Age Don't Matter In This World

March, 4, 1946

Today is my birthday and I am 11 but it does not matter how old I am because it is the same every time, Mama can't afford to get me a birthday present. She always says the same thing, "You know how it is being black at this time in history, black people barely even have a few pennies to spare, Stella."

So today I don't even bother to ask because it will be the same thing. So instead today I grabbed a piece of cornbread with honey and slipped out the front gate. Time for pennie hunting. I shoved the last of the cornbread into my mouth and started digging around in the dusty ground for some pennies.

My hand hit something metal and I started digging harder. The little metal pennie glittered in the sun. my fingers fumbled with the shiny penny. It might not be worth a lot to a rich white person but it means a lot to me.

I shoved the pennie in my pocket of my pants and raced down the bumpy road. I came to the front of Mrs Jacobs candy shop a few minutes later. I pulled on the silvery handled and walked inside still panting for the run. Mrs Jacobs said the same thing she said every year and that was, "Did you get anything this year," and I answered the same thing I did every year. "Nope!" I slid the pennie to Mrs Jacobs and took a piece of taffy. I was on my way out the door when Mrs Jacobs said, "It doesn't matter how old you are, as long as you are black nothing is going to change."

June, 3, 1950

I smash down on the corn flour until there is corn flour in place corn flour should never be. I dragged the corn flour for two whole miles to the market hoping for a trade. But it was hard these days trying to sell corn flour or corn cakes because more and more of these fancy white people keep showing up and not a single one of them would want to buy or trade anything from us blacks.

I placed down a small wooden table and chair. I swung the corn flour up on the table with a thump and a cloud of dust shot up in a heap. Eyes were watching me. I just had the feeling.

A tall white lady with a small child walked up to me with a frown on her face. All she said was "You should just go home black girl," My heart broke into a million pieces. I could not believe someone would be so mean like that.

I dragged the bucket of corn flour across town again with only one pennie in hand, one dull pennie.

September, 4, 1954

I woke up at the crack of dawn ready to get the day started. It was my last year of school and I was ready to have a year full of, I think white people call them straight A's. I want a year of straight A's!

I bolted down the rickety stairs and out the door only saying one word to my mother, "Bye!" I had no books and lunch pail, well and no shoes so it was easy to run fast down the road. Despite the dust from the road that flung up in my eyes I kept going. I needed the extra credit of not being tardy so I could pass with flying colors.

When I dragged my bare feet in the wooden building that I know as my school and almost fell to the ground. I will not run one and a half miles again. More kids filed in the small room including me.

I raced to the last open desk that sat in the corner of the room by the only window but no one could see out of it. Mrs Cooper's teacher was a small skinny woman with thick glasses and a smile that was contagious.

Mrs Cooper started out the day with calling the name of kids for their parents did not pay the school fees. My heart always raced when Mrs Cooper called names. You would never know your parents did not pay the school fee until your name was read off the list. Mrs Cooper started reading the names, "James, June, Summer, Jacks, Jojo, John, and Stella." I could not believe Mrs Coopers words. I could not stand there in shock for long I had to leave. I raced out the door and ran all the way home without looking back.

I came in the door crying. Mom came and sat me down on the couch. I am guessing she knew what had happened because all she said was, "I know it sucks but you gotta be the rainbow in someone's rain not be the rain in someone's rainbow." I closed my eyes and repeated her words. She was right. I should be someone's rainbow in their rain storm. 

I took her words strongly and walked out the back door to grab the few extra buckets of corn flour they had and went to John's house. John was super skinny so I thought he could use it. 

I pounded on John’s door and seconds later he showed up at the door looking quite pale. I dragged the bucket of flour to the front step and said, “Here John!” And I ran off down the road skipping. With no dust getting into my eyes. 

I ran all the way to Mrs Jacob’s Candy singing at the top of my lungs not even caring if people are watching. I swung the door of the candy shop open with a giant smile and said, “One rainbow taffy please!” 

“Why are you so happy today missy?” she asked with her hands on her hips and a wide grin. “Oh just feeling colorful today you could say,” 

“So you are feeling like a giant happy rainbow?” Mrs Jacobs asked. 

“Yes, exactly!”