Night Bird Calling by Cathy Gohlke

Author:Cathy Gohlke
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: FICTION / Christian / Historical, FICTION / Romance / Historical / 20th Century
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Published: 2021-01-05T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirty-Five

THEY WERE NEARLY TO NO CREEK when Celia overheard Janice Richards, three school bus seats back, bragging to Norma Jackson and the cluster of girls beside her.

“So all I did was tell Ida Mae what I’d seen plain as day—Mrs. Swope goin’ down to the Tates’ one day with a satchel and another day with books—back and forth once, maybe two times in a week. Anybody’d know she was over there teachin’ that colored boy to read. I never had to spell it out.”

“But you heard what happened to her, didn’t you? You reckon Ida Mae told? You reckon she knows who’s who—in the Klan?” Peggy Sue Brown hoarse whispered.

“Doesn’t everybody? Anyway, Ida Mae probably didn’t tell a soul. There was a checker game goin’ strong in the back of the store the day I was in. How could I help it if half the men in the county was there?”

“Ha! You mean the Wishons and their like!” Norma touted.

“Well,” Janice giggled, “the good-looking one, anyway.”

“You think he might have told—?”

“How do I know who told what? She had no business goin’ down there in the first place—especially not after Rhoan Wishon warned her. He showed Ruby Lynne the light of day all right. We keep to ourselves and they keep to theirselves. That’s the way of things—my father said so—and Mrs. Swope best understand that.”

Celia listened till she couldn’t take any more. She pushed her way back to the seat in front of Janice, turned around so the bus driver couldn’t see, and spit in her eye.

“Ack!” Janice squealed. “You pig!”

“Better a pig than a traitor! Miss Lill opened her home to all—even the likes of you—because she cares about sharin’ Miz Hyacinth’s books with everybody. And you trot your prissy britches around tellin’ tales like a gossipy old lady, stirrin’ folks up to no good. What does it hurt you if Marshall learns to read? You afraid he’ll grow up and become mayor of No Creek? Afraid he’ll steal your daddy’s job and you’ll lose your shiny patent leathers? You’re slime, Janice Richards—slime lower than a slug, and anybody that has anything to do with you is slime, too. Doin’ what you did and gettin’ Miss Lill almost killed is near murder and like spittin’ on Miz Hyacinth’s grave at the same time. You shame us all!”

It was the longest speech Celia had ever made and she meant every word. Jim Biggins, the tallest and handsomest boy in their class, who always sat in the back of the bus, began to clap his hands. “You tell her, Celia!”

Janice Richards’s cheeks burned the color of ripe persimmons. She’d never care what Celia thought of her, but she cared plenty what Jim thought, and whatever Jim Biggins thought, the whole class followed. The gaggle of girls pulled away from Janice. Gratified, Celia marched off the bus and into the general store to pick up the mail.

When she returned to the store’s front porch, Janice was waiting for her. The other kids, other than Chester, were gone.

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