One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia

Author:Rita Williams-Garcia
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2010-05-05T16:00:00+00:00

China Who

Sister Mukumbu gave Eunice, Hirohito, and me two empty milk cartons each to fill with water from the hallway fountain. Today our class was to take sponges that she and Sister Pat had cut up into different shapes and make printed designs on old T-shirts. We’d use red, black, and green paint, the same colors as the ink Cecile used for her poems and whatever flyers the Panthers asked her to print up.

As Sister Mukumbu readied the paints, I thought of all those colors, dripping and splattering on Vonetta’s and Fern’s clothes, and having to scrub them without a washboard.

“Don’t start anything until I get back with the water,” I told Fern.

Fern seemed off in a world of her own.

Sister Mukumbu clapped her hands, pressing me to get going. Fern would be all right for two minutes without me.

I followed Eunice and Hirohito with a mind to hurry back. I had to admit, I liked being seen as one of the classroom helpers. Vonetta and Janice were put out by the fact that they weren’t asked to take a skip down the hall with Hirohito. They had both raised their hands to ask if they could help too. Although I didn’t like Eunice much, we glanced at each other and knew the same thing: our middle sisters were boy crazy for Hirohito. He was probably twelve or thirteen and only saw Vonetta and Janice as pests he could both mess with and keep at a distance.

Hirohito beat us to the fountain. As he filled up his cartons, I studied every feature of his face. I wanted to ask him how it felt to have slanted eyes, hair like pine needles, and coppery-colored skin. Which one was he more: Chinese or colored? If I were Vonetta, I would have at least asked him that, as much as she’s always in his face. I would have asked him something interesting instead of “Do you like short girls or tall girls?”

I knew my curiosity didn’t excuse my staring or wanting to pry. After all, I certainly didn’t like questions about not having a mother. So I scolded myself good, while Hirohito filled up his second carton: I should keep my curiosity to myself; I should not stare at his long black eyelashes and coppery-colored skin. Besides, I couldn’t go from planning to sock him to asking him about being a colored Chinese boy in one good blink. But before I had a chance to look away, he caught me staring at him.

“What?”

I gave it back. “Did I say something to you?” Thank goodness you can’t see cherries in a chocolate bar. I’d have been a red-faced rose if not for my Hershey brown complexion.

“Take a picture. It lasts longer.”

“I was not looking at you, boy.” Girl pride made me lie hard and strong.

Eunice gave me a “Were too” glare, but I couldn’t let this boy think I was staring at him even if he caught me red-faced beneath my brown skin. I couldn’t let this boy with slanted eyes and copper-colored skin think I thought a thing about him.

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