One
Disclaimer: I don't own Native Son
RRRRRRIIIIIIIIINNNNNGGGGG! The alarm clock went off and Bigger hissed.
"Bigger! Turn that damn thing off!"
"O-kay m'am" Bigger said getting up from bed reluctantly.
"I don't want you to miss your job" she faced him.
"Yeah"
Bigger's aunt turned to the other bed she got up from and patted a girl beside her. There was a soft hissing sound and the girl sat up with her hand cupped on her cheeks. Bigger turned to the other bed and patted a boy sleeping soundly there.
"Wake up….Buddy!"
"Uh…Uhn" he mumbled as he got up.
It was a small room which accommodated four people and it had two rusted metal beds. The walls were painted white which was already stained of fuel and crayons. There was a word dummy hastily written in blue stencil on the wall to the right. At the back end of the room was a threadbare curtain which demarcated the little kitchen from the sleeping area.
"Turn around...i want to dress"
Bigger turned facing his bed.
The woman undressed and put on a blue cotton dress with floral patterns. The woman approached the curtain, raised it to a knot and bent down to set the fire. Bigger watched every movement she made.
"Vera turn around let us dress" Buddy said with a straight sleepy face. Vera hid under the creased damp blanket and disappeared. The two boys turned around and undressed. After a few minutes, they were done; Bigger wore a grey T shirt with NY on it and black trousers and Buddy a leaf green polo shirt and jean trousers. The smell of bacon and eggs garnished the fine warm afternoon air.
"Oh my gosh!" Vera yelled. For a second, everyone turned to stare at what had caused the sudden outburst. Then Bigger saw it, a brown furry shape moving rapidly towards the door.
"Bloody hell" Bigger hissed. Vera hid her tiny self again under the sheets and the woman joined her not minding if she had half cooked food on fire.
"Bigger kill that thing now!" she screamed, this time pointing her index finger at the air where the creature ran past.
Bigger picked up a club that rested on the back of the bed and held it in stance waiting for the rat to show up. He breathing softly, almost as if he wasn't breathing at all. Buddy stood behind him waiting for orders.
"Buddy, get that box and place it in the hole on the door so it won't get out".
Buddy obeyed.
As Bigger suspected, the creature ran from underneath the bed with its tail shaking and its whiskers and tiny beady eyes at full alertness. It was ready for whatever would come its way.
Bigger ran silently to the box wedging the door and peered around.
"It went this way!" Vera yelped.
The creature danced around the box then made way for the curtain. Bigger held the club up high and smashed the smart thing on the belly and it weened. He hit it again so pink substance was visible from the rat's inside. Blood was smeared all over its fur. Vera and the woman hadn't gotten out of their safe haven yet. Bigger looked at them and smiled.
"Clean that thing off Bigger..." this time, her voice sounded shaky.
Bigger mumbled something, hissed and went to the shelf to pick up a wrap of toilet papers and picked up the dead thing. Vera drew back. He held it by its tail and let it dance before Vera's tear filled eyes.
"get it out!"
"Bigger get that damn thing out of this place now! you cause nothing but trouble" Bigger looked away with a frown forming around his lips. "trouble..trouble..trouble. look at how you frightened the poor girl! there's nothing good you've done in this house"
She went behind the curtain and picked up the greased spatula which had fallen off her grip in the course of the commotion caused by the bloody mammal. She lowered the heat and continued stir frying. Bigger went out to the alley to dispose of the thing and Buddy drew a plastic table and chairs at the center of the room. Vera filled the jug with water from a sink nearby. Bigger returned, rubbed his palms together and used his shirt to wipe the sweat off his forehead.
"Come and eat"
Bigger's aunt carried two flat plates of few nearly burnt bacon and egg. Vera helped her carry the other two. They were steaming hot and Buddy salivated as he fell back upon the seat. Bigger joined them and they were all seated at the table.
"pray for our meal Vera" the woman joined her palms together and bowed her head. Buddy and Bigger closed their eyes and Vera cleared he throat and began;
"Lord God" pause.
"bless this meal and let it be of nourishment to us...and provide for those who are needy" pause.
"Aymen"
They picked up their cutlery and started eating.
"What job are you going for Bigger"
"Aunt, i told you i'll get the job"
Bigger frowned not paying attention to Vera who stared at him.
"C'mon don't be rude to aunt Tasha Bigger" Bigger ignored Vera and Buddy's eyes wandered to all directions.
"Leave him alone Vera" it was Buddy.
"Bigger...once you get the job, we'll get ourselves a better house and i may open up a shop and Vera will attend her sewing class"
Bigger stopped chewing and looked at her. Poor aunt, she didn't know how it felt being the eldest child. She wanted him to take care of the house, do most of the cleaning, get a job, return to school, get a scholarship in one of those London colleges, get a real job, get married and supply your earnings in a triple fold. He did not want to be told what to do and he did not want to be told what not to do. Four years after their mom's death, Bigger had been forced to accept aunt Tasha, not only as a relative but as a mother. He had been forced to see her perspective of life. She was a nice, hardworking woman but he found her a little annoying when she put him on the edge. The world out there wasn't as easy as it seemed and he knew it.
"i told you aunt, i'll get the job!"
Bigger raised his voice and without warning, picked up his knapsack and headed for the door.
Bigger ran stormed through the narrow hallway and it made him feel claustrophobic, not because he naturally was but because of what he had done back in the room. He thought of his aunt and he tried to imagine what she would be saying about him and he felt his intestines tighten to a knot, he didn't want to cause any more family problems, he resolved to himself. He wanted to leave the confinement of the room which they ate, talked and did everything. He wanted to be out, to meet his friends, Gus, GH and Jack again. He smiled. He imagined Jack waiting for him outside the pool house, drinking beer and having a smoke and watching out for him. He ran down the long winding staircase down the ground floor which was only occupied by abandoned sofas and other furniture, he hated being in there, the smell of dust and mold sickened him. He pushed the double door with force and soft silent wind gushed in as if it had been waiting there to make its way in, to explore the hidden depths of the apartment. Outside, by the yard, bald men laughed loudly and drank beer, while women wearing skimpy dresses and tattoos just smiled sheepishly at joke they wished they haven't heard. As he passed one of them, he accidentally bumped his left arm against her buttocks and she looked at him from head to toes and turned back to her man. He wasn't in the mood to cause troubles, he resolved again. He headed for the street which was clustered in both sides with tiny houses which looked like refugee camps, wired fences and unkempt lawns and a low wall with graffiti which looked by every standard, imposing. He turned right and made his way to the Avenue, an estate filled with bars, motels and clubs. Bigger often heard rumors that there was a slaughter house there but he never had attempted to explore. He wasn't a fourteen year old detective and he never would be. In front of the Avenue, a road outstretched; shiny cars drove past in rubber tires and white children rode bicycles. In the part of London where he resided, black and white people lived in same streets, went to the same bars and cinemas but they didn't enjoy certain privileges as the white folks did. Black people couldn't get jobs in offices and they couldn't open private shops except those owned by white men. Black children attended the same school as the whites but they weren't given the same respect; black kids walked home while white kids rode on bicycles or expensive limos or Lamborghinni. Bigger frowned at another car which parked just at the corner of the Avenue.
Inside smelt of cigarette smoke and a bakery at the far end emitted a sweet smell of baked biscuits and loaves. Bigger hungered. He spotted his friend, Jack standing just outside the pool house which was by the near end of the Avenue. He saw a tall billboard with a black and white picture of an elderly white man pointing his index finger in a manner which doubted people's conscience. He imagined his black face pasted up there with people standing around it and saying; that Bigger, I knew he would be a great kid.
"What took you so long dude!" shouted Jack with smoke puffing out of his wide mouth.
"Woke up late...taxes" Bigger knew he had lied.
Outside streets, hefty dudes stood at the corner of a road block and waited for black people to pay taxes; it was a tiring and exhausting process. Bigger didn't know what else to say. Jack was always asking questions and it annoyed him.
"Okay, but as long as we get the job done" Jack passed him a cigar and a lighter and Bigger refused.
"I got sore throat"
Jack laughed. They leaned on the wall and watched as people roamed around. The late afternoon sky was a cloudless blue. Bigger checked the time on his watch, it was exactly 4 pm, only an hour more to bust into Mike's shop and get the job done.
"Say, do you still insist on doing the job?"
"Yeah, and I hope the other two don't back out"
"They wouldn't even if they could, we need the money"
"So i just structured a plan and I'll tell you guys later in the pool house"
A helicopter flew high up and white shapes formed on the cloudless blue sky.
SAVE...ENERGY...
CONSERVE...ENERGY
" Say, we'll fly one of those one day huh?"
Bigger laughed, but Jack seemed serious about it.
" I wonder how it feels riding a plane up there"
"Yeah...the white folks will ride a plane up there and we'll be down here wishing we could"
Jack mimicked flying a plane and Bigger laughed so loud, his stomach almost burst open.
"sometimes, i just have this feeling that i'd be in danger but i dunno how"
"you're a funny dude Bigger"
They both laughed.
"So if we rob Mike, we'll get enough money to buy our school books and save the rest for our mamas huh?"
Jack inhaled deeply.
"I hope so"
"So let's check out the cinema down there to while away time"
"yeah"
They bought two tickets which cost two pounds each. The cinema was playing a movie called Robo cop. They sat at the back seat and waited for the movie to finally start after the trailers. They watched the movie silently and left the building wishing they had more time to spare. They headed for the pool room again, this time, waiting for Gus and GH before they finally execute their plan.
I'm finally done with this chapter...thanks for reading :)