Passing By

(Note: I am African American. Certain words get said in this story but do not repeat. There is language, death, and violence. There is physical violence, and never call someone Colored or Negro. Enjoy the story!)

You are about to read the story of my life, and it is not my favorite story to tell. It took place in 1890. It has a start and a finish, neither of which is happy. I feel angst, wondering if it could have taken a safer turn as I mean this. My name is Ted, and my brother is named Kevin. We are African Americans, and everyone thought we were another species. We barely made any money, and we had our restaurant that had low ratings. Critics came every month, and we were lucky we even had one star. At the time, I was a 12-year-old, and my brother was 18. In two years, a law would pass where all black people like me and my brother would be murdered and shot. We lived in Alabama, and if my brother and I could make two-hundred dollars in two years, we could take the train to Canada and be free from the United States.

"Will we ever be free?" I asked Kevin as we sat together at our bar.

"All we can do is hope. Mama and Papa would be proud of us. Don’t worry. We can get on up to Canada and be free from this hellish country." Kevin told me.

I smiled, but it quickly faded. Unexpectedly there was cacophony. I got off my chair.

"What's that noise?" Kevin said.

Kevin and I walked outside, and we stood utterly still. We saw a sight we could not

unsee. Two officers were beating a black man with batons.

"That's Thomas, the market man! Leave him alone!" I yelled to the officers.

The officers stopped beating him.

"We're dangerous people, little boy. Get on out of here, or we'll gladly save a hit for you." I gasped. Kevin grabbed my hand, and we ran away. I felt like I had lived through this

before. I had a flashing memory of officers shooting and capturing my mama and Papa, but the memory faded away. I started crying, and Kevin hugged me.

"I'm sorry you had to see that. I will never let that happen to you. Never." Kevin said to me.

The next day came, and we started cooking in our diner. About five or six people came in every day. They ordered greasy burgers and potatoes, and that's what they got. A man walked into our diner.

"Hello." He said.

Kevin and I gasped.

"Hide under the counter," Kevin whispered to me.

I did what he said, and I hid under the counter.

"What do you want from us, Sheriff Bentley?" Kevin asked.

"I want a burger with a side of green beans," Bentley said.

"Okay, sir. It'll be a minute." Kevin said.

Bentley smiled and sat in a booth.

"I believe you have a brother. Where might he be?" Bentley asked.

"He's a very gregarious kid. He's with some other folks right now." Kevin responded as he made the burger.

I tried to stay as quiet as possible.

"You know, your species will be gone within a couple of years," Bentley said.

Kevin stopped making the burger and threw it at Bentley.

"We are humans too! If anyone is a different species, it's you!" Kevin said in anger. Bentley angrily looked at Kevin and stepped on his burger.

"I'll excuse this little incident. But mark my words, your kind will be gone soon enough."

Bentley said.

Bentley left our diner, and we both took a deep breath. I stood up, and I hugged Kevin. "We need to get those tickets soon, Ted. I'm starting to lose hope." Kevin said.

"I understand. Will the world ever get better?" I asked.

"That's one of life's greatest mysteries. I wish I could answer that question for you. "

Kevin answered.

My dream was for the world to be at peace.

"Kevin, why am I different? I don't like being Black, and I wish I was white and not a

disgusting animal." I said.

"Disgusting? Everyone is different, but we aren't that different from the whites. Being

Black isn't a curse. Never call yourself disgusting or cursed. We are not animals, and we need to stand up for ourselves. Okay, Ted?" Kevin explained.

"Yes. Thanks, Kevin." I said. I gave Kevin another hug, and he hugged me back. It was soon nighttime, and Kevin and I didn't sleep. We counted our coins and drank dirty water. We heard noises but ignored them. Suddenly, a large rock crashed through the diner's window, and we gasped.

"WHAT IN THE DAMN HELL WAS THAT?" Kevin yelled.

We investigated. It looked as though the rock had come out of thin air. But it didn't; somebody threw it. Bentley and ten officers went through the door, pointing guns at us.

"Hello, boys," Bentley said.

We slowly started backing away.

"I told you I would get rid of the negroes soon enough. I think it's a good time to start!"

Bentley said.

"You can be an asshole, Bentley. But I will not allow you to kill innocent people!" Kevin

barked.

"I was going to be kind and arrest you. But now you've played a bad card."

Bentley said.

Kevin and I backed away some more.

"Officers, shoot them," Bentley said.

We dashed out the back of the diner, hearing the sound of bullets.

"Ted, follow me! Don't lose sight of me!' Kevin yelled.

I nodded and kept running with him. We climbed over a fence and hid inside someone's

garage. Bentley and the officers started looking for us around the town.

"We need to get the money for the tickets now!" I said.

"Okay, Ted. Listen to me. It's never okay to steal, and I'm about to do a bad thing, but I hope God will forgive me for my sins. We need to steal some money to get to Canada." Kevin said.

"We can't steal! That's wrong!"

"I know it is. But nothing is right anymore. I'm sorry, Ted."

Kevin quickly ran up to a lady and took her purse.

"You disgusting negro! Don't touch me ever again! Take my purse, and I don't care! I'm getting the sheriff!" The lady said.

"Ma'am, I'm sorry. You do need it, don't you?" Kevin said.

"Yes, young man! I do need it, you negro!" The lady said.

Kevin gave back the purse.

"Sorry for taking your purse, ma'am. Don't tell the sheriff, and don't call us negroes.

We're just as human as you." Kevin said.

The lady nodded and walked away. Kevin ran back.

"You did the right thing, Kevin!" I said.

"We still need to steal, Ted. But we can steal from someone who has plenty of what we need to survive." Kevin said.

I nodded and frowned. It felt like an endless night as I sat in the dark, using a trash bag as a pillow. The morning eventually came, and Kevin and I ran to a nearby church. Bentley and the officers were still looking for us. Kevin and I didn't know if we were going on the path of exile or freedom. We snuck into the church and stole two hundred dollars from the donation box.

"You there. Where are you going with that money?" A voice said.

I turned around and saw a man in Black with a white-collar. Kevin put the money in his pocket.

"We're sorry, pastor. Please let us keep this money. It will help us dearly. I pray God will forgive us for our sins." I said.

The pastor smiled.

"There are no sins to forgive. Take the money, consider it my gift. I don't think that somebody should be excluded due to their skin color."

"Thank you very much. You have no clue how much we appreciate it." Kevin said. "Bentley is a sinful man, be careful around him. Don't let this end bitterly."

"I won't let it," Kevin said.

"God bless you both." The cleric said with a smile.

Kevin and I walked out of the church, being careful of Bentley. We hurried to the train where we could get to Canada and be free. We ran to the ticket office.

"Two tickets to Canada, please," Kevin said to the ticket man.

"Sorry, boys. The train won't be here in three days; then you can go." The ticket man said.

"I think we can manage. Do you possibly have anywhere we can sleep and eat?" Kevin asked.

"Since I feel bad for you, fellas, sure. I have a house right across from Kevin's Diner. I can take my break for the next three days." The ticket man replied.

"I happen to be Kevin, and I believe I know where your house is," Kevin exclaimed. "Pleasure to meet you, Kevin."

My brother and I smiled.

"Come on, boys." Said the ticket man.

We had to hide behind the ticket man when we walked to his house, so we didn't get caught. Eventually, we got to his house, and it looked very nice.

"I'm the only guy here. My family deserted me a while ago. My name is Jonas, and I'm twenty-nine years old. I can make some pork and eggs if you guys like that for lunch." Jonas said. 

"That would be great, thank you!" I said happily.

Jonas walked into the room.

"I need to go to the market to get some eggs and other stuff. I'll be back in an hour or less. Stay out of trouble. Do not leave the house." Jonas said.

Jonas left the house and went to the market. Jonas was delayed since there was a long line at the market. Unfortunately, he was at the back of the line. Eventually, Jonas got out of the market and gasped. He saw people dressed in white burning a wooden cross.

"What are you all doing?" Jonas asked.

"We are the Ku Klux Klan. KKK to shorten it. Leave now, or we will attack you." One person said.

Jonas looked them in the eyes.

"This isn't your property! Leave now!" Jonas yelled.

One started walking towards him.

"You have one more chance, or you will be sinful like the negroes." One said.

"I said leave! You don't need to hurt people who are different!" Jonas yelled.

One of the men pulled out a gun.

"I don't want to cause a scene. Please leave." Jonas said.

The man shot a bird in the air. Jonas backed away.

"Leave. Now." The man said.

Jonas looked him in the eyes and then ran back to his house one more time.

Jonas opened the door to his house.

"Are you both okay?" Jonas asked.

We both nodded.

"Did something happen?" I asked.

Jonas didn't know what to say.

"No, nothing happened. I got the eggs." Jonas said.

Jonas ran to the kitchen and started making the pork and eggs. He used a wooden spatula to cook, and it was finished after a half-hour. Jonas brought the food to the table, and we all ate.

"I've never had a good meal like this in a while. Thanks, Jonas!" Kevin said.

Jonas smiled. I ate my pork and eggs, which were very good. But I couldn't stop thinking about how scared Jonas seemed when he walked in the door.

"Jonas, be honest with us. What happened out there?" I asked.

Jonas looked at me.

"I would tell you. I really would. But I can't." Jonas said.

I frowned. Dinner was over, and Kevin and I went to bed. Kevin was already fast asleep, but I got out of bed. I went to Jonas's room. I opened the door, and I gasped. He wasn't there. I ran down the stairs, and Jonas was nowhere to be seen. I quickly grabbed my hat and coat. I put on my shoes and held a lantern. I dashed outside to find Jonas. Officers were scattered around the town. I didn't want to do this, and I felt ashamed as I did it. I went to a paint bucket and painted myself white. I finished painting, and I looked like a white boy. I hated the feeling of pretending to be what I was not. I walked around the town, trying to find Jonas. An officer came out of nowhere as if he came from the shadows of hell.

"Who might you be?" The Officer asked.

"My name is Timothy. I'm going to my Papa's house." I said.

"Ah, okay. Get there quickly. You might get attacked by a negro. My name is Curtis; I've killed many negroes in my life. I'm only thirty, but I've killed about fifty blacks. Be careful." Curtis said. I looked at him in his brown eyes, and I gasped. He was one of the officers who murdered my mom and dad. I didn't say anything, and I ran away, still looking for Jonas. All the lights in the town were off, except one. I saw the police station. I went through the door, and I saw Jonas. He was looking through criminal records. There were no officers in the room.

"Jonas!" I said.

Jonas turned around.

"Ted! Why are you here? You're going to get killed out here!" Jonas said.

"I know, but I managed to slip away by painting myself white," I said.

Jonas walked up to me.

"You shouldn't have come, and you didn't need to paint yourself. Don't be ashamed of your race and skin color. Some people just don't understand and want power." He said.

I nodded and wiped off my painted face with my sleeve.

"I'll be honest with you, Ted. I saw these men last night. They were in white like ghosts. They call themselves the Ku Klux Klan. They're trying to kill African Americans, and I tried to stop them. I saw all of their eyes, though, and I believe I can find one of them." Jonas said,

"Okay, Jonas. Can we head home?" I asked.

Jonas nodded, and he closed the criminal records. We went home, and after an hour, it was morning. Jonas walked out of the house to go to his ticket booth. Kevin and I went with him. Jonas gasped with relief.

"Boys! The train will be here earlier! It'll be tonight!" Jonas said.

Kevin and I started jumping with joy.

"You boys stay here. I'm going to see if I can find a KKK member. Say the ticket man will be here soon." Jonas said.

We nodded, and Jonas walked away. Jonas was in an alley, and he gasped. A man was walking towards him with cold brown eyes.

"You! You're one of them." Jonas said.

"Indeed I am. Don't tell anyone, or you'll regret it." He said.

"Wait! You're Officer Curtis! You're a KKK member! Unbelievable!" Jonas said in anger.

"You've uncovered my identity. Don't tell anyone, you goddamn fool!" Curtis snarled.

Jonas started yelling for help. Curtis pulled out a revolver.

"What the hell is wrong with you? HELP!" Jonas yelled.

"Goodbye, ticket-man," Curtis said.

Curtis shot Jonas in the stomach, and he fell to the ground.

"No...tell Ted and Kevin...I...will....miss....them." Jonas said slowly.

After he finished his sentence, he died. Curtis walked away. It was eventually night, and Kevin and I ran to the train.

"Where is Jonas?" I asked.

"I don't know, but we have to go!" Kevin said.

We looked behind us, and we saw the Ku Klux Klan.

"WHO ARE THEY?" Kevin yelled.

"Jonas told me about them, and they're bad people. Just run!" I yelled back.

We ran to the train, and we gasped. One of our tickets fell into a puddle and disintegrated.

"Shit!" Kevin yelled.

We kept running and running, and we saw Bentley. Bentley grabbed onto my back and knocked me onto the ground.

"It's time I end your career, boy!" Bentley said.

Kevin pushed him off my back and kicked him to the ground. Kevin and I jumped onto the train.

"We only have one ticket. Please let us both on!" Kevin said to the conductor.

The conductor shook his head.

"Listen, Ted. I love you so much, but I promised you I wouldn't let you get hurt. I'm sorry, I love you so much. Goodbye, Ted." Kevin said with tears in his eyes.

Kevin threw me onto the train floor, and he jumped off.

"KEVIN! NO!" I yelled. The train slowly started going away.

"KEVIN! I LOVE YOU!" I said, with tears falling down my eyes.

I saw Curtis with a gun in his hand.

"This is your real goodbye!" Curtis said to Kevin.

Curtis shot Kevin in the back five times. Curtis shot him in the head, and then he started chasing after the train.

"I won't allow any negroes to escape Alabama!" Curtis yelled.

I climbed on top of the train.

Curtis jumped on top of the train, grabbed my back, and stabbed me with a knife.

"Get off of me, asshole!" I yelled.

I pushed him off of my back.

"I recognize you now! I killed your parents!" Curtis yelled. 

"I've had enough of your shit!" I yelled.

I stood up and punched Curtis in the face. Curtis's nose started bleeding. Curtis threw his knife at me but missed. I kicked him, and he tripped. He crawled to grab his knife and stood up. I choked him and kicked him again. He broke free and grabbed his gun. He shot my leg and I fell over. I slowly got up.

"I'm about to end the family tree!" Curtis said.

Curtis was about to shoot me again, but I pushed him off the top of the train.

"NO! SHIT!" Curtis yelled.

I heard Curtis scream as he was hit by the train at full speed. I started sobbing, and the train slowly went to Canada. I was finally free to go to Canada.