Remembering the 40s

by Tamara Hill

Dear Diary,                                                                                                   May 4, 1992   

It seems that things never really change. Just when you think that this country moves forward. We’re actually taking a step back. There are race riots in Los Angeles right now. More than 2,000 were injured, and 58 dead. 11,000 were arrested. This is a shame, we have had so many race riots throughout the years. The riots in Detroit 1967. Then after Dr. King died in Chicago in 1968. But the one that is trapped in my memory the most is the riot when I was twenty-four. Sometimes it feels like yesterday. It all started on December 8, 1941.

It was a beautiful winter day. The yellow sun shining so bright over the city of Detroit, Michigan. I was cooking a meal for the Misses, my boss Ms. Mary, whiling listen to Ella Fitzgerald on the radio. Woo wee can that woman sing. Suddenly interrupted by a newscast that came on.

“We interrupted this program with important news from President Roosevelt.”

“Good day…there’s been a tragedy in this country. Yesterday, December 7, at 7:48am our military at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii was bombed.” My eyes widen and quickly turn dash out to Ms. Mary’s bedroom. Mary was reading a book on the neatly made bed when I ran in.

“Ms. Mary come here quickly.” She follows me into the kitchen with confusion.

“Anita, what is it? Is it the children? Are they okay?” I shook my head rapidly.

“No ma’am it’s about Mr. Peter.” Her crystal blue eyes cloud up with a shade of fear. We listen to the President’s address.

“We found 2,403 killed and 1,178 injured American soldiers and sailors. The people responsible for this unprovoked and dastardly attack are the Japanese. And they have declared war on this country. December 7 is a day which will live in infamy.”

The phone rings loudly breaking our attention from the speech. Ms. Mary rushes to answer hoping it’s news about her husband, Peter.

“Hello…yes mother I’m listening to the address…no I haven’t heard any news about Peter yet…I will, goodbye.” She sighs in worry and begins to bite her nails. Once the President was finished, she went back to her room, still frightened by the circumstances that she will never see her husband again.

As the morning turns into the afternoon I fix Mary some tea to calm her nerves. After I arrive at the master bedroom. I look to find her eyes red from crying. I knock on the door to inform her that I’m here. She gazes at me then at the tea. As she grabs the tea she whispers

‘Thank you, Anita’ with a sad smile. At that moment there was a knock at the front door. Ms. Mary gasp and began to cry again. I place my hand on her then went to answer it. I gasp once the door was open.

“Hey Anita,” Peter says with a smirk walking through the entrance. I take a good look at him. Peter was still in his army uniform, he removed his hat from his head revealing his dark brown hair. He starts to explain that he did bring with him. Yet I wasn’t fully attention, just still surprised to see him. He stares at me with concern in his moss green irises. Seeing me still frozen.

“You okay, Anita?  You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” He asks.  I came out of my trance of shock and nod.

“Good to see you safe and sound Mr. Jackson.” He shows his white teeth with a smile.

“Thank you and I told you it is just Peter. You’re family….so uh how’s James doing?” I reflect his smile and reply.

“He’s doing just fine thank you for asking sir”.

He mumbles “good, that’s good.” Shoving his hands in his pockets. There was silence for a moment. “So, where’s my wife?” he wonders. Before I could answer Mary walks in the room.

“Anita can you-” She stops dead in her tracks when she gapes up at her newspaper. “Peter,” she barely gets out as a whisper. He opens his arms out for her she ran right into his strong arms.

“Thank God you’re safe,” Mary says looking up at him with tears falling from her eyes. As they hugging, their children, Philip and Margret, came running into the room. I begin to leave so they can have their family moment. Before I completely left the room a voice calls out my name.

“Anita, take the day off.”

A few months pass by, and people started getting jobs again. Since we are at war. Who knew that a war would bring a country together? James, my husband, and I are sitting at the table eating breakfast while Diana, my sister, came in.

“Good morning,” she says to us and parks herself in a chair.

“Where’s Johnny?” Diana asks about my son.

“He still sleeping.” She nods understanding.

“My, my, the world is changing isn’t it?” she speaks, staring out the window.

James looks at her confuse and asks, “Diana, what are you going on about?” She glances at him and me with her dark chocolate eyes.

“Why…didn’t y’all hear? President Roosevelt made an executive order 8802.”

“Okay, so what does that mean?” I question her.

“It means that it’s our time, Roosevelt desegregate the factories. We finally starting to get the same chance as white people.” Diana says with an excited smile like a child in a candy store. I raise an eyebrow.

“How is this good news again?” I ask puzzled by what she told us. She looked at me like I had two heads.

“Anita, this is great news. James can get a better job.” My husband and I just stared at her. “I mean…why y’all staring at me like what do you mean. This is great news, the world is changing we have more opportunities now…I mean I’m going to college to become a nurse. Can you believe it?” Diana explains still smiling.

“I believe this is great, Diana.” James joins the conversation I raise my eyebrows in disbelief at what I’m hearing.

“What?” James looks at me.

“Anita, Diana is right. I can get a new job that might pay better than a gas pumper.” James replies.

“James it’s too dangerous, the factories are very dangerous. Not to mention the racists’ men you might work with.” I retort with a tint of anger in my voice.

“Darling, it’s fine besides not everyone is a racist. Plus you don’t think I don’t get harassed with racism at my job now. ” James explains to me. I sigh and run my hand through my hair in frustration.

“Look I’m late for work we’ll talk about this tonight,” I say he nods and kisses my cheek. I walk out the door.

I walk through the door when I heard yelling. I slowly close the door not to disturb the discussion.

“You can’t leave you just got back. You can’t leave me.” I hear Mary say to Peter.

“Mary, I’m serving our country to make this world a better place for the children to grow up in. A man ain’t no man until he serves.” Peter says back. I peak through the door. I see Peter back in his army uniform.

“You’ll be a dead man. That’s what you’ll be.’

“Mary-“

“I DON’T WANT TO LOSE YOU!” Mary screamed. Silence fills the room. He sighs and scratches his beard and runs his tongue over his lips.

“Mary…I need to do this for Philip, he looks up to me. I’m his father I have to set a good example for him. My father served, now it’s my turn.” She just nods with a sniffle.

“I know,” she says in a soft voice. He pulls her into a hug. “Promise me one thing,” Mary mumbles into his chest.

 He nods and whispers, “Yeah, sure of course.’

“Promise me, you come back to me, alive.” Mary request.

“I promise.”

It has been months since Peter left for war and James decide to work in the factory. Diana still in college for nursing. Days turn into weeks, and weeks into months. Months turn into years. The year is now 1943, two years since we join the war. Mary was always worrying, but try not to seem like it. I was reading the newspaper when Diana waltz into the room.

“Aren’t you supposed to be at work?” Diana questions me.

 “It’s Sunday, I have days off on Sunday” I explain to her. I look at the time to see it is almost noon. “I got to go, James is taking me to lunch.”

I reach the factory that James works at and walk inside. I went around to search for my husband to see men covered in dirt. I kept searching when my ears caught a voice from behind me.

“What is this negro doing here?” I turn around to see a white man with disgusted glare on his dirty face. Before I could say something another voice joins in.

“Leave the lady alone, Charles she’s probably just lost.”

Charles scoffs at the man. “Yeah, I bet so, ever since Roosevelt made that order these monkeys been taking our jobs and taking our money. Then they come skipping in, like they own the place, or as if they’re one of us. Well listen to me, you little girl, you and the rest of these Negros in here need to know who’s in charge.”  He exclaims making the room fall silent. Then James comes through the crowd.

“Back off man. Don’t talk to my wife like that.” James saying in a dangerous tone. Before Charles could say anything the man next to him spoke.

“James go take your break.” James nods and took my hand leading me out of the building

“I told you, racist,” I said once we were out of the factory.

“Not now Anita.”  He says in annoyance.

“Do they say stuff to you like that all the time?” I question he didn’t answer quickly enough. Which told me the answer. I sigh.

“I knew it, I knew it! Diana said the world is changing but it really isn’t.” James put his hand on my shoulder.

“Anita it’s not all of them it’s mostly only Charles.” I look up at him with my hazel eyes as he stares at me.

“You don’t even get paid the same as them, do you?” He stayed silent. I shake my head.

“Why don’t you quit?” I ask

“Because, that’s what they want for me to do, to give up. Plus I get more money than my last job. I want a future with you, Anita, and Johnny. With this job, it’s like giving us a better life. Trust me I got this covered.” James reassured me. I nod and mumble, ‘I hope so.’

Today is June 20, at night. There’s been rumors going around saying some white boys threw a black woman and her baby into the Detroit River. Then riots started flooding in the streets.

“Oh Diana, what are we going to do?” I ask her. She looks at me with a raised eyebrow.

“What can we do is stay inside. It’s too dangerous to go out Anita.” I nod in agreement.

“I know, I know, but James is still out there though I’m just worried,” I reply with a sigh while holding Johnny in my arms.

“I understand, I keep hearing gunshots. And my friend, Anne, says that the government sent down troops.”

 I keep gazing out the window seeing people running through the streets. I keep hoping that James will come home soon before it gets even worse.

“Anita, go get some sleep he’ll be home,” Diana reassured me. I mumble an okay.

The next day the riots are still going on and still no sign of James. I’m listening to the news reports so far 15 people killed and 9 were African Americans. I sigh as I hear 133 wounded.

“6,000 troops” I repeat after the newscast. I shake my head. I hear the door open. I swiftly turn my head to see Diana with shopping bags in her hands.

“How could you go out to the supermarket at a crisis like this?” I exclaim at her in disbelief.

“We needed food.” She stated and went to the kitchen. I sigh and got up went to the front door.

“Diana watch Johnny for me please I’m going to look for James.” I rush out the door before she could stop me.

It was dark out, but luckily the streetlights help you see what is in front of you. The wind was blowing, making the newspapers travel across the street. Trash cans were set on fire, car alarms going off. Store windows are broken, and gunshots are flying through the air making me flinch. I went down the street by street looking for James. I sigh in frustration

“Where could he be?” I ask myself. As I continue down the street. I start to hear footsteps behind me. I quicken my pace, but so do the footsteps. I start to run, and on impulse I turn the corner. Which just happens to be an alley as well as a dead-end. I stop running and start to catch my breath. I heard the footsteps moving towards me. I look to see a man staring at me. He pushes me against the wall. Then slaps me across the face warning me not to scream.

Before he could do anything else he was shoved off of me and slam into the ground. The mysterious man punches the guy in the face. Which knocked him out. Still afraid to look up and shaking with fear, I hear a voice. “It’s okay you’re safe now.” I look up to see it was James after hearing his calm voice. ‘Oh thank god’ I thought to myself as I sigh in relief knowing it was him.

“Oh thank god, James,” I say getting my breathing together. Recognizing my voice his eyes widen.

“Anita, what are you doing here?” he questions me with worry and a little anger. For some reason I was speechless.

“It’s too dangerous to be out here. You should be home with Johnny and Diana.”

I came out of my trance and said “you should be home too. Where have you been? I’ve been worried sick.”

“I stayed at David’s place for the night we got off of work late, and the riot in the streets have gotten worse. Plus he doesn’t have a phone.” I nod in understanding.

“Come on let’s go home.” I nod and we start to walk out the alley. We were almost home when heard a gunshot. I flinch in James’ arms, as he tightens his hold on me in reassurance. Then I heard footsteps again. We turn to a drunken Charles with a gun.

“I finally got a chance to get of you people.” James stands in front shielding me from a target of being shot at.

“Now Charles, let’s not do anything we might regret.” James tries to reason with him.

“Oh, I won’t regret this. I mean look what you Negroes did to my city. Now you’re going to pay.” He says and aims the gun. Just as he pulled the trigger. he was pushed onto the floor by a figure.

Instead of shooting James in the chest, the bullet hit his arms. I let out a scream in shock. It all happened so fast I felt my life flash before my eyes. I look to James, he was clutching the spot where the bullet stroked his arm. I turn to see Charles knocked out and David standing over him. He had the gun now and was ready to shoot.

“David, don’t shoot him,” I said.

“Why not? He going to shoot you…besides police are shooting black men on the streets anyways. What wrong with getting rid of one more racist white man going to do? It ain’t going to hurt nobody. Besides, they already think less of us. What this going to do?” He states in a monotone.

“You’ll prove them right,” I stated.  “Because if you do this, you’re proving them right David. We have come so far in life. I mean look we have, we have rights, freedom and actual paying jobs. However if you do this that all goes away because that means that our people would have fought for nothing…so please…put the gun down.” I said.

He looks at me then at Charles. Then me again, and saw the pleading on my face.  David bites his tongue in anger but tosses the gun on the ground and he tries to catch his breath. I sigh in relief.

“Thank you, David.” He gives me a weak smile. Then I heard police sirens coming our way. I look in the distance where I heard the siren.

“Go,” David says.

“But what about you?” I question. He gives me a small smile

“It’s okay, I’ll be fine.” I nod and swiftly walk over to James.

“We need to get you to a hospital,” I say to him. He shakes no rapidly.

“No, they’re too crowded right now just take me home.” I nod and help him up as we started towards home. As we turn the corner I look back to see the police arrived at the scene. I quicken our pace towards home. As soon as we get farther away I hear a gunshot. I froze and prayed that David was alright. I also prayed what I think happened didn’t just happen.

Once we got home it was almost morning. I was staring out and questioning everything that happened the past few days. I didn’t hear from David at all. It’s been a few hours since the incident and I’m starting to face the fact that he’s dead.

“There you go, make sure you wash it real good so it doesn’t get infected. You’re lucky to be alive especially from last night. 35 dead and 25 were black. 433 wounded. Thank the lord that this madness is over.” Diana says bandaging the wound on James’s arm.

“Anita you were stupid for going out there, as for being your sister, and your friend I’m glad you’re safe. That was very brave, but still very stupid don’t ever do that again.” Diana says to me. I nod with a smile.

“I understand,” I said while feeding Johnny.

“Good because I can’t lose you guys. Y’all all I got.” Diana states packing up the first aid kit. “Plus I can’t afford a place by myself.”

Another two years flew by. It is now autumn the leaves are turning colors. The cool breeze blows in your face. Plus we won the war, but Mr. Peter hasn’t come back home yet. Ms. Mary is starting to lose hope that she’ll ever see him again. I was making lunch for Mary and the children while listening to Nat King Cole on the radio. When I heard a familiar voice behind me, a voice I haven’t heard in four years.

“Mmm, Anita, that smells good. I hope you save me a plate.” I turn to see Peter standing there in front with that same smirk he had four years ago. I smile and reply

“Of course, Mr. Peter, there is always room for you.” He lets out a chuckle that makes his green eyes squint. And as if it was perfect timing, Ms. Mary walks into the room. Peter turns around to see his wife that he hasn’t seen in years.

“Promised you, I’d come back.” He says smiling so wide it reaches his eyes, and bright that it puts the sun to shame. Mary was in his arms once again. Holding tight and this time never letting go.

Tamara Hill is a sophomore. She is a writing major and film minor.