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Chapter 1
GROWING UP
It’s a cold, crisp November winter
night about nine-thirty p.m.,
Sandra Harris begins to have sharp pains and contractions, she screams for help.
Running like a flash comes her nineteen year old brother Robert. Not far behind,
her mother Sadie and her father Frank.
“Sandra, what is it?” Frank asked as he jumped in front of his nervous son.
“I think it’s time.” She panted out as she sweated and squirmed in a desperate effort
to ease the growing pain. “I think it’s time.”
“Robert,” Frank said to his son, “get the car ready.”
Sadie gathered some clothes and other things to take to the hospital.
“OK baby,” Frank said to his pregnant daughter who was in lots of pain, “I’m gonna
put you in the wheel chair and we’re going to the hospital right now, OK?”
Crasssshhhhh! Sylvia, Sandras’ five year old daughter had broken a lamp while coming
from her room in which she was awakened by the commotion and started to cry.
“Sadie,” Frank yelled, “get Sylvia and put her in the car.” He then turned to Sandra.
“Now, lets go baby,” he said softly. “Easy now, you’ll be all right. He lifted her
gently into the wheelchair. “Robert.” he screamed, “help me get your sister to the
car.”
“Yes sir, I’m coming.”
Mr. PresidentAfricaAwaitsYou
“Don’t come, came.” Frank was agitated and nervous at the same time.
“Yes sir, I’m here.” Robert responded as he leaped through the doorway.
“OK let’s go.” Frank said as the chair began to tilt. “Be careful boy.”
“Yes sir.”
“OK one step at a time, on three, ready, 123 up, 123 up, 123 up—” Frank continuously
commanded as they lifted her up the concrete stairs. “Sadie, come on lets go.”
“I’m coming honey, I’m making sure the house is locked.”
“Forget that, Robert’ll stay here and take care of the house.”
“Pops, I wanna go to, is it OK?”
“All right, but help your mother lock up.”
“Sure pop.” Robert ran quickly back down stairs where he found his mother about
to lock the first of two doors. “Momma get in the car, I’ll finish locking up.”
***
As they rested in the waiting room, the doctor appeared and announced that at
“All right doc, that’s great, how are they?” Frank asked joyfully.
“Their both doing fine.”
“All right, a nephew.” Rob said happily.
An African-American man and woman standing across the room acknowledged Frank respectfully
not only for his new found joy, but for who he was as well.
“Where is my mommy?” Sylvia asked the doctor as everyone laughed.
“She’s in the kiddy room with your little brother.” The doctor replied. “Would you
like to see her?” he asked as he knelt down and held her little shoulder in his
hand.
“Un-hun.” Sylvia said shyly.
“OK, come with me, as a matter of fact, all of you can come and see her, but please
only for a moment. She’s still very weak and tired.” The doctor knocked and slowly
entered the room where a nurse was standing over Sandra and the baby monitoring
their condition.
“Hello Sandra.” Frank said as he kissed her on the forehead. “How is my favorite
and only grandson?”
“He’s fine.” she said in an exhaustive whisper. “He’s sleeping but he’s healthy.
Hello mother.”
“Hello baby, I’m sure glad this is over. What will we name him?”
“I’m not sure, what do you—”
“Mommy, are you, are you sick mommy.” Sylvia said as she squirmed and climbed out
of her uncles arms and ran towards the bed.
“Sylvia be careful,” Frank snapped. “you don’t wanna wake your new baby brother.”
“Is he coming home with us?”
“Yeah, he’ll be home soon.” Sandra responded softly.
“Can I play with him?” Sylvia said as she tried desperately to grasp at the high
bed and see the little new born.
“Yes dear you can play with him.”
“OK everyone,” the doctor said nicely. “I think visiting time is over for now, Ms.
Harris and the baby should be getting some rest.
“OK doctor.” Frank said as they all kissed Sandra and started out the room.
“You know, you sure are young to be delivering babies, how old are you son?”
“I’m twenty-nine sir, and this is my first baby and I’m very excited with the results.”
“For an African-American man to be a doctor at twenty-nine, you must be a brilliant
young man.”
“I do my best sir.”
“Good, good, that’s all we can ask for.”MahonekMr.
President Africa Awaits You
Frank a fairly short but stocky forty-five year old brown skin man, had a mustache
and kept his hair very short. Always in control, the entire family including extended
members looked up to him with full respect. He was the head of the family at least
the
“Honey, we’ll be back tomorrow.” Sadie said as she and Sylvia was the last ones
to leave the room. “So you get some rest now.”
“Mommy I want to stay.” Sylvia said as she started to cry.
Sylvia the only light skin member of the family was dressed in her little night
shirt, a coat and little bunny slippers. She was a pretty girl but very restless.
“I want to stay with mommy.” She cried again.
“Come on baby.” Sadie said as she reached down and picked Sylvia up into her arms.
“Momma needs some rest now, you’ll see her tomorrow.”
Sadie was a forty-three year old dark brown skin, beautiful African-American woman
of petite size, who kept her jet black hair pressed and liked to wear as nice a
clothes as she could afford.
***
It was two weeks later. Sandra was standing outside the apartment building where
William’s cousins lived when her mother came out.
“Sandra you shouldn’t be outside.” she said with concern.
“I’m OK mother, but I really needed some air. I’ve been kooked up in the apartment
with the baby for two weeks now and I really think it’s time for just a little break.”
“OK, I understand. How is little William A. Harris?”
“He’s fine, he’s really a very good child. He’s quiet, sleeps when he’s suppose
to, eats when he’s suppose to. I can’t say the same for Sylvia when she was born.”
“I can’t say the same for you either darling when you were born.”
“Oh mother.” Sandra responded as they both smiled and started walking down the snow
covered street. Sandra was a pretty, young woman with a dark brown complexion like
her mother, and weighed about 125 lbs. She had beautiful white teeth and big black
eyes. Privately, she was concerned with her ex-husband leaving her and wondered
whether they would ever re-marry. Though they had Sylvia long before they were married,
the marriage only lasted about two years, and they had been divorced now eight months.
It was a fairly chilly day, the air was crisp but the sun was out in
“Mother,” Sandra said as she turned to face her. “It’s time for me to go back to
work and get my own place.”
“Why baby?” Sadie asked. “That just isn’t necessary right now.”
“Sure it is. Daddy is barely making a living cleaning these buildings and I just
can’t continue to let you two take care of me and the kids. So I’ve decided and
that’s all there is to it. I’m going back to work so I can get my own place.”
“OK,” Sadie said hesitantly. “If that’s what you want, but your father want be happy.”
“I know but he’ll accept it, I’m twenty-four years old and a divorced mother of
two already, I just wanna get on with life independent of other peoples assistance.”
They turned and headed back to the apartment.
“I tell you what,” Sadie said as she pulled her daughter close to her. “Robert will
help you find a place and move in with you, It’ll be such a strain to live alone
with two kids, I just could never hear of it.”MahonekMr.
President Africa Awaits You
“That’s fine, but it’s up to Robert. He’s a nineteen year old man now you know and
he may be looking to get his own place pretty soon. He’s got a girlfriend you know.”
“Honey Robert’s got a thousand girlfriends and they all seem to call the house one
after another. allowing you to stay in your room with no phone has kept you from
having to hear the rings and answer the phone.”
“Well mother if it’s bothering you, you should tell Robert.”
“It don’t bother me none, I’m just glad he’s helpful around the house and stays
out of trouble.” They started to go inside when Frank turned the corner in his green
1954
“Child here comes your father now.” Sadie said as they both went to meet him.
“Hi daddy.” Sandra said as Frank opened the door and they kissed.
“Hey baby. Hey sugar.” He said as he kissed his wife. “What are you doing out here
cold as it is?” he asked Sandra.
“It’s not that cold daddy, and I’m tired of being in the house, I needed a little
air.”
“Now you listen to me ba—”
“Frank, Frank, please honey, leave the child alone now. She wanted some air, she’s
feeling fine. It’s been almost two weeks since she had the baby.”
“Yeah, Yeah.” Frank said reluctantly. “Where’s Robert I want him to help me with
these groceries and things.”
“He’s in the house playing with the kids daddy, I’ll help you.”
“No,no,no baby. Now you just take it easy and—”
“Daddy, I’m all right. Come on let me help.” The two stared at one another for a
moment as Sadie looked on, then gathered the bags and other items Frank had in the
car.
“If that clown of a man you once called your husband was around you wouldn’t have
to go through this alone.”
“Daddy you promised. You said you’d leave Charles out of our conversations for good.”
They all started walking towards the apartment.
Home for the Harris’ in this little quaint middle class white community was a small
four room make shift apartment located in the basement of a three story red brick
apartment building, of which there were three identical ones built side by side
having about thirty units in each one. The entire neighborhood was sprinkled with
apartment buildings and large brick and wood frame two story houses. Frank was the
janitor for the three buildings and usually worked from five in the morning to six
or seven at night. But he was primarily on call twenty-four hours for any emergency
maintenance. It was a gruesome and dirty job and paid very little money, usually
only around eighty or ninety dollars a week. One day while he was playing with the
grandchildren, he thought to himself. William
A. Harris, you my boy will be great one day. I truly believe in my heart that your
destiny will be filled with successes and power and I pray to our beloved God that
I see the day it happens. Peace and Prosperity for the Love of
After cleaning the kitchen, Sandra joined her father and the children in the living
room.
“Daddy, did momma tell you yet?” She asked as she sat on the sofa across the room
from her fathers favorite recliner.
“Tell me what?” he asked as he lifted little William high into the air twirling
him back and forth.
“Be careful daddy he just ate. I guess she didn’t.”
“Tell me what?” Frank said as he sat little William down on his lap and looked directly
at his lovely daughter. “Come on now, tell me what?”
“Daddy I’m going back to work and getting my own place.”
Frank stared at her for a moment saying nothing. Then turned his attention back
to William and began playfully pinching his cheek.
“You know something honey, I’ve known you for a longtime, all your life in fact.”
“Daddy.” Sandra said with a smile.
“No wait a minute. Now think about it, how are you going to take care of two kids
and—”MahonekMr. President Africa Awaits You
“Daddy I’ll manage, OK?” she snapped angrily as she started to cry.
“Baby, baby, come on now. You know I love you with all my heart.” he said as he
sat the baby down and went over to comfort his daughter. “I just don’t want you
having to many problems, please don’t be upset. I love you, you know that don’t
you?”
“I know daddy.” she said through her whimpering and tears. “I just don’t wanna be
a bother to you and mother. And anyway, Robert may move in with me and he can help
with the kids.”
“First of all you’re not a bother and those kids of yours they’re jewels around
my neck not chains.”
“Oh daddy.” Sandra said as she managed a smile. “I love you so much.” she then hugged
him tighter.
“I love you to baby, but moving out is just, just, it’s just not the right time,
and aren’t you well taken care of here, have we had any financial or economic problems
that you can point to and say you or the kids are causing.”
Sandra hung her head and just shook it back and forth slowly.
“No I guess you’re right.”
“You know I’m right.” Frank then went back to playing with William.
“Then when will it be right daddy?”
“Well, Baby, the children need to get in school first. Sylvia doesn’t start full
time first grade until next year and William, well he’s just so small right now,
let’s give it awhile. OK? We’ll know when the time is right.”
“OK daddy,” Sandra said as she wiped her face. “but I am going back to work.”
“Baby—” Frank started to say before being interrupted.
“Daddy, we need the money and besides, it’s not like I’m a vegetable or something.”
“all right I understand, though we don’t need the money. But promise me only one
job and only a few hours a day.”
“Only one job.” Sandra responded.
“And only a few hours a day.”
“Only one job.” Sandra responded again as they both laughed.
“I just hope my grandson is as hard a negotiator as his mother is.” “Your grandson will be better.” |