Music in My Heart: My Journey with Melody

I think about Dad’s campaign manager, Mr. Chapman, who was mistaken for a valet because of the color of his skin. I think of Melody and her brother, who were asked to leave Fieldston’s just because they were black. I think about how her Melody looked when she talked about that. I know in my heart what to do. I take a deep breath and say we should go in.

Melody doesn’t look mad at me, only a little scared. She nods and says we should. Yvonne puts a hand on my shoulder and says good for us. That’s a brave decision. But I don’t feel brave as I follow her into the shop.

The bell above the door jingles, and my mind starts to race. Will the waitresses be mean to us? Will they make us leave? Melody stands close to me just inside the door. The waitress at the cash register looks up, but then looks away. Her name tag reads Sue.

Yvonne cleared her throat, but the waitress turns her back on us. Without a word, she grabs a pitcher of water and starts working her way down a row of tables. Melody asks what we should do. She might not be coming back. Yvonne says we wait.

Then, the door jingles behind us. A white woman and her teenage daughter step into the shop. The girl smiles at us, and I smile back, but my cheek is quivering. Sue comes back to the cash register. She puts the pitcher down, grabs a couple of menus, and motions to the woman and her daughter to follow her. The teenage girl points at me and says that we were here first. The sour look on Sue’s face says that the last thing she wants to do is to seat us. But finally, she waves her hand toward a table in the way back. We can sit at the booth back there.

Yvonne politely smiles, and says we’ll take the open seats right here. She steps toward the counter. Melody follows Yvonne to the stools, her chin set in the same determined ways her sister’s. I follow them along behind them, hoping my wobbly legs don’t give out.