14
After a few more seconds of silence I heard Forrest clear his throat and I did not think anything about it.
"Um…Eula, forgive me for asking but what happened to your parents?" he asked. I felt a pain in my heart now and I lifted my head up at him with a mild confused look and he looked at me simply awaiting my reaction. My throat was dry now and I wasn't sure how to answer.
"Why do you ask?" I asked in a low tone. He looked confused now and he looked down for a second.
"Uh. I was just curious. I had never seen a white family with a black spouse so I just wondered why you were with them." he answered. I felt my heart beat start to slowly increase as if I was starting to panic. Their faces were in my head and I watched them swinging lightly over a thick tree, their eyes closed and their bodies no longer moving. I blinked now and swiftly got up and moved to my bra and dress and I began to put them in swiftly.
"Eula?" Forrest asked quickly and with worry in his voice. My clothes were cold and I didn't care. I had to leave, to run away from this conversation. I slipped my dress on not caring that it was ripped a bit, probably from something cutting it outside when all the excitement happened outside. I moved to the door only to be grabbed by a naked Forrest.
"Eula wait, what I say?" he asked. I couldn't tell him, he would never understand. I ripped my hand from his grip and unlocked the door and ran out of the house. The rain was continuing to fall and my sandals were soaked and I just cried my eyes out yelling and screaming as I ran trying to let out the pain. I suddenly felt my toes scrape into a stick and I fell down and hit the earth hard. I was a mess and I didn't care. I looked up and could see my house. I also saw the truck was parked as well. Were both my father and brother's home? I assumed dad was because he couldn't hunt animals in the rain, they'd all be hiding too well. I got up on my weak arms. My legs were all kinds of numb from sleeping with Forrest. I got up and kept running and once I was in front of the house I stopped and just stared at it. My face was dirty from the fall in the mud and I didn't care. I ran towards the porch and on cue my mom was coming out to dust off a rug, but when she saw me she gasped and dropped the rug.
"Momma!" I cried and rushed into her arms and she caught me.
"Oh my god, what happened, why are you so dirty!" she asked in terror. I wrapped my arms around her tight staining her nice dress with my dirty body. I kept crying from the memories and she held me tight. "Who ripped your dress? Were you attacked? Did somebody rape you? Dohn, Dohn get out here?!"
I kept crying harder and harder and soon after five seconds of loud footsteps I saw dad coming out.
"What's going on?" he asked then looked down at me and saw my unfitting form and shook his head.
"Eula?" he asked bending down towards me. Mom moved out the way and I cried more.
"Oh daddy!" I yelled and he instantly lifted me up into his arms.
"Arliss get a blanket, Ray move everything off the couch!" he instructed. Mom was holding on to my arm.
"Oh Dohn I think someone attacked her." she cried and now everyone moved into the house now. "Put her down gently." I felt my body be placed down on the couch and I knew I had to calm down for I didn't want my family to think I was raped or attacked. No one cared for a Negro in trouble and my father knew that all too well and would want to take action himself with the help of my brothers, and their thoughts would immediately jump to the Bondurant boys and that would mean death for someone. Mother leaned down by me and rubbed my head. Now everyone was around me looking worried.
"Eula," father said and I looked up at him with a sniffling face. "Tell me the truth honey. Were you attacked…did someone rape you? Was it those Bondurant boys?"
Just like I suspected he would jump to them. I sniffled and shook my head.
"No. I- I fell in some mud." I replied. Mother looked me over.
"And that's how you ripped your dress? Baby where were you what happened?" she questioned. I sighed not sure what to say. I wasn't supposed to be anywhere near the Bondurant Boys. I looked up at her and then my father.
"I was roaming the streets just… thinking about the past. It started raining and I didn't concern myself until I started thinking of my parents. It was all too much and I broke down in a crying fit." I replied.
"Eula?" Arliss asked softly and I looked up at him as he was leaning against the wall. "I never thought to ask what happened to them." Father nodded in agreement.
"Eula, what happened to your parents since you remember the past that well." he asked. I felt more tears fall.
"Why is everyone asking me this? It hurts so much to think about it." I replied. Ray leaned in towards us.
"But Eula if you don't talk about it you will never be at peace with it." he told. I cried more and mother took my hand.
"They were lynched! Hanged, murdered, killed! For doing nothing. Nothing at all!" I replied and father winced a bit and I cried harder then I had ever cried before. Mother hugged me tight and rubbed my head.
"It's alright Eula. It's okay." she said softly crying as well. Father motioned for the boys to leave the room and soon he told mother the same. Once everyone was gone my father moved towards me and got on one knee and looked down at me with soft gentle eyes.
"Eula. I can never say I understand your pain. You are different; you are African American and the world of white hates black. It's a crime what's happened to your family and I wish it had never happened." he told. I sniffled and looked at him.
"Why, why did you adopt me…a black baby?" I asked and he slowly rubbed my forehead.
"When I was a little boy my mother always taught me that this world was equal no matter what color. God made us to live together even if men, like my father, didn't agree. My father hated blacks because he was taught to hate. My mother had a bigger influence on me because she wanted what was best for me. My father was drunk and always wanting me to be bitter about blacks, but I couldn't. Being bitter is a waste of time, Eula. This world has wasted hundreds of years because it was full of hate and war and murder. I raised my sons to accept everyone and not just one race, because no race is superior then the other even if they see it that way. Right now the world is cruel but there are some people who make it worth living in. You are my daughter, and nothing will ever change that and I would die and kill for you." he explained. I blinked and listened to him taking in his words slowly and understanding him. I nodded and slowly sat up.
"Thanks daddy." I replied and he leaned in and hugged me tight.
"Go get washed up honey." he said and I nodded and moved towards the hall. "Oh Eula this coming up Wednesday the town is hosting a little bon fire at the Newmon's barn. We're going to go it and have some fun." he told. I nodded and moved up to the shower and felt like I was in heaven under the water.