A Bronzeville Story
Elementary: Grades 3–4
Story
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But the minute they'd stepped off the train in the bustling station, her whole family had been hit hard by what a big change it was. Now they were in a world of noise and traffic and people rushing every which way. It was a place that seemed to be built of sky-high buildings, making a body feel smaller than ever. And it was way too cold for an early April afternoon.
They'd all shivered like the dickens as Uncle Obie led them outside and straight to his fancy car. By now in Mississippi, the magnolias were blooming. The air was as sweet and warm as honey on toast. But here in Chicago, under stone-gray skies, it still felt like winter.
As nervous as Penny was about the whole deal though, Cleet, being twelve, was excited. For him, coming to Chicago was all about the music. He loved a kind of music called the blues. The blues sound was full of sad guitar music and fine, wild harmonica notes. And young as he was, Cleet could play a lot of it better than most.
Just like their family, Cleet pointed out, the blues came from Mississippi. The music had migrated north too. Now, Chicago was a big blues town. Cleet knew about every great blues singer who'd ever left Mississippi for Chicago, it seemed. For him, Chicago was a place of pure possibility.
As for herself, Penny could see that getting used to such a strange new place would take some doing. And her cousin, called Lurlene, wasn't making it any easier so far. Penny had been looking forward to meeting this new cousin of hers. Lurlene was sixteen, and Penny had imagined they might become close as sisters. But one thing was clear right from the start. Lurlene wasn't exactly thrilled to meet her Mississippi kin.
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During introductions at the train station, Lurlene's eyes had swept over them with a chilly gaze. She had the look of somebody who'd just been asked to take in a pack of stray dogs. She'd barely said a word either. Uncle Obie and Penny's parents had done most of the talking in the car.
Now, as they all got out in front of the house, Cleet looked around with a big smile on his face. "So this is it, huh? The big city," he said. "All right!"
"It's all right if you're white," Lurlene said, under her breath.
They all began moving up the walk to the house, Uncle Obie in front. It looked like a single home, not an apartment building. But before they'd left Mississippi, Mama had explained about that, too.
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