Chapter 1
“Momma, what you doin’ ” Tammy asked her elderly mother, who was cooking cornbread.
“Cornbread,baby” Momma said as Tammy giggled. Tammy was 16 years old and african-American. It was 1967 in Montgomery, Alabama. Life had always been hard for Tammy and Momma. As long as they kept their mouths shout and heads low, nothing happen. That was hard for Tammy. She was like her father. He died for standing up for what’s right. Tammy was only 7 when he died.
” Girl, don’t you got school? You ain’t skippin’ , are you?” Momma asked as Tammy shook her head.
” No, Momma. Imma be the only black kid at that school full of white folks . Momma, please!” Tammy begged as Momma turned to her.
“Baby, I know. But I want you to make it in this evil world. So ,please, the bus will be here in......1 min!” she exclaimed as Tammy gasped. Tammy ran and got her bag and her bag lunch.
“Come, Tam-Tam” Momma said as she rushed her babygirl out the door and to the bus stop. The school bus pulled around the corner and stopped in front of Tammy’s house. The doors opened and all she saw was white folks.
“Good Morning, come and sit a seat” the giggling white male bus driver said. Tammy smiled and walked on the bus. All she got was stares. It was like they had never seen a person of color before. She took a empty seat in the front and the bus pulled off. After about 10 minutes, the bus stopped at a all white mansion. The bus doors opened and the white boy got on. He seemed popular cause all the girls were giggling and he was saying hi to all the boys. He turned to me as Tammy quickly turned away.
“Anyone sittin’ here, miss?” he asked as Tammy turned to look up at him. Tammy shook my head no and he sat as the bus pulled off.
“Vincent Bradley” he said holding out his hand. Tammy felt so tempted to shake his hand but she knew she couldn’t. Even though segregation had end but she still got the racists and the segregation.
“You can’t speak?” he asked as Tammy mentally groaned. Why was this white boy tryna’ talk to a sista? She wondered.
“Ain’t supposed to be talkin’ to me” she said as she looked up at him. She hadn’t really looked at him and nor did him really look at her. Vincent looked at her as he saw pure beauty. Her thick jet black hair was pulled up into bun. She were a retro stage vintage 2pcs bow plaid blouse & skirt 1950's swing dress that yellow green.
"Tammy Brown but my friends and my momma call me me Tam-Tam" she said as he just stared. He had never seen such a pretty black girl before. Not saying that black girls were pretty to him. It was just that she was the prettiest he had ever seen.
"Well, can I call you "Tam-Tam?" Vincent asked as Tammy smiled at his cornyness.
"No, boy. We ain't friends" Tammy said as the bus stopped at the school. Tammy quickly got off but not before sending curious Vincent a wink.