The Road to Memphis (29 page)

The world was a dream.

Then he kissed me.

Solomon Bradley . . . kissed me.

He kissed my forehead.

He kissed the bridge of my nose.

He kissed my mouth . . . and I returned his kisses.

Within seconds, before I was ready, he pulled away. But those few seconds had been enough to make me feel what I had never felt. My legs were weak. My body was trembling. My thoughts were racing. My head was in a cloud and all my thinking was blurred.

I wanted more. But he wasn’t giving.

As he let me go he laughed in a good-natured way, as if he had kissed no more than an infant. “I shouldn’t have done that,” he said.

“Why . . . why not?”

“Because I know better,” he confessed. “But there’s a way about you, Cassie Logan. A way about you that’s a cut between a sassy little girl and a most outspoken woman, and that’s a dangerous combination for an old man like me, who ought to know better.”

“What do you mean?” I asked earnestly.

Again he laughed. “I mean I best be careful if I don’t want your brother coming after me with a shotgun.” He then took my hand and pulled me toward the door. “I think we’d better get back downstairs. Your brother’s probably wondering about you.”

I didn’t want to leave, not yet, but I followed him anyway. As we reached the door someone knocked. Solomon opened the door and Moe was standing there. The sound of the needle still spinning on the record scratched the silence. Solomon released my hand. Moe spoke hurriedly. “Stacey figure to be
ready to go soon, Cassie. Just got a call from the garage. The car’s fixed.” He turned to go back down the hall.

The phone rang inside the apartment, and Solomon said, “I’ll get that. Cassie, you go on with Moe.”

My eyes lingered on Solomon a moment, then I hurried after Moe. “The money from Uncle Hammer get here?” I asked, catching up with him.

“Yeah. Stacey and I’ll be going down to pick it up, then he’ll go for the car.”

“Then we’re going to Chicago?”

Moe slipped his hands into his pockets. He didn’t look at me. “No. I told Stacey I want to stay here in Memphis and wait for the train. Solomon said he’d put me up.”

I felt somewhat disappointed about our not driving to Chicago. Driving to Chicago meant spending more time with Moe. I wasn’t yet ready to let him go, but I didn’t tell him that. “You have any idea when you can get a train out?”

“Soon’s I can,” he said.

As we reached the stairway Solomon called out to us, and we looked back. His apartment door was still open, and he was holding the phone. He motioned us to return. When we entered the apartment, he put the receiver against his chest and said to Moe: “Good news. I’m talking to a fellow I know who’s been able to get a ticket for you.”

“Ticket?”

“Yes, a train ticket to Chicago. He’ll be bringing it over. You can leave tonight.”

Moe looked uncertain. “Tonight?”

“That’s right.” Solomon smiled, pleased. But Moe didn’t smile He said nothing.

“Now, you don’t have to worry, Moe,” I said, taking his
hand and squeezing it. “You don’t have to wait here. You’ll be in Chicago with Uncle Hammer before too long now.”

Moe nodded. “I’m obliged,” he said to Solomon.

“Glad I could help.” Solomon put the receiver back to his ear and continued making arrangements. Moe and I left and went back downstairs to tell Stacey and Little Willie the news. We reached the bottom of the stairway, and I took Moe’s arm before he could push the door open.

“Moe, I want to talk to you about just now upstairs. About me being in the apartment with Solomon. My clothes came back, and Mag said I could change them up in Solomon’s place—”

“She told me.”

“Well, Solomon didn’t know I was there, and he came—”

“You don’t have to explain nothing to me, Cassie.”

“But I want you to know—”

“Cassie, I told you, you don’t never have to explain nothing to me. Never.” I knew Moe meant what he said. Still he looked away, out to the street, so I couldn’t see his eyes.

“Moe?”

He pushed the door open to the sidewalk. I wanted to talk, but I knew Moe didn’t. I felt bad that he had seen me with Solomon. Moe cared something special for me, and I didn’t want that to change. Ever. He didn’t make me feel the way Solomon Bradley was making me feel, but he was my friend, and that was a good feeling too. I didn’t want to lose that. He extended his hand to me. “Come on,” he said. “Stacey’s waiting.”

It was early evening by the time we prepared to leave for the train station. Moe had wanted Stacey, Willie, and me to
head back to Jackson right away, but Stacey insisted upon seeing him on the train. He wanted to make certain that Moe was safely on his way north; so did Little Willie and I. If it would ensure that, a few hours one way or the other didn’t make much difference to us now. If Clarence hadn’t gotten himself a ride back to the base by now, he was already absent without leave and there was nothing we could do about it. Besides, we figured he would want us to see Moe on the train.

“I figure you should be all right if you follow the way I marked on the map for you,” Solomon told Stacey as we went out to the car. “Once you’re in Mississippi you can avoid Route 51 after leaving the town of Grenada by taking that short stretch of back road I’ve marked, and bypass that gas station where you had trouble. You shouldn’t have any trouble going back through at night, though. Folks should be asleep.” He smiled. “Course, I know you went through at night before.”

“Maybe we’ll be luckier this time. We sure do thank you for all your help.”

“Glad to do it,” said Solomon, and the two shook hands.

“You, too, Mort.” Stacey shook his hand as well. “Good luck with the Army.”

“You, too, man,” said Mort.

“Yeah, sure. You take it easy.”

The woman Mag came over to me and to my surprise gave me a hug. As she held me she whispered, “Now, you take care, girl, and don’t you be thinking on Solomon. You forget about him. He’s too much for you.” She let me go. That was all she had to say. I glanced over at Solomon saying good-bye to Moe and Willie, then I said my good-bye to Mort, to the others, and got into the back seat of the Ford, without saying anything to Solomon. Little Willie got in front with Stacey.
As Moe stood at the back door thanking Mort and Mag, Solomon came over to my window. I rolled the window down. He smiled, and I trembled.

“You going without saying good-bye?”

I didn’t answer. I was afraid to answer, afraid my voice would betray how I was feeling.

The smile remained, as if he understood. “Look, I have something for you. Actually two somethings for you. A book with the chapter called ‘A Woman in Green and a Man in Gray’ and a Sherlock Holmes mystery. Take them. I’ll pick them up my next trip to Jackson.”

I touched the books with my fingertips as if they were gold. “When will that be?”

He laughed. “Who knows? Maybe a year from now . . . maybe next week. Anyway, you read them. We’ll talk about them when we meet again.”

I took the books from him. “Thank you,” I barely whispered.

He leaned into the car and kissed my cheek. Then he said good-bye again to the others and stepped away from the car.

“Listen, thanks again for everything,” Stacey said.

“Don’t mention it. Just take it easy on that road.”

“Good-bye,” I said, my voice low.

“Good-bye, sweet girl,” said Solomon Bradley with a smile that shared a secret.

Stacey started the car. Moe sat beside me. I wanted in that moment of leaving for Moe to go back home with us. I wanted in that moment of leaving for Solomon to kiss me again. Neither was to be. Stacey pulled away. Solomon’s eyes met mine in silence. Nothing more was said. We left the folks of Memphis Valley Enterprises behind and went on to the station.

At the station Stacey, Little Willie, and I walked with Moe
up the stairs and out onto the crowded platform. We could see many white travelers at the other end. We stood talking for a few minutes, then Moe took my hand, and said he wanted to talk to me, and we left Stacey and Little Willie and walked down the colored section of the platform. When we were some distance away, he released my hand. He glanced up the platform at Little Willie and Stacey. Then he looked back at me. “Cassie, you remember when we were stuck in them woods and I was going to ask you something and those men came along?”

“I remember.”

“Well, it had to do with how I feel about you. I . . . I ain’t never said it before, how I feel. Always figured there to be time, but now . . . there ain’t no more time.”

A porter hurried by with some luggage, and Moe glanced at him before continuing. “I feel . . . I feel so strong for you, Cassie,” he said, looking at me once more. “Been feeling like this a long while now. But all this time I been saying to myself, she got her schooling yet. She’s gonna be somebody and I want her to be somebody. Maybe that’s why I wanted to be somebody too.” He paused, as if expecting me to say something. I didn’t, and he went on. “I was thinking maybe after you finished high school, I could tell you how I was feeling, maybe make plans for getting married . . . if you’d have me. I was thinking I could help put you through school. I was dreaming . . . all kinds of dreams. But, Cassie, I got no more time for thinking and dreaming. I’m going to have to get on this train and leave from here, and I got no idea when I’m gonna see you again. I wished there’d been some time. Wish I’d spoke this way long time back, but I guess . . . I guess I wanted to get to be somebody first. Now I got to say it. I seen the way that man Solomon Bradley was looking at
you. I seen how a lotta other fellas been looking at you. I know I don’t speak my mind now, it’s gonna be too late.”

I stared at him, not knowing what to say.

“I just want you to know how I feel and want you to think on me. I know I got me no education, got nothing like that Solomon Bradley—”

“Now, how did Solomon Bradley get into this?” I asked defensively.

“Because he’s the kind of man girls fall for, fall for hard and fast. Won’t be long ’fore men all over the place be asking you to marry ’em, Cassie, ’Specially with you going off to school—”

“May not be going anyplace now, what with this war—”

“You’ll go. Thing is, I just wanted you to know how I feel and . . . one of those fellas ask you ’bout marrying, just think on me, will you, ’fore you say yes. Think on me right now, saying what I’m saying. I promise you, Cassie, I’m gonna make something of myself, ’spite all this. I’ll make you proud, I promise you. You’ll see. I’ll make you proud.”

“You always make me proud, Moe.”

He shook his head. “I ain’t wanting to leave from here. Like to be going on back home with y’all.”

“I wish that too.” I took his hand. “It’ll be all right.”

“Cassie . . .”

“Yeah, Moe?”

He stepped closer, slipped his arms around my waist, and kissed me. As he pulled back, his lips brushed my cheek and he whispered, “I love you, Cassie. I love you so.”

At that moment there was an announcement over the speaker. The train for Chicago was getting ready to pull out.

“You’re going to have to go,” I said, knowing those words were not what he wanted to hear.

“I know.” He glanced up the platform. Little Willie and Stacey were waving him over. His eyes on them, he spoke softly. “I don’t want to leave.”

“But you’re going to have to.”

“’Ey, hoss!” hollered Little Willie, heading over. “Sorry to be breaking this up, but the train’s ’bout to move out, man! Can’t have you missin’ this here train after all the trouble we done had getting you here. ’Sides, that scound Clarence probably fit to be tied ’cause we ain’t shown up yet. You get on out of here so we can go get that boy!”

“Yeah, I ’spect you right,” said Moe, letting me go. Then, hand in hand, we walked back up the platform with Willie.

When we reached Stacey, he glanced at me as if he knew what Moe had told me; then he half smiled at Moe. “Well, this is it, I guess.”

“Yeah . . . guess so. Look, Stacey,” said Moe, “I want you to know, want all of you to know, that I’m gonna pay y’all back for everything. Stacey, every penny you had to spend on this trip, every penny you had to spend on your car, I’m going to pay you back.”

Stacey nodded as if none of that mattered. He held out his hand; Moe shook it, then they hugged each other.

“All aboard!” called the conductor.

Stacey pulled away. “You best get on the train.”

Moe nodded, then said good-bye to Willie and hugged him too.

“Man, get on outa here!” ordered Little Willie, failing to cover a shaky voice. “Get on up to Chicago!” He pushed Moe toward the train and gave him the shoebox of food.

“Y’all’ll tell my papa I’m all right?”

“Don’t worry now about that,” assured Stacey. “We’ll talk to him. Say hello to Uncle Hammer for us!”

“Yeah, sure, and y’all tell Clarence I hope he’s getting along better and he don’t be bothered with no more of them headaches. Tell him we missed him up here.”

“Yeah, we’ll do that.”

Another porter passed by. “Best get on board, boy, you going on this train, ’cause we’s ’bout to move on out.”

Moe nodded and, holding his shoebox, stepped onto the train. Looking back, he said, “Don’t forget what I said, Cassie.”

“I won’t. You just take care of yourself in Chicago now, you hear?”

“I hear,” he said, gazing at me. “I hear . . . .”

The train began to move. He waved good-bye from the doorway. He stayed in the doorway and we stayed on the platform watching in silence until the train was out of the station. We stayed until Moe was gone.

“Well, guess that’s that,” said Willie.

“Yeah . . . that’s that,” said Stacey, turning away.

As we were leaving the station the old shoeshine man whom we had seen the day before yelled at us from his stand. “’Ey! Ain’t y’all the young folks I done seen down here yesterday?”

We went over to him. He had three customers sitting on the stand. “Yes, sir,” said Stacey, “we were here yesterday.”

“Come back, huh? Get a train?”

“We got lucky.”

“Yeah, y’all sho did, y’all got one,” said the shoeshine man, rhythmically slapping a shine on a customer’s shoe. “Well, what I tell ya?”