Wednesday Morning
July 5, 1961
- Abby and her peers are gathered for an award ceremony at school. As they sing the "Negro National Anthem," Abby's teacher beams—she's thrilled her student, the one and only Abyssinia, is about to get an award. Yay.
- Yesterday, Patience straightened Abby's hair, leaving two flat braids upon her head instead of the bunch of small ones she used to have.
- The principal, Mr. Mosely, walks to the podium and gives a speech about how great this day is and how proud they all are of the students who are about to receive awards.
- Dexter Lightsey gets the award for highest math score and thanks his family, God, and his math teacher. Then Lily Norene wings the award for "most mannerly student," much to Lily's delight.
- Last up is Abby, but before Mr. Mosely can finish his speech about her incredible reading skills, the tornado siren goes off and the entire student body heads down to the basement.
- When they emerge hours later, it's like "a giant broom ha[s] swept a clean path through the world." Yikes.
- Lily notices Miss Sally hiding behind a tree so she and Abby head over to the woman. She is trembling and tells them about watching her house get swept away by the twister. She compares the sound to the sound of a whip.
- The girls guide Miss Sally to Mother Barker's house, but there's little Mother Barker can do—Miss Sally is too far gone.
- When they reach Abby's house, Abby overhears her mom talking to her sister Serena about the Better Way. It was destroyed by the tornado, apparently, and there's nothing left.
- Way worse, however, is the news that Strong seems to have lost his mind as a result. Serena tells Patience he's "babbling like a madman," and assures her it isn't because he's drunk.
- Patience heads out to look for Strong, instructing Abyssinia to stay home in case he comes back. Abby waits through the night, but come morning, she only hears her mother return.
- Patience tells Abby she couldn't find her dad, but then she admits she did—but the man she found bore no resemblance to Strong. He was, as Patience puts it, not "himself." She sat with him through the night in the place the barbershop once was before coming back to her daughter.
- Abby wants to go see her father for herself, and though Patience tries to deter her, it's no use; Abby's out the door in no time.
- When she reaches the barbershop, however, her dad isn't there. She asks around until someone says they saw him near the bus station.
- Abby arrives at the bus station just in time to see the back of Strong's head on a bus headed out of town. Though she calls his name and runs after the bus, he doesn't turn and the bus doesn't stop.