The Friendship by Mildred D. Taylor

Author:Mildred D. Taylor [Taylor, Mildred D.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781101657966
Publisher: Penguin Group US
Published: 1998-02-01T00:00:00+00:00

Little Man thought on that, looked around at Stacey, who nodded his agreement with Mr. Tom Bee, then took the candy cane from his pocket and gave it a listless lick.

Then Mr. Tom Bee noticed Jeremy and snapped, “You the kinda boy keep hold to yo’ promises?”

Jeremy, who seemed taken aback by the question, nodded mutely.

At that, Mr. Tom Bee pulled forth another candy cane and held it out to him. The boys and I waited, wondering if Jeremy would take it. Jeremy seemed to be wondering if he should. He hesitated, looked around as if fearful someone other than we would see, and took it. He didn’t actually say thank you to Mr. Tom Bee, but then the nod he gave and his eyes did. I had a feeling Jeremy didn’t see much penny candy either.

As Mr. Tom Bee, the boys, and I started down the road, Jeremy called after us. “Stacey! May—maybe one-a these here days, maybe I go fishin’ with y’all….”

“Yeah….” Stacey replied. “Yeah, one-a these days, maybe so….”

We headed on toward Aunt Callie’s. Stacey sucked thoughtfully at his candy stick, then looked up at Mr. Tom Bee. “Mr. Tom Bee, something I been thinkin’ on.”

“What’s that, boy?”

“’Bout how come you to call Mr. Wallace plain-out by his first name. I mean you don’t call him mister or nothin’.” He paused. “Don’t know nobody else to do, nobody colored I mean. Fact to business, don’t know nobody colored call a white man straight to his face by his first name.”

Mr. Tom Bee laughed. “He call me straight-out Tom ’thout no mister, don’t he now?”

Stacey nodded. “Yes, sir, that’s a fact, but that’s the way white folks do. Papa say white folks set an awful store ’bout names and such. He say they get awful riled ’bout them names too. Say they can do some terrible things when they get riled. Say anybody call a white man straight out by his name just lookin’ for trouble.”

“Well, that’s sho the truth all right,” agreed Mr. Tom Bee. “But shuckies! I ain’t studyin’ they foolish way-a things and I ain’t gonna be callin’ that John Wallace no mister neither! He done promised me long time ago I could call him straight out by his name long’s I lived an’ I aims to see he holds to his promises.” He paused, then added, “’Sides, we used t’ be friends.”

“Friends?” said Stacey as if he didn’t understand the word.

“That’s right. Me and that John Wallace, we goes way back. Long ways back. Why, shuckies! I done saved that boy’s life!”

We all looked up from our candy canes.

“That’s right!” he said with an emphatic nod. “Sho did! That John Wallace wasn’t no more’n fifteen when I come along the road one day and found him sinkin’ in swampland and pulled him out. Asked him what his name was. He said, call me John. So’s that what I called him, jus’ that. John. But that there was only the first time I done saved his life.

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