GENERATIONAL A Short Story- Fiction- Remembering

The date is October 8, 1863, when the torn soles of faded brown steel toe boots forged through the black hole of a tree-lined forest.??The green trees that stand over a hundred feet tall, submerse everything in complete darkness. Hundredths of feet simultaneously compress the white morning vapors that rise from the sweltering red clay trail.?

The sound of the panting horses, carriage wheels, and feet slamming into the earth can be heard for miles. A yellowish-orange beam of light leads the?1st Michigan Regiment Volunteer Infantry?out of the forest’s black hole that imprisoned them for weeks. The blue Union uniforms come into view. These Soldiers’ faces look more like painted?native tribal Warriors?than members of the Union Army because of the red clay that covers them. The white sclera of these Men’s eyes protuberance from their red clay-covered faces. In tandem, they all gaze up at the sun. Many of them close their eyes and fall out on the green grass prairie that is full of yellow sunflowers to absorb the vibrant morning sun rays.?

Le Roy Freeman sits on a six-foot-wide tree stump, exhales, and pulls a once-white handkerchief from his waist. He ponders over the three-week journey to the railroad tracks off in the distance. Le Roy raises the handkerchief to his face to wipe the red clay from his Afrikan face. He scans the Regiment as they all begin to reveal the many different shades of Blackness. Le Roy closes his eyes and nods off.??

Joseph Freeman sits on the stoop of?Ish Hall?after his October 8, 1993, late morning run. He watches his roommate run game on freshman nicknamed Cosmetic Hooker and the bust-down of?Crawford Hall. Joseph looks down at the red ant hill his roommate just stepped on. He calls out to Dwayne and gets a set of keys flipped his way with a hand shoo. Joseph says, “Waynooo” and again gets shooed away.?? Joseph settles in on the stoop and patiently chills for the fireworks. With each second as Wayno continues jockeying to take a hot shower in the mold-free bathroom of Crawford Hall. While Cosmetic Hooker politics for a free ride to?the Morehouse?homecoming game all while the trumpets sound in the march begins.?

????Joseph watches several red ant trails reach the top of Wayno’s socks. He calls out one last time to Wayno and is told to “gets some business.”??Joseph taps a few of his boys and points coming out of the dorm to make them aware of Wayno’s leg situation. They cop a seat and whisper, “he’s gotta feel it?” as the ant parade continues under Wayno’s basketball shorts.

Wayno screams and breaks down the front door. Joseph gives chase and by the time they reach the third-floor Wayno has stripped down to his drawers. Joseph is gasping for air from laughter as he enters the third floor. Joseph catches a glimpse of Wayno at the end of the hall jetting into the bathroom and then sees all the floor's residents standing outside their rooms. Joseph is still laughing as he mutters, “the overseer is making another plantation check…” He composes himself and pimps down the hall in style to his room. Waiting for him is his Dormitory Master, a grey hair, slim, six-foot-tall, worn-Black man.

The Dorm Master is slapping a machete in his weathered hands. The Resident Aid runs the room waving a 9mm Glock in one hand and a pair of?Japanese swords?in the other. Joseph squawks out: “What the fuck?” as he hits the black tile floor assuming the ass up, dick down position. Ric, Tyrone, and Ron bust into the room in hot pursuit of the R.A.?

The Dorm Master gently taps Joseph on the back of his head with the shiny steel machete. Then grabs him by his yellow neck, pulls him to his feet, and drags him out of the room. Joseph attempts to break free but the Dorm Master tightens his wise grip hand while flexing the arms of a twenty-year-old, bodybuilder. As the Dorm Master applies more press, Joseph blacks out for a moment and wakes up on October 8, 1863.?

?????Le Roy jumps from the tree stumps when he sees Joseph appear out of the thin morning dew. He looks at this colorfully dressed, bright-damn-there-white man standing before him. Le Roy screams out and the entire Regiment looks at him like he's crazy. Le Roy looks back at Joseph faking away.?

Le Roy yells out: “Did anybody see that?”??

The Regiment pauses and looks at Le Roy with cross eyes, sighs, and lay back down in the prairie. Le Roy hears a whisper from afar,??

“Grandpapa it is time, time to go, the?Ancestors?are calling…”