#867 The Lighthouse- Anthony Grooms

#867 The Lighthouse- Anthony Grooms

A story told in two perspectives. Otie is in the mental home, but gets to visit church on Sunday. He watches as the congregation, mostly woman, is worked into frenzy by the young, attractive preacher. Then he gets called out and the Preacher comes over to cast out his demons. This is not the fist time, nor will it be the last time he needs saving. Watching from the back is his nephew, a college boy and a cynic. He doesn’t believe in all this and is hated by the preacher. The preacher believes book learning corrupts.

After the service, Otie goes back to his sinning ways and his nephew goes back to watching it all happen. He still goes to church, maybe for the entertainment or waiting to be taken by the spirit like everyone else.

Notable Passage: “When the commotion quiets down, the Holy Rollers get down to the real business of religion—collecting money.”

Rating: 7-6-6-7 Total= 26

#808 Food That Pleases, Food to Take Home- Anthony Grooms

#808 Food That Pleases, Food to Take Home- Anthony Grooms

Mary is lifted to the ceiling by the reverend Green’s sermon on civil rights. She has been seeing all the marches and sit-ins and speeches in the news and she wants in. She tries to recruit her friend Annie to take part. She is skeptical and doesn’t see how two people can do any good. 

They walk past a diner they know to serve only white customers and it’s a place they despise the woman who runs the place. Now’s their chance. The walk in and sit down at the whites-only lunch counter and wait to get kicked out. Today however, the owner is in the hospital and her sister is visiting from up north. She is looking after her large, mentally slow son and she really doesn’t want any trouble.

Mary and Annie try to push the issue by telling her:

“We done come all the way from Washington, D.C. We are part of President Johnson’s civil rights committee. And we gone report you to the Doctor Martin Luther King.”

Of course all that is a lie, and the fill-in server just gives up and tells them to serve themselves. Nothing is working like they thought it would. With nobody else involved, and no other customers, there is no one there to see what went down. There is a reason they call it “organizing.” Annie feels bad that she upset this poor woman who is clearly struggling to tale care of her problem son by herself…

“Things were complicated, far more complicated than she thought.”

Rating: 7-8-7-8 Total= 30

#779 Hollow and Far Away- Anthony Grooms

#779 Hollow and Far Away- Anthony Grooms

Ralphie and his family were pretty well off for their community. His father was the only black man working at the plant and he was one of only two black children at his school.

“I was the only black boy in the fifth grade, and the teacher was hard and didn’t like me. But Daddy was even harder than the teacher.”

They were invited to visit his Uncle in the country. Life was different out here and so were expectations. But family always try to show each other up. However, no matter how much you pretend you’re different or better, those that hate you look at you all the same.

Notable Passage: “Discipline and opportunity. But a little wine ain’t gone kill ‘im.”

Rating: 7-7-7-7 Total= 28

#752 Uncle Beasley’s Courtship- Anthony Grooms

#752 Uncle Beasley’s Courtship- Anthony Grooms

It’s thanksgiving. Gerald (middle school aged) watches as his Uncle Beasley pours himself another gin even though his mother warned against drinking today. They have invited over Mrs. Perkins, a retired school principal for dinner. They are hoping the two of them hit it off.

Dinner goes well, but Uncle Beasley keeps drinking and eventual gets to the place they were all worried about. He gets huffy and almost spills too much information, but Gerald makes the biggest mistake by repeating a word he doesn’t even know the meaning of. He takes his licks like a man, but still gets no respect.

Rating: 7-7-7-8 Total= 29