For the Duration: The War Years (4 page)

This Saturday, when class was over, Billy Burns and I practiced “Uncle Sam Gets Around,” the special number we would sing and recite. Then Miss Leah said, “Tomie, would you please wait a few minutes? I want to talk with you.”

This must be the surprise that Mom told me about!

“Tomie,” Miss Leah said, “my idea for the first act of our recital is that it takes place under the sea in a magical kingdom that is ruled by King Neptune, the king of the sea. I need someone to be King Neptune and to announce each number. And I want that someone to be you. I've written down all the words that I'd like you to learn and say, and Mrs. Anderson and I have found a cute song for you to sing. It's called ʹWhat Kind of a Noise Annoys an Oyster.‘

“Mrs. Anderson will play it for you, and I have the costume sketch to show you. Your mom said it was okay with her. So, would you like to be our King Neptune?”

Oh, boy, would I! I had seen a picture of King Neptune in a book, and he wore a crown and carried a thing called a trident, and he had an amazing long white beard that looked like ocean waves.

“Will I have a long beard?” I asked Miss Leah.

She and Mrs. Anderson laughed. “I don't think so, Tomie,” Miss Leah said. “You'll be cuter without one. Would you like to do it?”

“Yes, Miss Leah,” I answered. “Oh yes, yes.”

Mom came in to pick me up. I told the great news. “I have a starring part. Hooray!”

“Isn't that great!” said Mom. “Your cousin Blackie would be very proud of you.”

But I'll have a lot of work to do. The recital was going to be in three weeks on Saturday, May 23. Miss Leah said she would give me some extra rehearsals. Then she showed me the costume sketch. It was a green and silver short robe, called a “tunic,” that had a flowing green cape with a silver border. There was a silver crown, a silver trident, and green shoes. It looked like something from the movies. I can't wait to tell my best friend, Jeannie.

Chapter Three

On Wednesday, after I had lunch at home, I tied the shoelaces of my shiny black patent leather tap shoes together the way Mom showed me. I carried them over my shoulder so all the kids in the school yard could see them.

On the way down King Street, Miss Kiniry, my first-grade teacher, saw me.

“Well, Tommy,” she said, “are those your nice tap shoes?” (The teachers all called me T-O-M-M-Y, not T-O-M-I-E.)

“Yes, Miss Kiniry,” I answered. “I've got an extra part in Miss Leah's dance recital and I'm going to a special rehearsal after school. I'm going to be KING NEPTUNE.”

“Well, that's very exciting,” Miss Kiniry said. “Are Carol Morrissey and Patty Clark going with you?”

“No,” I said. “Just me. I have to recite some things to introduce each number and then I get to sing a solo, so I need extra practice.”

“Good luck,” said Miss Kiniry. “I know you'll be very good.”

As I turned into the school yard, I saw Buddy and some of the other sixth-grade boys talking together. The way they were talking and laughing and looking at me began to scare me.

All of a sudden, I was surrounded by the bigger boys and they started teasing me. One said, “La-de-doo—gonna dance for us?” Another boy said, “What are those shiny shoes for?”

Then the boys began shoving me around. “What are you, a sissy?”

I kept looking around to see if my brother would stick up for me and help me. But Buddy was just watching and smiling.

Then they grabbed my tap shoes and started playing catch with them. I tried and tried to grab them, but they threw them over my head.

“Those are my special tap shoes,” I cried. “Don't break them.” But the more I yelled, the more they teased me. I started to cry. “Buddy, help me, please!” I shouted.

Buddy turned his back as if nothing was going on. I looked around to see if there was a teacher monitoring the play yard, but I couldn't see one. What was I going to do? I needed help.

All of a sudden, Carol Crane and a few of the older girls in fifth and sixth grade grabbed the tap shoes.

“You bullies, stop that!” Carol yelled.

“Yeah, leave Tomie's tap shoes alone,” Anna Yara shouted.

“Pick on someone your own size, you big jerks,” cried another girl.

“Baby!” yelled one of the boys. “Gotta have help from girls.”

“Here, Tomie,” said Carol, handing me my tap shoes. “Stay here with us until the bell rings to go in.”

“What am I going to do after school?” I was crying even though I didn't want to; I was really scared. “I have to walk to Miss Leah's by myself. What if some of those boys follow me and beat me up?”

“I live on Hanover Street,” said a sixth-grade girl I didn't know too well. “I'll walk you. Those boys won't dare bother us! You'll see. I'll meet you right in front after school.”

I was so glad. But I still didn't understand why Buddy didn't help me.