Rules of the Race

By Henry Fellows

Racism is a two-way street, and integration is a long and bumpy road.

With a harmonious blend of both secular and spiritual perspective, Rules of the Race is an inspirational coming-of-age story about teenage racism in the turbulent decade following the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The story begins in the relative innocence of 1962 on the day the Cain family is relocating from Weirton, West Virginia, to Indianapolis, Indiana. Johnny Tommy is only six years old when he misunderstands his fathers words. He envisions purple people, as his father advises that there will be colored children in his new school.

Johnny Tommy Cain is an athletically aggressive child, but he is plagued with self-doubt as his mind is troubled by repeated errors in judgment. He learns about many of lifes unwritten rules through playing sports, but he learns about sensitivity to others from his exposure to the differences created by race, religion, and gender.

Johnny Tommy evolves into the adolescent known as JT. Beginning in 1968, he is victimized by a series of racial assaults, and his childhood boldness gives way to fear. He stays put for several years as the phenomena of white flight takes place around him. Ultimately, a climax occurs shortly after the last-straw incident, causing his mother to make the heartbreaking decision to send him back to Weirton to live with his grandparents.

JT returns to Weirton feeling like a coward and suffering from depression. Through sports, however, he befriends two black students at what is an almost all-white school. And it is through these relationships and a visit from his cousin Karen that JTs perspective becomes balanced, his confidence is restored, and he finds the courage to forgive both others and himself.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Sep 19, 2017
• ISBN: 9781532031243

Book preview

PROLOGUE

We bury many of our painful experiences so deep that sometimes they are completely lost to our consciousness. Sometimes, however, these experiences are awoken by the most innocent of comments. Johnny Tommy JT Cain had such an awakening and it occurred more than four decades after the fact.

The three brothers: Matt, Lucas and JT, all attended a 2014 family Christmas dinner at the home of Matt’s daughter. Seating for more than two dozen was arranged through both the living room and dining room, with tables joined by overlapping tablecloths. There was a separate kids table around the corner.

The scents of roasted turkey and pumpkin pie flowed freely into the dining area from one direction, while the scent of a freshly cut pine tree oozed in from another. Subtle Christmas decorations accented the room and there was genuine warmth in each smile. JT’s senses were on overload as the ambiance reminded him of holiday gatherings from his childhood.

As the serving dishes were passed along, Matt and Lucas took part in a general conversation about the racial discord of the day. Both brothers made a harmless reference to one of the racial incidents JT experienced in 1972. Their comments were nothing more than a statement of well-known fact from within the Cain family archives of true stories.

Seated at the table and a participant in the conversation was Audrey, a sister to Matt’s son-in-law. As a first time listener to this particular aspect of Cain brother stories, Audrey made the simple yet astute observation:

That must have been very hurtful for you.

In that moment JT felt as if the event had happened the day before yesterday. He had to hold back tears and he quickly changed the subject to a less emotional topic. He had never told anyone the whole story. Not even Matt or Lucas knew everything about that event or many of the other incidents from JT’s youth.

JT was caught off guard and was surprised by his own reaction to Audrey’s comment. To show emotion over events from so long ago seemed a little ridiculous; he had to change the subject. But in the aftermath of this dinner, JT realized that he hadn’t completely come to terms with some of the hurtful events of his past. Audrey’s innocent comment, or JT’s reaction to her comment, was the spark which ignited this novel.

The substance of this book was first created in 2015 and it was through its assembly where JT came to realize how these events, and others, had affected him in such deep and meaningful ways. In some ways he relived his past and felt things, good and bad, all over again. In the end, he found the process to be quite cleansing, but he was hesitant to share this work beyond a small sample of trusted friends.

In the two years since the first draft of this novel, it has been America’s daily news which has caused a change in heart. We have been led to believe there has been a resurgence of discord in racial relations and a general decline in kindness. In revisiting his youth and the memories he had assembled two years prior, JT found a message worth sharing and it led him to the want to publish this work.

CHAPTER 1

COW GAME RULES

Marcus turned his head to his right so as to be heard in the back seat:

Boys, we’re going to stop just up the road here at Piedmont Dam.

Within seconds, the car began to slow and Marcus steered his Fifty-Four Chevy to the left, through the break in the double yellow lines.

As the car was coming to a stop, the oldest boy, Matthew, spoke up:

What dam Daddy? he inquired.

Lucas, the middle boy, and Johnny Tommy, the youngest, chuckled as if Matt had spoken a swear word. There was a serious rule against cussing and it was never broken. At least, Johnny Tommy had never heard one of his brothers truly break the profanity rule.

This particular Sunday was a very big day for the Cain family. Having accepted a government position as a regional auditor of national banks, Marcus Cain was moving his young family more than 330 miles to the west; relocating from Weirton, West Virginia to Indianapolis, Indiana. The movers had packed up their belongings the day before, but they would not deliver their furniture until Monday. Despite having all day to make the trip, however, Marcus and Edna had the boys out the door of their Grandparents’ home and on the road by eight a.m.

The Piedmont Dam Rest Area was located next to an inlet off of Piedmont Lake, just in the spot where old Route 22 briefly grazes its’ pebbled shores. It was early November, but the air was clean and fresh and the bright bold blue of the sun soaked sky was mirrored against the lake’s long limb. The twin blues were separated, on the other side of the finger, by hints of yellow, red and orange, set against the plethora of browns from the mostly naked trees.

There was an old pump next to the picnic shelter. Lucas was the first to spot the novelty and he ran to it. He began to pump the arm up and down as hard as he could, but it was stiff and slow to move. Matt took over because he was the biggest and strongest. Johnny Tommy squatted nearby with his butt resting on his heels, as he watched with anxious anticipation.

Marcus allowed his three boys to have the experience of operating an old manual water pump, but as soon as the water began to flow, he interceded to make them stop:

Okay boys, now you’ve seen how the pump works but water is not to be wasted. Why don’t you head on down to the lake and see what you can find? Stretch your legs a bit … before we get back in the car.

Yes Sir! all three boys replied in near unison as they abandoned the pump and sprinted off toward the water’s edge.

Marcus sat down at the heavily painted green picnic table and put his arm around Edna as she watched over her boys below. Honey, this will be an awfully big change for you and our young men. I love you so much for believing in me. He spoke tenderly in her ear.

Marcus and Edna were very familiar with this part of eastern Ohio. They had been to this spot before. But Edna looked out at the surrounding beauty with tearful eyes and began to speak with a tone of soft sadness: In all of God’s green earth there cannot be prettier array of colors. This setting looks like a floral arrangement.

She paused with a deep sigh and then spoke with a confident resolve in her voice: But God made the State of Indiana too and I’m sure that there is beauty there as well. I’m going to miss my parents, my brothers and sisters, my aunts and uncles, and my cousins and friends more than you know. But as long as I have my four men, then joy and beauty will overcome any sadness. It’s okay Honey. The boys will keep me company when you travel. This is a wonderful opportunity for us. We’ll be just fine.

Their embrace lasted longer than normal, but as their heads parted, Marcus looked her squarely in the eye: What do you think… should I talk to them now?

Edna paused again briefly before offering her reply: No… Not now. They’re having such a good time. Let’s wait until after we stop for lunch.

Matt and Lucas had located a nice supply of stones and searched through them looking for the flat ones. They started the game of skimming rocks and counting skips, like Marcus had taught them on the days when the fish had quit biting. Matt was eleven and had a much stronger arm and Lucas was just nine, but he had a remarkable sense of hand/eye coordination and was able to skip rocks at incredible numbers, better than most adults. Johnny Tommy imitated, like he always imitated his big brothers, and he was just starting to get a skip or two when Marcus called to them:

Come on boys! You all need to pee before we get back on the road.

Down at the far end of the parking area was a small stone building which housed primitive toilets: the variety without running water. This too was fascinating to the boys but even the sound of a nearby bullfrog was not interesting enough to offset the aroma. This place was not a place where one would be inclined to dawdle. Each boy took care of business quickly and they were back in the car and back on the road in a flash.

Once the car had cleared the wooded area of the lake region the view from the back seat windows returned a more distant view. There had been a good half hour of farm country before the lake region and it was now time for the Cow Game to resume.

Lucas had thus far counted a total of seventy-seven cows on the south side of the road and Matt had counted only thirty-two on the north. But in a short while the car passed a cemetery on Lucas’s side of the road. Matt called out CEMETERY! as he pointed out the opposite window.

The rules of the game mandate that Lucas’s count would go back to zero. Justice has been served! Matt exclaimed as he grinned from ear to ear.

It was a brutally cruel game when one loses their cows but the impact of a cemetery was an incontrovertible aspect of the game. The same cannot be said about the actual counting of the cows.

Upon one such occasion, before they’d stopped at the dam, as the car approached a herd on its southern side Lucas quickly counted: ONE, TWO, THREE, mumble, mumble, mumble… NINETEEN… mumble, mumble, mumble, FORTY-FOUR! he shouted.

No way, Matt countered, I could only see about twenty-four cows over there.

Riding in the middle over the hump in the back seat, Johnny Tommy served as the mediator and referee of all Cow Game disputes. There was another group over near the trees, Johnny Tommy said. You probably couldn’t see them. I think counted about … thirty-four. His statement sounded more like a question.

Okay, said Lucas, I’ll take thirty-four.

"I don’t really think there were that many, Matt replied, but okay, I’ll accept thirty-four too."

***

But in another little while, after they’d stopped at the dam, Lucas was so busy looking for cows on his own side of the road that he didn’t notice the cemetery on Matt’s side of the road. As the cemetery came closer into view Matt made eye contact with Johnny Tommy and placed his right index finger vertically across his lips.

Matt did not have to speak. Johnny Tommy knew the rule quite well. It wasn’t Matt’s or Johnny Tommy’s job to tell Lucas about the cemetery on Matt’s side of the road. Each player is responsible for the facts and circumstances that benefit themselves, each player is playing to win the game and each player is obligated to look out only for themselves. Like a lawyer arguing a case, they are not supposed to point out the things which benefit their opponent.

CHAPTER 2

THE GOLDEN RULE

The year of the Cain family move was 1962. It was a time when most of the interstate highway system did not exist. The drive was slow, but it also seemed that time moved more slowly. There was no need and no point to hurrying. Only an empty hotel room was awaiting their arrival.

The restaurant at Drake’s Motel turned out to be the halfway point of their trip, and it also turned out to be the perfect time for lunch. The eatery was conveniently located on a relatively empty section of Route 40, somewhere west of Columbus, Ohio. The Drake’s offered home cooking and a varied menu of any type of meat or potato a young boy might desire.

The dining area had booths all around the perimeter, but Marcus directed his gang to a table in the middle of the room. It had chrome legs and a Formica top. The chairs also had chrome legs and a lightly padded seat with a yellowish plastic cover.

Everyone open their menus and Marcus opened the discussion: What’s it going to be today boys?

Matt replied, I haven’t decided yet, Daddy, but can I have pop with lunch?

Marcus smiled, Yes, I think we can make this a special day. You can all have pops!

Ultimately, all three boys ordered cheeseburgers, but only Johnny Tommy’s was served without condiments. It was one of the few times that Johnny Tommy had eaten out in a restaurant and eating out was better than the water pump, better than skipping stones and even better than Matt and Lucas fighting over the Cow Game. This was the best cheeseburger, the best fries, and the best soda pop, he ever had!

Move Day, had become a great day…

The family’s second respite was also slow and unhurried. It was as if Marcus and Edna didn’t want to pressure their boys into anything. They lingered long over lunch and no one seemed to mind that Johnny Tommy wanted to finish coloring his placemat before they left. The Drake’s kept a basket of used crayons for children to use, but they were to be left at the restaurant for the next round of busy-minded younger guests.

Another pee break followed before getting back on the road.

As the five travelers approached the car Marcus paused before unlocking the door and said: Hold on a minute, boys. Before we get back on the road there is something we need to discuss.

Marcus spoke in unusually somber tones and even Johnny Tommy noticed the change in his voice. He also noticed that his big brothers seemed to be paying exceptionally close attention, as they awaited their father’s words.

Marcus continued: "Boys, when we get to Indianapolis, and you begin classes, there will be ‘colored children’ in your schools. You’ve not been around colored boys and girls and I just don’t want you to be unprepared or caught off guard when you get there. And most of all, I want you to always remember the ‘Golden Rule.’ You know the rule applies to how you treat everyone and that includes colored children too: right?"

The oldest boy, Matt, maintained a look of understanding and acceptance, but still the tone of his response was quite sober and solemn when he replied: Yes, Daddy, I know. We are to treat other people the way that we’d like to be treated, no matter what color they happen to be.

Lucas nodded his head in agreement and Johnny Tommy was looking to Lucas as he imitated his nod up and down.

To Johnny Tommy it was clear that his father was communicating serious and meaningful information. He noticed how Matt and Lucas accepted the news as though they were in church. They were polite and respectful, but they weren’t exactly jumping for joy.

Johnny Tommy interpreted his father’s careful presentation and his brothers’ sober acceptance to mean that he was about to experience something very different or something quite unusual. He thought he was being told about something he’d never seen before. His young mind then began to envision children colored in bright shades of green and purple skin.

The Cain family had been back on the road for only ten minutes when Johnny Tommy announced that he needed to pee… again. There were grunts, groans, and criticisms from Matt and Lucas, but Marcus and Edna took the news in stride.

Another ten minutes had passed before they came across a place Johnny Tommy knew to be his father’s favorite stop… the local Texaco station. Marcus drove past the pumps and around to the restroom side of the building. He moved quickly from his seat, opened the rear door and began to escort Johnny Tommy to the men’s room door.

Marcus and "the man who wore a star made eye contact. They smiled and waved as they regarded each other with friendly understanding. There was no expectation that a purchase transaction would ensue; having a free restroom" was a common courtesy of the day.

As Marcus and Johnny Tommy made their way back to the car, Johnny Tommy overheard the mechanics transistor radio playing a song that he knew quite well. It was Sheb Wooley’s hit song: The Purple People Eater.

Johnny Tommy began to softly sing along:

"It looks like a… One-eyed, one-horned flyin’ purple people eater."

After they returned to the car and got back on the road, Johnny Tommy had a curious thought: If there’s a song about ‘purple people,’ then they must exist. But I never saw any in West Virginia. Indiana must be really wild.

As his imagination began to accelerate, he also wondered if there might also be green, orange and fire-engine-red shades of people. They must come in a lot of different colors, he assumed. Why else would Daddy refer to them as colored people?

He pondered the colors of the five crayons he’d been using at the restaurant. Red, green, blue, yellow and purple; do people come in all these colors? He thought; they must.

Then he thought of his larger box of sixteen Crayons which were somewhere in that big old moving van. And he thought of the more metallic shades of bronze and silver: If a tin-man is silver, then maybe people come in all sixteen colors?

As the youngest, Johnny Tommy learned early on not to ask too many questions. When you’re a child, there are such things as stupid questions or at least reactions to questions which all too often begin with laughter and lead to ridicule. And when you’re the youngest sibling, you get a double dose of embarrassment from asking stupid questions. The Golden Rule might very well apply to how one interacts with outsiders, but it’s an unwritten rule that such niceties are often suspended in the game of sibling rivalry.

On the remainder of the long drive, Johnny Tommy never did ask about the other colors in which these colored children might appear. Matt and Lucas seemed to understand what their father was talking about, so Johnny Tommy acted as if he understood as well. And the truth is that he thought he understood.

The Cow Game did not resume after lunch. Matt’s eyes were fixated into the distance. The hilly landscape of eastern Ohio and given way to the flat lands of western Ohio and Johnny Tommy began to sense that his entire world was changing.

Johnny Tommy watched Matt’s pensive stare out of the car window