Waiting with Elmer. Deanna K. Klingel

Kyle be for real?

      Willy walked on down the colorful sidewalk until he was on the purple square in front of Mr. Okei’s market on Harmony Street. He stood outside the door until Mr. Okei came to the screen door.

      “You want something?”

      “Yes, sir. I wondered if you could use some help after school. I can sweep up, or make your fruit display, or wash your windows. You know. Work.”

      “You work market before?”

      “No.”

      “How you know how?”

      “I don’t, but you could tell me what to do the first time. I learn fast. I’d really like to work for you.”

      “You friend of Elmer?”

      “Yes, sir. I’m Elmer’s friend. I live at the Union Mission.”

      “Okey dokey. You start tomorrow. After school. On Saturday you come in morning. Okay? I give you 15 cent every hour. Okey dokey?”

      “Swell! I mean yes, that’s fine, okay, okey dokey.” With his books still stacked under his arm, he whistled the rest of the way to the library.

      “Hello, Willy,” said the beautiful librarian. “Everything going well for you?”

      “I believe so, yes. Thank you. I’m returning this book, and I need to do some research.” Willy went to a quiet table near the card catalogue and dropped his notebook on the table.

      “If you have any questions about anything, please ask me,” the librarian whispered as she passed his table.

      I do have some questions, but I’m not sure the answers are in your books.

      Chapter Nine

      “Hi, Willy,” whispered Kyle. “I saw your name on the sign up for baseball tryouts. Good luck! I’m sure you’ll make the team. We’re glad to have you.”

      “Thanks,” Willy whispered back. He watched Kyle leave. Kyle waved to the librarian and let the big door slam behind him. Willy tapped his pencil against his forehead and stared at the card catalogue.

      I just don’t get this place.

      Miss Whitmire, the librarian, slid into the chair beside Willy.

      “Willy, you’ve been sitting here staring at that card catalogue for thirty minutes. The library will close in ten more minutes. May I help you with anything?”

      Willy started at the sound of her voice. He’d been deep in thought.

      For thirty minutes? Really? And I still haven’t figured it all out. In fact, I haven’t figured any of it out.

      He looked into the face of the librarian. She should understand.

      “What is it, Willy? Something is obviously on your mind.”

      “Yes, ma’am. I got a lot of wondering on my mind, that’s for sure.”

      “Does it have anything to do with Waitnsee? Elmer? Rake? School? Kyle?”

      Willy stared.

      I thought Elmer could read my mind, but she can, too.

      “Yes,” he hesitated. “All of that. What kind of place is Waitnsee? I lived lots of places, but I never saw a place like this. Every day, something else I don’t get. Do… do you?” he gulped. “I mean, you, and me? And Rake?… I mean, do you get this place?”

      “It’s wonderful, isn’t it?” She laid her arm across the back of Willy’s chair. “Has Elmer told you anything about Waitnsee?” He shook his head. “No. Everybody acts like it’s a normal place. But it’s not. It’s… it’s different.”

      “Tell you what, I’m going to lock up the library now. How about I walk you home? We can talk some on the way.”

      “I don’t have a home. I’m staying at Union Mission.”

      “I know. I know where you live. But you’re mistaken. You do have a home.” She snapped off the overhead lights, turned on a night light, and they pulled the big door shut. She locked it with a key, which she dropped into her jacket pocket. They walked down the green ramp with the books painted on, and headed down the sidewalk.

      “Okay, shoot. Ask me your questions.”

      “I don’t know what my questions are, really. I just don’t get any of it. Like what’s everybody doing here, waiting? Why’s everybody thinking that we’re friends? Like they know me or know about me. Why’s everybody so nice to me? Why don’t folks notice I’m, you know, like you, like colored folks? And they say, “‘Come on in here,’” and, “‘Come play baseball with us,’” and the teacher says, “‘Sit anywhere you like.’” This is just not how it is.”

      “I think you must have had some bad times in your young life, is that so?”

      Willy shrugged.

      “No, no, don’t give me that shoulder roll. That means you don’t have an opinion, and I believe you do. Now speak up. Have you had some bad times in your life? Some experiences that make you expect to be treated badly again?”

      Willy started to shrug again but stopped himself. “I guess so.”

      “You guess so? Or do you know so?”

      “I know so.”

      “Well good, you know so. Let’s not make conversation so difficult, shall we? You just say what you’re thinking. You want to tell me about any of those bad times?”

      “No, ma’am.” They walked on in silence passing many colors on the sidewalk. Above the buildings Willy could begin to see the big Union Mission cross. The light just came on.

      Must be close to supper time.

      When they turned up the side street, she spoke again. “Willy, I have a feeling that you’re carrying a heavy burden on your heart. If you want to tell it to me, you can. I think you should have a meeting with Elmer and ask him to explain what you don’t understand about this place. Waitnsee is Elmer’s place. Did you know that?”

      “No.”

      “Well, it is. Everybody here has a story they could tell you, but all the stories go back to Elmer. So, you might want to start there. Save yourself some time. You go in to supper now. I smell those butter beans cooking, don’t you? Tell all the gentlemen I said hello to them, okay?”

      “Yes, ma’am.”

      She knows them? They’re gentlemen?

      She waved her hand into the air and turned back the way they’d come.

      Where does she go when she’s not at the library?

      ***

      Willy hung his jacket on his bunk post, put his books in his orange crate, washed his hands, and went to the kitchen to help Drum with supper.

      “Hey there, my man, Willy,” Drum called loudly. “How’s school today? You learn something new today? Here, take this wooden spoon and stir the butter beans. What’d you learn today?”

      The friendly chit-chat, teasing, and joking was getting to be comfortable for Willy. He no longer felt like the men were setting him up to make fun of him. He could take their teasing, and he was learning to tease back without fear.

      “Well, I’m learning about bacteria and looking at it in the microscope in biology. I have to draw it.”

      “Is that so? What’s a bacteria