Black to the Past

Chapter 44

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Michael and Meredith left Western Union and drove around Cleveland Heights for a few minutes. They visited the streets they lived on in their own time period. All of their houses were there standing tall and proud but they looked much newer than they did in their own time. It was clear the neighborhood was all white. The wealth that it took to live on that side of Cleveland Heights in the 21st century was astronomical, let alone something that had only been standing for the last two decades or more.

"I'm hungry," Meredith admitted.

"It's well past dinner time. But remember, we can't eat and jump through time," Michael reminded her.

"Then let's head home. I'm feeling a little sick anyway. And I'm scared Michael," Meredith told him.

"Of what?"

"What if we don't make it back," she wanted to know.

"We will. Remember how Wilson and Halle came back. It was like they'd never been gone."

" I know but what if something's wrong. I feel like something is wrong,"

"It's okay, I know how you feel. This is strange and different. Let's just head back," Michael said as he turned into a driveway so that he could turn the car back around and head towards the Solarium house.

As he approached the stop sign, he heard the sirens of a cop car. Thinking nothing of it, Michael pulled over.

Michael started humming. He didn't know what he'd done wrong but he'd

been stopped by the cops before. They usually recognized him as one of the

kids from the community. They gave him a friendly nod, reminded him of

whatever minor traffic violation he'd caused, and sent him on his merry way. So he wasn't worried at all.

Meredith, on the other hand, was very worried. They weren't in their time at all and Michael's driver's license would reflect that!

Michael was still humming and looking ahead with a blank stare when the officer tapped his baton on the window.

"Yes officer," Michael said with a smile.

"Roll the window down," the officer said in an unfriendly voice.

Michael shrugged his shoulders and looked at Meredith. Meredith looked back at him, raised one arched eyebrow at him, and did a hand motion that signaled he needed to manually roll the window down. A little clueless, Michael stared at the door and finally got the point.

"Are you slow boy?" the officer asked him once the window was finally all the way down.

"No sir," Michael said with a smile. "How can I help you today," he asked cheerfully.

"How can you help me? How can I help you? What are you doing on this street son?"

"I live over here," Michael responded.

"Oh, you do, do you. Last time I checked I knew everyone who lived around here."

"Well, not everyone," Michael told him.

Meredith was trying not to look at the officer. She was afraid of being found as black and not as white like she was trying to pass for.

"Don't you talk to me like that. I know everyone over here. What is your name?"

"Michael Van der Haven."

"Boy, everyone knows you live up there with those super rich folk. Don't you dare lie to an officer of the law again. Now you get on out of here. Don't you be tryin' to find somewhere to be neckin' with this young lady, you here. You get her home and go on home yourself. It's not a good day to be out here with all the rioting and such that goes on when that negro Doctor King being around here. He's not a real Doctor like your daddy is, son. Now get on home. Good day little miss, don't get in trouble, you two."

The two let out a collective sigh. Meredith stared at Michael. She couldn't even begin to imagine what he must be thinking. That officer knew who he was! That was impossible.

"How,-" Meredith began, but was cut off.

"I don't know. That's weird," Michael was too stunned to move. The officer passed them by with a wave. Michael sat looking straight ahead and Meredith nodded.

"Drive Michael," Meredith urged him.

"Okay, right. Where are we supposed to meet them?"

"We never said. Let's just go back to the house," Meredith suggested.

Michael nodded and drove straight back to the house. He drove past the high school where he went to school. The science wing which had been torn down recently in his time period looked brand new in this one. Everything looked much newer, the houses and buildings.

When they arrived at the house, they quietly snuck in and went straight to the basement. The others weren't there.