Beneath the Flames by Gregory Lee Renz

Author:Gregory Lee Renz [Renz, Gregory Lee]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781595986900
Publisher: Three Towers Press
Published: 2019-06-01T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 31

Mitch’s blind hatred nearly cost a police officer his life. He had to get a grip on his emotions; take Miss Bernie’s advice and let the hatred go. Keep the devil out of his head.

Through the rest of September and October, he battled bouts of guilt and hatred, always coming back to Miss Bernie’s words, “Use your pain to change what you can.”

Team Driver grew to over a dozen children by the end of October. Jasmine and Mitch made a great team. Jasmine’s quick wit and humor kept him on his toes. Twice a week he’d let her lead the group, and the kids loved it. Helping the kids and working with Jasmine took the edge off his dark thoughts. Miss Bernie had been right again.

* * *

Mitch waited at the front of the firehouse for the kids to arrive, enjoying the crisp November breeze. This had always been his favorite time of year on the farm. The crops were in and deer hunting season underway.

Thanksgiving was only two days away. Mitch thought back to three months ago when Jasmine was in his face, raging at him with ghetto profan­ities. Now she spoke with correct grammar, most of the time. She explained how “talking white” was not that hard. After all, television shows were mostly white people. Even the Huxtables talked white. It wasn’t that most kids in the hood couldn’t talk that way; they talked ghetto to survive.

Mitch stepped outside when Alexus came skipping across the street, her long braids bouncing. Jasmine trailed close behind. Alexus crashed into him and wrapped her arms around his waist. “You my boyfriend. You best know that.”

Mitch’s chest tightened. That’s what little Maggie used to say.

Jasmine grinned. “So, Mr. Teacher, what’s planned for today?”

“Thought we’d all get down and bust some moves.”

“You’re too funny.” She pulled a notebook from her book bag and thrust it at him. “Check it out.”

At the top of the page was an A+ in red and a note: “Jasmine, you are doing such great work. Keep it up.” It was a book report on A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

He lowered the paper to see her broad gap-toothed smile. Her face glowed.

“I’m not surprised. You’re a smart young lady.”

After the tutoring sessions, Jasmine had been staying behind to talk about school and what she was reading. Mitch had suggested she read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. He told her how it was his mother’s favorite book when she was Jasmine’s age. Jasmine loved it and couldn’t talk enough about this story of a young girl growing up in poverty. Reading it made her feel like Francie even though Francie was a white girl growing up a long time ago.

Jasmine crammed the notebook back in her bag. “My teacher said if I keep doing well I might get into Riverside next year. Says that’s where you need to go if you want to get into college.”

“You’ll get in. What do you want to be?”

“Um, teacher maybe?”

“Not maybe. You’ll make a great teacher.

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