting in the Pacific arena.
When Tyler looked around the room taking in the sea of multicolored faces, he swore.
"Is this fucking for real?" He asked. "Are you really going to marry a Jap?"
Nick didn't answer at first. He was trying to contain his anger.
"And then you got these... people here."
The room was quiet. No one said a word until Nick's brother-in-law Douglass opened his mouth.
"Damn Nick, not only are you marrying a Jap, you got the coloreds in here too. But to be honest with you, I'd rather see you marry one of them. At least they were born here."
