Trust

Chapter 1

Part 1

“I don’t understand, Mrs. Smith. According to our class history book, most slaves benefited from being slaves. They learned useful skills that helped them advance once they were freed. But when I read my grandfather’s history book, it says many were deprived of an education. After they were freed, former slaves were forced to work in the same fields they had before being emancipated. The only difference was that now they were paid pennies, which they had to give back to pay for rent.”

“Where did you get that book, Max? You know, only approved books are allowed in school. You can be suspended for having that.”

“I got this from my grandfather’s collection of history books. He left them to me in his will.”

“Well, if you don’t want to get expelled and kept from graduating, you need to leave it in your locker for the rest of the day. Do you understand, Max?”

“I understand, Mrs. Smith, but you still haven’t answered my question. Which book is right? Which one should I trust?”

“I think we’re done here, Max.”

Later that evening, Max sat in the living room with his parents and talked about what happened in school.

“I don’t get it. All I did was ask Mrs. Smith why the two books are so different. She got all uptight and told me I could be expelled for having Grandpa’s book in school. It’s just a history book, not a porn magazine.”

Benny, Max’s dad, looked at his wife and then back at his son.

“Max, have you ever heard the phrase ‘history is written by the victors?”

“No, but I wasn’t talking about a war. I was talking about slaves.”

“But you are talking about a war, Max. It’s a cultural war where the white people were the victors and the black people the losers. Even though they received their freedom, they still haven’t gotten total equality. White people have always known slavery was wrong, but to admit it makes us look bad. The best way to fix a negative image is to alter what really happened. That’s why the two books don’t match. It’s called Revisionist History.”

“That’s so wrong, Dad. How am I supposed to know which version is true? Is there a way I can tell which one to trust?”

“Trust is something that has to be earned, son. It doesn’t matter if it’s a person or a book, make your decision based on how a person acts, or how a book presents facts based on what you know to be true. It’s not always a simple choice, and only you can make it.”

“Thanks, Mom and Dad. I’m not sure I understand, but I’m sure I’ll figure it out.”

The last couple of months were nonstop emotional chaos for 18-year-old Max. There were only two weeks left until high school graduation. He had been accepted at three colleges. After long conversations with parents, relatives, and friends, he selected Boston University. Born in Florida, Max wanted to explore somewhere totally different from where he grew up. When his friends questioned him about his choice, his response was always, “I’m 18 and have never seen snow. I need to get away and see something other than palm trees.”

Like riding a rollercoaster, the high of moving to a new place was accompanied by the low of unexpectedly losing his grandfather. Gramps was the only grandparent in the boy’s life. He lived a couple of houses away and Max spent as much time at his grandfather’s house as he did at his parent’s home. The two bonded over sports, and kids’ television shows and they especially enjoyed reading together. ABCs were mastered by the time Max was three and reading Dr. Seuss flawlessly was accomplished by the age of four. Now, all Max had left of that bond was a collection of musty, old history books and memories of his grandfather. It was one of those books that got him in trouble at school.

Max, being class valedictorian, was required to give a commencement speech. He stood at the podium in front of his classmates, their parents, several local dignitaries, and local media. The speech started like most commencement speeches, talking about what a great school it was, all the friends he made, and so on. Just when everyone was expecting the speech to end, Max held a book high in the air.

“For those of you who can’t see what book this is, I’ll tell you. This is a history book printed in 1985. I asked my history teacher why the story of slavery in this book was so different from what we were being taught. Her answer was that I could be expelled for having an unapproved book on school property. As a student in the state of Florida, I should be able to trust my teachers, administrators, and politicians. I and all students deserve to be taught the actual truth, not revisionist history. I’ve done my homework, and what we were taught were lies. It’s about trust and the lack of it. Thank you and congratulations to my fellow graduates.”

Max left the stage to a standing ovation from the students, most parents, and a few of the faculty. Those that didn’t stand or applaud were administrators and the two state representatives. They had voted for the revised history curriculum. The press and camera crews bolted from the auditorium to report what happened.

Max was famous, or infamous, depending on one’s point of view. The attention lasted for two days, then the next mass shooting or political feud took center stage. His ten minutes of fame along with his message was forgotten. It didn’t matter; he was headed to Boston.

Part 2

Max’s first semester at Boston University was rapidly approaching. He was both eager for it to start and nervous about moving to a new city. After some discussion, his parents turned the move into a family vacation. As much as he purported his desire for independence, he was secretly grateful for their decision. This would be his first plane ride, his first taxi ride, and his first exposure to a large city. Having his parents there to offer trusted advice along the way transformed the journey from intimidating to enjoyable.

The family landed at Logan Airport along with thousands of other passengers. While waiting for their luggage to arrive, Max took in the sights and sounds of the busy terminal. This is why he chose Boston. He scanned the wall posters depicting historic places to visit and places to eat. He was eager to explore the city. It felt like an eternity, but their luggage finally appeared and they were off to the Commonwealth Hotel.

A cool breeze off Boston Harbor greeted them as they walked through the sliding terminal doors. It was 85 degrees when they left Fort Myers. The temperature in Boston was 69. Max was glad he had packed a couple of sweatshirts. The taxi brought them from the airport, through the Callahan tunnel, and into the heart of downtown Boston. Max had never gone through a tunnel before. It took about thirty minutes to reach their hotel, which the driver said was quick compared to rush hour.

The family checked into their hotel before exploring the surrounding neighborhood using a map given to them at the front desk. Max felt somewhat intimidated by the hustle and bustle of city life, but he had made his decision and there was no turning back now. The temperature was slowly sliding down into the fifties, so they headed back to the hotel.

What impressed Max was the ethnic diversity in the people he passed, as well as the restaurants he saw. Chinese, Italian, Irish, and Greek restaurants populated the same block. At home, the selection was limited to Mexican, Italian, and American cuisine. Everything here seemed to move at a faster pace than it did in Florida. He realized this transition would take some time, but he was up for the challenge.

For the next two days, the family explored Boston. They walked the Freedom Trail and visited the Old North Church and Faneuil Hall. They went to the Massachusetts Statehouse building and read the plaques on the base of each statue. Max found it humorous that the statue of General Hooker was across from the statue of Mary Dyer. General Hooker was known for encouraging camp followers, nicknamed Hooker’s girls. This is where the modern term hookers came from. Mary Dyer was a Quaker who was executed by the Puritans for practicing her faith.

Today was the day Max had come to Boston for. He said goodbye to his parents, signed into Boston University, and moved his stuff into his dorm room. His roommate was an Asian guy from California named Kai. They introduced themselves and shared stories about where they were from and what their schools were like. After a while, hunger set in. They walked around campus until they found the student union building.

Max and Kai stood in the cafeteria line when another student, an African-American, walked up to them.

Addressing Max, the boy said, “I know you! I saw you on tv. You’re famous back home.”

“Thanks, but I wouldn’t say famous. I just called out what I thought was wrong and the local station put me on the news. It disappeared in a day. Now I’m back to being me.”

“Well, I think what you did took a lot of balls. My name is George. Mind if I join you?”

The three students found a table and were settling in when another boy walked over to them.

“Man, this place is crowded today. Who’s your friends George?”

“Oh, we just met. Pete, this is Kai from California and this is Max, the Florida politician slayer.”

“Ya, I remember you. You made the national news. It was something about revisionist history, right? Hey everyone, we have a celebrity over here.”

Max wanted to disappear as several dozen students moved closer to their table. An attractive young woman with raven black hair, enchanting eyes, and high cheekbones moved to the front of the crowd.

“If you want to talk about changing the narrative, look at how they’ve twisted my people’s history. The white man has taken our land, burned our villages, and forced us to live on plots of ground that can barely support life. They tell us it’s our land until someone finds oil or gold on it, then we have to move again. The history books don’t tell that story, do they?”

Max stood, smiled, and held out his hand. “My name is Max. It’s nice to meet you. What’s your name?”

“My white man’s name is Naomie, but I’m known as Little Deer on the res.”

“Little Deer, please join us. I’d love to hear more about you and your people.”

Max turned to the gathering crowd. “This is my first day on campus and I didn’t realize anyone knew about my graduation speech. Maybe we’ll be able to erase revisionist history in the future, but for today, I just need someone to point me to the men’s room.”

The laughter was spontaneous and good-natured. A male student pointed with an outstretched arm, “It’s over there, dude.”

“Thanks, man. You’re a lifesaver.”

When Max returned, the crowd had disbursed, leaving Kai, George, Pete, and Little Deer talking among themselves. He retook his seat and listened in on the conversation. The topics ranged from dorm life to which classes would be the easiest. It appeared to Max that this small band of acquaintances was transforming into friends. He hoped they would be the people he could trust as the school year progressed.

After an hour or so of getting to know one another, they broke up, and Kai and Max headed back to their room.

“I gotta say, Max, you sure drew a crowd.”

“It was as much of a surprise to me as it was to you. I hope it doesn’t happen again. All I want to do is get my degree and move on with my life where ever it may take me.”

Later that evening, lying on his bed in the dark room, Max thought about those words. He had come to B.U. to get a degree in business, but the events at the Student Union changed his thinking. If one act of individual defiance could affect so many people, just imagine what a lifetime of positive actions could accomplish. All he needed to do was trust in himself and the truth. Tomorrow he would change his major to Political Science. It was time to change the world.