The River and Me

The Unity Promise

Monday morning, Evette dresses for school wearing the umoja necklace Gran E gave her, layered over the heart locket from Grandma Peeters. Wearing both at once makes her feel like her family might actually hold together.

At lunch, Evette slides in next to Ashlyn, Ziggy, and Gia, trading cleanup photos while arguing over who found the grossest garbage. Ashlyn found a moldy pizza box behind a bush, and Gia found a cushion crawling with slugs and grubs. Ziggy wins without trying, with a half-skeleton possum that tumbled out of his garbage bag. Everyone shrieks and laughs. Evette realizes how much closer she feels to this group than she did just weeks ago.

After school, Gran E picks Evette up. She notices the umoja necklace and says they could all use more unity in this world. Evette hints that their family could use more unity, too, and Gran E’s eyebrows shoot up.

Evette confesses she knows what happened when her parents got married. Grandma Peeters said some wrong, racist things, but feels awful about it now. She’s a good person, and people can change. If she apologized, would Gran E give her another chance?

Gran E doesn’t answer until they reach the dead-end street, where she turns off the car and turns to Evette. She explains that when Grandma Peeters said those things, she was judging her, her neighborhood, and her whole community by the color of their skin. That made her afraid Grandma Peeters would judge Evette’s mother the same way. She couldn’t bear to watch that happen. She knows Grandma Peeters has been a good grandmother to Evette and Bud, and although she’s grateful for that, she’s still unsure.

Evette says she knows that’s why Gran E skipped the river cleanup. She didn’t want to see Grandma Peeters. But she hopes that if they do meet, Gran E will hear what Grandma Peeters has to say. People shouldn’t be judged for one thing they say or do, since they can change and learn from their mistakes. Grandma Peeters deserves a chance to show she’s better than she acted all those years ago.

The two turn down the gravel path through the woods, where the river’s glassy surface reflects through the trees. The ferns and grass are still trampled, but there’s not a speck of litter left. Gran E murmurs it’s just as she remembers. Then they see a woman in a straw hat opening a picnic basket.

Gran E stops short, caught off guard, and asks if this is what Evette’s been planning all along. Evette asks her to just hear her out, for her, Bud, and family unity. Gran E hesitantly steps up to the picnic table.

Grandma Peeters thanks Gran E for coming and apologizes for the racist, hurtful comments she made years ago, admitting she was wrong and has carried the regret ever since. She’s waited too long to apologize, but hopes it’s better late than never. She credits Evette with helping her see that.

Gran E explains that her daughter is her only child. It felt as if Grandma and Grandpa Peeters didn’t think the home where she was raised was good enough for them, and maybe wouldn’t think her daughter was good enough for their son either. Grandma Peeters bows her head and says what she said was unforgivable.

Finally, Gran E accepts the apology, saying holding onto anger for years hasn’t done either of them any good. Then, over tuna and ham on rye, the two women ease into old memories, stories, and knitting. Evette reaches under the table for Gran E’s hand and gives it a squeeze. Her heart feels too full to speak.

When they’re done eating, the grandmothers stay behind talking while Evette walks off through the woods. Suddenly, she hears a truck rumble and sees a pickup sputtering down the gravel access path. Stan from Stan’s Garage hops out, opens the back, and rolls a bunch of old tires onto the ground.

Evette steps out from behind the bush and says Stan can’t do that. The tires pollute the river they just cleaned up! Stan whirls around and begs her not to report him, then jumps in his truck and drives away before she can respond, leaving the tires behind.

Gran E and Grandma Peeters walk up the path and ask if she’s okay. Evette says she’s okay, but mad, and explains what happened with the tires. Grandma says it’s too bad they don’t know who the man is, since he’d have to pay a hefty fine for littering.

Evette’s breath catches. She does know who the man is, and Dad said his business is struggling. But that doesn’t make it okay to pollute. One of the tires has rolled over a fern, standing up through its center like a potted plant. Evette has an idea. It’s time for “World by Us” step two.