Emma Hoyt, born and raised in Alexandria, Virginia was the youngest child of John and Patricia Hoyt. A happy little girl who loved rainbows and flowers and helping her mother in the kitchen, she had blossomed into a pretty and petite young lady with long brown hair and a spray of freckles across her nose. By no means was she an ugly duckling but she had "grown" into her looks as Grandma Hoyt liked to put it. She was a little of a late bloomer by some standards but freshmen year everything changed. She was a young woman, not strikingly gorgeous but pretty in a soft, feminine sort of way. The boys sure seemed to notice, Gerry Bertier in particular. Everyday Emma and her best friend, Susan Woods, would walk past Gerry's History class on their way to Study Hall. He had them timed like clockwork and it never failed at 9:54 a.m., just one minute before final bell, the girls would walk by giggling and there Gerry would be watching them as he fiddled around at the pencil sharpener.
"There's Gerry Bertier sharpening all those pencils again", Susan said as the girls walked by. "If I didn't know better, I might say he's kind of sweet on you Emma."
"Me?" the shy brown haired girl questioned. "Not me. Gerry probably likes you."
That usually was the case. Emma was the cute one, the quiet one, the polite one, the smart one. Susan was the outgoing one, the popular one, the drop dead gorgeous one. But none of that made a difference to Gerry Bertier. Sure Susan was pretty but in a plastic, commercial sort of way. Emma was pretty too but it was soft and natural. It would be many days spent sharpening pencils until the lead met the eraser before the burly football player would get the nerve to strike up a conversation.
"Aw Gerry quit being a wuss already and just talk to her", Ray would whine.
And one day Gerry did. Trying his best to play the cool, cocky, star athlete, he invited her to the local malt shop and they got to know each other over milkshakes. From that day forward, they would be inseparable. Emma proudly wore his Hammond letter jacket as the two held hands in the hall between classes. She was there at every football game leading the cheers for her favorite linebacker. It was love and it was perfect. Life was perfect until the city of Alexandria decided to go forth with the integration plan. Emma had held her breath and prayed for it not to be so but come September 4, 1971, she and Gerry and most of their Hammond friends would be attending the integrated T.C. Williams High. The very thought shook her to the core.
"I can't believe it", she mumbled to Ray and Gerry. "We actually have to go to school with them. We're gonna be sitting in the same cafeteria. You guys are gonna have to play ball with them. It's awful."
"Yeah", Gerry had agreed. "All those blacks do is start trouble."
It wasn't hate that necessarily fueled their intolerance. It was more of fear and ignorance than anything else but that was a lesson it would take a while for the two teenagers to learn.
Emma and Gerry spent enjoyed a glorious summer of 1971 on up until the day he got on the bus for camp at Gettysburg. It took a few days before he was able to call and when he did it was only to complain and gripe about the practices, about Coach Boone and especially about the black players, Julius Campbell in particular. Soon, the more he called, the more the complaining tapered off which was fine by Emma. Gerry returned home and Labor Day weekend was celebrated with a family picnic. It was the last day of an innocent time. Then September 4th rolled around. Emma had never seen so many people in all her life. There were teachers and students trying to make their way into the building. There were police trying to prevent a riot from angry protesting white parents. Then there were the blacks. Emma could feel their eyes hawking her every move and it made her sick.
"Look at them Gerry", she said when she finally found her boyfriend in the crowd. "They hate us. They're always gonna hate us."
She had expected him to agree in discuss and pull her close, protecting her from all the madness. Instead he shrugged and gave a half grin.
"It's alright, sugar. Things will settle down. It's just a bad day."
And then a tall black kid came over and he and Gerry began to chit chat like old friends. Emma could not believe or eyes or her ears.
"I'm sorry", Gerry said, suddenly remembering his manners. "Emma Hoyt this is Julius Campbell. Julius, meet Emma."
Then the black guy extended his hand. Some nerve he had thinking she was actually going to shake it. Emma could only look at Julius and Gerry with total distain before walking away.
That was the beginning of the end. Gerry was changing and Emma didn't like it. Not only was he playing sports with coloreds, he actually seemed to enjoy hanging around them. After winning the first game of the regular season, Emma had hopped in a convertible with Ray and other white kids from Hammond. It was tradition to go to the Hill and celebrate but Gerry was nowhere to be found.
"Where do you think he is, Ray?"
"Probably with his new buddies", Ray sneered. "Looks like old Betier went to the zoo and brought back some new friends."
No sooner than Ray had made the comment, there was Gerry walking down the street with Julius to his left and Alan Bosley to his right. Louie Lastik, Jerry Harris, Petey Jones, Blue Stanton and Sunshine Bass followed closely behind.
"Hey Gerry", Emma smiled sweetly as he approached the car. "We're all going to the Hill. Wanna come?"
"Yeah hop in, Gerry", Ray chimed in.
Both Emma and Gerry knew the local hang out spot at the Hill would not be the ideal place for the black players.
"Sugar, why don't you hang out down here with us?" Gerry suggested.
"Gerry, what are you doing?"
They talked for a few more minutes but neither was budging. And it was more than making a decision about where to hang out at after a football game. The kids were traveling in different directions and neither one was willing to compromise. Gerry had always loved her so. When she was with him she felt safe and happy and like she could do anything in the world. His love for her had always been so real and strong and obvious. Now it was slipping away. She was losing him. They were losing each other. As the convertible slowly pulled away leaving Gerry and his newfound friends on the walkway, Emma's heart sank. He had chosen them over her.
It took a while for both of them admit it but the sweet little relationship they had once share was now painfully broken beyond repair. They parted ways as lovers and then as friends although Emma's heart would flop in her stomach every time she heard his voice in the distance or saw his face in the halls. But then something happened inside of Emma. Maybe it was the simple courteous gesture of a young black freshmen helping her one day when her locker jammed. Maybe it was Mrs. Carter, the friendly and intelligent black woman who became Emma's favorite (and first black) teacher. Maybe it was exchanging small talk with Dorothy Smith, a nice black junior who sat next to Emma in History. Slowly but surely it began to sink in. All blacks weren't all bad. They were people just like her. Why was she hating and judging a whole group of people she had never given a chance? As Emma began to change, it was almost like the town was changing right along with her. The Titans, the mighty T.C. Williams undefeated football team was bringing and entire community together.
It was the night after the Regional game. The game was played away and Emma and her girlfriends hadn't attended but they were among the many enjoying the celebration in the T.C. Williams parking lot as the victorious Titans arrived via school bus. It was a wonderful and happy scene as everyone celebrated in the streets. From the corner of her eye, she spotted Gerry alone and on his way to his Camaro. Their eyes met and they stopped and talked briefly. For a split second it was like old times. Emma wanted to hug him, kiss him, hop in the passenger side of the Camaro and ride off to the Hill with him. Then it was back to reality. Perhaps one day they would find their way back to one another but not yet. Not so soon.
"Looks like I was the one with the mixed up priorities", she said quietly. "Look, it might take me a little bit longer than you might like but I want you to know that I'm gonna try, Gerry."
That was enough for him. He appreciated her honesty and sincerity. That kind and loving spirit reminded him of the old Emma he had first fallen on love with. He grinned and nodded and made her promise that she would be there on the sidelines rooting for him and the team when they played for the State Championship. Emma smiled. Where else would she be? She gave him her word, then a sweet kiss on the cheek.
"Good bye, Gerry."
Good bye. Good bye? Why has she said good bye instead of something like, "I'll see you around." Good bye was so...permanent she thought uneasily as she watched him slip into the driver's seat of his car. He slowly mulled down the street and that's when it happened. The awful sound, the horrible sight of the huge truck ramming into his car, crushing it like an aluminum can.
Emma felt sick to her stomach as she literally felt her heart breaking into a thousand pieces inside her. Sitting in that cold waiting room. The coaches were there and so was every Titan player. Jean Beriter, Gerry's mother, sat silently, tears streaming down her face. Emma couldn't cry. She knew if she allowed one tear to fall that she would lose composure completely. All she could do was think. What if he died? What if he was already dead? Would he ever knew just how much he meant to her? Would he die knowing she still loved him? Her thoughts suffocated her and just when she thought she might scream out loud, the doctor came to talk to Jean and the coaches. Moments later it was announced that Gerry would live. Before anyone could emit a sigh of relief, came the bad news. He would be paralyzed from the waist down...permanently. Emma's heart broke. All she wanted was to hold him. To love him, to comfort him. She walked towards his room but Jean stopped her.
"I'm sorry, honey. He only wants to see Julius."
For a second the anger and jealousy all came pouring back. Why Julius instead of her? Then the double automatic doors opened and a near hysterical Julius entered the lobby. The coaches informed him of Gerry's condition and Julius' knees visibly buckled.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Bertier, I'm so sorry", he sobbed.
The older lady wiped his tears and told him to be strong. She told him Gerry wanted to see him...only him. They hugged and Julius walked solemnly to the room. Dashing over to the hospital Chapel, Emma sobbed as she stood on the cold pavement. She thought of the young man she had despised for the color of his skin, the man she had insulted, whose hand she had refused to shake. He was a human being with feelings and emotions and they obviously had one important factor in common...they both loved Gerry. Right then and there she dropped to her knees and asked the Lord for forgiveness. She asked Him to bless her with a new heart and change her wicked ways. Two things became crystal clear. One...she vowed she would never leave Gerry again, that she would always love and be there for him no matter what. Two...she vowed that when the time was right she would confront Julius and make amends. It wasn't just the right thing to do, it was the only thing to do.