I Have A Dream

1960's, Jackson, Mississippi

Autumn has reached finally, the trees turning into an array of orange and yellow, dead leaves scattered around the sidewalks and roads. The birds are chirping merrily, as if they are content that autumn has come. A slight breeze swept past by, ruffling against the leaves.

Marsha Winters walks by herself down the street, hugging her books to her chest. She is humming a tune to herself. She is feeling happy, excited, because soon, a change would come into her life.

She just listened to Martin Luther King Jr's speech, I have a dream on the radio, a speech that will inspire young black people like her. Martin Luther King's words are embedded in her mind, stamped on her mind.

I still have a dream, a dream deeply rooted in the American dream – one day this nation will rise up and live up to its creed, "We hold these truths to be self evident: that all men are created equal." I have a dream ...

There will be no more segregation. Marsha can fulfill her dream of becoming a doctor. Her family of six has lived in poverty, living in a ramshackle sharing a single toilet and some of her family members, like her grandmother and her father are illiterate. Her mother can read some letters but struggling. And so, Marsha and her younger sister, Leona are determined to change. When there will be no more segregation, her Mama doesn't need to work in that white people's house anymore. Marsha and Leona can go to a good school and then go to good universities and can fulfill their dreams. She will move her family out of that ramshackle and move them into a decent house in a decent neighborhood. Marsha is determined to change. She even dreamed of leaving Mississippi one day and move somewhere North, where apparently, things are better for Black people like her and provide good future to black people like her.

She was too busy thinking about those dreams and didn't realize a there is a gang of white girls at the side. She was too late when she realized that those girls have seen her. One of those girls, Brenda was her name is the daughter of that white family that her mother was unfortunately working for.

"Look who's coming? Oh what a nasty smell! Let's move further away from this creature," Brenda laughed and the girls giggled.

Marsha is blushing furiously, feeling that her cheeks are turning hot. She clutched her books tightly to her chest. She prayed and hoped that Brenda and her girls would leave her alone.

But Brenda doesn't seem to give up. She grabs Marsha by her hair and she gasped, dropping her books on the ground.

"Hey you, maid's daughter, aren't you suppose to be helping your Mummy?" she sneered.

"Let go of me," Marsha said through gritted teeth.

"Hey, is this the way you are talking to me? Have you forgotten who I am?! You are supposed to bow at me," Brenda sneered, pushing Marsha hard on the ground.

Tears are springing in her eyes. She looks at Brenda and her girls. White porcelain colored skin, an array of blonde and brown heads, an array of blue, green and hazel colored eyes, staring into her dark ones. Once, Marsha wished she looked like them. But now, she is proud of her skin color. She is proud to be Black. Or Negro.

"What are those? Books?" Brenda smirked.

"Looks like school books and notes," one girl with red hair and chubby face noted.

"Why do a black girl like you need books for? You will work like your Mummy one day so you don't need books," with that, Brenda started to grab the books from the ground and started tearing the pages and the girls joined in.

"No!" Marsha screamed, trying to save her remaining books but was to no avail.

Brenda threw the torn books at her face.

"You are quiet an eyesore, come on girls, let's leave this pathetic girl," and Brenda and her gang of girls left.

Marsha started sobbing, staring helplessly at the torn pages of her books. She slowly glanced back, looking at the backs of Brenda Cunningham and her friends, their wails of laughter filling up the neighborhood.

You wait and see Brenda...she said softly in her mind. A change is going to come soon...

***

1996, New York City, New York

Brenda Cunningham is sitting in the hallway of the hospital. She is having an appointment with a Dr. Marsha Reynolds, apparently one of the best dermatologists in the city and town. Her friend, Susan was the one recommended the doctor to her. Brenda has a skin condition that none of the doctors she has visited was able to cure and she hoped that this doctor would cure her.

A nurse came out of the room, a plump woman with a friendly face.

"Dr. Reynolds is ready to see you now," the nurse said.

Brenda followed the nurse into the room and she was alone with the doctor.

Dr. Marsha Reynolds is around her age, and she is...African-American, Black, Brenda has no idea what to call her. She looks impeccably dressed, a diamond ring shining on her fourth finger. Brenda wished she looked exquisite as Dr. Reynolds. But there was some thing about Dr. Reynolds, some familiarity in her face...

Dr. Reynolds glanced up from her notes. She smiled at her.

"Brenda?" she asked.

"Yes," she squeaked.

Dr. Reynolds is looking at her now, studying her.

"You...you look familiar," she said softly, her smile fading a little. "If you don't mind me asking, are you from Mississippi?"

Brenda blinked. Is it really her?

"Mar...Marsha?" she echoed.

Marsha smiled.

"That's right, my mother used to work for your family back then," she said softly.

Brenda couldn't believe it. After the civil rights, Marsha's mother stopped working. She had no idea what happened to Marsha and her family but her mother said that just because civil rights happened doesn't change Marsha's family life. Her mother...Brenda was ashamed to admit, was racist, saying black people and white people can never live together and black people will always live in poverty.

Her mother was so wrong. She wished she can tell her mother that Marsha, the family maid's daughter is now a renowned dermatologist in New York.

"I...I am so sorry," she choked back the tears. "I am sorry that I caused you so much pain...back then,"

Marsha smiled.

"It doesn't matter," she said. "How are your parents?"

Brenda wiped a tear. "Both my folks are dead. I don't live in Jackson anymore, I moved her, I dreamed of becoming a Broadway actress and..." she didn't want to tell everything, that instead she ended up becoming a hooker and working as a waitress in a restaurant, though now she has managed to open up her own bakery. She looks at Marsha. "Yours?"

Marsha smiled.

"We...we don't live in ramshackle house anymore," she said softly. "Grandma died ten years ago. Mama and Papa are still living in Jackson, they have their own hardware store and running successfully and Derek my brother will be taking over the store one day. Leona has become an attorney and Graham has finally become a diplomat...because he wanted to see the world. He is working in Tokyo in the American Embassay" she smiled.

"So, you are living in New York?" Brenda asked.

"Yes, for fifteen years," Marsha said proudly.

Brenda is feeling envy. She in fact felt that Marsha, who lived in poverty with no good opportunities at the door is now living comfortably.

"You know what inspired us?" Marsha asked.

It was then Brenda sees a picture of Martin Luther King Jr. beside the framed pictures of Marsha and her family.

"I have a dream...that speech inspired me," Marsha sighed. There were tears in her eyes now. "I wanted to change. Change in our life. I dreamed of change. And thanks to that speech, my life and my family's life change for good,"

Brenda smiled, also tears in her eyes. Long time ago, Brenda and her younger brother had turned on the TV and had listened to Martin Luther King's famous speech. And in fact, that speech had changed so many of black people's lives, like Marsha's for good, ending the segregation days.