Blackwater: The Complete Caskey Family Saga by Michael McDowell Page A
Authors: Michael McDowell
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Turtle Creek; they rode into school every day on the back of a decrepit mule. Elinor taught her children arithmetic, geography, spelling, grammar, and Confederate history.
Every morning Roxie fixed Miss Elinor a lunch to take to school, but one morning Roxie was called away to help with a baby-birthing in Baptist Bottom, and nothing could be prepared. When Roxie did return, a little before noon, she packed the little wicker case and gave it to Zaddie to deliver to the teacher. To go to the school of the white children was a great adventure for Zaddie, and she approached the building with awe. The principal, Ruth Digman, showed her the way to Elinor’s classroom and knocked on the door for her.
The child at the back of the room, whose duty it was to open the door when anyone knocked, rose and answered the summons; all the children turned around and stared at the black girl in the doorway. No one had ever seen a colored child in the white school. Trembling, Zaddie went forward with Miss Elinor’s lunch. The teacher thanked her, then introduced her to the class. “Boys and girls,” said Miss Elinor, “this is Zaddie Sapp, who is exactly your age. If she went to school she’d be in the fourth grade too, and she’d be as smart as the smartest one of you sitting here. She is saving up her money to pay the tuition at the Colored Arts and Mechanics College up in Brewton, and I will give her a quarter this very minute to put in her bank.”
Zaddie took the quarter and rushed headlong from the room. From that moment—if, indeed, she had not already signed herself over—she was Elinor Dammert’s creature for life.
. . .
One day in October, home from the mill for lunch, Oscar learned quite accidentally from Ivey Sapp that his mother and his sister would be going to Pensacola on an overnight visit in order to get to a particular dressmaker early in the morning. Oscar quickly figured out that Mary-Love hadn’t mentioned her upcoming absence to him because she hadn’t wanted him to take advantage of it by spending the time in the company of Elinor Dammert. Oscar stepped out on the back porch and called Zaddie over to him. The girl, who was sitting under one of the water oaks that had kept on growing even though it was fall, came directly over.
“Zaddie, you know where Miss Elinor teaches, don’t you?”
“I been there,” said Zaddie.
“Will you take her a note for me? I’ll give you a quarter to do it, Zaddie.”
“I’ll take it, Mr. Oscar,” said the black girl eagerly. She would gladly have done it only for the chance to see the classroomful of white children again. Zaddie knew secretly that she could read better than half of them.
Oscar went back inside and wrote out a note at the kitchen table. He folded the note, took it out to Zaddie, and then after saying goodbye to his mother and sister he returned to the mill.
Late that afternoon, Mary-Love and Sister took off for Pensacola in the Torpedo roadster driven by Bray. Bray had been taught to drive the family’s two automobiles, and more and more his position in the Caskey household was that of chauffeur. Mary-Love left her son a note suggesting that the trip had been made on the spur of the moment and telling him that supper had been left covered up for him on the kitchen table. Oscar ignored the note and the supper. He ate next door, and then took Miss Elinor and Grace to see The Ghost of Rosie Taylor at the Ritz Theater. After the flood the Ritz had reopened with scarlet upholstery and a new rosewood piano.
Later, when Grace had been put to bed, Miss Elinor and Oscar took a little walk down to the river. They sat on the mooring dock looking at the moon and stayed there until the town hall clock tolled midnight. Oscar declared that he hadn’t been up that late since he tried to save the Caskey houses from the rising floodwater.
After that, Zaddie had a new job—she was a messenger. Every day she delivered to Miss Elinor the note that Mr. Oscar had
Every morning Roxie fixed Miss Elinor a lunch to take to school, but one morning Roxie was called away to help with a baby-birthing in Baptist Bottom, and nothing could be prepared. When Roxie did return, a little before noon, she packed the little wicker case and gave it to Zaddie to deliver to the teacher. To go to the school of the white children was a great adventure for Zaddie, and she approached the building with awe. The principal, Ruth Digman, showed her the way to Elinor’s classroom and knocked on the door for her.
The child at the back of the room, whose duty it was to open the door when anyone knocked, rose and answered the summons; all the children turned around and stared at the black girl in the doorway. No one had ever seen a colored child in the white school. Trembling, Zaddie went forward with Miss Elinor’s lunch. The teacher thanked her, then introduced her to the class. “Boys and girls,” said Miss Elinor, “this is Zaddie Sapp, who is exactly your age. If she went to school she’d be in the fourth grade too, and she’d be as smart as the smartest one of you sitting here. She is saving up her money to pay the tuition at the Colored Arts and Mechanics College up in Brewton, and I will give her a quarter this very minute to put in her bank.”
Zaddie took the quarter and rushed headlong from the room. From that moment—if, indeed, she had not already signed herself over—she was Elinor Dammert’s creature for life.
. . .
One day in October, home from the mill for lunch, Oscar learned quite accidentally from Ivey Sapp that his mother and his sister would be going to Pensacola on an overnight visit in order to get to a particular dressmaker early in the morning. Oscar quickly figured out that Mary-Love hadn’t mentioned her upcoming absence to him because she hadn’t wanted him to take advantage of it by spending the time in the company of Elinor Dammert. Oscar stepped out on the back porch and called Zaddie over to him. The girl, who was sitting under one of the water oaks that had kept on growing even though it was fall, came directly over.
“Zaddie, you know where Miss Elinor teaches, don’t you?”
“I been there,” said Zaddie.
“Will you take her a note for me? I’ll give you a quarter to do it, Zaddie.”
“I’ll take it, Mr. Oscar,” said the black girl eagerly. She would gladly have done it only for the chance to see the classroomful of white children again. Zaddie knew secretly that she could read better than half of them.
Oscar went back inside and wrote out a note at the kitchen table. He folded the note, took it out to Zaddie, and then after saying goodbye to his mother and sister he returned to the mill.
Late that afternoon, Mary-Love and Sister took off for Pensacola in the Torpedo roadster driven by Bray. Bray had been taught to drive the family’s two automobiles, and more and more his position in the Caskey household was that of chauffeur. Mary-Love left her son a note suggesting that the trip had been made on the spur of the moment and telling him that supper had been left covered up for him on the kitchen table. Oscar ignored the note and the supper. He ate next door, and then took Miss Elinor and Grace to see The Ghost of Rosie Taylor at the Ritz Theater. After the flood the Ritz had reopened with scarlet upholstery and a new rosewood piano.
Later, when Grace had been put to bed, Miss Elinor and Oscar took a little walk down to the river. They sat on the mooring dock looking at the moon and stayed there until the town hall clock tolled midnight. Oscar declared that he hadn’t been up that late since he tried to save the Caskey houses from the rising floodwater.
After that, Zaddie had a new job—she was a messenger. Every day she delivered to Miss Elinor the note that Mr. Oscar had
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