friendliest voice.
Even in that awful coat, Knowles was a handsome devil. The woman, who was plain faced and well built, frowned at me.
“Excuse me a moment, ma’am,” I said through the rising heat. “I just need to ask Mr. Knowles a quick question.”
“What is it?” he asked.
I wondered if I was a white man would he have put a
sir
on the end of that sentence.
“I bought a car from a man named Black,” I said as affably as I could. “He left his power tools behind the front seat. The only things I know for sure about him are that his first name is Christmas and he bought the car, truck actually, on this lot.”
Power tools, honest citizen — I had all the bases covered. Not only would I get the information, I might also receive a medal.
“Get the fuck off my lot,” Brad Knowles said to me.
I was actually speechless, so surprised that for a moment I forgot my deep sorrow. My mouth hung open.
“Do I have to call security and have you removed?” Brad added.
Despite my shock I could still shake my head and did so.
The plain white woman smiled at me, at my humiliation.
I turned and walked away, wondering what had happened.
Was it my interruption of his line on that woman? Was it racism? Or maybe they’d cheated Christmas on his truck. His complaint might have raised some hackles.
I OPENED MY CAR DOOR and waited a minute for the interior to cool down a little before I climbed in. I drove out of the lot and around the back of the big glass showroom, where a sign said there was overflow parking. I parked again and made my way into the building.
A young Asian woman, Korean I thought at the time, came up to me with a big smile on her face.
“May I help you, sir?”
“Yeah, yeah,” I said as I looked through the glass walls, hoping I hadn’t been seen by the indelicate lot boss. “Brad Knowles told me that I could find out something I need to know from somebody in records.”
“Miss Goss?” the woman asked.
“Yes. That’s who it is.”
“Third floor. The stairs are behind you.”
THE STAIRWAY was next to the glass wall. As I made my way up, I felt like a hornet in a clear plastic bag. Just a glance at the building would have shown Knowles that I was there. All he had to do was put down his foot to get rid of me.
I’d hoped that the records office had solid walls to hide behind, but it didn’t. All that separated me from the outside world was a wall of colorless glass. I was the best man trying to take the groom’s place at the top of a three-tiered wedding cake.
“May I help you?” another woman asked me.
I had expected a face to go along with the name Goss. So when I saw the lovely young black woman sitting in the dark red chair, I was surprised. I guess it showed on my face.
“I’m not what you expected?” she asked.
I tried to speak, but I didn’t want to call her name ugly.
She smiled and cocked her head to the side.
Miss Goss was not pretty. Her features were too pronounced and insolent to be pretty. Her high cheekbones and ready-to-be-angry eyes made her beautiful. For the first time in a year, without the aid of sleep or stress, Bonnie completely slipped away from me. But as soon as I realized Bonnie was gone from my mind, she was back again.
“Do you want something?” Miss Goss asked.
“No… I mean, yes. Brad Knowles said that you could give me some information.”
Speaking his name, I glanced out at the lot. As if by magic, he looked up at the same time and saw me seeing him.
The hourglass was set. I smiled, putting love on the back burner for a moment.
“That’s a lie,” Miss Goss said.
“What is?”
“Brad sendin’ you up here. He wouldn’t send anybody up here and certainly not a big black man like you. I’m surprised he didn’t call security.”
“The man I need to find is named Christmas Black. He bought a red truck from you within the last three weeks.” Pretending to scratch my neck, I got a glimpse of Knowles looking
Even in that awful coat, Knowles was a handsome devil. The woman, who was plain faced and well built, frowned at me.
“Excuse me a moment, ma’am,” I said through the rising heat. “I just need to ask Mr. Knowles a quick question.”
“What is it?” he asked.
I wondered if I was a white man would he have put a
sir
on the end of that sentence.
“I bought a car from a man named Black,” I said as affably as I could. “He left his power tools behind the front seat. The only things I know for sure about him are that his first name is Christmas and he bought the car, truck actually, on this lot.”
Power tools, honest citizen — I had all the bases covered. Not only would I get the information, I might also receive a medal.
“Get the fuck off my lot,” Brad Knowles said to me.
I was actually speechless, so surprised that for a moment I forgot my deep sorrow. My mouth hung open.
“Do I have to call security and have you removed?” Brad added.
Despite my shock I could still shake my head and did so.
The plain white woman smiled at me, at my humiliation.
I turned and walked away, wondering what had happened.
Was it my interruption of his line on that woman? Was it racism? Or maybe they’d cheated Christmas on his truck. His complaint might have raised some hackles.
I OPENED MY CAR DOOR and waited a minute for the interior to cool down a little before I climbed in. I drove out of the lot and around the back of the big glass showroom, where a sign said there was overflow parking. I parked again and made my way into the building.
A young Asian woman, Korean I thought at the time, came up to me with a big smile on her face.
“May I help you, sir?”
“Yeah, yeah,” I said as I looked through the glass walls, hoping I hadn’t been seen by the indelicate lot boss. “Brad Knowles told me that I could find out something I need to know from somebody in records.”
“Miss Goss?” the woman asked.
“Yes. That’s who it is.”
“Third floor. The stairs are behind you.”
THE STAIRWAY was next to the glass wall. As I made my way up, I felt like a hornet in a clear plastic bag. Just a glance at the building would have shown Knowles that I was there. All he had to do was put down his foot to get rid of me.
I’d hoped that the records office had solid walls to hide behind, but it didn’t. All that separated me from the outside world was a wall of colorless glass. I was the best man trying to take the groom’s place at the top of a three-tiered wedding cake.
“May I help you?” another woman asked me.
I had expected a face to go along with the name Goss. So when I saw the lovely young black woman sitting in the dark red chair, I was surprised. I guess it showed on my face.
“I’m not what you expected?” she asked.
I tried to speak, but I didn’t want to call her name ugly.
She smiled and cocked her head to the side.
Miss Goss was not pretty. Her features were too pronounced and insolent to be pretty. Her high cheekbones and ready-to-be-angry eyes made her beautiful. For the first time in a year, without the aid of sleep or stress, Bonnie completely slipped away from me. But as soon as I realized Bonnie was gone from my mind, she was back again.
“Do you want something?” Miss Goss asked.
“No… I mean, yes. Brad Knowles said that you could give me some information.”
Speaking his name, I glanced out at the lot. As if by magic, he looked up at the same time and saw me seeing him.
The hourglass was set. I smiled, putting love on the back burner for a moment.
“That’s a lie,” Miss Goss said.
“What is?”
“Brad sendin’ you up here. He wouldn’t send anybody up here and certainly not a big black man like you. I’m surprised he didn’t call security.”
“The man I need to find is named Christmas Black. He bought a red truck from you within the last three weeks.” Pretending to scratch my neck, I got a glimpse of Knowles looking
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