Newspapers / The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, … / Feb. 14, 1985, edition 1 / Page 25
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Sister Maria Was Tough And JLndn’t fake Any iMonsense I was about to do some devilment when the stran-' geot feeling came over me. I looked around to see what was wrong when I caught a glimpse of a very familiar \ figure. It was Mama She had come down to the school to talk with Sister Maria. I could only hear bits and pieces of their conversa tion. “Mrs. Adams, will you help us with the cos tumes?” Slater Maria was Mother gushed forth, “Surely I will.” Sister Maria’s eyes peered in my direction. She muttered, "Nate is growing up to be a big man. He ought to be good in this year’s Christmas play.” Mama wanted to know the nature of the show. As the two ladies headed out of the classroom, I thought I faintly heard them say that there would be a lot of dancing. My heart explo ded with Jojr because I loved to dance and, I was about the best darn dancer in the school. Maybe I was the only one who knew it. but that was okay. While I was still day dreaming, Sister Maria came back into the class room. We always chuckled when she came into the room. ' That old door’s shriek reminded us of the old wives tale about the ghost of Saint Joseph’s mis sien who supposedly could laugh. The shriek was accompanied by a bit of plaster falling to the floor from around the archway. I sometimes got caught staring up at the cracks in the ceiling. We hated to look straight ahead be cause the times’ tables were posted across the top of the blackboards which coverad the entire front of the room. Sister Maria’s desk was positioned in the center of the blackboards. run was her domain, a fact ^ i ii'ni ii 11 . i waaiiaia " ~ Sherman the best dancer in the school. I felt I had been mistreated, and I was de termined that she would not get away with this. That night I could not fall asleep until I came up with a good scheme to make her pay. Practi<Jlrted ^06x1 day righron time. Sister Maria gave everyone their lines to learn. She made each person read them aloud. When she got anmd to me, she said, “Nate, I want you to be Saint Joseph and guard the baby Jesus." I just re mained quiet and listener attentively. I made a point of not cracking a smile and stood there like a stone statue. ny toe tune the second day rolled around, how ever, I could not control my anger any longer. I began to make the other kids feel stupid by calling their lines “silly”. Since we lived by the strict ghetto code of silence, I did not worry that the kids would tell the teacher. No one could remember their lines, and Sister Maria did not know what to do. I got great pleasure watching her sweat. I thought she was going to pull off her habit in utter disgust. I felt good that weekend knowing I had mode Sister Maria suffer for her "sins” against me. I recalled telling my best friend Pres ton bow well I was getting my revenge. "Boy, you don’t know I am,” I Mid to Preston. “I got that nun where she can’t move.” "you’re crazy, man.” laughed Preston. “Keep coining down on that teach er and you’ll find yourself in a bind. By the way, what did you call that lady?” asked Preston. “She’s a mm. A mm!” "Hey, man, I got to break camp”, muttered Preston. As Preston left, I con vinced myself that he didn’t understand the situ* ation since he was in public school. I spent the rest of the weekend planning my . next move. By Sunday up'adtb an ingenkma plan was the first child to dash out of the house to catch the schoolbus. This was to be my triumphant day. I had figured that this would be the day that I finally put Sister Maria in her place. When practice rolled around, I said to Sister Maria, ‘‘I don’t want to be in the Christmas play.” ‘‘What’s the problem, Master Adams?”, Sister asked. “I don’t want to be in this pkW I would rather spend my time studying.” Sister Maria’s blue eyes seemed to look right through me. Her stare made my stomach boil. She murmured, “It’s im portant that you play Saint Joseph and protect the ba by Jesus.” i uon i want to stand there like no statue,’’ I complained. “I’m a dan cer, and I know I can turn this play out.” “Someone must be Jo seph and we think you are the best person. Further more, I will not hear of your refusing to take part in this play!” demanded Sister Maria, her face red dening as she spoke. I knew I had better show humbleness or she might make me stay in after school and then I’d have to explain coming home late to Mama and Papa. I reluctantly went up on the stage I acted as if she had put a shotgun in my back. When the practice got underway, some of the mo- - then who helped to pre pare costumes came by to see how they fitted. They often stayed to watch their children perform their rou tines. Sister Maria asked me to come down to try on my costume. I replied, “I’m too tired.” She called out, “Nate, come down here right now!” I didn’t move. I was going to show her who was boss. I turned away from her and looked at the stage. A sudden stillness filled the room. Feeling I had put her down publicly I suddenly heard footsteps getting louder and louder.' They seemed to stop directly behind me. I continued to boldly stare away, waiting to see whether Sister Maria was really all that rough. Suddenly I felt a hand grab the top of my pants and begin to twist. I froze. But I was not going to let Sister Maria think she could bluff me. I found myself violently jerked around, seemingly by an iron hand from heaven. I thought my head was going to come off from the sud den yank on my pants. A stinging sensation quickly covered my whole body. The pain was so intense I thought I bad died and gone to hell. The way the blows came, I knew it could be only one person. When the pain finally slowed down a bit, I looked around to see who had hold of me. The voice cried out, “Don’t you ever again let me hear tell of you even thinking showing your tail in church. If I catch you acting like a fool again, I’ll cut you in half with this hickory switch.’’Mama let -i Soul Night Every Sunday featuring Soul Music ) Ladies Reg. $1.00 Gents Reg. $2.00 $ £ £ Ac OFF 7.1 fV-nT..!?V Wid. rhiH Ad KA TE S SKSe ' 3646 Central Ave. 33^0900 me go and walked off that stage like nothing had ever happened. All I could think about was Mama had seen the whole thing, and what would she tell Papa? I could hear my brothers and sisters chanting, “I'm go ing to tell Papa and you’re going to get it.” I was an angel for the remainder of that practice. But when I got home, I felt the full brunt of Papa’s wrath. He didn’t miss a lick. However, the real punishment came from those kids laughing in the school yard. I wanted so badly to beat up a couple of t them, but I was afraid to risk another encounter with Sister Maria. The play went off fine. I stood there like I enjoyed the dancing and singing. No one had the least idea that I might have been unhappy. However, on Christmas Day Mama al ways talked with us just before we dashed out to visit the neighbors' houses. A big part of the Christmas celebration included our sharing the neighbors’ ho liday food. I was the last child Mother summoned. When I got there, I laid my head in her lap. She whispered, “How is mo ther’s love?” I always melted inside when Mama spoke those words to me. I knew Mama wanted to talk about the Christmas play. When Mama finished talking, her face radiated an angelic glow that I cannot describe. Her words echoed throughout my mind so loudly there was no doubt that I had made a fool of myself and hurt the family name. I dashed out the front door and ran down the street calling out "Merry Christ mas!” to everyone who crossed my path. Morehead ^ Medical (-enter Licensed OB-GYN Specialist worried About Being Pregnant ? 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The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
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Feb. 14, 1985, edition 1
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