Southwest High School - Roundup Yearbook (St Louis, MO)

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THE SNOW IS FALLING By JOHN IACOMETTI The Joneses, Mandy and little Tudi, lived in that little white house on top of the hill in Carltonville. It was almost too much like the frame house, white fence, and green shutters one sees on Christmas cards. Its neatness told something of the people living inside. Carltonville was a typical, small New England town. The people loved their friends but resented the presence of anyone whom they had come to dislike. Like too many others, these people felt themselves above Mandy and Tudi. Perhaps it was the difference in color, or perhaps it was the fact that the Joneses were strangers to the town: nevertheless, the villagers felt them- selves above the Joneses. l'Mammy, mammy, Tudi tugged at his mother's skirt. Wen's it gonna snow? Ah, don' know, honey. Now don' go bodderin' mammy. Caint yo' see she's busy? But mammy, wen we lef' New Awlens to com up here to Cawltonville, yo' said dat we'd see snow, an' we done been here a week now. Ah knows, honey chil', but ah reckon it ain't wet 'nough yet. Da pond has froze awreadyf' Tudi was not satisfied with this reply, but he had to content himself with it. He always received the same answer. Mammy -it was evident that something was disturbing him- Mammy, why did we come here? We is de only colo'd folks in dis here town. Why, honey, yo' knows dat de reason we moved up here is ta live in dis house yo' pappy done bought fo' us. Why, don' yo' like it up here? 'iOh no, it ain't dat. How could he tell her the truth? He made an attempt to change the subject. HDis sure am a purty house. Yas suh. Sure is mighty lonesome do' widout yoh pappy here to enjoy it wid us. They both looked at each other and remained silent. It was Mandy who broke the silence. Go out an play, honey. Mandy smiled pleadingly. l'De fresh air'll do yo' good. Tudi hated the thought of going out and watching the others play and laugh. He would be left out of their games as usual and be the butt of some cutting remark. These children couldn't realize that Tudi wanted companion- ship more than anything else. They regarded Tudi as a freak, and it hurt him deeply. Tudi hid in the usual corner of the tall white fence surrounding the house. He watched the children play through a crack, his eyes glistening with excite- ment. Gh, how he longed to play with them! If only he could be near them and talk with them. He had been in Carltonville for but a week, and already he had put up with jeers and cutting names. Mandy witnessed everything from the cottage window. She suspected that her little boy was experiencing the same things that happened to her in town with the village women. The bonds between mother and son tightened. Mandy called Tudi in. Honey, how do de chillun' roun' here treat yo'? Is dey frenly wit' yo'? Does yo' really like it here? Tudi bit his lip and tried bravely to lie. Oh-oh sure, mammy, we have lotsa fun playin' games-lotsa new games ah never knowed befo'. - Twenty-nine

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Mandy said nothing but sadly understood. Dey always choose me first in ebrythin! It was easy for Tudi to lie- it was like telling one of his dreams aloud. Sometimes dey choose me capun-oh mammy. Tudi fell on his knees and lay his sobbing head on Mandy's lap. I'm lyin', mammy, I'm lyin'. His little black body shook with grief. 'lDey don't want me to play. Dey don' even want me aroun'. Dey make fun at ma culah', ma hair, ma name -everthin'. Why was I bo'n black mammy, why? Tudi's big black eyes streaming with tears, pleadingly peered into Mandy's. They revealed Tudi's pitiful broken heart. Her own heart ached. Tudi, us people on dis eart' don' know much. Da Lawd has his own plans and awl of us, black or white, is pawt of His plan. He knows wat He's doin'. Sometimes things kinda seem awl wrong to us, but da Lawd knows dey ain't. He's tryin' to see if we believes in Him. Ah does, Tudi, an' yo gotta, too. Tudi listened intently to his mother. I'm sorry, mammy. If ah pray, will da Lawd fo'give me? Da Lawd is always willin' to fo'give dem dat wants to be fo'given. Tudi, with his chin a bit tilted, silently went upstairs to bed. Mandy was proud. She turned out the lights and followed him up. The next morning was cloudy, and a cold wind whistled down the chimney. Mandy stirred the coals in the huge stone fireplace. She busied herself preparing a pleasant warm breakfast on the gay table. Still the events of the previous night lingered in her mind. Tudi bravely made an attempt to appear cheerful as he skipped into the room. Mandy smiled, but not for joy. It was more like the kind of smile one would see on the face of a man admiring the courage of a wounded bird who makes an attempt to fly with the rest of the flock. Mammy, da wind's cold, an' da sky is cloudy. Is we gonna hah snow, mammy? Is we? Maybe son. Mandy's voice had a cheery ring. She welcomed a chance to start a conversation. She had been trying desperately to think of something to relieve the tension that made both mother and son uneasy. Ah remembers once ah see'd snow, an' it was on a day jus' like dis. Honest, mammy? Ah tink ah'll go out an' look aroun', mammy. Go haid, son. Da fresh air'll feel good. Be careful to bundle up do'. Tudi walked briskly along the road that led to the woods. The cold wind felt refreshing against his hot face. The woods was Tudi's favorite refuge. Here he found the squirrels and the trees to keep him from being lonely. Tudi sat on a stump he had playfully called his throne: he watched the grey sky. This wood was his empire. Tudi loved to sit here and try to picture the way this beautiful nook looked in the warm summer months, The pine tree's pungent odor added to the enchantment of this spot. A piercing scream shattered Tudi's reverie. Another, then another-three calls for help came from the pond. Tudi hurried toward the voices through the browned trees and shrubbery. Finally, out of breath, he came in view of the frozen pond and saw a dark object floundering desperately in the cold water. Johnny Johnson! Tudi recognized him at once. He had fallen through the ice! His little brain worked feverishly. What should he do? Tudi looked anxiously around to find something to reach the struggling figure. At first he saw nothing. Finally he spied an overhanging branch on a dead tree close by. He knew this limb would fulfill his purpose. Working vigorously, he climbed from limb to limb. Then he made a last effort to reach Thirty