The River and Me

None of My Business

Dad picks up Bud and Evette late from Gran E’s, blaming a flat tire from nails scattered at his building site. Over dinner, he mentions dropping it off at Stan’s Garage the next morning. Mom asks about the first day of school. Bud raves about basketball in gym class. Evette shrugs off her own day as so-so and mentions the community center Gran E took them to afterward. Bud adds that Gran E said she’ll take them to her swimming hole sometime, too.

That night, Mom slips into Evette’s room while she is reading for social studies and asks how it felt seeing Ashlyn again. Evette admits Ashlyn ditched their lunch plans to sit with her other friends. Mom reminds her old friendships carry a shared history, but Evette insists she’d rather keep new friends like Makena and Maritza than chase someone who’s moved on. When Evette grumbles about Ashlyn’s new hair and friends, Mom suggests she get to know them before judging by appearance.

Getting ready for bed, Evette goes to hang her new heart locket on her jewelry tree and notices her umoja necklace. Umoja means unity in Swahili. It was a Kwanzaa gift from Gran E, and it came with a card that said, “Promise always to seek umoja: unity in the family, community, nation, and race.”

Evette turns back to Mom and asks why Gran E and Grandma Peeters don’t get along. Mom hesitates and says something happened between them long ago, but it’s ancient history and none of Evette’s business.

After Mom leaves, Evette climbs into bed, sensing there’s more to the rift than Mom admits. Tears squeeze out of her eyes. Two of the people she loves most in the world don’t like each other. No matter what Mom says, they’re her family, so this is her business.

Ziggy’s question pops back into Evette’s head. Gran E is Black, and Grandma and Grandpa Peeters are White. Does that have something to do with it?