canny He ne plano for Some nye gain he sipped Sri o ep fe Mee and rook above ee i987] TON CADE BAMBARA (1939-1995) ws born in New York Cty aud grew ‘ap in Harlem ond Bedford-Stuyvesant, As a child she began scribbling stories on the margins of he fathers copies ofthe New York Dally News and the squares of thin ‘elite canlboart her mother’s stockings came wrapped around, She his sid of herself, 4 aa rad by muy family and community to bee combatant. Forays tothe Apollo [Theater in Harlem] with my daddy end hanging tough on Speakers Comer with my mama taught me the power ofthe word, the importane of the resistance tradition, andthe high stondards our Tolackl community had regarding verbal performance. While my hears laughing gland eed my Sevorite thing tobe doing is laughing so hard I have to lower myself on Ue ‘wall fo keep from falling donon, near that chavnber isa bash furnace where rifle pokes from the ribs, In high schoo! and at Queens College, Bambara remembered tha she “hogged thet jourat” Se took writing courses and wrote novel, stoves, plays, lm sep, _ ere, “you-namets.” After her cllege graduation, she worked various jobs ond Studied for her MLA. a the City College of New York tile che wrote tion in “the ‘redawn in-betwoeens.” She began to publish her stories, and in 1972 she collected hem in he first book, Gosia, My Love. It wasn’t until Hambara returned from a Hip to Cuba in 1973 tha she thought of herself asa writer: “There leaned what Langston Hughes and others, most especially my colleagues in the New Black Arts Movement a be teaching for yours — that writing isa legitimate, an ior __ fl way, to patcpnte in the empormerment ofthe community that nace nen {ools of stories inchude The Black Woman (1970), Tales and Stories for Black Tolks (1971), and The-Sea Birds Are Stil Alive (1977). She wrote hoe novels, The Pit Haters (1980) and If Blessing, Comes (1987). Deep Sightings and Rescue Missions was published in 1996, Like Zara Neale Hurston, om Barbara credited with giving her new ways to ie literary material olay as the bass of rt and ew cuegores of percep. {women's images), Bambara often used kuomor inher fiction. She has sad thet Ht Lenjoy most in my twork isthe laughter and the outrage and the attention Io Rouge.” Her stories, lke “The Lesson,” were often about children, but Bambara f ceo sentimentality, She attempted to kep her torrents of language an el contro by remembering the premises from which she proceeds asa black wrter Mee are at war. Two, the natural response to oppression, ignorance, el, and ifcition i wide stoak resistance. Thre, the natural respon fo srs and cries Preakdow ad capitulation, but tresformation andrea.” 107Tonr Cape BAMBARA The Lesson Backin the days when everyone was old and stupid or Youn and fool san amd me and Sugar were the only ones justxght this Ady ‘moved on out ish an uppy hair and properspeechand no makeup, ANS quite naturally aos ghed at her, laughed the way we did atthe junk ra ‘who went about we pecs lke he waa some bigtime president and his soy 0 Irorse his ee retary. And we kinda hated her too, hated the way sft did the winos who secretary ap ote parks and psed on our handball walls and stank up our cer ana stats so you coulda’ halfway: play hideand.seo ‘without @ goddamn gas mask. Miss Moore was her name Phe ‘only woman on the block Bary frst nme. And she was biack as hell cept for her Fo which were Wa pie and spooky. And she was always planning these PornE/ things ao. usBetng my cousin, mostly who lived on the Dlock eis Oe all for Neath the same ie and to the same apartment then spread grade re bpeathe. And our parents wold yank ou heads inte some kinda shape aa Ferigp ap our clothes so we'd be presentable fr travel with Miss Moore, arp always looked like she was going to church, though she Der did. Which ust one ofthe things the grownups talked about When they talked behind is) alike a dog, But when she came calling with some sachot she'd sewed Tiporsome gingerbread she'd made or some books why ‘then they'd all be-too erent to tun her down’ and we'd get handed over spruced up: Saab allege and sad it was ony right thatshe should ks =POOT, bility forthe young ones’ education, and she not eve related by marriage oF cre So they'd go frit. Specially Aunt Gretchen. She was the 8 goferin the taily. You got some ole dumb shit foolishness you wath somebody to 20 for. you send for Aunt Gretchen: She been serewee! 10 ‘the go-along for $0 wslood-deep natural thing with her. Which is how she 89% saddled to a Suga an Junior in the Est place while ouramotherswereiN2 Jae Seda apartment up the 0 this one day, Mi ‘parece hot and she’s knockin herself out about Page tot up in summer heard, but she don't never, “And the starch in ry pinafore scratching the shit outta me and Tim hy Thating this nappy- a eed her goddamn college degree. d muuch rather go 19 6 pool of ere or where is cool So me and Sugar leaning onthe aihos being turly, which isa Miss Moore word. And Fiyboy ‘checking out what everybody Drought for Tanch, And Fat Butt already wasting Nis peanut-butter-and jelly pro ede the pig he is. And Junebug purchin on Q's ar fos POY Sipe And Rssie Gitaffe shifting from one hip to the oes ne for some ogy to stepon her foot or ak her if she from Georgia 60 oh A kick 238, preferably Mercedes. And Miss Moore asking us do ve 10 ‘what money is) Prey neh of retards. I mean real money be say, lke i's only poker chips or monopoly pape and say so. And would rorize the West Indian } And Miss Moore files t hood, Ican tell. And finv and besides we might 1 lipstick, so we ready. So we heeding d things cost and what ot money ain’t divided 1 about we all poor and | to speak om that, but sh ‘Then she hustles half t tells me to calculate 10 and Junebug and Flybe putting lipstick on eact with our sweaty armp ‘money. But they all fa inig bets as to how mu ‘Then Sugar lays bets a Don’t nobody want to and nin off to the first ‘hell out cause we the: Ym stalling to figure o the don'tneed it bad a Junebug foot still in t ‘Then we check out tl ‘stockings. One lady ir “This is the pla ‘ses at the museum. “Can we steal” rules squared away t ‘and we fall out. So st and Sugar screamin, made for me, {was b “Hey, I'm going “That there? Yo "Edo so,” he sa “Whatcha gont ~Lookeat things “Like what, Re notion, So here go N drop of water andl th _ one living things in she say: that for? Jun Miss Mosre ask wha the price tag say 8ung and fool- /moved on our quitennaturally cho went about ry-ass horse his the winos who nd stank up Our seek without a nian on the block feet, which were poring.ass things Jock cause we all spread out grad- lome Kinda shape with Miss Moore, ‘never did. Wich ney talked behind achet she'd sewed they dal be 100 er all spruced UP. nuld take responsi- ted by marriage OF the main gofer in ant somebody 10 £0 the go-along for s0 ow she got saddled mothers were in ala he mailbox andits je And school sup sp-And the starch in 7 hating this sappy ther go to the pool OF sn the mailbox being out what everybody fanut-butter-and-jely QT!s arm for potato per waiting for some a s0 she can kick 055, know what money i lke i's only: poket ‘TheLesson 308 chips or monopoly papers we lay on the grocer. So right away 'm tired of this Sind say 20, And would much rather snatch Sugar andl go to the Sunset and tor sovize the West Indian Kids and take their hait ribbons and their money too. ‘And Miss Moore files that remark away for next week’s lesson on brother- fhaed, ean tell, And finally Lsay we oughta get to the subway causeit’s cooler and besides we might meet some cute boys. Sugar done swiped her mama's lipstick, so we ready. ‘So we heading down the street and she's boring us silly about what things cost and what our parents make and how much goes for rentand how snoney ain't divided up right in this country. And then she gets fo the past pout reall poor and live in the slums, which T don't feature. And I'm ready foapeak on that, but she steps outin te street and hails to cabs just ike tna ‘Then she hustles half the crew in with her and hands me. five-dollar bill and {ells me to calculate 10 percent tip for the driver. And we're off: Me and Sugar isd Junebug and Flyboy hangin out the window and hollering to everybody png lipstick on each other cause Fyboy a faggot anyway, and making fs eth our eweaty armpits, But I'm mostly trying to figure how to spend this Jroney, But they al fascinated with the meter ticking and Junebug starts Iry- FRggbets as to how much il ead when Fiyboy can hold his breath no mow ‘Then Sugar lays bets as to how much i'l be when we get there. So i'm stuck: ‘Don't nobody want to go for my plan, which isto jump out at the next light find.'Then the driver tells us to get the sesh out eause we there already. And the meter reads eighty-five cents. And Tim stalling to figure out the tip and Sugar say give him a dime. And I decide fhe don't need it bad as I do, 20 Jater for him. But then he tres to take off with Junebug foot stil n the door so we talk abouts mama something ferocious Then wee check out that we on Fifth Avenue and everybody dressed up in stockings. One lady in a fur coat, hot as itis. White folks crazy. this is the place,” Miss Moore say presenting it to usin the voice she uses at the museum. “Let's look in the windows before we goin.” "Can we steal?” Sugar asks very serious like she’s getting the ground rules squared away before she plays. “I beg your pardon, "say Miss Moore, = Gnd we fall out, So she leads us around the windows of the toy store and me land Sugar screamin, “This is mine, that’s mine; I gotta have that, that was | iade for me, I was born for that,” till Big Butt drowns us out “Hey, Tm going to buy that there.” “That thero? You don’t even know whatitis, stupid.” | -1do0,” he say punchin on Rosie Giraffe. “It's a microscope.” ‘Whatcha gonna do with a microscope, fool?” “Lookeat things.” | FLike what, Ronald?” ask Miss Moore: And Big Butt ain't got the first ofion: So here go Miss Moore gabbing, about the thousands of bacteria in a "drop of water and the somethinorother ina speck of blood and the million and - heliving things in the air around us is invisible to the naked eye. And what "she say that for? junebug go to town on that “naked” and we rolling, Thor Mise Moore ask what it cost So we al am into the window smudgin it up and © price lag say $300. So then she ask how long’d take for Big Butt and110 ToniCade Bambara Junebug to save up ther allowances, “Too long.” Tsay. “Yeh” adds Suga vputgrown it by that time.” And Miss Moore say no, you never outgrow Jeamning instruments. “Why, even medical students and interns and,” blah, blah blah, And we ready to choke Big Butt for bringing it up in the Grst damn lace Place chis here costs four hundred eighty dollars,” say Rosie Giraffe, So we pile up allover her to see what she pointin out. My eyes ell me it’s. chunk of jase cracked with something heavy, and differet-olor inks dxipped into the rite then the whole thing put int @ even or something, But fr 5480 ;t don’t make sense ‘That's a paperweight made of semi-precious stones fused together ‘under tremendous pressure,” she explains slowly, with her hands doing the mining and all the factory work. "G0 what's a paperweight?” ask Rosie Giralle ‘nto weigh paper with, dumbbell,” say Flyboy, the wise man from the East. “*Not exactly,” say Miss Moore, which is what she say when you warm. cr way off too. “it’s to weigh paper down so it won't scatter and make your desk untidy” So right away me and Sugar curtsy to each other and then to Mercedes who is more the tidy type. “"We don’t keep paper on top of the desk in my class, uring Miss Moore crazy or yin one. xt home, then,” she say. “Don’t you have a calendar and a pencil case and a blotter and a letter-opener on your desk at home where you do your homework?” And she know damn well what our homes look ike cause she ‘nosy around in them every chance she gets, “"Tdon’t even have a desk,” say Junebug, "Do we?” No. And I don’t getno homework neither,” say Big Butt And Idon’t even have a home,” say Flyboy like he do at school to keep the white folks off his back and sorry for him. Send this poor Kid to camp posters, is his specialty. “ML do,” says Mercedes. “I have a box of stationery on my desk and a pic- ture of my cat. My godmother bought the stationery and the desk. There's a big rose on each sheet and the envelopes smell like roses.” Who wants to know about your smelly-ass stationery, Giraffe fore I can get my two cents in. “4¥’s important to have a work area all your own so that “Will you look at this sailboat, please,” say Flyboy, cutting her off and poinkin othe thing lke it was his. o once again we tumble all over each other {> gaze at this magnificent thing in the toy store which is just big enough to maybe sal two Kittens across the pond if you strap them to the posts tight. We all start reciting the price tag like we in assembly. “Handcrafted sailboat of fiberglass at one thousand one hundred ninety-five dollass.” “Unbelievable,” [hear myself say and. am really stunned. I read it again for myself justin case the group recitation put me in a trance, Same thing, For some reason this pisses me off. We look at Miss Moore and she lookin at us, ‘waiting for dunno what. / say Junebug, figr say Rosie “Who'd pay al Pop's, a tube of glue havea motor and a1 fifty cents.” “But will it tak “Took mine to, Pity” “sailed mine in father for another do “And you got string on it. My old » Little QT. was ithad. But he too litt “This boat for kids, ) "Parents silly Rosie Giraffe “That much m My father’ t “Your father,» Mercedes. “Must be rich "You area ver) he rap him on the h hhecould get away and get his licks inv What I want ‘her, [wouldn't give figure a thousand’ “Why don’t y group?” Which real swim day least you ‘he got something ‘Sagar turn the corn hhang back. Not that ‘feel funny, shame. on as anybody. B away from Sugar t -Jooks at me and thi doing nothing oF u Giraffe and Big But info the doorway w jumper and walkin luec-together figs fhe time me and Su; _gotin there and eve tnd the handkerch ‘with the plan. WhiTheLesson WIL ‘who'd pay all that when you ean buy a sailboat set for a quarter at Pop's tube of glue fora dime, and a ball of string for eight cents? esust Ihave a motor and a whole lot else besides,” I say. “My sailboat cost me about cents.” fi “But will it take water?” say Mercedes with her smart ass Took mine to Alley Pond Park once,” say Flyboy. “String broke. Lost it yeh,” adds Sugar, you never outgrow {interns and,” blak, cup in the first damn Rosie Giraffe. So we tell me it’sa chunk of jks dripped into the z But for $480; don’t “sailed mine in Central Park and it keeled over and sank. Had to ask my father for another dollas.” rand you got the strap,” laugh Big Butt, “The jerk didn’t even have a string on it, My old man wailed on his behind.” ‘Litle Q’T, was staring hard at the sailboat and you could see he wanted stbod. But he too litle and somebody’ just take it from him. So what the hell ‘"Phis boat for kids, Miss Moore?” parents ally to buy something like that just to get all broke up,” say Rosie Girafe. ‘*that much money it should last forever,” I igure “nM father'd buy it for me if wanted it” “Your father, my ass,” cay Rosie Giraffe getting a chance to finally push Mercedes. “Must be rich people shop here,” say QT. ‘You area very bright boy,” sy Flyboy. "What was your firstclue?” And ype rap him on the head with the back of his knuckle, since QT. the only one fe could get away with. Though Q". lable to come up behind you yeas later and get his licks in when you half expect it. "What I want to know is,” [says to Miss Moore though Lnever talk to she, wouldn't give the bitch that satisfaction, “is how much a real boat costs? {figure a thousand'd get you a yacht any day.” TS lrwhy don't you check that out” she says, “and report back to the group?! Which realy pains my ass f you gonna mess up a perfectly good tpyim day least you could do is have some answers. “Let's goin,” she say ke she pot something up her sleeve. Only she don't lead the way. So me and Sugar turn the comer to where the entrance is, but when we get there Kinda = ag back. Not that I'm scared, what's there tobe afraid of, just toy store Bot 6s stationery,” say Rosie ‘feo! funny, shame. But what | got to be shamed about? Got as: auch tight to _g0 in as anybody. But somehow I can’t seem to got hold of the door, so step ” sway from Sugar to lead. But she hangs back too. And I look at her and she | Yooks at me an this is ridiculous. Lmean, damn, Fhave never been shy ot = doing nothing or going nowhere. But then Mercedes steps up and then Rovig _ Girne and Big Hut crowd in behind and shove, and next thing we all stlfed inthe doorway sith only Merce squeezing past us, smoothing out het __jiper and walking right doven the aise. Then the rest of us Kumble in Hk 9 oles.” fhied-fogether jigsaw done all wrong, And people lookin at us. And it's like ally stunned, Tread it again ime me and Sugar crashed into the Catholic church on a dare. But once we ratrance, Same thing. For Wp a ‘sso husied and holy and the candles and the bowin Moore and she lookin at us, F< Sidbhehandkerchiefs on all the drooping heads, I just couldn't go through: | __Wihtho plan, Which was for me to run up to the altar and do @ tap dance sones fused together x her hands doing the he wise man from the .e say when you warm scatter and make Your each other and then to sass,” say Junebug, fig jendar and a pencil case me where you do your mes Jook like cause she en" y Big Butt. cee do at school to keep $d this poor kid to camp ery on my desk and a pic y and the desk. There's a wn go that ‘yboy, cutting her off and cumble all over each other hich is just big enought them to the posts tight. We . "Handcrafted sailboat of312. Toni Cade Bambara while Sugar played the nose flute ane messed ardand in the holy water And the elbow. Then later teased meso bad [tied her up in the Sugar kept given me Sager Kop Fumed it on and locked her in. And she'd be thee til this day f seer etcien hada‘ finally figured 1 was lying about the boarder fakin a shower. ane thing in dhe store. We all walkin om tiptoe and hasty touchin the games and puzzles and things, And I watched Miss Moore who i ead Be calike she walin fora sign. Like Mama Drewery watches the sky and wate ihe air and takes note of ust how mich slant isin the bird formation. sree ne and Sugar bump smack into each other, so busy gazing atthe o¥S, “Gpcilly the sailboat. But we dont laugh and go into our fatlady bumps areal routine. We just stare at that price tag,"Then Sugar run a finger over ertnate boat And 'm jealous and want io hithex. Maybe not er, but sure want fo punch somebody in the mouth. “Watcha bring us here for, Miss Moore?” You sound angry, Sylvia, Are you mad about something?” Givin me one of them pris like she tellin a grown-up joke that never turss aut to Be fn. And she’s lookin very closely at me like maybe se plannin 0 26 Porta from memory. Ym mac but L won't give he that satisfaction. So 7 Flouch around the store being very bored and say, “Let's 20.” ‘Vie ancl Sugar at the back of the train watehin the tracks whizzin by Innge then smal then geting gobbled up in the dak. I'm thinkin about fis tay toy Tsawin the store. A clown that somersaults ona bar then does hin. tipo ust cause you yank lightly at his leg. Cost 85. X could ste me asks my aoe fora $35birthday clown. “You wana who that costs what?” she'd say, roking her head to the sideto get abetter view of the hole in my head. Thirty {fee dellars could buy new bunk beds for Junior and Gretchen's boy. Thirty: Hee sehtors and the whole household could go visit Grand-daddy Nelson in the country. Titty five dollars would pay for the rent and the piano bill tow forming clawns and $1000 Who are these people that spend that much for perf for toy sailboats? What kinda work they do and how they live ad how come fo wy tn on it? Where we ae is who we are, Miss Moore always pointin out. Bari don’t necessarily have to be that way, she always adds thon waits for arrabody to say that poor people have to wake up and demand their shate of the pic and dort none of us Know what kind of pie she talking bout in We fhatetomn place But she ain’ so smart cause I stil got her four dollars from fhe tae! anal she sure ain't gettin it. Messin up my day with this shit. Sugar nudges me in my pocket and winks. Seine Moose lines us up in front of the mailbox where we started from, seem lke years ago, an got headache for thinkin so hard. And we lean ot aoe each other so oe can hold up under the draggy-ass lecture she always Guichos usoff with atthe end before we thank her for borin us o tears. But he Just looks t us lke she readin tea leaves. Finally she say, “Well, what did you think of BA.O. Schwarz?” Rosie Giraffe mumbles, “White folks crazy.” v7dlike to go there again when I get my birthday money,” says Mercedes’ and we shove her out the pack so she has to lean on the mailbox by hers. “1 like a showe ‘Then Sugar surp all of us here put togs Moore lights up Tike s Only Ym standin on “Imagine fora can spendon a oy wh you think?” “Think,” say Su cause Twhip her as i ask me. Equal chance don’t #2” Miss Mo teeachery- 80 I stand shuts up,and Miss Mi ‘weird is goin on, Lean “Anybody else and Sugar has to run ‘her am off my shoul “Wall, we got f “Uh hun.” "We could go t the Sunset and stillh “Ub, hunh.” “Race you to H We start down Ym going to the W through. She can rw ‘gonna beat me at mutthe holy water. And I tied her up in the » there till this day if 4 hardly touchin the Moore who is steady y watches the sky and n the bird formation, sy gazing at the loys; o our fat-lady bump- agar run a finger over yybe not her, but Y sure omething?” Givin me rnever tums out t0 De she plannin to do my that satisfaction. So T ‘the tracks whizin by “Tm thinkin about this ona bar then does chir- ‘aul see me askin my: tcosts what?” she'd say, hole in my head: Thirty- | Gretchen's boy. Thirty- Grand-daddy Nelson in xt and the piano bill too. ming clowns and $1000 they live and how come foore always pointin out: ways adds then waits fot ud demand their share of she talking about in the got her four dollars from Gay with this shit, Sugar >x where we started from m1 60 hard. And we Jean all sey-ass lecture she always or borin us to tears. Butshe xe say, “Well, what did you Jay money,” says Mercedes, the mailboxby hersel ‘Vd like a shower. Tring day,” say Plyboy. The Lesson 313 "Then Sugar surprises me by sayin, “You know, Miss Moore, L don think all of us here put together eat in a year what that sailboat costs.” And Miss Moore lights up like somebody goosed her. “And2" she say, urging Sugar on. Only I'm standin on her foot so she don’t continue. ““[magine for a minute what kind of society itis in which some people can spend ona toy what it would cost to feed a family of sx or seven. What do you think?” “ML think,” say Sugar pushing me off her feet like she never done before, ‘cause I whip her ass in a minute, “that thi is not much. ‘of a democracy if you fk me. Equal chance to pursue happiness means an equal crack atthe dough, Gon't it?” Miss Moore is besides herself and T am disgusted with Sugar’s ‘weird is goin on, I can feel it in my chest. her arm off my shoulder. “Well, we got four dollars anyway,” she says. “Uh, hunk.” = We could go to Hascombs and get half a chocolat the Sunset and still have plenty money for potato chips: “Uh, hun.” ‘Race you to Hascombs,” she say. treachery. So I stand on her foot one mare time to see if she'll shove me. She shuts up, and Miss Moore looks at me, sorrowfully Y'm thinkin. And somethin. “Anybody else learn anything today?” lookin dead at me. I walk away ‘and Sugar has to run to catch up and don’t even seem to notice when I shrug, te layer and then goto and ice cream sodas.” ‘We start down the block and she gets ahead which is O.K. by me cause | through. She can run if she want to and even run fat gonna beat me at nuthin, tm going to the West End and then over to the Drive to think this day ster. But-ain’t nobody 1972)