Let Me Be Your Undead Hero

The police officers told her they actually had good news. Keith Rogers confessed. Oh, yeah. He confessed everything. Officer Carol Anne Webber assured Deirdre that Keith would never trouble her again. He'd get tossed out of the school and do some jail time for sure. Domestic violence was unacceptable under Louisiana state law. Regardless of the race or gender of the individuals involved. Officer Luther Kingston approached Thaddeus Sherman. The young giant actually tensed. The old Black cop looked the tall young Black man up and down. Then he held out his hand for him to shake. Thaddeus Sherman hesitated. In his time, he'd been hunted by men in uniforms who carried guns. And not all of them had been White. Sometimes, the wealthy white men and white women who owned slaves used Negroes to hunt down and capture or kill escaped slaves. Some Negroes who were freedmen made their living as slave catchers for wealthy white folks. Thaddeus lived in a time when not even his own kind could be trusted. Still, there was something different about this dark-skinned man in the pale blue uniform. He seemed sincere. Thaddeus Sherman finally shook the man's hand. Dr. Samantha Winston smiled. Deirdre Blackstone beamed. Officer Carol Anne Webber let out a sigh of relief. She'd really hate to have to take on someone Thaddeus Sherman's size. Besides, the young man was a hero and she would have felt awful if she had to take him down. And then everybody in the room was laughing, nervously at first then with true relief and happiness.

The police had questions for Thaddeus Sherman, but he insisted he had to go home before dawn. He gave officer Luther Winston his word of honor that he'd be back the following night. The old Black policeman nodded. Thaddeus seemed like a man of his word. Deirdre Blackstone looked at Thaddeus with something like awe and adoration in her eyes. For a weirdo in loincloths, he spoke classical English like a true scholar instead of 'ebonics' like many of her male and female classmates. Also, he was very respectful to women. She saw that in his deference to her as well as Dr. Samantha Winston and officer Carol Anne Webber. He was strange, but she owed him her life. He promised her he'd visit her the following night. She had so many questions. Where was he from? He spoke like an educated man...and he seemed more athletic than any man she'd ever seen. Like a Superman almost. Where did he go to school? Why was he dressed like that? So many questions. He refused to give her his cell phone or address, and blinked in surprise when she asked about his Facebook. Apparently, he didn't believe in social networking. Deirdre hugged Thaddeus tightly as he bent down to eye level in order to say goodbye. Gently she kissed him on the cheek. Thaddeus Sherman blinked in surprise. Then he smiled nervously. Deirdre smiled too. She decided that he had a nice smile. He was handsome, actually. And just like that, he leapt out the hospital room's open window, wearing the hospital gown and no shoes. Deirdre shook her head and smiled. Black men....can't live with them...can't live without them....got to love them. Officers Webber and Kingston blinked in surprise, but Dr. Winston laughed. The kid sure knew how to make an exit...

Thaddeus Sherman ran back to the park where he'd spent the past two hundred and seven years. When dawn came, it found him at his usual spot on the hill. He expected the sun's rays to turn him into stone as they had every dawn for the past two centuries. As he waited for the sun to do its work and transform him into stone, he felt a pang of regret. He hated having to lie to Deirdre, the officers and the lady doctor like that. Still, he had no choice. He had to get back to his silent vigil at the park. To wait another decade to become flesh and blood again. He smiled as he thought of Deirdre's beautiful face and kind smile while waiting for the sun's rays to transform him. That morning, they didn't. He remained flesh and blood. Stunned, he looked at the early morning sunlight for the first time since his death. He suddenly realized that his heart was thundering in his chest. He was alive! The towering young Black man began laughing so hard the old guys who came to the park every morning to play chess thought he was crazy. One of them went back to his minivan and offered the suddenly shivering young African-American a jacket and some pants, along with some boots. He'd been planning on donating them to the Salvation Army but this homeless young fellow looked like he needed them. Thaddeus Sherman smiled and thanked the old White man for his kindness. Then he hugged him so hard the old guy almost had a heart attack. Thaddeus gently put him down, and while the old man cursed, he took off. Thaddeus Sherman, a man who'd been undead for more than two centuries, suddenly found himself alive. He had to get back to the hospital....there was a woman he wanted to see.

A year and a half later....Thaddeus Sherman, leading scorer for the Louisiana Tech University Bulldogs men's basketball team, led his team in smashing the San Jose State men's basketball team. The score was eighty six to thirty nine when the buzzer hit for the final time. Thanks to the athletic demigod Thaddeus Sherman, the Louisiana Tech University men's basketball team had a shot at making the Final Four in their division for the first time in ages. It had really been a great game. Afterwards, the towering young Black man smiled at everyone but basically ignored the media and the fans. Instead he went to his favorite person in the world, his adoring girlfriend....Louisiana Tech University head cheerleader Deirdre Blackstone. He swept the diminutive yet spectacularly beautiful young Black woman in his arms and kissed her passionately. Then he shook hands with her parents, Michael and Julia Blackstone, who had come from Plymouth, Massachusetts, to watch the final game of the regular season.

Over the past year, the rich old New Englanders had grown to love the handsome young Black man who saved their beloved daughter's life. Especially after his testimony put the abusive Keith Rogers away for a long time. They would do anything for their daughter and the man she loved. Thaddeus had been stunned to discover that White people these days sometimes adopted young Blacks and lovingly raised them as their own. He was also astonished to learn that the President of the United States was the offspring of a proud son of Africa, and he'd been elected by a white majority. Thaddeus found Deirdre's parents eccentric, and he was awed by how much the world had changed in two centuries. Still, he knew the world had definitely changed for the better. As for Michael and Julia Blackstone, since they loved his Deirdre, how could he not love them too? They helped him in many ways. Such as creating an identity for him, along with a fake but passable birth certificate, a social security number and other essentials. He'd done the rest himself, with Deirdre's encouragement and support of course.

Thaddeus Sherman studied for his G.E.D. and applied to Louisiana Tech University. He aced the entrance exam, and won an academic scholarship rather than an athletic one. His knowledge of U.S. history astonished many of his new professors. Some of them were disappointed that he wanted to study Criminal Justice instead of history but they respected his choices. He was doing very well academically, exceeding everyone's expectations. He'd become good friends with Ruston police officers Carol Anne Webber and Luther Kingston. He got to know Mr. Kingston and his family, and learned a lot from them. Thus, he stopped thinking of himself and others as Negroes. He had outgrown the centuries-old term and become something more. He was a proud African-American college man ( and future police officer) now. Just as he stunned every team that came his way as he led the L.A. Tech men's basketball team from victory to victory. Thaddeus held his beloved Deirdre in his arms and almost cried tears of joy. It was amazing how much he loved this young woman. Deirdre saw Thaddeus holding back tears of joy and gently kissed the man she loved on the lips. For all his size and strength, he was a big teddy bear at heart. Her sweetheart...and future husband.