was a very likable guy who had an open-door policy for his staff. Mark was very fond of him and thought of him as a fair man. At eight o’clock on a Wednesday morning, Mark tapped lightly on Sherman’s door.
“Come in,” Sherman said.
Mark stepped into the office. “Good morning to you, sir.” Sherman smiled. “Good morning, Mark. What brings you in
here?”
“I have a problem,” Mark said.
Sherman’s eyebrows rose. “Please have a seat and let’s talk about
it.”
Mark pulled his chair up to Sherman’s desk. “It’s Jeremiah
Tolliver. I don’t know what his angle is. I don’t know if you
remember or not, but nearly three months ago I was doing
surveillance and called in to the office and asked for help. You sent
Jeremiah out.”
Sherman scratched his head. “Yeah, I think I remember.” “Well, he and I been working on this case together, and I don’t
think we can be effective working with each other.”
“Why not?” Sherman asked. “You both are two of my finest
agents.”
“I ain’t got nothing against his work, it’s just that his views are a
bit extreme, and I just don’t want to deal with them.” “Give me an example,” Sherman said.
“I don’t really have a specific example. He makes little remarks
that I find offensive as a black man. He uses a lot of absolutes and
he plays around with the term those people , referring to people in
housing projects, and he refers to them as savages.”
“I see,” Sherman said, nodding. “Aren’t you working undercover
right now?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“So you guys really don’t see that much of each other anyway.” “You’re right. It’s just something about Jeremiah . . . I can’t quite
put my finger on it.”
“Well, do you think it would help if I talked to him?” “Only if you can’t take him off the case, because I can see major
problems down the road.” Mark stood and the two men shook
hands.
***
One day after school, Dream went to her parents’ house. Janice Nelson was in the dining room having hot tea when Dream walked in. “Have a seat and I’ll fix you a cup of herbal tea, baby. It’s mint flavored,” Janice said.
Dream turned over a cup that had been neatly placed neatly on a saucer on the table.
Janice poured the tea. “How’s school?”
“School’s fine. I have some smart kids this year. The only problem I have is that I haven’t been assigned a homeroom. I’m a floater, and so I have to walk all day.”
Janice sipped her tea. “Why don’t you come over to the high school with your father and me? I’m sure he could at least make sure you get a homeroom, and I know he would like that a lot.”
Dream knew what her mother said was true. She knew it would be easier to get a homeroom if she taught at the high school where her father was principal, but she didn’t want to be there. She wanted to be as independent of her parents as possible. “It’s really not that big of a deal. Besides, I like teaching younger children. High school kids are wild.”
“Yeah, I know those little boys in high school with the raging hormones would be all over you.” Janice laughed.
Dream blew her tea as the steam rose from her cup. “The middle school boys are just as bad.”
“Speaking of boys, where is that Jamal boy?” Janice asked.
“He’s around.”
“I think I liked the jailbird better.”
“You mean, DeVon.”
“You call him what you want to call him, but I’m going to call him the jailbird,” Janice laughed.
***
Jamal had stayed the night at Dream’s house. They made love and he dozed off. Dream stood over him smiling, examining his body. She liked everything about him—from his braids to his tattoos and scars, to which she was especially attracted. She looked at the scar on the side of his back. It looked like a stab wound and was shaped like a diamond. The tattoos were just as appealing. On his arm was a tombstone with RIP Black written in green ink, and on his back was an image of huge knife
“Come in,” Sherman said.
Mark stepped into the office. “Good morning to you, sir.” Sherman smiled. “Good morning, Mark. What brings you in
here?”
“I have a problem,” Mark said.
Sherman’s eyebrows rose. “Please have a seat and let’s talk about
it.”
Mark pulled his chair up to Sherman’s desk. “It’s Jeremiah
Tolliver. I don’t know what his angle is. I don’t know if you
remember or not, but nearly three months ago I was doing
surveillance and called in to the office and asked for help. You sent
Jeremiah out.”
Sherman scratched his head. “Yeah, I think I remember.” “Well, he and I been working on this case together, and I don’t
think we can be effective working with each other.”
“Why not?” Sherman asked. “You both are two of my finest
agents.”
“I ain’t got nothing against his work, it’s just that his views are a
bit extreme, and I just don’t want to deal with them.” “Give me an example,” Sherman said.
“I don’t really have a specific example. He makes little remarks
that I find offensive as a black man. He uses a lot of absolutes and
he plays around with the term those people , referring to people in
housing projects, and he refers to them as savages.”
“I see,” Sherman said, nodding. “Aren’t you working undercover
right now?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“So you guys really don’t see that much of each other anyway.” “You’re right. It’s just something about Jeremiah . . . I can’t quite
put my finger on it.”
“Well, do you think it would help if I talked to him?” “Only if you can’t take him off the case, because I can see major
problems down the road.” Mark stood and the two men shook
hands.
***
One day after school, Dream went to her parents’ house. Janice Nelson was in the dining room having hot tea when Dream walked in. “Have a seat and I’ll fix you a cup of herbal tea, baby. It’s mint flavored,” Janice said.
Dream turned over a cup that had been neatly placed neatly on a saucer on the table.
Janice poured the tea. “How’s school?”
“School’s fine. I have some smart kids this year. The only problem I have is that I haven’t been assigned a homeroom. I’m a floater, and so I have to walk all day.”
Janice sipped her tea. “Why don’t you come over to the high school with your father and me? I’m sure he could at least make sure you get a homeroom, and I know he would like that a lot.”
Dream knew what her mother said was true. She knew it would be easier to get a homeroom if she taught at the high school where her father was principal, but she didn’t want to be there. She wanted to be as independent of her parents as possible. “It’s really not that big of a deal. Besides, I like teaching younger children. High school kids are wild.”
“Yeah, I know those little boys in high school with the raging hormones would be all over you.” Janice laughed.
Dream blew her tea as the steam rose from her cup. “The middle school boys are just as bad.”
“Speaking of boys, where is that Jamal boy?” Janice asked.
“He’s around.”
“I think I liked the jailbird better.”
“You mean, DeVon.”
“You call him what you want to call him, but I’m going to call him the jailbird,” Janice laughed.
***
Jamal had stayed the night at Dream’s house. They made love and he dozed off. Dream stood over him smiling, examining his body. She liked everything about him—from his braids to his tattoos and scars, to which she was especially attracted. She looked at the scar on the side of his back. It looked like a stab wound and was shaped like a diamond. The tattoos were just as appealing. On his arm was a tombstone with RIP Black written in green ink, and on his back was an image of huge knife
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