Chapter 4

Ding-a-ling! That was the sound of the bell as we entered the diner. Dad held my hand firmly as we approached by the host. There were only white people inside here. I felt all those eyes on us. On the inside, I was terrified but on the outside, I tried to look calm. The waitress smiled at me and started talking to Dad. "How's it going, Micheal?" She asked. "Same old! How are you doing, Tracy?" Oh, so Dad knew her already. Small town and everyone must know each other of course. Dad said, "I'm good." while shaking hands with her. "I'll tell Hank you swung by and said hey. So, who's this pretty little thing?" She grinned and pointed at me. I blushed and looked down at the floor. Why didn't the earth swallow me whole? There was already so many people looking at me. I took a moment then looked back up and smiled. Dad put his arm around me and said to Tracy, "This is my daughter, Mira." There were a few customers who gasped and gave me a scornful look. Well, there it is. Not only is a white man walking into a place with a black girl, but that black girl happens to be his daughter. For shame, right? As far as I understand it, being mixed is worse than being black. Getting called out on both sides isn't fun either. Some people got up to leave. While one man was leaving, he looked at Dad right in the eye and said, "You NASTY nigger lover!" Tracy gave that man a stern look then turned right back towards us. "I'm sorry y'all. What'll it be?" I will admit that I was a little surprised. Mrs. Tracy isn't a racist but she tolerates these types of customers? I thought Dad and I would walk in here then get kicked right back out but Mrs. Tracy is different. It's a good different too. The kind that makes you feel glad and warm knowing that she doesn't mind race either. I wonder if she was truly raised here. She asked us what we wanted. She was ready to jot down our order on that small, blue pad with no hesitations. Dad ordered a sandwich with a side of apple pie. I ordered the same sandwich but with two slices of apple pie. We both got Ginger Ale to drink. Dad said that he didn't wanna be surrounded by these people so we took our lunch to go. After we got our lunch, Dad and I walked to the park and sat on a bench. At first, we ate in silence. I wanted to break the tension in the air but I had so many thoughts racing through my mind. Am I gonna cause trouble everywhere I go now? I honestly don't mean to offend anyone but those kind of people need to give a better reason. How can you possibly hate someone based on the shade of their skin? A twisted story has been passed down for many generations and it makes me feel bad. Not just for the people who believe it, but for people like me who are constantly looked at and hated upon. I felt bad. "Dad, I'm sorry that I keep getting you in trouble." I said to Dad as tears threatened to fall from my eyes. He almost choked on his sandwich. He grabbed a hold of me, cupped my face together and said, "Don't you dare say that Mira! You didn't do a damn thing to me! It's those stupid people that are trouble. You did nothing wrong!" He pulled me into a warm hug and I embraced him back. We finished our lunch and headed to the front of the school. It was 1: 17pm. We saw Mama's car. It was already here. We hopped in and Mama drove us home.

~At home~

"Come help me fix up this house y'all!" Mama said excitedly. She already bought new stuff before we moved here we just need to rearrange some things to make it feel like home.

~After we fixed the house~

After we helped Mama fix the house, we went to the store to buy some groceries. The young cashier was talking to someone when we entered the store. Dad leaned down to me and said, "Mira you can get whatever you want as long as it's not too expensive". I grinned and got small store basket. I went straight to the candy section. I got Bazooka Gum, Razzles, Carmel Creams, and Junior Creams. They each cost 50 cents. Then I went into the bakers aisle and got a small package of beignets. Then I went to the fridge section to get myself some drinks. I got Bubble Up, Ginger Ale, and Cheerwine. They each cost a dollar. Five dollars total. I came to the front to pay for what I had. Dad popped out from out of nowhere and stood next to me. The cashier looked at Dad for a while. Dad crossed his arms and said, "Is there a problem?" The boy lowered his head and said, "Sorry sir. It's just that you look very familiar." Dad looked at the boy for a second and said, "Wait. You look familiar too. Is your daddy Ray Johnson?" The boy looked up quickly and cracked a smile. "He sure is!" Dad shook the boys hand. Apparently, Dad went to college with the boy's father. They started to have a long conversation while the cashier was ringing me up. Mom came to the cashier to put her stuff down. The total came out to be $50.00. Dad paid the cashier. Then before we left he shook hands with him and said, "Nice talkin to ya, Johnson. Give your daddy a holler for me!" "Will do sir." He answered back and saluted Mama and I. We got in the Packard and drove home.

PHOTOS OF THE HOME AND ROOMS ARE SHOWN BELOW: