Everyone agreed he was a bright child. ``He deserves better.'' his teachers told his parents. There was nothing his parents could do.
But Cecil read and Cecil dreamed and Cecil studied and in his heart he knew that nothing would stop him.
He was drafted into World War Two and found himself assigned to intelligence on the strength of his test scores. When he showed up at the unit there was quiet consternation. He was reassigned to mess duty.
Cecil planned to use the G.I. bill to get his degree. He married his childhood friend and they moved to Nashville so they could both go to college. Natalie cleaned houses and went to school part time. She wanted to be a teacher, but she got pregnant, and after the baby was born it didn't seem much was possible any more.
About halfway through college Cecil realized he didn't want to study history. He wanted to become a doctor. It would take another year of college to fulfill the premedical requirements. His G.I. bill was running out. Cecil and Natalie sat at the kitchen table, baby Gerald in Cecil's arms. They worked out a plan.
``We can do it!'' said Cecil.
``If we don't get sick and we live on beans.''
They didn't get sick and they did live on beans and Cecil sent his application to Meharry and wonder of wonders was accepted.
``Now what?'' said Natalie.
``Scholarship.'' said Cecil.
But there were no scholarships. They qualified for no loans.
Natalie sent Gerald to live with her sister. She worked nights in a restaurant and cared for other people's children during the day. Cecil worked at a burger joint when he could, but he couldn't keep up with his studies if he worked more than two shifts. Then Natalie got sick and Cecil dropped out to care for her and pay medical bills.
He never went back to school again.
They did all right. They moved to Chicago and Cecil worked in a research lab.
``Ask Cecil, he knows everything.'' people said when a question came up. He had a passion for classical music and he played it all day long at his bench. Under the hood and all gowned up with his safety visor down, he'd turn his head sideways to better hear the music and he would say ``Listen! Listen to that!'' But no one heard what Cecil heard. When she was sixty Natalie left for a Moslem colony in New Mexico. He never heard from her.
Their kids did OK. One was a stockbroker and Gerald was a service rep for a lab equipment company. A grandchild lived with her mother in Los Angeles. When Cecil retired a deep depression consumed him. He remembered his youth and his dreams. His beautiful young wife. The teacher who held him by his upper arms and looked deep in his eyes and said ``Cecil, Cecil, you will do great things.'' And now his life was over and he had nothing to show for it.
One grey cold day there was a knock at the door. A woman he did not know stood there.
``Granpa!''
``What?''
``Granpa! Mom told me to look you up. Annette.'' She extended a hand to him.
``Anette!''
``I'm here to study medicine. Mom said to look you up.''
She didn't stay long. When she was gone he looked out at the faceless buildings across the street and a great rage shook him. Here was this woman who took so easily what was denied him for all his struggle. He wanted to smash something. Instead he turned up his music loud.
The neighbors who played rap music in their cars outside his door at three in the morning actually had to call the cops to get him to turn it down.