The People in Rossford

The marvel of my life

Conclusion

“All right,” James said, once they’d gotten to the apartment. “Where do I stay?”

Noah put his hands to his mouth and laughed giddily before becoming instantly embarrassed,

He came up to James, looked him over, and then hugged him quickly.

“I’m glad you’re here.”

“Noah told me what a hell hole his life was,” Danasia said.

“It was,” said James.

“But I think Danny’s thing is I never told her about you. Well… That was different.”

James shrugged, and Danny said, “Are we going to this party? Lee said he had a surprise for me.”

“Really?” Noah said, delighted.

“Yeah…” She looked at him strangely, but decided to ask no questions.

“I was tired—” James said.

“You can go to bed,” Noah was solicitous. “You can have my bed. I’ll take the couch.”

“That’s silly,” James told. “I’m just going to sleep in your bed. It’ll be like an old slumber party.”

At the pleased look on Noah’s face, Danasia wondered if James knew everything about him. Noah was a gay pornstar. There was no indication that James planned to do anything but sleep.

“But for now,” James said, “I’m going to splash some water on my face and go with you guys to meet your friends.”

When James headed in the direction of the bathroom, Noah watched after him before turning to Danasia.

“I’ll tell you all about him,” Noah said. “For now let’s get the hell out of here and on to the party.”

“I bet it’s dull without us,” Danasia said making for the door.

“I bet,” Noah said, “it’s anything but dull.”

“Are you just going to stand there and stare, or are you going to say something?

“That’s the thing about people,” James said, closing his locker. “And for people, read ‘white people’.”

“I hate this place.”

Dazed, Noah said, “I hate it too. My name’s Noah.”

“Well, I’m James Lewis. Can you show me what’s worth seeing in this place?”

“There is nothing worth seeing in Rummelsville,” Noah told him.

“You’re in my geometry class,” James said. “We’ll hang out. You can be my friend.”

“Just like that?” Noah said, trying to jest.

“Just like that,” said James. “There is no one else I’ve seen here I’d want to talk to. Or who would talk to me if we’re going to be real.”

They headed down the hall. “You seem like you’re not like everyone else.”

“I’m not like anyone else,” Noah said. And then he said, “And I’m not bragging when I say that. It’s just… I don’t really fit in here.”

“My father got a job a the university outside of Carmel, and now we’re here and… Is it just me or are we the only Black people in this town?”

Noah grinned and said, at last, “It’s not just you, James.

“I’ve never met a Black person,” he admitted as they headed toward the classroom they were both late in reaching.

“I never met someone who admitted that. Hey,” James grabbed Noah by the shoulder. “I don’t want to go to geometry.”

“You wanna cut class?”

“I definitely want to cut class,” James said, a light in his eye.

It was then that Noah thought James was the most beautiful boy he’d ever seen, and so he said, “All right.”

He slung his bag high over his shoulder.

“Let’s go!”

“Noah!”

Hum!” Noah turned to Danasia.

“What?”

“I thought you didn’t like that boy. The way you reacted in Guy’s studio when we first say him. But… ”

Down the hall, in the bathroom where James was, Noah heard the sound of running water from the faucet.”

“No,” Noah said softly. “No. That’s James.”

“I guess that means something.”

Noah said, “He was one of my only friends. My only friend who was a boy.”

“You knew him when you were growing up?”

“Um hum.”

“They have Black people in Rummelsville?”

“They had James’ family. They didn’t stay. He went to school in town. His father was a professor at the university in Carmel. James left for college the year before I left for California. But he kept in touch with my mother…” Noah lost track of what he was saying and just chewed his lip while driving.

“And you loved him,” Danasia said.

Noah said: “And I loved him.”

“BITCH, YOU’LL DO WHAT I tell you!”

He moved toward her with the baseball bat. Noah jumped in front of her, but Butch knocked him to the ground. Noah scrambled up, but the bat came in his direction and Noah dodged it, lifting his hand, the top of the bat slamming his fingertips.

“Get off her!”

And Naomi screamed out his name: “Noah!”

From the corner of his eye, as Noah rose up, he saw the door open. But he turned around heading for Butch again, and then Butch came at him, and Noah hoped he could catch the bat and not be hit in the groin, but just then Butch went down.

Noah turned around.

In his jeans and tee shirt James stood there with the crowbar and a crazy grin on his face.

“Apparently I didn’t come back a minute too late he said.”

“You miss me?”

“James, shut up,” Noah said, standing up to hug him.

Naomi was crying on the floor and James said, “Mrs. Riley, you have to stop that.”

“James, help me get Butch the fuck out of here.”

“I gotta get the hell out of here,” Noah said. “I mean as soon as I turn eighteen.”

“You can go to my school,” said James.

Noah shook his head.

“That’s not for me. I… I’m just going to go to California.”

“That is the stupidest plan I’ve ever heard.”

“James!”

“Well,” James shrugged. “Do whatever, Noah. But just get the hell out of Indiana.”

As they approached Fenn’s house, Danasia said, “James, I’m going to whisper something secret to Noah. About you. Do you mind?”

He grinned at her and said, “Well, as long as you’re honest about it. I’ll walk over by that tree. Okay?”

The door of the house opened, and Fenn shouted out, “What the hell are you all doing just hanging around the car. Get in.”

“In a minute,” Danasia said.

“And you,” Fenn waved at James. “Get in the house. Share yourself.”

“Well, privacy problem taken care of,” James said, heading into the house and leaving the two of them while Fenn, shutting the door said, “Damn, you’re pretty, boy!”

When they were alone, Noah looked at Danasia.

“What?” Noah said?

When Danasia said nothing, Noah repeated: “What!”

“I always thought,” Danasia said, “that you weren’t a romantic or anything. But that James… He’s the one? Isn’t he?”

When Noah said nothing Danasia repeated his name.

“Yes!” Noah said, at last. “He’s the one, alright! He was always the one.”

Danasia smiled to herself.

“Noah, has a one,” she sang as the snow began to fall, and the sounds of the party came from inside the house on Versailles Street. “Noah hasa one.”

Here concludes The People in Rossford. I would be honored if you would join me sometime in the not very distant future for the conclusion of the Rossford Triptych: The Prayers in Rossford.