He says before vanishing into thin air. John Wilkes booth? Ain’t nobody I know named John Wilkes Booth. “Ezra!” My sister looks up at me. “Who were you talking to?” Who was I talking to? A man of evil. “Nobody.” I say and we walk closer to our small little house. I glance at the white people’s houses and compare them to ours. Segregation eh?

“Ezra, there you are! Did you find bread?” Mother asks. “No, ma. there ain’t any left for us.” I reply. My mother sighs and adjusts her skirt. I lie down in my small blanket I named ‘bed’ and drift off to sleep. The next day, Ma asked me to go back to the market and try finding more bread. I walked slowly towards the market and feeling a familiar feeling of being...watched. There are a dozen women at the market, all white. The look at me and scowl. “Thank heavens for the black codes.” One whispers to the other. “Do they even deserve the 15th amendment.” Another whispers. One day..things will change...I hope.

~Several years later~ (Ezra, once again, is walking to the same market) Something about this day feels...odd. I haven’t seen Jim Crow in a while. Maybe he’s gone for good? Market is so empty today...only three women are there, all white. They’re shaking a little. “John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Lincoln….” One says, her lip quivering. Another hugs her. “It’s all good. Andrew Johnson is the president now.” She says. The quiet one murmurs so herself. “Times like this I wonder why Robert E. Lee couldn’t help his army.” She murmurs. “Don’t say that. You’d think people would be more considerate after the 14th amendment was made.” The one hugging the other one says. I freeze in my tracks. John Wilkes Booth? That stupid Jim! He knew I wouldn’t understand what he meant! And now I have to deal with the guilt that I could have saved Mr Lincoln. The red windy air appears again.

Slowly, Jim Crow forms. He giggles, then laughs, then cackles. I stand there dumbfounded. I can’t believe I let him get away with this. I close my eyes. When I opened them, he becomes shorter, younger, and stronger. He must be proud. I sigh and wonder if there will truly be a day where race won’t matter.

Slowly, Jim Crow forms. He giggles, then laughs, then cackles. I stand there dumbfounded. I can’t believe I let him get away with this. I close my eyes. When I opened them, he becomes shorter, younger, and stronger. He must be proud. I sigh and wonder if there will truly be a day where race won’t matter.

That's about it c: see? It wasn't THAT long.

Aww thanks