Showtime

Chapter One

April 3, 1935

    “Mae, stay still!” Momma said.
           Momma was pressing my hair. I hate getting my hair pressed, mostly because of the hot comb; it burns! It doesn’t help that Momma was gossip with Auntie Athena and not paying much attention. We were getting ready for a Daddy’s business trip--he got a new job opportunity somewhere in Michigan. First a train ride from home to the boat, then a boat trip across the Louisiana bayou, then a train straight to Michigan. We leave today. And Momma wants us to make look nice so Daddy’s potential boss can get a good impression of us.
    My name is Mae. I’m twelve years old. I’m the third child and second daughter of Daphne and Jeremiah Washington. We live in Louisiana, but if Daddy gets the job we’re moving to Michigan. But I don’t want to move! My home is here in Louisiana! J.J., my older brother and Ruth, my older sister, say I should grow up, moving is a part of life. My younger brother and sister, Charles and Diana say they're excited to move. Daddy is a sharecropper, well this whole family is, but mostly Daddy, Momma, Auntie Athena, J.J., and Ruth do most of the work and I’m next in line to start working on the crops. I want Daddy to get this job as much as he does, but I don’t want to leave my home, my school, all the memories I have in this house.
    Our land owner Mr. Miller was a cowardly and crusty old white man. If he thought Daddy did something wrong he’d threaten to call the police or something, but Daddy never showed any fear. Mr. Miller was scared of Daddy but never in a million years would he admit that. I wonder if Daddy does get his new job will Mr. Miller miss him or be relieved that he’s gone.
    Momma finally finished my hair and I finished my packing and now I was sitting on my bed reading The Clock that Went Backward. 
   “Mae, what're doing?” J.J. asked, barging my room, which was actually Charles and Ruth’s room too. “You're s’pposed be packing, not reading”--he snatched my magazine, and examined it--“some dumb book!”
  “I finished packing and it’s not some book!” I protested, taking it back. “And time traveling is not dumb!”
   He scoffed.
   “Mae! J.J.! Let’s go!” Momma shouted from downstairs.
   We hurried downstairs. Everyone’s luggage was near the door stacked up on each other. The whole train ride I read. Every once and awhile I’d gaze out of the window. One time I saw a circus caravan and the ringmaster waved at me.
    I’ve never been to a circus. I always thought circuses were obnoxious and unfunny, but then again I’ve never been. When Charles and Diana saw the caravan they almost lost their minds!
    “Mae! Mae! Lookit! Lookit! It’s a circus!” Charles exclaimed.
    “Ah! It’s a circus! Can we go, Momma?” Diana asked.
    Momma reprimanded them for their outburst. My eyes wandered to Daddy.
    Daddy was a tall, lanky, and muscular. His coffee bean skin more often than not was shiny and slick with sweat from a hard day’s work, which was everyday. His tightly coiled hair was graying near his sideburns. His hard eyes were the most intimidating thing about him, when he got mad we wouldn’t dare look him in the eyes. Daddy is the scariest thing when he’s mad.
   Daddy was a quiet man. He was stoic and tough, but sweet and kind. He worked extremely hard for us and asked for next to nothing in return! J.J. especially looked up to Daddy, but he was absolutely, positively, nothing like him! 
    J.J. was not quiet, he always spoke his mind even when he definitely should not. He usually ended up putting his foot in his mouth or contradicting his himself. Daddy liked to dream, and wasn’t afraid to wonder. J.J. on the other hand was down-to-earth; he says dreams are for babies, goals are for adults. J.J. wants to join Daddy at his new job, if he gets it,  as soon as he’s old enough which will be in a couple of years.
    Daddy and I were close. When he had the chance I’d tell him about my dreams and he’d tell me about his. “Keep on dreamin’, Mae,” he’d say. “Keep on dreamin’.” Daddy was the only one in my family who listened to me and understood me. Too bad no one else does.