Loving Eleanor(BWWM)

Chapter Four

Location: New Haven, Connecticut
Date: September 5th, 1949
Name: Eleanor Hazel Bush
Age: twenty-three

Eleanor was going out with her friends tonight and decided that she had no time to let Professor Curtis assign more homework. She needed to get all dolled up for the jazz club.

Glancing up at the clock, Eleanor started putting away her notebook and pencils. She knew that Professor Curtis was wrapping up with his lesson, and she was going to be out of the door without hearing a word from him.

"No," She whispered after realizing that she still had to hand in her extra work.

"Start getting the analysis ready for this coming Thursday, which means you need to be revising instead of procrastinating." Professor Curtis voiced and closed his binder. "You're all dismissed." He said and Eleanor jumped out of her seat and made her way to his desk.

"El-" He began to say, but after placing the papers onto his desk, Eleanor was out of the door.

A smile grew on her face at the success of her plan. She didn't want to let Professor Curtis put a damper on her good mood.

The bus ride home was fast and her walk left her excited to get home and relax for a bit.

"Hazie, come see me for a second!" Mildred's voice rang throughout the house once Eleanor opened the front door.

Eleanor followed the sound of her mother's voice and met her in the kitchen.

"Yes, mama?" She asked her mother who was getting a pie from the oven.

Grabbing a washcloth from the counter, Mildred wiped her forehead before hugging Eleanor. "Hi, Hazie Daisy," She cooed with a smile. Mildred loved her sweet girl with all of her heart. "You looked a little flustered Friday, what happened?" She asked gently.

Eleanor's heart dropped and she took a shaky breath. "Uh, I-" She started shakily and Mildred led her to the couch.

"It's okay, honey. Take your time," Mildred whispered in her ear as Eleanor clung onto her body.

"I-i was on my way to the library, a-and a w-white man tried to stop me. H-he called me all kinds of hurtful things a-and when I didn't talk to him, h-he threw something at me! Mama, he grabbed me when I fell and tried to hurt me!" Eleanor recalled as her body trembled. Remembering the attack was painful for her, but she needed her mother to know what happened.

Mildred gasped and pressed a kiss onto her daughter's temple. "Eleanor, did he?" She asked seriously.

Eleanor shook her head slowly and whispered, "No."

Mildred sighed in relief, but she knew that there was more to the story.

"I-i prayed for God to save me, and I thought that it would go unanswered. B-but it didn't." Eleanor admitted with a thankful expression etched on her face. "I don't know how, but somehow, Professor Curtis saved me. T-the man slapped me and I blacked out. When I woke up I was in Professor Curtis's house." She paused and her mother squeezed her hand. "He had me snuggled under a few blankets, he even brought me some tea and crackers. I thanked him, but for some reason, he played it off. I don't understand why he did it though, but I'm grateful to him for doing it."

Mildred had a smile on her face once Eleanor finished recalling that night. "Maybe you judged him too soon," She suggested, and a giggle escaped Eleanor as she released her mother from her tight grip.

"He's only shown me that he has a heart, but he's still very rude, and he enjoys making me suffer," Eleanor stood up and tapped her mother's head. "I'm going to rest a bit before heading to the jazz club,"