Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry
by: ShOrTeE

I wrote this for my 8th grade english class. My teacher told the class to make our own endings for the book Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry so I did. 2 days late and no brainstorm i should've gotten a D but it was 12 pages long and my teacher had faith in me that it was going to be something worth while. I got an A on it YAYE!!! (NOTICE: this story contains subjects on the matters of racisim. I myself am not racist.)


I’ve been crying all night. I only saw a glimpse of Stacey that night since the news about T.J. being in jail and all. It’s been tough on him. I think I saw a tear come from his eye. I could tell he was sad that T.J. being in jail and into all this mess. I wish that someone would tell them the truth about them Simmses.

“Cassie, ain’t you tired?”

“Little Man, go back to bed.”

“I don’t wanna.”

The two of us sat there on the porch looking at the burned cotton or the little that was left over there.

“How do you think we gonna pay for them taxes now?” Little Man asked while standing to get a better look.

“I dunno. I hope Papa could find a way to pay it off.”

“Cassie do ya think we gonna have to move if he don’t find a way in time?” he started to get scared at the thought of moving away.

“Little Man! Don’t you say things like that! We gotta think about what’s gonna happen to poor old T.J. first. Then about the land.” I could feel the warm tears forming in my eyes. This time I didn’t want to hold them back in front of Little Man. I let them fall.

Little man looked at me and took his hand and wit one stubby finger he wiped away a tear from my moist cheek. Right then he started to cry also. The both of us sat there on the porch crying in silence with the sun’s soft warm glow upon their faces. Inside it was quiet except for Big Ma’s feet pacing the floor.

“Do you know what them white folk goin’ to do to poor old T.J.?”

“I dunno Big Ma. Let’s just pray that he’ll be alright.” Papa said it with doubt. You could tell that he was scared for that boy.

-----------------------------------------------------

Later on that afternoon we went to go see T.J. at the jailhouse up in Strawberry. The ride there was quiet and tense. Christopher-John and Little Man didn’t come with us because they were both asleep when we left. Stacey was up all night I think because he’s fast asleep and he won’t stir on even the bumpiest part of the road.

“Stacey,” Papa said gently shaking him, “wake up son. We’re arriving soon.”

Stacey moved but he still kept his eyes closed.

With his eyes still closed “Papa, do you think that T.J. would live with all those cuts and other things?”

“Stacey, you know,” Papa turned to look at him, “that I don’t know exactly know what’s going to happen to him. We gotta see him first.”

“Yessir.” He had his head down and let his words out low and slow.

As we approached the jailhouse there was a big mob. The Wallace’s, Simms’s, Ms. Barnet and Mr. Granger were there arguing about T.J. and what to do with all that has happened.

“You see here Granger,” Ms. Barnet started saying to him and everybody ceased to a silence “that nigger in there killed my husband and he should pay the price for doin’ it! We should do the same to him as he did to my husband!”

Everybody went into an uproar. Some of them started to run up to the jailhouse doors to get to T.J. but guards blocked them off.

“Dear lord, what kind of mess did this boy create and why’d he drag the whole town with him?” Big Ma kept saying as she got out of the wagon.

I think Stacey started crying on the other side of the wagon. I couldn’t see it but I know he was. The yelling was getting louder and the mob was getting into a frenzy.

“Hey!” the sheriff began to yell hoping to get everybody’s attention “Ya gotta stop! This isn’t helping anything to solve this damn mess. Now y’all calm down! Thank you.”

This got them to settle down but they started up again because they saw us walking towards the jailhouse. Mr. Morrison and Papa ignored their nasty remarks. The rest of us were trying to do the same but Uncle Hammer wasn’t doing so well. His eyes were filled with anger. He looked as if he would blow up. Big Ma was trying to keep him calm.

“Hammer, don’t you dare,” Big Ma started “blow up right now. This isn’t the-“

Her words were cut short by a bang from a gun. Everything grew silent once again.

The sheriff started yelling again “All of you go home! We don’t need all of this right now! Just stop and go home!”

No one moved. They just stood there staring at him. At this point the sheriff was turning red with anger.

“Well ain’t ya’ll goin’ to move?!?” he bellowed.

Finally they started to slowly walk away. As they walked by us they said very rude things. R.W. and Melvin looked as if T.J. was their enemy and they had to get rid of him. After they’ve all passed us, we went up to the jailhouse and Papa talked to the sheriff.

“Sheriff, could you let my family in to see T.J.? Especially my kids?” Papa was, unlike the rowdy crowd, very polite and talked in normal tone. “They’re his friends and they want to see if he’s okay.”

The sheriff looked at us. I don’t know how long he stood there looking at us. Then Mr. Granger whispers something into his ear.

Finally the sheriff said, “Okay, y’all can take a look, but you could only have half a hour.”

Papa thanked the man and as everyone passed we all thanked him. Stacey was the last to get inside.

As Stacey passed him, “Thank you sheriff, thank you for letting me see my best friend.”

The sheriff looked into Stacey’s eyes and I think he could feel how sad he was because the sheriff bowed his head. Stacey finally entered.

Most of the cells there were empty. When we got to T.J. he looked as if he had been run over 20 times and lived. This brought tears to my eyes. The sheriff then came and unlocked the cell door to T.J. Poor T.J.; he was lying on the floor. Big Ma quickly entered the cell to treat his wounds. We stood behind the steel bars and waited in silence.

While Big Ma was treating his wounds a white man ran in and said that the trial would start tomorrow morning. The news brought a smile to Uncle Hammer’s face. We all rejoiced in our heads.

When Big Ma finished bandaging T.J. up Stacey went in and T.J. opened his eyes and looked at Stacey. I think he said hi or hey buddy. I couldn’t tell. I wanted to b in the conversation so I went in.

“T.J.,” Stacey started to say, “how you going to get them to believe it was them Simms’s?”

“I don’t know. I just hope they believe me not them white liars.” T.J. said trying to get to his feet.

“T.J.,” I said walking toward him “how come you got mixed up with them in the first place?”

T.J looked at me and then looked down at the floor and said, “I dunno. I just dunno.”

Right them the sheriff came in and said “Times up.”

Stacey looked up at the sheriff and he looked like a raging bull ready to charge. Stacey said bye to T.J. and stood at the cell door. T stood there still looking at T.J. with my worried and tired eyes. I was very scared for what’s going to happen the next day.

“Cassie we gotta go now.” Stacey said in a low voice.

I responded to him. “Yeah, I’m comin’,” but I didn’t move. I couldn’t move.

Then Stacey came back in and gently took my arm and led me out of the cell. The sheriff closed steel cage and we said our goodbyes to T.J. and once again thanked the sheriff. Mr. Granger was no longer there anymore. Right before I walked out I looked back at T.J. He was standing there at the bars looking down.

“Cassie girl,” Uncle Hammer called out “hurry now or we’re gonna leave without you.”

I hurried over to the wagon and climbed in. The ride back home wasn’t much of a difference.

Once we got home I looked at the part of the field that was burnt. It looked so bare there. While I was climbing down from the wagon I thought about the trial tomorrow. What’s going to happen in there? All of a sudden the image of T.J. popped into my mind. I didn’t notice it before when we went to see him because I was thinking about other things than to study the way he looks.

T.J. was beat up pretty good. His face was bigger than it’s normally supposed to be. And the rest of him just lingered there. I wondered how he could live in that condition. I thought about the Averys, whatever happened to them? Did they just stay at home? I hope they’re okay.

I walked to Mr. Morrison while he was unhitching Jack and asked, “What happened to them Averys?”

Mr. Morrison looked at me then to the sky. “They’re probably at home trying to figure everything out.” He told me.

With that being said I went inside to see if I could take a nap. Once I stepped inside everyone was there sitting down. I went to Big Ma’s and my room and climbed on the bed and fell asleep. By the time I woke up Big Ma was already next to me asleep. I didn’t want to wake her up so I just lay there and thought. I thought about everything. All the thoughts and questions I asked myself made me want to cry. I closed my eyes so I wouldn’t cry.

When I opened my eyes again it was morning. I looked out the small window and I saw Jack hitched to the wagon. Then I remembered that the trial was today. I quickly jumped out of bed and put on my clothes and ran into my parents’ room. They were all there eating what was left of our food.

“Cassie, do you want something to eat before you leave?” Mama came out of the kitchen holding a plate.

“No, I’m not hungry.” I replied while heading toward the door to the porch.

Once I got outside I sat on the step, wondering about T.J.’s trial and everything. I wonder what’s going to happen to me.

Little Man ran past me saying, “Let’s go Cassie!”

I got up and walked toward the wagon and climbed in. Papa, Uncle Hammer, Stacey and Mr. Morrison walked out from the house and walked toward the wagon and climbed in. Christopher-John ran from the door to the wagon as fast as he could. Pretty soon we were off towards Strawberry for T.J.’s trial. Mama and Big Ma didn’t come along because someone had to watch the land just in case something happened.

When we got there, there was a huge crowd around the courtroom entrance. We parked the wagon and got down.

I saw Jeremy “Hey Jeremy!” I yelled.

Jeremy turns around and sees us. He runs up to us saying “The trial! They’ve started earlier than expected too!”

We were all shocked at what he said.

Uncle Hammer was out raged “What?! Are you sure? Come on! We gotta get in!”

Papa turned to us and said “Don’t loose us in the crowd!”

“Yessir!” we all responded including Jeremy.

We approached the huge crowd. I started to get scared. I didn’t know what could happen in there. I took Papa’s hand and Little Man took the other. Christopher-John took my hand and Jeremy took Christopher-John’s. We held on as tight as we could grip. Finally we entered the mob. It was like entering the gates of hell and the only way out was somewhere but you couldn’t get to it.

As I walked I closed my eyes but never let go. I was holding on for my life. The people in the mob were spitting and yelling at us. Jeremy was yelling for his life because they were punishing him as he passed through.

Papa yelled to Mr. Morrison “Jeremy needs help! Hurry before it gets serious. Or even Hammer will get into this.”

Mr. Morrison fought his way to us, to Jeremy. I knew that Christopher-John had let go of Jeremy.

Christopher-John was yelling something, “Mr. Morrison! Help! Jeremy won’t get up!”

All of a sudden Christopher-John began to scream.

I began to yell also “Stop it! What have we done to you to deserve this?!?”

Papa started to move forward again. Christopher-John was still screaming. My eyes were closed but I could hear everything that was happening around me. Christopher-John’s grip was starting to loosen. I gripped harder and started to walk but as soon as I took a step I felt a sharp pain on my arm. Only then I opened my eyes. Quickly I glanced at my arm and Christopher-John. A knife cut my arm and I looked at Christopher-John. I couldn’t believe what I saw next.

Christopher-John, he was stabbed by two white men at the same time. I looked away and he gave out a cry that I haven’t heard him make before. I looked up and Mr. Morrison is there. He walks to Christopher-John and Jeremy. Papa kept walking toward the doors. I walked on with tears in my eyes and my arm throbbing with pain.

Finally after what seemed forever we made it to the doors. The guard there was the same one from the jailhouse, so when he saw us he let us in. Mr. Morrison quickly entered with two bodies that seemed lifeless and he gently put the two down on the floor. I looked around and noticed that there was no one in the hall. I let go of Papa and walked towards the water fountain to wash the fresh wound and the saliva off of me, as I walked to it I looked at Christopher-John and Jeremy on the floor. The water fountain didn’t seem important anymore.

I looked around for Stacey but there was no sign of him. I went to these big doors and peered through. I saw T.J., the Averys, Ms. Barnett, the Simms’s, Uncle Hammer and Stacey. The Averys were crying. The judge was saying something but it was interrupted by coughing. I looked behind me and it’s Christopher-John. I run to him.

At the time I didn’t notice tears falling from everyone’s eyes but Jeremy still hasn’t moved. I kept wondering why.

The doors to the mob opened up and it was a doctor, a white doctor. He quickly checked Jeremy for a pulse. I think he didn’t because he took a white cloth from his bag and covered Jeremy with it. The doctor then stood up and was about to leave but Christopher-John did something I didn’t expect.

“Hey! Doctor what about me? I don’t wanna die!” he yelled with all his might.

It looked painful for him to even breathe. The doctor looked at him with disgust and turned around to walk away, but turned around again and quickly walked toward Christopher-John.

Christopher –John looked at the doctor “Thank you doctor. Thank you for being so kind.”

The doctors’ actions brought a smile to out faces. Just then Stacey ran through the doors I was looking through earlier. We looked at him and he had the biggest grin I have ever seen.

“HE’S INNOCENT!!! HE’S FREE!!! HE’S FREE!” Stacey was so happy.

Papa was happy, Uncle Hammer came from the open doors and hugged Stacey and I. Little Man was still shocked about his experience wither the mob, but he smiled. We were rejoicing right there on the spot.

Stacey then noticed a white sheet covering Jeremy’s body. Right then sadness rushed him. He fell to his knees and we all went silent.

R.W. and Melvin came into the hall. The doctor asked if they could stay for a second.

“What do you need doctor?” asked Mr. Simms.

“Sir,” he said looking down, “your son Jeremy… he…”

Stacey uncovered Jeremy’s head. The Simms’s fell into shock. Mr. Simms looked as if he saw a ghost. It became quiet again. Stacey then noticed a piece of paper in his hand. He took it from his friends’ hand and unfolded it. He began to read:
Dear Everyone,
This letter is for every race in this town. Many people don’t know me but lots of them say things about me. They were mostly mean and cruel. I wrote this letter because I wanted to have a say into how our town is run.
Our town is a racist community. I myself am not racist. My family is and I would like that to change. Maybe they would change if they read this letter.
It’s hard growing up in a family that believes in segregation and your against it. That’s why I moved to my tree house. To get away from all these problems that runs our town.
I don’t have many friends. I don’t have friends in my own school. My only friends are the Logan children and maybe even the whole family. If the Logan’s and my family could be friends with my family that would be my dying wish, but since this incident with T.J. and it is to Melvin and R.W.’s fault. I don’t think it is possible that our families will be friends.
So I changed my dying wish to that everyone in our town would get along and be friends and also to forget all this hate towards one another.

Jeremy Simms

The letter was something else that day. Now they understood Jeremy. What he wanted was simple enough but the habit is hard to break. The day was pretty much done itself in. I also understood Jeremy, in a way I wanted to go on with his wish.

T.J. walks into the room and Stacey gets up and goes to him. They stood there face to face.

“Welcome back buddy.” Stacey said to him as they hugged.