Chapter Three
"Where is Ronald?" Xena asked. They had driven her car today to her joy insisting it was safer for the children's first car ride with them.
"Well the thing is we give top priority to same race parents and well they just fell in love with little Ronald."
"But we already signed the papers."
"You forgot one signature and like I said we show priority to same race parents. It was a miracle we got tons of applications for colored children. They're all gone. How about a white boy?" They were silent having no doubt she had gotten rid of the children.
"We'll just take Michelle."
"Michelle has a sister honestly, she's fourteen." Hercules took Michelle's suitcase.
"Thanks, Ms. Smiley for introducing us to Michelle." Michelle was in tears as Xena lifted her up and took her to the car. Soon they drove off. Eventually she stopped crying and told them she missed Ronald and they assured her he had a good home though they had no idea if that were true.
"Look here's your room." Hercules Xena had to admit had done a fantastic job decorating the room. Xena had taken care of the toys, blankets, and most importantly her clothing.
"Do you like it?" Xena asked her. Michelle nodded as she ran over to her new dolls to play with them.
"Can I touch it?"
"Yes of course everything in this room belongs to you." Once she was playing the decided to leave her alone. "You can go where ever you like in the house." She wasn't even listening as they went downstairs.
"Pot roast for dinner sound good?" Hercules asked.
"You cooking or am I cooking?"
"I am."
"Than yes it sounds excellent, don't forget to clean up." Xena went into the study to grade papers.
"So should we dismantle Ronald's room?"
"Yeah, she could have a playroom or something." Xena sighed. "That woman was horrible, who knows what kind of people she gave Ronald too."
"I know, I'm so tired of people like her. I'm not sure if I want to stay in America anymore."
"I know what you mean, but I have a contract, we can make our decision next summer to stay or go." Hercules nodded. "We'll have to take Michelle into account now too and how it will effect her. She'll be living with us for a number of years." He nodded. "I think your pot roast is burning." Hercules jumped out of the chair he was sitting in and ran into the kitchen as Xena stood up.
"Michelle and I will get changed."
"Yeah, good idea." Xena decided to get Michelle ready first. She knocked lightly to get her attention and Michelle looked up at her.
"How would you like to go out for dinner?" Michelle nodded. "All right well let's get you a bath and changed into fresh clothing. Xena gave her a very thorough cleaning making sure to use special shampoo for lice to be safe rather than to check. "You better be careful of your going to have another city growing behind your ears." Michelle giggled as Xena tickled her stomach. Michelle reminded Xena of Solan with her innocent nature even though she had auburn hair and blue eyes.
"I won't grow cities."
"Yes, you will, just watch." They played some more before Xena rinsed her off and dried her before they went to her room and she had her dressed in her undergarments before she pulled out different dresses. Finally Michelle decided on a pretty white dress with red polka dots on the skirt.
"All right my time to take over dressing the princess," Hercules told Xena taking the dress.
"All right, but I get to do her hair." He nodded. Xena gave Michelle a kiss who returned it before she hurried out to shower and change like Hercules.
"I want both," Michelle told her running over with both her new red and white." Xena easily tied them to a few strands of hair brought together in the back of her head before they both took her hand and led her downstairs to the car. They took her to a Chinese restaurant where she enjoyed the food and ate all her food. She laughed when they laughed when they were talking to the owners in their native tongue.
"Anything today?" Xena asked packing lunches. Their Black lab lay near the table waiting
"No not yet."
"Set the table while I get Michelle." Xena went upstairs to wake her daughter up she was eight years old and it had been twenty-four years since she and Janice trapped Ares in Macedonia. She knocked as she entered.
"Rise and shine sleepyhead."
"Five more minutes mommy," she whined to Xena's surprise she usually ignored her and burrowed under the covers further.
"No, I've already let you have five minutes." Xena opened the curtains and let the sun shine in.
"Ugh, but it's the weekend mommy."
"Yes, but you have swimming remember, if you didn't want to be up early during the summer you shouldn't have set goals for yourself."
"But I want to be a great Olympic swimmer."
"And I support you, but you keep forgetting that you have to work for that big an honor, and any veteran will remind you its hard work and begins with getting up early and having a healthy breakfast." She pulled the covers off of her daughter. "Hop in the shower." Michelle groaned, but got out of bed after more prodding and went to take a shower. Xena made sure she had everything she needed before she went downstairs and sat down to eat.
"Still going for the gold?"
"Naturally, but I think she might give up soon, remember ballet and tap when she saw her first MGM musical."
"Yes, my pockets remember it very well." Xena chuckled as she looked at a magazine featuring Macedonia on the front cover.
"You know I find it odd he hasn't escaped yet."
"Yeah, I know what you mean, I've been on top of it more and more as the years have passed with Michelle being our most vulnerable member."
"Its occurred to me if he's got out before now that he'd keep a low profile, we might have to go there ourselves to be sure, we should have made the trip years ago. It's been a long time." Hercules nodded.
"Trip to where mommy?" Michelle asked walking in patting her dog.
"Macedonia."
"Greece?" Michelle asked looking excited as she sat down. "Mommy can we visit the place where Xena traveled." Xena grinned Michelle had fell in love with Gabrielle's stories.
"Sure we can honey, but eat your breakfast, so we can head to the pool." Michelle nodded.
"July First."
"No, June first, we have to be back in time to get to Tokyo. We promised we'd watch them in person."
"Wait they're not having it during summer, I just saw on the news its October tenth." Michelle groaned. She had to go to school.
"She's won't miss much, have you seen the curriculum down here?" Xena asked. "I swear racial tension is higher than ever."
"Yes, I have, and you're right, maybe we should just home school."
"Maybe, but I plan on going down there and giving them a piece of my mind, they're violating the law even though they're in the same school, they may as well be separated. They have separate classrooms with different curriculums."
"Mommy, why do they put me in with all the other colored children if I'm white?" Michelle asked. Xena rubbed her head. "Is it because I'm dumb?"
"No, you're not dumb sweetheart, you're smarter than anyone will ever give you credit for." They didn't tell Michelle that after some research they found out she was Ronald's sister. A colored couple had adopted Ronald, but they were pretty middle class in the colored community, but lower middle class compared to most whites. The only difference between her and Ronald was Michelle took after her father a lot. She looked white, but as she had gotten older she had a naturally golden look about her. When they had realized that she was colored too, they moved from the white first grade class to the colored first grade class. Xena hadn't found out until a few days ago. She hadn't been keeping a watchful eye on her schoolwork like she should have, but she didn't know much about elementary school until she looked into more.
"If anyone tells you, you're dumb, ignore them and tell them you'll accept their apology when you own them. And we'll leave bright and early in October than." Michelle groaned at the thought of getting up early.
"Can't we go later in the day?"
"Nope," They replied. Soon they were off to support Michelle.
"You're faster than me mommy," Michelle told Xena who was getting some laps in the pool after Michelle's class along with Hercules. Michelle who loved the water was all too happy to stay especially with the blazing heat of the South. They had decided not to move what with the movement picking up speed and decided to support it.
"You're fast too and smart."
"No, I'm not they say I can't do math, I'm no good at English." Xena frowned.
"But you can swim, and your perfect the way you are, we've told you that," Hercules said. "Besides you're not being taught so you can learn, so don't count yourself out of the game yet. You're much smarter than all of them put together."
"Yeah, and its your job to ignore them and do everything to the best of your ability. Keep your nose in your books and in this pool."
"I will mommy, I promise." Michelle smiled at the compliments.
"Will Ronald come visit me soon?"
"Yes, honey, he's coming from Georgia in August," Hercules replied.
"Yay!"
"Hey come on how about another race?" Xena asked. "You and I against your father." Michelle nodded as they got out of the pool and got on the blocks in the middle of the pool. It was Olympic size naturally. She looked down in the water silently for a minute before looking up.
"Uh oh I think we have some competition she's got her determined look." Hercules teased, but it didn't even phase Michelle. Xena chuckled and looked more determined. "Don't forget four laps, twice there, and twice back."
"Ready, set, go!" Xena exclaimed. They jumped off the block and were off. Michelle gave Xena a run for her money and nearly beat her as they left Hercules in the mist of their waves.
"Aw mommy, you always win," Michelle complained.
"Only because I've got a little more power in my legs you almost had me that time kiddo," Xena told her kissing her forehead. "If we work on how well you push off the wall during your turns you'll be even better than before." Michelle smiled and nodded her head. Hercules climbed out of the pool.
"I hate to cut our fun short, but we're going to be late for Mrs. Prince's garden party and you know she is." They both got out of the pool and headed for the locker room as Hercules headed for the men's locker room.
"So glad you guys could make it," Mrs. Prince greeted.
"Mrs. Prince you're looking very lovely today," Michelle greeted politely giving her a little curtsy. Mrs. Prince smiled at her.
"Oh thank you dear, why don't you go play with the other children." She hurried her in looking out her door to see if anyone who wasn't suppose to saw her let Michelle in the front door. Xena rolled her eyes at Hercules behind her back and Hercules nodded showing his own annoyance at Mrs. Prince. Before her sixth birthday Michelle had been perfectly welcome over Mrs. Prince's house.
"Joyce what is that new style you're wearing?"
"Its all the rage in London, its call mod, its short for modernist," Xena told her. Xena's outfit intrigued her, she had even dressed Michelle in a child's version. Mrs. Prince led her over to the other ladies after she showed Hercules to the men who were in the den watching a game. The women were outside enjoying the sun with the children.
"Can I get you anything to drink?"
"Lemonade is fine." She nodded and got her some before telling the girls about her new fashion style. They were still immolating the fifties fashion of June Cleaver. Xena however preferred to switch things up a bit.
"Where ever did you get it?" Xena told them all the stores she had found that sold the clothing. She ended up telling them all about the music and much more.
"I think I still have my new record in the car, British pop is really good particularly the Beatles." Xena went out to her car and opened the trunk of her 1964 Bentley, she also had an Aston Martin and Austin Healey, well the Austin Healey was Hercules baby. The cars they had owned in 1959 were currently sitting in a large garage, that they had built after they had bought their first model T car. They bought a car every year, but they didn't always drive some they bought.
"Oh these Bealtes are great." Xena nodded Michelle came over looking sad.
"What's wrong sweetheart?" Xena asked.
"I hurt my elbow." Xena took care of her wound before she went to go play again, but she could hear them teasing her and eventually Michelle just stuck close to her side.
"I hate colored people if they weren't at my school than I wouldn't be teased," Michelle told Xena. Xena frowned.
"Don't say that Michelle, you wouldn't be teased if equal opportunity weren't an illusion don't blame it on your friends."
"They're not my friends even they hate me because I'm white." Xena sighed. "All the white kids say I have dirty blood what does that mean?" Xena decided they needed to have everything out in the open.
"Look the thing is Michelle, Ronald is your brother by blood, and you have a drop of negro in you that shows in your sun kissed skin. They think your blood is dirty because of that and they're wrong, all it did was make you ten times more beautiful than any of them combined."
"So am I white or colored?"
"Mostly white so its safe to say you're white, but you have roots in the colored community. And until things change you're unfortunately going to have to choose one or the other."
"What do you mean?"
"You're going to have to either be white and like your father and I show compassion and be friendly to every other race as your equal. Or you can be colored and face oppression and still show compassion and be friendly to all other races." Xena realized that being white was more favorable than being colored , but until things go better that was just the way things were and she couldn't change that. She was no longer going to sugar code it anymore. Hercules stood at the door his heart breaking for his daughter.
"Do you hate me because I'm colored?"
"No, we love you more because you're the best of both worlds," Xena told her rubbing her head. Michelle sighed.
"I guess I'll be white, I always thought I was white. I use the white restrooms and water fountains."
"It may change when you get older, but if you feel white now than your white." Michelle nodded pleased she didn't have to change and lay back in bed.
"So I don't have to talk like them?" Michelle asked. "Our teacher say that they speak bad English."
"They don't speak bad English, she just doesn't under it, it's an English all their own, and if you want to learn to talk like them that's your decision."
"No, I don't understand it, I like the way I talk now, and the way you and Daddy talk."
"All right, you think you can go to sleep now and not be so upset, it's not good to go to bed upset." Michelle nodded.
"But I don't like that class we never do anything."
"I know honey, and your mother and I will see to it that your in a class more suited to your intelligence level." Xena nodded her agreement as he came over and securely tucked her in before kissing her forehead.
"Mommy will you tell me the story of Marcus again?" Michelle asked. Xena smiled. Michelle was such a romantic.
"Yes, of course." Xena lay beside her in her bed when Hercules moved and Michelle moved over so she could have room.
"In time of Ancient Gods, Warlords and Kings, a land in turmoil cried out for a hero. She was Xena, a mighty princess forged in the heat of battle. The power, the passion, the danger her courage changed the world," Xena did Michelle's favorite introduction. "And than there was Marcus, one of Xena's true loves..." Hercules sat on the end of the bed to listen to the tale with Xena's feet in his lap.