Glimpses of An Election

*****

In the broader sense, the special issue of The Freedom News first stirred and then agitated the political, and even social, life of the city. By Tuesday morning, when Lee called Susan, the demand was so heavy that he wanted another large run by afternoon. She could not reach Cat or Run-Run because they were off on a cross-country attack exercise. So she asked Caroline to check with Maggie, and then called Lette. It happened that Tuesday was Maggie's day off, so Susan cut new stencils while waiting for the others to arrive. The four of them churned out five hundred copies with only a brief pause for sandwiches.

They had finished loading them into Caroline's and Lette's cars and returned to the kitchen for a drink when Mrs. Warrener knocked on the back door. Susan was surprised but not troubled.

"Why, come in, Mrs. Warrener. We are just refreshing ourselves, thinking about going out to the back yard, so please join us." She tried to open the screen door, but Mrs. Warrener had one foot firmly against the bottom.

Warrener looked at each of them in turn, then back to glare at Lette. It was clear she considered her a Nigger whore.

"Thank you, Mrs. Wye, but I was just going over to see one of my friends and I thought you might like to come along." She turned away, then spoke back over her shoulder. "I'll try again some time. Later."

Susan thought of Cat's remark: "She is not a fool." Hence she missed what Maggie had started to say, and had to ask for her to start again.

"Oh, nothin' important. I was just sayin' that we was lucky we didn't waste any time on the job. But it's over...."

Caroline swirled her gin. "For now, maybe, but we got to do this paper someplace else. Beginning with Friday's issue."

Lette drank her gin. "What's Cat think of her, Susan?"

"He said to Run-Run and me just last night that we thought she was a fool, but that she was not a fool. I thought of that as she was leaving the door...."

"Your man is somebody to pay attention to, Susan. I don't know nothin' about flying airplanes, but Mr. Lieutenant Wye is one tough gentleman- and I mean both those words...."

Maggie busted back into the conversation. "Well, my Mr. Hank says that next to Caroline's Mr. Mitch your Mr. Cat is the best flier on the base...."

"And Mitch ain't so sure about that, either...." Caroline laughed. "We is saying something to you, Susan."

"I got that, friends, but just what is it you're saying?"

Caroline took it over. "Simple, Susan. Mrs. Warrener is not a fool. She is a very dangerous lady. Get the hell out of here. You started this paper and it's flyin', and you got a baby and you already lost one. You get the hell out of here."

Susan turned her head for a moment.

-- God, am I that dumb?

"Well, you ladies can't just up and run like you was caught upstairs stealing furniture, so we might as well have another drink and somebody can help me hide the 'press' in the bedroom closet."

They laughed and did the moving.

Lette hung behind a moment in the bedroom. Susan turned and went back to her.

Table of Contents

• Introduction

1. Maggie and Mr. Hank
2. The Reverend
3. Squalls Along the Flight Line
4. Flying Home to Church
5. A Visit with The Judge
6. Communion
7. Afterthoughts
8. Monday Morning With The Admiral
9. Into the Dining Room
10. On Toward Walking the Streets
11. Glimpses of An Election
12. The Dream and The Reality of Violence
13. The Admiral Loses More Than a Few Good Men
14. Down That Lonesome Road

• Cast of Characters
• Credits and Acknowledgements