So on this Saturday I get all my comics and drawing materials and I go to Alton’s house which is close. His house isn’t in the city limits but isn’t that far from me at all. I get there and Mrs. White–his mother–is on the porch sewing.

(Eugene becomes Mrs. White)

EUGENE: “Hello ma’am.”

MRS. WHITE: (coldly) “Hello.”

EUGENE: “Are you Alton’s mother?”

MRS. WHITE: “Dat’s right.”

EUGENE: “I’m Eugene Robert Gaines and I’m here to play with Alton.”

MRS. WHITE: “Look heah, you say you dat Gaines boy?”

EUGENE: “Yes ma’am.”

MRS. WHITE: (wary) “Robert Gaines yo daddy?”

EUGENE: “Yes ma’am.”

MRS. WHITE: “What you want ’round heah boy?”

EUGENE: “Well like I said MRS. WHITE, I’ve come to play with Alton. We were gonna sketch and trade comics”–

MRS. WHITE: “You come ’round heah to laugh at Alton ain’t it?”

EUGENE: “No ma’am–I swear! He’s my friend–Alton’s my friend. I would never”–

MRS. WHITE: “Boy you mus’ think I’m stupid ain’t it? You think cause I ain’t got book learnin’ that I ain’t know why you bring yo lil’ red rump ’round heah? You come heah to see how po’ we is so you can go back to dat yella momma o’ yourn an pitch-black nigga daddy o’ yourn an laugh ’bout how me and my boy does live. Me an my boy is pure blood black/PURE BLACK–ya hear? You go on ’way from heah! I ain’t ga let you laugh at my boy. Let you steal from my boy! Ya momma send you ’round here to thief from him? You an ya momma boy ain’t nuttin’ but some thieves–Git ’way from heah.”

EUGENE: I look up and see Alton staring down at me. He’s half hiding behind the curtains/the curtains are white/real white curtains and his skin is blue/black against them. His eyes are wide, real wide. He’s holding his comics/I’m holding mine and we just stare at each other. It seems like an eternity the staring. Two young boys with comic books/like any boys/anywhere. The next day in school, Alton and I ignored each other. There was no great event. We just stopped speaking.