was white for the heat.”
“White hat’s good for a man in Savannah come June and July. Maybe even as far as October sometimes.”
Again Raymond looked across at him, and this time Goldah turned just as Raymond was looking back at the road.
“Is something wrong?”
“No, suh, nothing wrong.” Raymond nodded to himself. Then, “Awful kind a you to give me your hand with Mary Royal, Mr. Ike, but maybe you shouldn’t be doing that no more.”
Goldah looked at the eyes focused on the road. If there was anger or resignation in them, Goldah couldn’t see it. “Because you’re black?”
“Yes, suh.”
“And I shouldn’t offer my hand to a black man?”
“No, suh.”
Goldah took a breath and thought, Was it really that easy to land on the other side of things?
Five minutes later, the truck came to a stop along a dirt alley that ran behind the store. Farther down, two men wereunloading what looked to be glass jars of hair tonic, electric blue glinting in the sun.
“I’ll let you say your hellos,” Raymond said. “I got to make a quick trip. No more than half an hour and I’ll be back. You okay with that, Mr. Ike?”
At the back door, Raymond used his key, then pushed through. The door stuck on the cement floor and he put his shoulder into it.
“Me and Jacob fix this door up next week, Mr. Ike. He’s good with his hands. He’ll try to wriggle out a it, but I’ll make sure he does it.”
The smell of dank cardboard and shoe polish filtered through the ceiling-high metal shelves, each stacked with boxes. Raymond led them through. They came to an archway. Across from it hung a curtain that draped to the floor and, at the side, a narrow hall. Stools, ashtrays, and a cooler stood alongside the walls. This was where the carpeting began. Goldah heard voices from the other side of the curtain.
Raymond said, “We can wait here ’til Jacob comes back. Calvin should be here. Don’t know why he ain’t.” He shrugged. “You want something to drink, Mr. Ike?”
Raymond reached over to the cooler and fished two Coca-Colas from the ice. An opener was hanging from a string on the wall and he popped them both open. He handed one to Goldah.
“No reason we can’t cool off while we waiting.”
They heard footsteps before the curtain drew back. Calvin stepped through. He was in a white shirt, dark pants, and a bow tie. If he was surprised to see them he didn’t show it.
“Morning,” said Calvin.
“This here’s Mr. Ike,” Raymond said. “Mary Royal thought’d be good for him to come down early.”
“Morning, Mr. Ike. Raymond here try and kiss my granddaughter this morning?”
Goldah found himself smiling. “I believe he did, yes.”
“Well, between you and me, one day I think she might just let him.”
“ ‘One day,’ ” Raymond said. “That’s rich.”
“Good to meet you, Mr. Ike.” Calvin turned to Raymond. “You drop off them groceries?”
“Yes, suh. Dropped them off. What you doing dressed up like that?”
“Mr. Jesler says I get boxes on Saturday mornings so Jacob don’t have to leave the front empty when he needs them. Any more questions, Romeo?”
Raymond smiled. “No, suh, no more questions.”
“Good.” He took Raymond’s Coca-Cola. “Then go back and get me lady sizes six and six and a half, wide, Naturalizers, black. You going to need the ladder.”
“But I got them deliveries to Delaney’s … oh, never mind.” Raymond looked over at Goldah. “You take care a this old man, Mr. Ike, while I’m getting him his boxes. Make sure you help him to his seat.”
Calvin said, “Just get the shoes, son.”
Raymond stepped through the doorway and Calvin pointed to two stools.
“Care to sit, Mr. Ike?”
The two sipped at their Coca-Colas, Calvin staring straight ahead and taking his time with each sip. He had learned how to steal these moments for himself. There was nothing too considered, no glance at Goldah. Calvin’s was an absolute stillness; its
“White hat’s good for a man in Savannah come June and July. Maybe even as far as October sometimes.”
Again Raymond looked across at him, and this time Goldah turned just as Raymond was looking back at the road.
“Is something wrong?”
“No, suh, nothing wrong.” Raymond nodded to himself. Then, “Awful kind a you to give me your hand with Mary Royal, Mr. Ike, but maybe you shouldn’t be doing that no more.”
Goldah looked at the eyes focused on the road. If there was anger or resignation in them, Goldah couldn’t see it. “Because you’re black?”
“Yes, suh.”
“And I shouldn’t offer my hand to a black man?”
“No, suh.”
Goldah took a breath and thought, Was it really that easy to land on the other side of things?
Five minutes later, the truck came to a stop along a dirt alley that ran behind the store. Farther down, two men wereunloading what looked to be glass jars of hair tonic, electric blue glinting in the sun.
“I’ll let you say your hellos,” Raymond said. “I got to make a quick trip. No more than half an hour and I’ll be back. You okay with that, Mr. Ike?”
At the back door, Raymond used his key, then pushed through. The door stuck on the cement floor and he put his shoulder into it.
“Me and Jacob fix this door up next week, Mr. Ike. He’s good with his hands. He’ll try to wriggle out a it, but I’ll make sure he does it.”
The smell of dank cardboard and shoe polish filtered through the ceiling-high metal shelves, each stacked with boxes. Raymond led them through. They came to an archway. Across from it hung a curtain that draped to the floor and, at the side, a narrow hall. Stools, ashtrays, and a cooler stood alongside the walls. This was where the carpeting began. Goldah heard voices from the other side of the curtain.
Raymond said, “We can wait here ’til Jacob comes back. Calvin should be here. Don’t know why he ain’t.” He shrugged. “You want something to drink, Mr. Ike?”
Raymond reached over to the cooler and fished two Coca-Colas from the ice. An opener was hanging from a string on the wall and he popped them both open. He handed one to Goldah.
“No reason we can’t cool off while we waiting.”
They heard footsteps before the curtain drew back. Calvin stepped through. He was in a white shirt, dark pants, and a bow tie. If he was surprised to see them he didn’t show it.
“Morning,” said Calvin.
“This here’s Mr. Ike,” Raymond said. “Mary Royal thought’d be good for him to come down early.”
“Morning, Mr. Ike. Raymond here try and kiss my granddaughter this morning?”
Goldah found himself smiling. “I believe he did, yes.”
“Well, between you and me, one day I think she might just let him.”
“ ‘One day,’ ” Raymond said. “That’s rich.”
“Good to meet you, Mr. Ike.” Calvin turned to Raymond. “You drop off them groceries?”
“Yes, suh. Dropped them off. What you doing dressed up like that?”
“Mr. Jesler says I get boxes on Saturday mornings so Jacob don’t have to leave the front empty when he needs them. Any more questions, Romeo?”
Raymond smiled. “No, suh, no more questions.”
“Good.” He took Raymond’s Coca-Cola. “Then go back and get me lady sizes six and six and a half, wide, Naturalizers, black. You going to need the ladder.”
“But I got them deliveries to Delaney’s … oh, never mind.” Raymond looked over at Goldah. “You take care a this old man, Mr. Ike, while I’m getting him his boxes. Make sure you help him to his seat.”
Calvin said, “Just get the shoes, son.”
Raymond stepped through the doorway and Calvin pointed to two stools.
“Care to sit, Mr. Ike?”
The two sipped at their Coca-Colas, Calvin staring straight ahead and taking his time with each sip. He had learned how to steal these moments for himself. There was nothing too considered, no glance at Goldah. Calvin’s was an absolute stillness; its
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