Black to the Past

Chapter 51

"I can't jump again tonight," Halle told them. "I'm calling my dad."
"Wait, Halle! What about how much trouble your dad was in? What if there's still something bad going on," Wilson asked her.

"I can't deal with that right now," Halle cried.

The doorbell rang and they all jumped up and looked at each other. It rang quickly in three successive rings. "The pizza," Meredith said and she crossed the room into the foyer to open the front door.

Standing there was the pizza guy, he was nervous looking holding the two pies in one hand.

"You kids hurry up! You shouldn't have even ordered pizza tonight. Come on, you're my last delivery. I'm going home," the young man told them.

"What's going on out there? I thought nothing was happening in Cleveland according to the news," Michael asked.

"I saw a large crowd of men with bats and weapons turn a corner. I'm going to try going the other way home," he told the kids.

"This is really a nightmare," Halle said as she sunk further into the couch.

She dialed the number to her father's cell phone.

"Halle! It's about time. I've been calling you. Where are you?"

"Dad, I'm fine! I've been at Michael's house," she began.

"I'm coming to get you. You need to be home," he warned her.

"No dad. I'm going to stay here. His dad, Dr. Van der Haven, he's going to bring me home in the morning."

"No, Halle! I want you home. It's not safe out that way. I know our city has been desegregated for some time and we all "get along" relatively well, but I don't want you in the house of a white family," her father said honestly.

"Dad, you don't mean that! I've known them my whole life. We've known them all my life. Dad, how's mom?"

"She's right here," he told her.

"She's fine? She's like, out of the hospital."

"Honey she's been out of the hospital for days now. Her and the baby are fine. Now I'm coming to get you. I'll be there in less than five minutes, be ready."

"Okay," Halle said sadly. "My dad is picking me up."

"You can't leave. We have to go back," Wilson told her as he stooped to be at her side. There was a vein sticking out the side of her forehead that always protruded whenever she was getting a migraine.

"Wil, he wouldn't take no for an answer. You'll have to go without me."

"But what if something happens. You have to go back," Wilson told her again.

"Maybe something will happen that he can't get here. Look," Jalen told them as he pointed to the t.v.

The kids were sitting right in front of the t.v. now, hot pizzas were going unnoticed to everyone except Meredith. There was a live shot of downtown Cleveland.

"Here in downtown Cleveland things are relatively quiet. Protestors are standing in front of city hall lined up as if ready to march. There are no weapons visible yet there's an underlying current in the air. Cleveland is still known as one of the places in the U.S. that led the movement in desegregation. One of it's largest suburbs, Cleveland Heights, is world renowned for its inclusion and diversity," the news reporter continued on.

There were hundreds of people lined up before city hall. Helicopters were in the air over major cities across the United States but there was only peace in certain areas.