James McBride Quote

Back, Daddy said. It’ll work out. He had no idea what to do about Helen. They spoke a completely different language. He was an old-timer who called school schoolin’ and called me boy. He had run off from Jim Crow in the South and felt that education, any education, was a privilege. Helen was far beyond that. Weeks passed, months, and Helen didn’t return. Finally Jack called. I found her. She’s living with some crazy woman, Jack said. She told Ma she didn’t know much about the lady other than that she wore a lot of scarves and used incense. Mommy got the address and went to the place herself. It was a dilapidated housing project near St. Nicholas Avenue, with junkies and winos standing out front. Mommy stepped past them and walked through a haze of reefer smoke and took the elevator to the eighth floor. She went to the apartment door and listened. There was music playing on a stereo inside, and the voice of someone on the phone. She knocked on the door. The stereo lowered. Who is it? someone asked. It sounded like Helen. I’m here to see Helen, Mommy said. Silence. I know you’re there, Helen, Mommy said. Silence. Helen. I want you to come home. Whatever’s wrong we’ll fix. Just forget all of it and come on home. From down the hallway, a doorway opened and a black woman watched in silence as the dark-haired, bowlegged white lady talked to the closed door. Please come home, Helen. The door had a peephole in it. The peephole slid back. A large black eye peered out. Please come home, Helen. This is no place for you to be. Just come on home. The peephole closed.