Daddy Was a Number Runner by Louise Meriwether Page B

Sterling, trying to pin up the cuffs on the pants he had on, which came down over his shoe tops. The seat of the pants hung way down past his skinny behindand the sleeves of the jacket were so long his fingertips didn’t even show.
    â€œI won’t go,” Sterling said. “I won’t wear no dead man’s suit to my graduation.”
    â€œYou’ll go and you’ll wear that suit or I’ll whip your butt,” Daddy yelled. “Who do you think you’re talking to in that way? You suddenly so grown up you can talk to me and your mother like that?”
    Daddy had bought the suit from the pawnshop. It was a good buy he said because its owner had died and the pawnbroker was letting it go for half price because it had a little bullet hole over the right pocket.
    â€œDon’t talk about not going to your own graduation, Sterling,” Mother said, her mouth full of pins. “You the first one in this family ever to graduate. Ain’t I always said you’d be the salvation of us all? This suit don’t look too bad, do it, Francie? And when I put a tuck in the waist, and turn up the cuffs a bit …”
    Sterling was almost in tears.
    Daddy’s voice softened. “Your mother sews real good, Sterling. When she gets through that suit will fit you fine. And she’ll patch up that bullet hole, too. When I was a boy I didn’t have a suit where the coat matched the pants until I was twenty-one and had to buy it myself. If only that last figure had been a one today I could have bought you a new suit.”
    Sterling pulled away from Mother and tore at the pants until they dropped to his feet. He stood there in his B.V.D.’s looking more naked than if he had no clothes on at all, screaming: “I ain’t going to wear a dead man’s suit to my graduation.” He jumped over the pants and ran to his room.
    I expected Daddy to charge after him and slam him up against the wall ’cause sassy as he was, Sterling had neverdefied Daddy like that before. But Daddy just looked at Mother and shrugged. “He’ll be all right in the morning, Henrietta. Go on and fix the suit.”
    But in the morning Sterling was just as stubborn. He looked Daddy straight in the eye and told him he wasn’t going.
    Still Daddy didn’t whip him. “It’s your graduation,” he said, “suit yourself,” and he left to pick up his numbers.
    Mother put on a clean housedress and headed for the door. “Sterling, you stay right here until I get back,” she said, and left.
    I followed Sterling to his room. “I wanna go to your graduation. How come you gotta mess up?”
    â€œGet out of here before I punch you in the nose.” He pushed me out of the room and slammed the door.
    Mother came home shortly after twelve, carrying a big box. She marched into Sterling’s room and dropped it on his bed.
    â€œPut these on,” she said, “and hurry now. I want to get a good seat up front.”
    Inside the box was a brand-new knickers suit, a white shirt, and tie and socks to match.
    â€œYou’ll have to wear your old sneakers,” Mother apologized.
    Sterling jumped up and hugged Mother. She wriggled out of his embrace. “Go on now, Sterling, and get dressed before we be late. Francie, if you’re going with us come on now and let me braid your hair, and wear your plaid skirt.”
    We didn’t hear Daddy come in until he said: “What’s all the excitement about?”
    Mother told him in a rush. “I walked uptown to Hazel’s and borrowed some money from her and bought Sterling a new suit. Good thing today is Thursday and she was home.”
    Daddy looked from Mother to the clothes on the bed. “And how we gonna pay Hazel back?”
    â€œSame way we been paying her back,” Mother snapped. “We ain’t been worrying about that before, so don’t start now. You goin’ with us to the