I Will Love You Forever Pt. 2 Ch. 14

After class, Ernie stood up and then waited for Joel.

"Look, I know that you have no reason to believe me; but I really am sorry about what I did to you. I could have ruined your career because of something that I didn't really believe in. I just wanted to be accepted and yes, I know that isn't an excuse; but that's how it was. I'm sorry."

Joel looked at Ernie and was going to walk away, but changed his mind.

"I understand wanting to belong somewhere." He said. "I've spent most of my life wishing for that, but I didn't join a group whose beliefs consisted of hatred and I definitely never hurt anyone to meet that need. But you know; part of what happened to me was my fault. Maybe if I had stood up to you cowards it wouldn't have happened."

Joel stopped, a look of realization crossed his face and then he chuckled.

"I just realized something." He said. "I just called you a coward and that's exactly what I was. I was too afraid to stand up for myself and when I did, it was because I knew that Kenji was behind me. You're here alone... Look, we may never be friends, but let's move on shall we? I mean belaboring the past isn't going to change it is it?"

"No." Ernie agreed. "It isn't, but I just wanted to tell you again how sorry I am and to thank you for your help with this class."

"You're welcome." Joel replied and walked away feeling like a weight had been lifted from him. He hadn't realized how heavy the burden of anger had been.

*****

Patricia sat in her usual spot in class relishing the feeling of being back in school. Like before, no one sat with her; but she had gotten used to it. In fact, she had come to prefer it. With her luck she would have ended up sitting with a chatterbox who insisted on whispering throughout the class.

When the instructor came in, he nodded at her and went about setting up for the class. When the class started, he made an announcement.

"In an attempt to give you all a real break from school for the holidays, I'm giving you a choice as to when you do your big paper. You can either do it early or you can do it over break, your preference. If you decide to do it early, remember the parameters that I gave you. If you don't recall, check your syllabus. If you will also remember, I told you that once the paper is handed in; it won't be returned so that you can modify it. Now, books and papers away; I have a pop quiz for you."

Every one moaned except Patricia. She loved the pop quizzes. To her they were part of a bigger game and a challenge. While the instructor passed out the quizzes, she thought about Kenji hoping that nothing too exciting was happening with him. The last time he had been in class Andrew Kelly had a gun.

After class was over, she went to the library to study while she waited for Kenji and Joel. They had two more classes which gave her plenty of time to study. While she studied, she decided to see if she could get her paper done early. To have the holidays completely free of schoolwork appealed to her. The next issue was the topic. She took out a sheet of paper and began to compose a list of possible topics. After she had a list of ten topics, she began to eliminate the ones that she was sure she wasn't interested in. She stopped and looked around when she felt eyes on her.

*****

Isadora and Maeve decided to go to the library after class to do research for Maeve's paper. The subject of Maeve going home with Isadora hadn't come up again and Isadora had taken a wait and see stance.

"Maeve are you sure about your topic?" Isadora asked. "I'm not sure that you can get a five thousand word paper out of it."

"I'm sure and besides it's an easy topic." Maeve replied.

"Maybe that's the problem." Isadora countered. "It may be an easy topic but it doesn't meet all of the criteria."

"What are you saying?" Maeve asked.

"I'm saying that maybe we need to choose another topic. It isn't as if you have half the paper written." Isadora replied.

"I know, but I was hoping that Professor Clark would make an exception. He likes me you know." Maeve replied.

Isadora rolled her eyes.

"Maeve the man is married and he's older than dirt. Has he ever cut anyone a break?" Isadora asked. "Remember when that student, what's his name? Anyway, he didn't get an assignment done because of a family emergency. When he told Professor Clark about it, what did he say? 'Young man, your personal troubles are not my business.' And then he failed him for not having the assignment done."

"Alright you've made your point." Maeve said with resignation in her voice. "So what do you suggest?"

"It needs to be something that you know about but also something that has all of the sources that he requires." Isadora replied.

She was going to say something else when she saw Patricia. She was so surprised to see another black female that she was briefly speechless.

"Who is that?" She asked when she recovered.

"That's Patricia Takeda." Maeve replied.

"Takeda?" Isadora asked still looking at Patricia.

"Her husband is Japanese." Maeve explained. "It was them that the hate group was after."

"She was brave enough to marry a Japanese man?" Isadora asked impressed.

"He goes to school here too. I think he's a medical student." Maeve said not noticing that Isadora had started walking away. "Hey! Where are you going?" she called when she realized that Isadora wasn't listening.

Isadora stopped and waited for Maeve to catch up.

"Where are you going?" Maeve asked again.

"I'm going to introduce myself." Isadora replied thinking that it was obvious what she was planning to do.

"You're just going to walk up to her and introduce yourself? Maybe she doesn't want to be bothered." Maeve said.

"You can go start figuring out what the topic of your paper is going to be if you want, but I'm going to introduce myself to her." Isadora said briefly looking away from Patricia to look at Maeve. When she turned back to Patricia, she was being assessed by a pair of warm brown eyes.

"Alright, I'm coming with you." Maeve said. The fact of the matter was, she had wanted to meet Patricia and didn't have the nerve to go up to her and introduce herself.

Maeve followed Isadora to the table where Patricia was sitting and waited for Isadora to make the introductions.

"Hello." Isadora said with a smile. "I'm Isadora Hughes and this is my friend Maeve."

"I'm Patricia Takeda; it's nice to meet you. Are you new here?"

"Yes, I just started a few weeks ago. I hope that you don't mind me just walking up and introducing myself. It's nice to see another black woman and I wanted to meet you."

"Welcome and I'm glad that you introduced yourself. You're right, there aren't too many of us here. Would you care to sit down? I'm waiting for Kenji to get finished with his classes."

A loud "Shhh!" From the librarian's desk momentarily silenced them.

"I would like to but we have to do research for a paper that's due on Friday." Isadora replied. "Maybe we can talk another time."

"That sounds good and again, it was nice meeting both of you." Patricia said with a smile.

Isadora walked away pleased. She didn't really know anything about Patricia, but she liked her.

"She was nice." Maeve said when they sat down at a table.

"Did you expect her not to be?" Isadora asked.

"Well, I didn't know." Maeve replied. "From what I hear, she's had a hard time especially with that lunatic Andrew Kelly and his gang."

"You'll have to tell me about it sometime." Isadora said. "But for now we need to get going on your paper if you're going to get it done by Friday."

Patricia was deep in thought for several minutes after Isadora and Maeve left. She had the feeling that she and Isadora were going to be good friends.

*****

Saul went to work as usual and did his job speaking to very few people. Even after being there for weeks he had made no real friends. The blacks ate lunch together leaving him to eat lunch alone. It wasn't that they were overtly rude to him, but they made it clear that he didn't belong. During his free time he practiced his vocabulary, spelling the word and then putting it into a sentence.

The day was progressing as usual until after lunch. A large family was disembarking from the train. One of the luggage men, a small man by the name of Harry ran up to greet them.

"Welcome, can I help ya with your luggage?"

The woman of the family pulled the youngest child closer to her as if he was going to be snatched away from her. The other four children stared at him as if he were an animal at the zoo. They were intrigued but frightened.

"Sure boy!" The man of the group said.

Saul watched as the man kept adding bags to Harry's already overloaded arms. To his credit, Harry didn't complain until his arms began to shake from the weight.

"Beggin' your pardon suh, but I can't carry no more."

The man looked at Harry with a disgusted look on his face.

"I know what you're up to boy! You figure on making two trips so that I have to pay twice and tip you twice."

"No suh, I be glad to make another trip at no charge." Harry replied. "Just let me take these to your car."

"Why? So you can run off with it?" The man asked heatedly.

Saul looked around wondering if any of the other luggage boys were going to offer any help. He was shocked to see that they had all averted their eyes not wanting to get involved. He started forward when he felt a firm hand on his arm.

"Leave it be."

"But he needs help!" Saul said. "He's going to drop the luggage and he'll lose his job!"

"And you can lose yours if you get in the middle of it." Another voice said.

Saul looked around and saw that some of them really wanted to help Harry, but was too afraid to, they all had families and needed their jobs. So did he, but right was right. He pulled away and ran toward Harry just as the first bag began to slide from the top of the pile in his arms.

He put on a burst of speed and just narrowly missed catching the bag; but was able to stop the others from falling.

"Look what you did!" The man yelled.

"I... I'm sorry suh!" Harry stuttered. "It was an accident."

"You did it on purpose! I refuse to pay for your incompetence!" the man yelled drawing attention to him and Harry.

In a flash of insight, Saul understood what was happening. It was the same thing that would have happened no matter which one of the black luggage boys went to help the family. The man had no intentions of paying. He knew that his word would be taken over that of a black worker.

"Sir, please allow me to help with your luggage. Between the two of us we can get it to your car in one trip and you won't have to tip or pay extra." Saul said.

The man looked at Saul as if seeing him for the first time.

"I'm not paying for any of it!" the man sneered. "He dropped our luggage..."

"No sir he didn't." Saul interjected. "It slid off and you kept adding luggage after he told you that he would make another trip."

Harry looked on in shock as Saul jumped to his defense. No white man had ever done that for him.

"Where is your supervisor? And what is a white man doing in a nigger's job?" The man demanded angrily.

"I'll be happy to get Mr. Bates and to bring him out here after I tell him that you deliberately gave Harry more than he could carry." Saul replied.

"Sam just pay them and let's go. The children are tired and hungry." The woman said softly.

Then man stared at Saul for several long seconds before speaking.

"I'm only paying once and no tip."

"That's fine sir." Saul replied as he took some of the luggage from Harry and then picked up the piece that had fallen to the ground.

It turned out that there hadn't been much more and between the two of them they managed to get it to the family's car. The man grudgingly paid them as he muttered under his breath and then drove away.

"Thank you." Harry said quietly.

"You're welcome." Saul replied. "I know that you need your job."

"So do you." Harry replied looking at him. "Why'd you help me?"

"I made a promise to someone." Saul replied. "It was someone who helped me when he didn't have to. I guess you can say that I'm repaying him."

From that day forward, Harry and Saul became a team and friends. During their lunch breaks, Saul began teaching Harry what Joshua was teaching him. What Saul didn't realize was that someone had watched the encounter with the passenger.

******

Finally it was time for Christmas break. Isadora excitedly packed her luggage while Maeve sat on the bed watching her.

"I wish that I was going somewhere." She lamented.

"Where would you go?" Isadora asked.

"I don't know... maybe with you to see where you live." Maeve replied. "I've always been curious about the south."

"I can tell you that there isn't a whole lot in Greenville, but its home and I miss it." Isadora said as she placed a small brightly wrapped package in her suitcase. "What are you going to do with your time off?"

"Nothing much." Maeve replied. "I guess I'll get a jump on next semester's reading."

"That's a good idea." Isadora replied. "I'm planning to do the same thing and who knows? I might even get a paper or two written."

"You work entirely too hard." Maeve said. "Why don't you take time off and enjoy your family?"

"I'll do that too, but I have goals." Isadora replied. "If I want to graduate early and get into the law program, I have to keep pushing myself."

"I understand, but don't you want a social life?" Maeve asked.

"I'll worry about a social life when I've reached my goals." Isadora replied. "As soon as I'm done with law school I'm going back home."

That surprised Maeve.

"Really? I thought you liked it here."

"I do, but I have unfinished business there and besides; you can come visit me." Isadora replied. "Are you going to Kenji and Patricia's for the Christmas party?" she asked changing the subject.

"It depends on whether dad is working or not." Maeve replied.

"Are they still upset that we're friends?" Isadora asked.

"Let's just say that we don't talk about it." Maeve replied with a small smile. "I'd better get going." She said looking at the clock. "Dad needs the car and I'd better not be late getting it back."

Isadora walked Maeve to the car and hugged her.

"I'll see you when I get back."

*****

"Kenji stop eating the cookies!" Patricia said slapping at his hands. "Between you and Ralph there won't be enough for the party!"

Kenji grinned and snatched another cookie from the cookie sheet and then kissed her.

"It was nice of you to invite Ernie." She said kissing him back.

"He is lonely." Kenji said. "And he has a good heart."

"Well, at any rate, it was still a nice thing that you did" Patricia replied. "After the party is over we need to sit down with your mom and Nick and ask what they want for the wedding dinner."

"I don't think that they will care, but we'll ask." Kenji replied. "Are you prepared to study for three classes instead of one?"

"I think so." Patricia replied. "I have to admit that I'm nervous about the science part of it."

"You will do fine." Kenji said rubbing her back. "Remember that you have me, Joel and Penny to help you. Also, much of it is memorization which you have no problems with doing."

"Just think, you'll be done next year!" Patricia said. "There was a time when this was all a dream that kept us going when things were bad."

"Yes, but we always believed." Kenji said. "In a few short weeks we will celebrate another anniversary and a wedding. Both of which I am looking forward to."

"So am I." Patricia replied.

They were interrupted by shouts and then a cry of pain coming from the back yard. They looked at each other and took off running.

Ralph was sitting on the ground holding his head. Blood ran between and over his fingers. Marie was standing behind him and to the left of him holding a rock in her hand. A toy lay on the ground between them.

"Ralph?" Patricia called as they ran toward him.

Kenji got to him first, knelt on the ground in front of him and gently removed Ralph's hands from his head.

"Let me see." Kenji said gently.

Ralph allowed his hands to be moved and tried not to cry.

"It isn't as bad as it looks." He assured Patricia. "Head wounds always bleed more making them look worse than they are, but he's going to need stitches."

"What happened?" Patricia asked. "Why did Marie hit you with that rock?"

"It doesn't matter now." Kenji said. "Let's take care of Ralph and then we will get to the bottom of this."

Marie had dropped the rock and was softly crying. She knew that Kenji was angry even though his voice was soft. Patricia took her by the hand while Kenji carried Ralph into the house.

"Kirei bring me some clean cloths and the small bag under our bed." Kenji said as he further examined the laceration. "Ralph look at me." Kenji said. "Do you feel dizzy?"

"No papa, my head just hurts." Ralph replied.

"Alright," Kenji said. "If you start feeling ill you must tell us even if you have to wake us up. Do you understand?"

"Yes Papa."

"Good... Now you have a deep cut on your head and I have to clean it. It will hurt, but I must make sure that all of the dirt from the rock is out."

Marie stood back watching. Tears ran down her face as she watched Kenji gently begin to clean the cut on Ralph's head. She hadn't meant to hurt him, but she wanted the toy that he had been playing with. He told her that if she would wait a few more minutes, she could have it; but she didn't want to wait.

She sobbed out loud when Ralph let out a cry of pain as Kenji cleansed the wound. Not knowing what else to do, she went to Ralph and held his hand. Instead of giving her an angry look for what she had done, Ralph tried to smile at her. That seemed to make what she had done even worse.

"How many stitches do you think he'll need?" Patricia asked as she held Ralph's other hand.

"No more than four." Kenji replied. "Kirei at the bottom of the bag there is a small bottle of numbing agent. Please get it out for me."

While Kenji talked to Ralph about what he was going to do, Patricia got the suturing supplies out. She inspected each package to make sure that there weren't any tears or anything that would compromise the sterility of the instruments. Next she filled the sink with hot soapy water so that Kenji could wash his hands.

"Are you ready?" Kenji asked a calmer Ralph.

Twenty minutes later, Ralph was the owner of four neat stitches and Marie was sitting in Kenji's lap.

"Why did you hurt your brother?" Kenji asked.

Tears that had stopped began again at Kenji's softly spoken but firm question.

"I don't know." She said after a moment. "I didn't mean to."

"Marie," Kenji said. "You could have hurt Ralph very badly. Do you understand that? I don't know what caused the disagreement, but it doesn't matter. What matters is that you hurt your brother. This is not to happen again."

"Yes papa." Marie said through her sobs.

"Now go to your room and do not come down until your mother or I say that you can." Kenji said.

Marie climbed down from Kenji's lap and headed for the stairs. On her way she stopped by the couch where Ralph sat looking at a book having already recovered from the trauma of getting stitches.

"I'm sorry." She said through her tears.

"It's ok." Ralph said smiling at her.

Kenji and Patricia watched Marie go up the stairs and sighed.

*****

Isadora double checked her luggage to make sure that she had everything. She looked at the little box that contained the names as well as some other keepsakes. After thinking about it for a few minutes, she sat at her desk and wrote the names on a slip of paper and put it in one of her text books. She didn't need the paper to remind her of the names, but the visualization helped.