Vicky had ordered her usual pink cow and took a sip as she responded to her new friend, Ari. They had been talking about a talent show that was coming up and Ari, who was very involved with music, was asking for details...
Of course, they were including comments about Hester, who had won the contest for the last two years...
Hester? She was dating that cute, rich boy that Berta dreamed about before she met Howard. Let's just say Hester flung that connection around to all the girls in the school--"He's mine!" Even Ari, who was new to the school had already noticed, and after their discussion, she decided she would sign up!
And the jukebox played on...
If you all don't mind, I'd like to share one of my own past stories that I thought of as I was reading these books, the last one, by the way, is my favorite, maybe for that reason... But probably because of Ari's music interests... And her decision to compete...
Too many years ago for me to remember the year, I had just met a new member of my family, by marriage. The WVU fieldhouse was still on the main campus and she and I attended a basketball game... It was a small facility and I was seeing many people I knew. But one of the faculty members with whom I worked happened to be looking around at the same time and we recognized each other and waved hands, smiling... I got a strange look from this new female and she asked me if I knew him... Then, for whatever reason, she asked me if I would date a Black man... At that time, I had already been very conscious about prejudice against Black people, since I was already meeting many more non-white people than I had ever interacted with there... This is what I said: "Probably not, my main concern would be the children that could result from a relationship--everybody knew that other children still picked on children different from them. That was the end of that conversation. However, a week or so later, my aunt with whom I'd always been close, asked me, bluntly, "Are you interested in dating Black men?" I probably said, "ah, What?" She promptly went on and told me who has told her that. We looked at each other, immediately knowing what we were thinking... Then she told me, that she had talked so much about needing a coat, that my aunt finally gave her money. We would be on the alert from now on... And, I can't help but worry just a little, about what's happening, again, today... But I've learned to admire the Black Culture, especially those individuals I've met through their wonderful books, like this trilogy.
I bring this up because of the new family that came to the "Black Diamond district." You see, Ari's father had originally lived there many years ago... He had left and had joined the service, fighting in WWII but his greatest love and job was playing piano... And he knew he would always be able to find somebody who needed a piano player... Thing was, as he worked, he realized that nobody seemed to know he was a Black man. Even in the service... So, why would he make a point of it?
And what happened to make him come back home? He fell in love. With a beautiful Mexican woman... And Ari became a mixed-race child who knew as soon as she was old enough to understand that they were holding a secret. You see, at that time, Mexicans were classified, legally, as white. And it was illegal to be married to a Black man... It was time to go home to Black Diamond...
At first, the family was...watched... Many of the older residents knew he had passed for many years out in the white world... It seemed everybody adopted a wait-and-see about why he came back. But, that was the grownups... Berta, when she first say Ari sitting alone, she felt...empathy... And even though she was a little jealous of what Howard said about her being pretty, Berta went over and started talking... Soon, Ari had filled the place that had been vacated in the threesome which were Vicky, Berta, and now Ari...
You know that television that was new in town? Well, Ari was the first to be invited over, along with others from school, to watch TV... And if the young shall lead, Berta's family soon invited Ari's parents to watch a drama one evening...
So while that was happening the trio continued to ponder whether Ari should compete in the talent contest... So Vicki checked out the rules and discovered that it said nothing about whether a mixed-race individual could compete... BTW, Hester had told Ari that she should check the rules... That made the decision much more easy, of course. But Ari wondered about what should she do for her talent. Her Dad had been teaching her piano since she was very young. But, she was also had a beautiful voice. In any event, she was afraid her need for practicing would disrupt her home too much... So, that was quickly arranged by the pastor of their church being willing for her to practice--as long as the music didn't get to jazzy... LOL
It was Ari's turn, she wore a beautiful gown she'd worn before to a special event. She sat down to play, but hesitated... At the last minute she knew the song that she really wanted to sing--and how to sing it...
Unfortunately, I've spent it seems hours trying to find a video, which I really wanted to hear and use... of exactly what Ari had chosen to do... She had sung the first time in English, and then she sang the last version in Spanish... Finding this song in Spanish? Even Latino stars chose to sing in English...Sigh
Of course when we read about Hester's talent, we knew who would win!
But, the more important part of the story was when Ari's mother came to her after she'd left the state... You see, Ari had missed her grandmother who they didn't see much since they'd moved... Little by little, the use of their Spanish had been eliminated from their daily lives... Ari, who was of two cultures, wanted to celebrate them both... And sharing the other part of her there in Black Diamond was something she felt she really needed to do...
Many have said lately that you cannot choose with whom you fall in love. In a single race community, or nation, it may never come up. But in a land where all people are welcomed, love comes, sometimes, from a different ethnic descent you meet--somebody who turns out to be their one and only soul mate... Does it matter? In the 40s, the government regulated marriage by color of your skin... Ari and her parents had to come to Black Diamond and felt safe for, maybe, the first time since they were married years ago... I so applaud Nadine for writing from a historical perspective that we are now once again facing... But, no matter who says what, know that we are all God's Children...
I recognize that I may have overplayed the historical part... But with this last book, I want to point out to our teen readers, that these books really are fun to read... watching teenagers back in the 40s, you may find, is not really different... Or is it? In any event, they are escapes from reality... Brining in the War was a small part of it all... The books rock with music, gossip by the local store boy who bags groceries repeating anything and everything that is most talked about as people check out...and then share to the next group of people... LOL Why wait for the newspaper, at least until Vicky is working there one day!
More importantly, it is a time when friends could be friends--both boys and girls--and find that they could be themselves. Only one girl seemed to have a problem with other students, but, really, there's probably more these days, right? Bottom line, I loved these books... I wish I had been able to find the final song, Nature Boy, sung by a beautiful teen who learned both English and Spanish from her parents. At least it was Nat's daughter, but his voice is so much smoother and dreamy...LOL Hint I was/am his fan!
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