Mary L. Taylor
March 3, 2009
A Great and Terrible Beauty
by Libba Bray
Settings:
First setting: A market place in India
Second setting: The Spence Academy in London, England
Characters: Sixteen-year-old Gemma Doyle, Gemma’s mother, Sarita, their housekeeper, Gemma’s brother, Tom, the Indian men, Karik, Mrs. Nightwing, the headmistress, Mademoiselle, LeFarge, the French instructor, Miss Moore, an instructor,
Madame Romanoff, Inspector Kent, felicity, Pippa, Ann, and other young girls residing at the Spence Academy.
Gemma, her mother and their housekeeper are walking through the market place in India. They are attracted to the various wares, including the cobra snake that might be for someone’s dinner, that the merchants have on display. They are on their way to Mrs. Talbot’s where they plan to enjoy tea. Today is Gemma’s sixteenth birthday and she is in a foul mood. Her mother tries to assuage her temperament by allowing her to wear her special necklace. The girl allows her mother to place the necklace around her neck but she still behaves ugly. She expresses some nasty words to her mother, then runs further through the market place before she realizes that she is lost.
Upon realizing that she is lost, Gemma asks assistance or rather directions of one of a couple of Hindi men who were sitting cross-legged in the marketplace. When he sees the necklace around the girl’s neck, the man became alarmed and shooed her away. More than that, he hurries inside and shuts the door in her face. People were observing the activity from their windows.
It had started to rain and Gemma slips on the wet, stone street. Looking up she sees a boy whom she had seen in the marketplace. He was standing over her and her mind began to bother her. She thought about what she’d heard about what bad men could do to unescorted women. She wanted to run, but her body couldn’t move. She wanted to scream, but her voice wouldn’t assist her. The sixteen years of her life seemed to flash through her mind. Then she sees her mother. Her mother is not alone. A turbaned Indian man is behind her mother and his eyes showed fear. He pulls a dagger from his cloak. A dark shape moves from its hiding place and devours the man. Gemma’s mother picks up the dagger and plunges it into her own heart.
When Gemma realized it, she was back on the street in Bombay, as if she had never been gone. The young boy was pinning her arms against her sides demanding that she tell him if she had seen his brother. She kicked the boy in the tenderest of places and he crumples to the ground. She jumps up and runs. She kept telling herself that this was some kind of hideous dream, and she would soon wake up in her own bed.
Gemma wobbled as she saw her mother’s body on the ground. Those green eyes were open and unseeing. Her mother’s mouth parted slightly as if she had been trying to speak when she died. A deep pool of red blood flowed beneath her lifeless body, seeping into the dusty cracks in the earth Gemma thought of Kali. Kali the destroyer
Tom, Gemma’s brother escorted her to the Spence Academy. She began to get acquainted with the other girls. She observe the other girls and sizes them up in her mind as to their quality and social status. Mrs. Nightwing, , the head lady gets their attention and introduces Gemma. As the group go to prayers, Mrs. Nightwing introduces Gemma to Ann Bradshaw, her new roommate. Ann was to accompany Gemma during the evening to make sure she got along. Gemma thought Ann Bradshaw to be a doughy, plain girl. A girl without money with a runny nose which she dabbed at with a shabby lace handherchief. They try to exchange civilities. At the vespers Mrs. Nightwing gives a speech which the girls said was for Gemma’s benefit which made the girls glare at her. In her speech Mrs. Nightwing had them repeat the school motto: Grace, charm, and beauty, which they all stood and recited together. Exiting the chapel after the vespers, the girl at the door stuck out her foot and tripped Ann. On the outside, Gemma thought that there was movement to her right. She thought she saw a black cloak running through the trees, disappearing in the mist. She was told that it was only the fog.
Throughout dinner, Gemma felt that she was being watch and wondered who could be watching her except her school mates. After dinner, Ann disappears. Gemma finds a quiet corner, sits and reads her mother’s diary. Ann returns and takes out knitting from a basket. The girls who tripped Ann invites her to eat chocolate with them, slighting Gemma.
Shrieks came from the chocolate-eating girls. Ann was accused of stealing Felicity’s ring.
Ann’s knitting basket is searched. When the sapphire ring is found in Ann’s basket, Gemma took it as a warning to watch her step. She surprised herself as she spoke up to help Ann. She stated that Ann had found the ring at vespers and was waiting for the proper time to return it to Felicity in a private moment. Miss Moore accepted the story
While Ann sleeps, Gemma hears noises: a branch scratching the window pane, the creaking of the floorboards in the room. It is Felicity telling Gemma to come with her. They meet up with Pippa. The girls go up the hill toward the chapel for what they say is for a little initiation . For her initiation, the girls wanted Gemma to take communion wine from the chapel. Steal it! When she goes to the altar, Gemma hears the doors closing behind her. She realizes that the girls have played a trick on her. She is locked up in the sanctuary. Then she hears a cough and footsteps. A hand clasps her mouth and she bites it. Katrick!
“We’ll be watching you,” he said to her.
Gemma feels or experiences forboding and cryptic messages and warnings.
She feels herself arguing with a spirit. Someone hurries her. Mary
She seems to hear her mother say “Run!”
Ann tightens the strings of Gemma’s corset helping her to get dressed for class. Gemma looked like her mother. Mademoiselle LeFarge’s French lesson. Felicity’s little clique was already seated in back of the room, causing Gemma and the other girls to have to walk the gauntlet to get a seat. Felicity sticks out her foot stopping Gemma in the narrow row between her wooden desk and Pippa’s.
When asked how did she get out of the chapel, Gemma retorted, “I have hidden powers.” When asked about the wine, she retorted that she had placed it in their room.
Gemma feels doomed when she’s in French class and Mademoiselle LeFarge asks her to have Felicity to help her.
In time, the girls seem to get along better. They realized, too, that Gemma has a sharp quick mind. They do things together. Excursions, trips, etc. On one occasion, Pippa began to shiver and shake. Dr. Rhomas was called. They tried to keep her quiet. The girls were warned not to ever speak about it.
Gimma still experience visions, having had a brief one just before Pippa’s seizure.
Dr. Thomas pronounce Pippa fully recovered. Church school has been dispensed with. Pippi is embarrassed by her loss of control brought on by the seizure. She was concerned that she might have soiled herself of made vulgar (I think flatulent) noises.
Pippa hopes that the surprise her parents have promised her will be a corset.
Gemma received a letter from her grandmother implying through the lines that she expects her to help
with the load of caring for her father when she gets home
The girls, dressed in their finery, are entertained by a séance. Madame Romanoff, Grand
Seer of St. Petersburg conducts the séance. She goes through the motion of helping people get in touch with their dead loved ones. She asks a general, broad question and the participants burst out and tells pertinent information themselves and the Madame just takes the credit for doing the work.
Gemma and Felicity go on stage and Gemma gives the madame wrong information asking about rosebushes that were supposed to have been in their back yard in Surrey. The Madame bit into it as if she saw the roses in Surrey. They had never lived in Surrey, so Gemma blew her cover. The woman was an actress pretending to be a seer. Her real name was Sally Carny. However, somehow when Gemma touched her, the madame seemed to be a conduit that connected the girl to another plane.
Gemma finds out that she has magical powers.
Gemma saw Karik after the show. When questioned he told Gemma that he was there watching her.
Assembly Day- A boarding school tradition in which the family of the school girl is allowed to visit, resulting in the mortification of all and the enjoyment of none.
The girls are dressed and coiffed. Gemma’s mind reels on the experience she’s had with her mother (or her mother’s spirit). She wished she could tell her family that she had seen her mother. That some where beyond here in another world, she is alive and loving and as beautiful as they remembered her to be.
Tom came bringing Grandmama dressed in her best black crepe mourning clothes. So did their father whose mind seems to get Gemma mixed up with his wife Victoria .
The surprise that Pippa’s parents had for her was to tell her that they had arranged to marry a fine suiter, Mr. Bartleby Bumble, Esquire
The girls meet Mr. Bartleby Bumble, Esquire, Pippa’s fiancé, who looks down his nose at them. He was fifty –four, even older than Pippa’s father. Pippa never married her fiancé, however. She was drowned while the girls were on a boating excursion. So she didn’t have to marry the man she detested, Mr. Bartleby Bumble, Esquire.
Tom came bringing Grandmama dressed in her best black crepe mourning clothes. So did their father whose mind seems to get Gemma mixed up with his wife Victoria .
Forgiveness… Gemma would hold on to that fragile slice of hope and keep it close, remembering that in each person lies good and bad, dark and light, art and pain, choice and regret, cruelty and sacrifice. Each person is of his own chiaroscuro, his own illusion, fighting to emerge into something solid and real.
Gemma was forced to face her own frightening, yet exciting destiny . . . if only she oould believe in it.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
Ultimate Spiderman by Marvel
This was my first book report. I published via "Blog" on 02/ 10/'09. To my chagrin, it did not get printed, even though the computer had registered it published.
Mary L. Taylor
Ultimate Spider – Man
by Marvel
This story is presented in Graphic Novel genre.
The story begins in Midtown High School in New York. The teacher gave the senior class an assignment. Each was to give an oral report and present themselves as the character of a superhero that they like. The term mutants was even mentioned.
The story is imaginary . It could have taken place in the past, it could take place in the future, or it could take place today if one’s mind tells it to do so.
The main character is Peter Parker, one of the students in the class. He has been bitten by a spider and unknown to Peter and his classmates that particular spider had been tampered with genetically. There were other characters in the story including Peter’s Aunt May, a scientist named Otto Osborn, a bully named Flash, Captain Stacy and his daughter Gwen, Jeanne, a New York police captain, Dr. Conners, a professor at Empire State U., Peter’s girlfriend Mary Jane and her and her friend, Liz Allan, and others.
Peter, a smart boy, lives with his Aunt May in New York. On a field trip to a laboratory ran by Osborn industries, Peter is bitten by the afore-mentioned spider. Instead of dying as usually happens when one is bitten by such a deadly creature, Peter took on spider characteristics. His body reflexes increased. He could run faster, his body strength became stronger, he could scale vertical planes and adhere to them.
In the beginning of the story plot, we see a strong looking, muscular man on a table in a laboratory. He is blindfolded and has and iron band around his midriff. Long, flexible tentacles, each resembling octopus arms, extend from that iron band. While all of this is going on, Peter and his classmates are considering and working on their projects.
As the students congregate outside on the school campus, one of the girls mention that her uncle is missing. While they are carousing around, Flash, the bully begin to pick on Peter. He teases and kicks him on the buttocks. This incident is brought to a quick stop by Gwen who sticks Flash with a knife. While this and other talk is going on with the students, activities are still going on in the laboratory.
When Otto questioned those around him about his location and condition, he is told that there had been an explosion. He was told that his eyes were sensitive to light now, therefore, the blindfold. The metal band that he wore had melted and fused to his flesh and from that, the tentacles grew.
From time to time, there were reports of people being murdered. The newspapers became interested, especially in as much as some people were being aided by a strange spider-like creature. Pro and con arguments were expressed about the strange events.
When Mary Jane was kidnapped, someone mysteriously rescued her. After she got her thinking faculties together, she wondered what had taken place. Nearby she saw a weakened and ragged Spider Man. Upon looking closer, she saw that it was her boyfriend Peter in that get up. She urgently questioned him only to hear him say, “I don’t want to talk about it just yet.”
Note: This writer feels that the story should have ended with the high school class coming back into the story for the culmination of their projects. Although one or two of the students were involved in the story, there did not seem to be enough continuity between the classmates and the happenings in the story.
Mary L. Taylor
Ultimate Spider – Man
by Marvel
This story is presented in Graphic Novel genre.
The story begins in Midtown High School in New York. The teacher gave the senior class an assignment. Each was to give an oral report and present themselves as the character of a superhero that they like. The term mutants was even mentioned.
The story is imaginary . It could have taken place in the past, it could take place in the future, or it could take place today if one’s mind tells it to do so.
The main character is Peter Parker, one of the students in the class. He has been bitten by a spider and unknown to Peter and his classmates that particular spider had been tampered with genetically. There were other characters in the story including Peter’s Aunt May, a scientist named Otto Osborn, a bully named Flash, Captain Stacy and his daughter Gwen, Jeanne, a New York police captain, Dr. Conners, a professor at Empire State U., Peter’s girlfriend Mary Jane and her and her friend, Liz Allan, and others.
Peter, a smart boy, lives with his Aunt May in New York. On a field trip to a laboratory ran by Osborn industries, Peter is bitten by the afore-mentioned spider. Instead of dying as usually happens when one is bitten by such a deadly creature, Peter took on spider characteristics. His body reflexes increased. He could run faster, his body strength became stronger, he could scale vertical planes and adhere to them.
In the beginning of the story plot, we see a strong looking, muscular man on a table in a laboratory. He is blindfolded and has and iron band around his midriff. Long, flexible tentacles, each resembling octopus arms, extend from that iron band. While all of this is going on, Peter and his classmates are considering and working on their projects.
As the students congregate outside on the school campus, one of the girls mention that her uncle is missing. While they are carousing around, Flash, the bully begin to pick on Peter. He teases and kicks him on the buttocks. This incident is brought to a quick stop by Gwen who sticks Flash with a knife. While this and other talk is going on with the students, activities are still going on in the laboratory.
When Otto questioned those around him about his location and condition, he is told that there had been an explosion. He was told that his eyes were sensitive to light now, therefore, the blindfold. The metal band that he wore had melted and fused to his flesh and from that, the tentacles grew.
From time to time, there were reports of people being murdered. The newspapers became interested, especially in as much as some people were being aided by a strange spider-like creature. Pro and con arguments were expressed about the strange events.
When Mary Jane was kidnapped, someone mysteriously rescued her. After she got her thinking faculties together, she wondered what had taken place. Nearby she saw a weakened and ragged Spider Man. Upon looking closer, she saw that it was her boyfriend Peter in that get up. She urgently questioned him only to hear him say, “I don’t want to talk about it just yet.”
Note: This writer feels that the story should have ended with the high school class coming back into the story for the culmination of their projects. Although one or two of the students were involved in the story, there did not seem to be enough continuity between the classmates and the happenings in the story.
Point Blank by Anthony Horowitz
Mary L. Taylor
Feb. 24, 2009
Point Blank
by
Anthony Horowitz
There were two settings for this story. It starts in New York where Michael J. Roscoe lived and owned a firm. The other setting was The Point Blanc Academy in a far remote area of the French Alps.
The characters include Michael J. Roscoe, Alex Rider, the M16 Spy Team, Dr. Hugo Grief, Mrs. Stellenbosch, other school staff.
Michael J. Roscoe, a very wealthy and powerful business man worked from his powerful office in New York City. His office was a huge room that occupied the corner of the building with floor-to-ceiling windows giving views in two directions: Fifth Avenue to the east, Central Park, just a few blocks to the north. Along one of the remaining walls was a door, an uncluttered black-surfaced desk, a computer, a leather notebook, a telephone, and a framed photograph of a fourteen-year-old boy. (This was his son, Paul.) Against the other wall was a low bookshelf, and a single oil painting and a vase of flowers by Vincent van Gogh.
Helen Bosworth, Michael J. Roscoe’s secretary was an English woman. She had left her home in England, and indeed her husband to come top New York to work for Roscoe. She had been Roscoe’s secretary for eleven years now, and loved every minute of it. In all of that time, she had never forgotten a detail or made a mistake.
At twelve o’clock, Helen Bosworth announced to Mr. Bosworth that his car was ready. He thanked her, glanced at the picture on his desk. He wondered how things could have gone so wrong between him and his son, and even more, what could have happened in the past few months to make them so much worse? He was on his way to lunch with Senator Andrews.
Pressing the elevator button, he took one step forward.
The last thing Michael J. Roscoe saw in his life was the inside of the elevator with its white walls, blue carpet, and silver handrail. His right foot, wearing a black leather shoe that was handmade for him by a small shop in Rome, traveled down to the carpet and kept going – right through it. His body followed, tilting into the elevator and through it. he was falling sixty floors to his death. He fell into the blackness of the elevator shaft, bounced twice off the walls, then crashed into the solid concrete of the basement, five hundred yards below.
When the chauffeur called up at 12:35 to say that Mr. Roscoe hadn’t arrived at the car, the secretary alerted security. They called the restaurant. Senator Andrews was there but Michael J. Roscoe had not arrived.
Michael J. Roscoe’s body was discovered next day, by which time the multi-millionaire’s disappearance was the lead story on the news. But the day before he died, however, the Roscoe had mentioned something to his friend, Alan Blunt. He’d told Blunt about a special school for boys of wealthy parents that promised to correct those boys’ bad behavior.
Alex Rider, a fourteen year old school boy, in a West London high school, heading in the same direction as all the other students. He had missed three weeks of school and was trying to catch up. His teachers were not sympathetic even when he returned with a doctor’s letter.
Alex had a heavy secret. His uncle, Ian Rider, a secret agent for M16, with whom he lived, had been murdered and M16 had forced Alex to take his place. Now Alex finds himself engaged as a spy.
Another rich man, General Major Viktor Ivanov, Ex-KGB associate, was killed in a boating accident. Just as Michael J. Roscoe, General Major Viktor Ivanov also had a fourteen year old son. Both sons could be considered to be rich and incorrigible. Although the men did not know each other, their sons attended the same school ane probably were acquainted. Upon hearing of the second accident, Blunt secretly and in a quiet manner spoke with someone in M16.
Ofcourse investigations into the "accidental" deaths of two of the world's most powerful men have revealed just one link. Both were extra ordinarily rich and both had a son attending Point Blanc Academy - an exclusive school for rebellious rich kids, run by the sinister Dr. Grief and set high on an isolated mountain peak in the French Alps. Since there might have been a connection to teenagers, Alex was contacted to check out these co-incidences . He found that he had to infiltrate the academy as a pupil and establish the truth about what was really happening there. Before he knew it, Alex was stuck in a remote boarding school high atop the French Alps with the sons of the rich and powerful. It wasn’t long before he had a feeling that something was wrong. These former juvenile delinquents seemed to have turned well-behaved, studious-and obedient boys overnight."
Before he goes to Point Blanc, though, Alex has to adopt a new identity. He becomes Alex Friend, the recalcitrant son of a supermarket king who’s worth millions. Alex is just supposed to be there long enough to soak up some of the family history, but nothing ever comes easily to Alex. In no time at all, he’s nearly gunned down and almost hit by a fast-moving train. But he’s accepted at the school.
Upon snooping about at school Point Blanc, Alex was surprised to learn that there was a duplicate of his assigned room and another boy residing in that duplicate room looks and behaves much the same as him. He was able to learn that Dr. Grief, the headmaster of the school was doing Clandestine things against the boys. They were being medicated and injected with various forms of serum. Their behaviors were modified. They were given face changes. Their looks and personalities were altered.
Upon discovering that Alex was aware of what was happening, Dr. Grief tried to get rid of him. Alex found himself fighting his double for survival. Fortunately he was able to win out and get on the plane for home.
Feb. 24, 2009
Point Blank
by
Anthony Horowitz
There were two settings for this story. It starts in New York where Michael J. Roscoe lived and owned a firm. The other setting was The Point Blanc Academy in a far remote area of the French Alps.
The characters include Michael J. Roscoe, Alex Rider, the M16 Spy Team, Dr. Hugo Grief, Mrs. Stellenbosch, other school staff.
Michael J. Roscoe, a very wealthy and powerful business man worked from his powerful office in New York City. His office was a huge room that occupied the corner of the building with floor-to-ceiling windows giving views in two directions: Fifth Avenue to the east, Central Park, just a few blocks to the north. Along one of the remaining walls was a door, an uncluttered black-surfaced desk, a computer, a leather notebook, a telephone, and a framed photograph of a fourteen-year-old boy. (This was his son, Paul.) Against the other wall was a low bookshelf, and a single oil painting and a vase of flowers by Vincent van Gogh.
Helen Bosworth, Michael J. Roscoe’s secretary was an English woman. She had left her home in England, and indeed her husband to come top New York to work for Roscoe. She had been Roscoe’s secretary for eleven years now, and loved every minute of it. In all of that time, she had never forgotten a detail or made a mistake.
At twelve o’clock, Helen Bosworth announced to Mr. Bosworth that his car was ready. He thanked her, glanced at the picture on his desk. He wondered how things could have gone so wrong between him and his son, and even more, what could have happened in the past few months to make them so much worse? He was on his way to lunch with Senator Andrews.
Pressing the elevator button, he took one step forward.
The last thing Michael J. Roscoe saw in his life was the inside of the elevator with its white walls, blue carpet, and silver handrail. His right foot, wearing a black leather shoe that was handmade for him by a small shop in Rome, traveled down to the carpet and kept going – right through it. His body followed, tilting into the elevator and through it. he was falling sixty floors to his death. He fell into the blackness of the elevator shaft, bounced twice off the walls, then crashed into the solid concrete of the basement, five hundred yards below.
When the chauffeur called up at 12:35 to say that Mr. Roscoe hadn’t arrived at the car, the secretary alerted security. They called the restaurant. Senator Andrews was there but Michael J. Roscoe had not arrived.
Michael J. Roscoe’s body was discovered next day, by which time the multi-millionaire’s disappearance was the lead story on the news. But the day before he died, however, the Roscoe had mentioned something to his friend, Alan Blunt. He’d told Blunt about a special school for boys of wealthy parents that promised to correct those boys’ bad behavior.
Alex Rider, a fourteen year old school boy, in a West London high school, heading in the same direction as all the other students. He had missed three weeks of school and was trying to catch up. His teachers were not sympathetic even when he returned with a doctor’s letter.
Alex had a heavy secret. His uncle, Ian Rider, a secret agent for M16, with whom he lived, had been murdered and M16 had forced Alex to take his place. Now Alex finds himself engaged as a spy.
Another rich man, General Major Viktor Ivanov, Ex-KGB associate, was killed in a boating accident. Just as Michael J. Roscoe, General Major Viktor Ivanov also had a fourteen year old son. Both sons could be considered to be rich and incorrigible. Although the men did not know each other, their sons attended the same school ane probably were acquainted. Upon hearing of the second accident, Blunt secretly and in a quiet manner spoke with someone in M16.
Ofcourse investigations into the "accidental" deaths of two of the world's most powerful men have revealed just one link. Both were extra ordinarily rich and both had a son attending Point Blanc Academy - an exclusive school for rebellious rich kids, run by the sinister Dr. Grief and set high on an isolated mountain peak in the French Alps. Since there might have been a connection to teenagers, Alex was contacted to check out these co-incidences . He found that he had to infiltrate the academy as a pupil and establish the truth about what was really happening there. Before he knew it, Alex was stuck in a remote boarding school high atop the French Alps with the sons of the rich and powerful. It wasn’t long before he had a feeling that something was wrong. These former juvenile delinquents seemed to have turned well-behaved, studious-and obedient boys overnight."
Before he goes to Point Blanc, though, Alex has to adopt a new identity. He becomes Alex Friend, the recalcitrant son of a supermarket king who’s worth millions. Alex is just supposed to be there long enough to soak up some of the family history, but nothing ever comes easily to Alex. In no time at all, he’s nearly gunned down and almost hit by a fast-moving train. But he’s accepted at the school.
Upon snooping about at school Point Blanc, Alex was surprised to learn that there was a duplicate of his assigned room and another boy residing in that duplicate room looks and behaves much the same as him. He was able to learn that Dr. Grief, the headmaster of the school was doing Clandestine things against the boys. They were being medicated and injected with various forms of serum. Their behaviors were modified. They were given face changes. Their looks and personalities were altered.
Upon discovering that Alex was aware of what was happening, Dr. Grief tried to get rid of him. Alex found himself fighting his double for survival. Fortunately he was able to win out and get on the plane for home.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
The Glory Field
Mary L. Taylor
February 17, 2009
The Glory Field
By
Walter Dean Myers
This story started even before eleven year old Muhammad Bilal was captured, placed on a ship and brought to America. It transpired even through his fear of the pale White men who were on the ship, through the torture of the chains on his ankles while his hands were tied behind his back, through the torture and stinkiness he heard, felt, and smelled in the hold, and what his mind referred to as death itself crowded in the hold with them. For him it started with Saran, his mother, and with Odebe his father, back in a little place near Sierra Leone in West Africa.
Upon reaching America, Muhammad Bilal was sold to Old man Managault Lewis who owned the Live Oak plantation located on Curry Island, South Carolina. He grew to manhood on the Live Oaks plantation and records seem to show that he had a daughter named “Dolly.” Dolly had two sons, Joshua Lewis and Moses Lewis. They each had children and their children’s children had children until within a span of time, there were many, many Lewises, even still today, and they all decended down from Muhammad Bilal.
Great respect was paid by the Lewis family to old Muhammad Bilal and his teachings. Grandma Dolly frequently spoke of him saying, “ My father used to say…” as she quipped some remembrance spoken by Muhammad Bilal. Down through the years, grandchildren, and grandchildren’s children would call back to some tidbit of wisdom passed down through the ages by the family patriot. “Ham’id? Ham’id? Whut ‘e say?”,etc.
Muhammad Bilal’s words and teachings bound the family together and still binds it. The siblings, cousins, and relatives stuck together. When one was in trouble, all were in trouble. They seem to feel the pain of the one at the point of suffering. When one received accolades In 1947 when Tommy Lewis, son of Robert Smalls Lewis was chosen to play on the Curry High School basketball team, the whole family rejoiced, slapping their knees and body parts of others saying such things as “Git outta heah!”, etc.
It is evident that Muhammad Bilal’s spirit and teachings has influenced the family through their history. Even though the off-springs has scattered all over the country and beyond, today the family still come together at least once each year. All are accounted for, and they have the family history told for all who are present to hear and to know and to pass it on to coming generations.
February 17, 2009
The Glory Field
By
Walter Dean Myers
This story started even before eleven year old Muhammad Bilal was captured, placed on a ship and brought to America. It transpired even through his fear of the pale White men who were on the ship, through the torture of the chains on his ankles while his hands were tied behind his back, through the torture and stinkiness he heard, felt, and smelled in the hold, and what his mind referred to as death itself crowded in the hold with them. For him it started with Saran, his mother, and with Odebe his father, back in a little place near Sierra Leone in West Africa.
Upon reaching America, Muhammad Bilal was sold to Old man Managault Lewis who owned the Live Oak plantation located on Curry Island, South Carolina. He grew to manhood on the Live Oaks plantation and records seem to show that he had a daughter named “Dolly.” Dolly had two sons, Joshua Lewis and Moses Lewis. They each had children and their children’s children had children until within a span of time, there were many, many Lewises, even still today, and they all decended down from Muhammad Bilal.
Great respect was paid by the Lewis family to old Muhammad Bilal and his teachings. Grandma Dolly frequently spoke of him saying, “ My father used to say…” as she quipped some remembrance spoken by Muhammad Bilal. Down through the years, grandchildren, and grandchildren’s children would call back to some tidbit of wisdom passed down through the ages by the family patriot. “Ham’id? Ham’id? Whut ‘e say?”,etc.
Muhammad Bilal’s words and teachings bound the family together and still binds it. The siblings, cousins, and relatives stuck together. When one was in trouble, all were in trouble. They seem to feel the pain of the one at the point of suffering. When one received accolades In 1947 when Tommy Lewis, son of Robert Smalls Lewis was chosen to play on the Curry High School basketball team, the whole family rejoiced, slapping their knees and body parts of others saying such things as “Git outta heah!”, etc.
It is evident that Muhammad Bilal’s spirit and teachings has influenced the family through their history. Even though the off-springs has scattered all over the country and beyond, today the family still come together at least once each year. All are accounted for, and they have the family history told for all who are present to hear and to know and to pass it on to coming generations.
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