The Whole Truth

I was stretching my legs across the porch swing of my house while the sunlight was beaming on my ivory skin during this hot Alabama summer of 1970 as the sun started to set. I took a deep breath and soaked up the sun while I still could, smiling until a shadow appeared above me. I squint my eyes and hold my hand slightly above my eyebrow to see more clearly. "Margaret Anne Baldwin, you need to come inside this instance because I don't need you to be getting dark, looking like these dark folks," mama says. I roll my eyes and say, "yes, mama, I'll be coming in soon." Mama quickly responds, pointing her finger towards the door, and firmly says, "No! Now Margaret, go on now. It's no good for a young lady to be out at night all alone." I removed my legs from the porch swing, stood up, and shrugged my shoulders with an annoyed look as I opened the door and walked inside. I began walking towards the window where I was watching the dark kids play. Looking at those kids, I start thinking about how mama always said those dark folks were up to no good and I shouldn't be talking to them, but I never understood why. I couldn't comprehend how mama thought of dark folk like that when Charlotte Smith gave me the only pen she had for class so I could take a test, even though she knew she would fail the class.

Charlotte Smith was a dark-skinned girl, sweet as can be, but that did not stop the cruelty she endured on this dark night. "Margaret, supper is almost ready. Call your papa to come out from his office in thirty minutes!" mama shouted from the kitchen to the living room, where I sat and stared out the window. "Yes, ma'am," I responded. As I gazed outside one last time before I called for my papa, I saw Charlotte playing hopscotch with her little brother. Her parents were never around, and rumors spread. Some said that their parents abandoned them, and some say they were killed or imprisoned, but for sure, they weren't around. However, while playing, Charlotte and her little brother were smiling and laughing as they hopped in each square.

Watching them made me happy, and I began to grin until everything changed instantly.

Mr. Tommy Miller was an older man that lived three houses down with no wife, no kids, just a lonely man who was always drunk. He began walking towards Charlotte and her little brother, and as I watched him slowly approach, Mr. Tommy pulled out a stick from under his shirt. I called for my Mama, but she wasn't answering. I had this bad feeling, so I went to my papa's office to see if he would come out and question why Mr. Tommy was approaching Charlotte, but his door was locked, and papa would not answer after I knocked multiple times. I quickly ran back to the window and saw Charlotte laid out on the darkened street against her will, and her little brother was nowhere to be seen. Mr. Tommy was moving on top of her and trying to lift her dress as she screamed and cried. I ran out of the door and yelled, "STOP THAT!" as loudly as possible. Mr. Tommy turned to me and said, "go on, girl, this dark one lured me, and now she's going to take what is coming!" I felt a rage inside and that rage was released as I ran and pushed him off as hard as possible. Mr. Tommy flew back, hitting his head on the light pole, and passed out cold.

Charlotte was covered in blood, and a black circle surrounded her left eye. She began to cry as I propped her up in my lap. My mama ran out with my papa, and my mama screamed,

"Margaret, let go of that dark filth! You let go right now, you hear!" My hands were shaking,

Charlotte closed her eyes, and the sounds around me began to silence. Mr. Tommy was toward the right of me and was still unconscious, but a pool of blood began to surround his head. Neighbors came rushing out on the street like dogs running for a bone. Lights flashed blue and red, and the sounds came crashing back with sirens wailing and people's whispers grew louder like thunder on a stormy night.

"Miss, Miss!" the officer shouted as he tried to get my attention. I looked up at him, startled. "Yes, sir," I responded with a shaken voice. I looked down, and Charlotte was gone, and so was Mr. Tommy to my right. All that was left was a pool of blood on my right and blood on my hands. Above me were my parents beside of the officer. "Miss, you need to stand up; we have a few questions for you that must be answered at the station.", the officer replied. I looked up and nodded as my father slowly picked me up. My mind began to race while I was detained in the back of the police car. I watched my mama sobbing while papa held her tight through the window of the police car.