Jenny ran down the sidewalk to Evan's house. She was extremely excited about her new bike, now she and Evan could go riding together. Evan was Jenny's best friend , they had been best friends since kindergarten and now they were in the fourth grade. Jenny often wondered how she ever got such a good friend, she did understand racial discrimination at all. It was not her fault that her skin was black, so when she started going to school where only the "white" kids went, no body would talk to her. Then Evan moved into her neighborhood and started attending the same school as her. Jenny could remember his first day really well, after all it was such a significant part of her life...
Evan walked into the classroom with his mother, he did not look around, in fact it seemed he was not looking at anything in particular at all. The teacher got up and spoke with his mother. Shortly after the teacher turned to the class and said, "this is Evan Walker, he is your new classmate." After that everyone stopped staring and went back to their toys and activities. Everyone, except Jenny. She watched as her teacher and Evan's mother talked some more, and then his mom bent down and kissed him goodbye. The teacher then told Evan to go find someone to play with until circle time, and then left him there while she went to stop a fight between Dan and Cody.
Evan stood there for a few moments and then slowly went over to Jenny, who was sill starring at him. He gestured "hello" with his hand and waited. Jenny was surprised, no one in this classroom had so much as even looked at her. She returned the gesture and said, "do you want to play with me?"Evan nodded and sat beside her.
They spent the entire day together, and soon Jenny realized that Even did not seem to talk. She asked her teacher about when she was waiting for her dad to come pick her up. Her teacher explained he did not talk because he was mute, and that meant he was not capable of talking.
Jenny remembered this as she ran to Evan's house. She knew that Evan could have befriended almost anyone in the class, but he had chosen her. Earlier that year Evan had told her that he did not think white people were better than black, but in all honesty, most of the time black people were better than white. Black people are nicer he had explained, and they do not seem to care what other people think about them. This had made Jenny think, she did not really understand what he meant. She did not think that either whites or blacks were better, but both equal. She found, a few days after he had said so, that some white kids were picking on Evan. They had been making fun of him because he could not speak, Jenny had put a stop to that right away. She punched those kids a couple of times and that sent them running to the principal crying. Then she and Evan got in trouble, why Evan did she could not quite figure.She thought that maybe the kids had told the principal that he had punched them too, but that was just a theory.
Jenny finally reached Evan's house and knocked on the door. It was a few minutes before Evan's mom came to the door. When the door opened Jenny saw Evan's mother, but not the bright and sunny woman she was used to seeing. His mom was in tears, Jenny observed. When she was about to ask what was wrong, Mrs Walker said, "Jenny, this isn't the best time. Can I call you later?" Jenny was surprised but she nodded. The door closed and Jenny went back down the side walk heading towards her house.
Jenny started wondering about what was wrong. Maybe Mr. Kibbles had died, eh was their cat, that would be sad. Or had Mr. and Mrs. Walker been fighting? She had never seen them fight, but she figured they probably did. Jenny's parents even fought occasionally, so, she figured, must everyone's.
When Jenny got home, picked up the cordless phone and started caring it with her everywhere around the house. She was impatient and worried, she had to know what was wrong. When her mom called her for dinner, she also told her to put the phone back on the cradle and she should not carry it around everywhere.
Evan walked into the classroom with his mother, he did not look around, in fact it seemed he was not looking at anything in particular at all. The teacher got up and spoke with his mother. Shortly after the teacher turned to the class and said, "this is Evan Walker, he is your new classmate." After that everyone stopped staring and went back to their toys and activities. Everyone, except Jenny. She watched as her teacher and Evan's mother talked some more, and then his mom bent down and kissed him goodbye. The teacher then told Evan to go find someone to play with until circle time, and then left him there while she went to stop a fight between Dan and Cody.
Evan stood there for a few moments and then slowly went over to Jenny, who was sill starring at him. He gestured "hello" with his hand and waited. Jenny was surprised, no one in this classroom had so much as even looked at her. She returned the gesture and said, "do you want to play with me?"Evan nodded and sat beside her.
They spent the entire day together, and soon Jenny realized that Even did not seem to talk. She asked her teacher about when she was waiting for her dad to come pick her up. Her teacher explained he did not talk because he was mute, and that meant he was not capable of talking.
Jenny remembered this as she ran to Evan's house. She knew that Evan could have befriended almost anyone in the class, but he had chosen her. Earlier that year Evan had told her that he did not think white people were better than black, but in all honesty, most of the time black people were better than white. Black people are nicer he had explained, and they do not seem to care what other people think about them. This had made Jenny think, she did not really understand what he meant. She did not think that either whites or blacks were better, but both equal. She found, a few days after he had said so, that some white kids were picking on Evan. They had been making fun of him because he could not speak, Jenny had put a stop to that right away. She punched those kids a couple of times and that sent them running to the principal crying. Then she and Evan got in trouble, why Evan did she could not quite figure.She thought that maybe the kids had told the principal that he had punched them too, but that was just a theory.
Jenny finally reached Evan's house and knocked on the door. It was a few minutes before Evan's mom came to the door. When the door opened Jenny saw Evan's mother, but not the bright and sunny woman she was used to seeing. His mom was in tears, Jenny observed. When she was about to ask what was wrong, Mrs Walker said, "Jenny, this isn't the best time. Can I call you later?" Jenny was surprised but she nodded. The door closed and Jenny went back down the side walk heading towards her house.
Jenny started wondering about what was wrong. Maybe Mr. Kibbles had died, eh was their cat, that would be sad. Or had Mr. and Mrs. Walker been fighting? She had never seen them fight, but she figured they probably did. Jenny's parents even fought occasionally, so, she figured, must everyone's.
When Jenny got home, picked up the cordless phone and started caring it with her everywhere around the house. She was impatient and worried, she had to know what was wrong. When her mom called her for dinner, she also told her to put the phone back on the cradle and she should not carry it around everywhere.