Three Days Before the Shooting ... (126 page)

“… NO! And you listen to me, Lonnie Barnes! You listen to ME!”

Frowning, with his forehead wrinkling beneath his stocking cap, Barnes turned to Hickman.

“Hell, man, I been on to cops like him since I was a boy, therefore I know about his kind of hype better than anybody. So how come I have to listen to someone as ignunt as her?”

“I’ll tell you how come,” the little woman screamed. “In the first place, you’re so full of bull doo-doo that everybody knows it excep’ for that white man! And for another I want you to shut up so those gentlemen can listen to someone who
really
has problems!”

“So you’ve finally come up with something
intelligent,”
Barnes said as he turned to Hickman, “because she really does have some problems! But that’s no sweat, because all she needs is some
orga-ni-zation
!”

“Organization,” the little woman screamed with a stamp of her foot. “Go organize your mama!”

And surprised by her language, Hickman exchanged glances with Wilhite as he heard Barnes shout, “Dammit, Maud, that’s going too far! What do you mean by bringing my mama into a discussion like this?”

“MEEE?” the little woman screamed. “It was you who brought her into it yourself by acting such a clown after all the trouble she had bringing you into the world! The only reason I mentioned your mother is because of your interfering with my telling these gentlemen my troubles! So think about that and keep your big mouth shut! Yes, and stop rolling those blood-shot eyes at me!”

“Why you little cross-eyed, nappy-headed, narrow-butted, piece-a—,” Barnes shouted. “What makes you think you can talk to me like that? Why, I’ll …”

[MAUDE EYE]

“O
H, NO
,“the detective said, “there’ll be none of that—and that’s an order!” “Order my butt,” the little woman snapped as she eyed the detective with a stare of contempt.

“And forgive me, gentlemen, if I sound unladylike. But as you can see the only way I could get Lonnie’s attention was by mentioning his mama. And then, after he’s disturbed our peace in the middle of the night that big mouth beside him has the nerve to stand there yelling about order!

“Anyway, gentlemen, what I’m trying to tell you is that we’re all out here at this time of night because something terrible has taken over this house—which is our home, understand? And when a thing like that happens it’s awful, but especially when it come to a woman like me. Because then she has to have her some answers! So since that white man down there won’t tell you what caused all this commotion I’ll tell you the little I know:

“The police have Mister Rockmore, our landlord, and Mister McMillen, our super, back there in Mister Rockmore’s apartment. And while I don’t know the reason, it has to be
serious
. Otherwise that
big-time
detective, the one who’s in charge, wouldn’t be here. And now to go back a bit—and I don’t mean to be meddling—but early this evening it sounded like some kind
of party
was going on in Mister Rockmore’s apartment—which is truly unusual, because nobody here can remember Mister Rockmore’s ever doing any
partying…
.”

“And that’s the truth,” a woman called from the shadows. “He
never
parties….”

“Never!” the cross-eyed woman said. “And then there was a heap of stomping around and a woman laughing and carrying on….”

“… Yes,” a male voice said, “and all that ear-busting music!”

“Right,” the cross-eyed woman said, “and
dance
music at that! And pretty soon everybody’s out here stumbling around trying to find out what’s happening. And when I rush out to see for myself there’s all kinds of
rumors
running riot, and I’m near knocked off my feet by the smell of
whiskey!
Understand?”

“Go on, ma’am,” Hickman said, “Go on….”

“So with folks all excited over all these white policemen invading the premises I see one in uniform who’s guarding Mister Rockmore’s door. Which truly upsets me because
nobody
seems to know the truth about what’s happening. And even after that white man down there comes out and starts ordering us around he refuses to tell us or let us get in to see for ourselves….”

“Right,” Barnes said, “and that’s because him and his buddies consider Jessie Rockmore just another Boot they can twist for some loot!”

“There he goes again, so ignore him, gentlemen,” the little woman shouted, “because what I’m telling you is as much as we know. And personally I’m calling for your help because having a thing like this happen in the middle of the night makes me feel that I’m losing my mind.

“That’s the truth, gentlemen! Understand? And being a natural-born woman it gives me the flashes, and I mean the kind that sizzle and blister! Like I say, it’s terrible, and having to breathe this whiskied-up air is making it worse! Understand? What I mean is: When something like this hits a person like myself she doesn’t any longer know who she is, where she’s at, or what she’s doing!”

“All right, lady,” the detective said. “I’ve let you speak your piece, so now be quiet while I get on with my duties….”

“Listen, Mister White Man,” the little woman screamed, “you haven’t
let me
do anything—so forget it! Anyway, gentlemen, and as you can smell for yourselves, this building is
reeking
with whiskey! Which is strange, because other than for Lonnie this is a
respectable
building that’s never been a hangout for any winos, bootleggers, or bums. But yet and still, and even though our landlord, Mister Rockmore, is a respectable gentleman who never entertains, there’s been some heavy
partying
going down…. That’s the truth, gentlemen. And so now, after going this far, I might as well tell it
all—
because what I’m about to tell you is
exactly
what’s got this detective so upset: Some say that there’s a
white
woman …”

“Now there she goes,” Barnes groaned as he looked at Hickman, “and it’s
exactly
where I knew she was headed! She’s invading the man’s privacy and dragging his bedtime business down the middle of the street! Give these old maids even a
ghost
of a chance and they’ll run off at the mouth like a broken-down faucet!”

“Oh, shut up, fool,” the little woman snapped. “All I’m trying to do is give these gentlemen
the facts
. That’s all I’m trying to do. So gentlemen, as I was saying, everybody who lives in this building knows that when it comes to
entertaining
, Mister Rockmore has as little to do with white folks as he has with colored—which is very little by
anybody’s
standard. Therefore I have serious doubts about him partying with a
white
woman—because if that’s what he wanted he has plenty of us colored to choose from.

“So I’m asking you gentlemen: What does it mean? We’re crowding this hall because we want to help our good neighbors in their time of distress, but as things now stand we don’t know its
name
, we don’t know its
face
, and to be blunt about it, we don’t even know its
race!
Which is truly upsetting. Because like any good neighbors we want to be helpful, but we simply don’t know where to start. Our peace has been disturbed since around about midnight but all we can get out of that rookie detective down there is some stupid talk about Mister McMillen being a
boot
l
egger
—which as all of us know is nothing but garbage! So now that you two fine, intelligent-looking gentlemen have stepped into this mess and haven’t been here long enough to get confused, I’m asking you to please,
please
tell me something that I
personally
need to know—Which is, what shall we
dooo?”

“What shall you do,” Barnes shouted with a step toward the stairs. “Dammit, Maud, the answer is organize and pick you a leader! Which is what I been telling you Negroes for
years!”

“Yes, gentlemen,” the little woman said, “and Lonnie thinks he’s a leader, but all he does is rant and rave and make threats like he has some kind of invisible army behind him. And then, when things come to a
showdown
, he’s off in some bar swilling his beer! Which is probably the reason the white folks keep letting the old micturating clown run around Washington yelling about Marcus Garvey
and changing Old Glory from red-white-and-blue to
red-white-and-black—
so hush, Lonnie Barnes!”

“And that goes for you too,” the detective said with a frown. “Cut the talk or I’m booking you for subversion and resisting an officer.”

“Resisting an officer,” the little woman screamed. “Man, what’s the matter, can’t you stand hearing the truth? Am I breaking the law by telling these gentlemen what’s been happening? And besides, how’re you going to arrest me—sprout wings and fly over the heads of my neighbors? Shucks, man!”

“I mean it,” the detective said, “and when I do there’ll be plenty of force to support me!”

“Yes, and then you’ll brutalize me the way those others are brutalizing Mister McMillen!”

“That’s right, Maud, tell him about it,” a man called from the crowd.

“No, she’s mistaken,” the detective said, “because no one’s laid a finger on McMillen, he’s only being questioned….”

“That’s what
you
say,” the little woman snapped as she pointed a finger, “but we know better! And now, gentlemen, before I’m interrupted again I’d like you to answer me this: How
long
are our menfolks going to keep standing by while these white police run around dragging their filthy-dirty minds into neighborhoods where we colored folks are forced to live whether we like it or not? That’s what
I
want to know! How long are our D.C. menfolks going to
stand
for it?”

“But, ma’am,” Wilhite said, “why are you asking
us?
We just walked through the door….”

“I know, and that’s
exactly
why I’m calling on you for an answer! I know you’re strangers, but since you’ve shown up in the middle of the night and at a time when all this trouble’s upon us you must have been sent here for a
purpose…
.”

And suddenly with hands on her hips the little woman leaned forward and stared at Hickman with a sudden widening of her cross-focusing eyes.

“Wha … what happened to the other one, gentlemen? Why isn’t he with you?”

“With whom, ma’am,” Hickman said. “What are you saying?”

“With the
other
one, your
friend …
”

“But, lady,” Wilhite said, “nobody came here with us—who are you talking about?”

“Oh, but yes he did,” the woman said with a defiant toss of her warp-wigged head, “when you two gentlemen started out there had to be three of you. There
must have
been! So what happened, did he stop by the way to have him a beer?”

“Madam,” Wilhite shouted, “what are you
talking
about! Who do you
mean?”

“Oh, you know the one I mean,” the woman said with a teasing smile and a wave of her finger. “Yes you do, and I
know
you do!”

“Now, lady, you listen to me,” Wilhite said, “you’re confusing us with someone
else
. You have to be, because nobody came here but the two of us….”

“And ma’am, that’s the truth,” Hickman said, “we came here alone.”

“If you say so, gentlemen,” the little woman said with a look of bewilderment, “but don’t be too sure, because there’s a sweet inner voice which tells me that when you started out there were
three
of you. So now I don’t know, I truly don’t—but all right, gentlemen, if you say so … if you say so. But why is it that I still have such a strong impression that you usually travel in
threes?”

And seeing Wilhite giving him a look of astonishment Hickman’s mind flew back to their days as traveling evangelists and asked himself,
But how could she have seen us that long ago?

“No, ma’am, only the two of us,” Wilhite said, “because it’s been years since we’ve traveled with anyone else.”

“That’s correct,” Hickman said. “It’s been a long, long time.”

“Are you sure about that?” the detective said. “Because I have orders that no one is to enter or leave these premises. So are you sure that no one came in behind you?”

“No one,” Hickman said, “and that’s the truth.”

“Forget him, gentlemen,” the little woman said with a glare at the detective, “because even with one of you missing I can still see that good sign hovering over you. Therefore I’m sure you were sent to tell us things about our situation which none of us can see by ourselves. Lonnie there gives me a pain, but about one thing he happens to be right: We
do
need leaders of vision who can think for themselves. So while only two of you came here tonight I’m sure you were sent to tell us what’s happening….”

“… Dammit, Maud,” Barnes interrupted, “haven’t I already analyzed this mess? So why go bugging some strangers when there’s good leadership right here in the community? What you need to do is git yourself together and follow and pretty soon they’ll come up with some answers.”

“Fool,” the little woman said as she wiped her glistening brow with the sleeve of her robe, “in all your dogging around haven’t heard of the
change?
Because if you have you’d know that a woman like me doesn’t have
time
for any more waiting! That’s why I’m asking these gentlemen to tell me if what’s happening here tonight is
normal
. And if it isn’t, I want them to tell me if that’s the reason for their being sent here in the middle of the night. And if it’s to organize I want to be told what
I’m
supposed to do while in the meantime! And please, gentlemen,
please
don’t say that we’ll overcome in some future day. Because what
I
need to know right now is the time, the date, and the long-needed
way
!”