Albert in Remembering

Albert, I think of you now and again.

I remember when your Aunt Bessy asked

our mom if she could bring you with her

to spend the day with my two brothers

and me. “Albert’s neighborhood is not a

safe place for a child to play,” she told mom.

(Back in those days, the late 1950s, it would be

an unusual thing to see a black child hanging

around with white kids in our prim and proper

all-white suburban neighborhood.) Without

hesitation, our mother told Bessy, our domestic,

“That would be just fine. Bring Albert along with

you anytime.” And she did on several occasions.

On those oppressively hot, St. Louis summer days,

Bessy tended to house cleaning, her washing and

ironing duties as she kept her spirits up faithfully

humming and singing gospel songs all day long.

The four of us boys played mostly outside, throw-

ing and batting the baseball around. We were all

equally avid Cardinal fans from the same hometown.

In a sense, although we were still too young to have

developed prejudices as a cursed life’s philosophy.

Instead, there was a bonding of sorts, a camaraderie

formed from being on the same team. Kind of like

Ken Boyer and Stan Musial playing alongside one

another in their Red Bird Brotherhood with Bill

White and Curt Flood. Nowadays, old and gray,

and in my seventies, all the old team has long since

passed away. In my mind, though, I can hear Aunt

Bessy singing those old spirituals she used to sing

while ironing. And occasionally, I think fondly of

Albert. And in my advanced years here on Earth,

I realize that in my place and time, rarely did I

give the slightest thought of living my life as a

white. I imagine Albert as a black child was likely

not afforded living his life the same as I. Remember,

my friend, wherever you may be, we did play on the

same team. Remember, on those horribly hot and

humid St. Louis summer days, neither race, nor color,

not even the oppressive heat seemed unbeatable

obstacles for the best in us back then.

Chris Hanch 8-12-18