Dramatization of GRAC Demonstration

On Saturday, the GRAC car arrived from Chicago, packed with people. With them, was Janet, in a country motif dress, who looked like she was heading to a pie bake-off. Mollie, her other half, couldn’t make it. I broke into a wide grin seeing the smiling brown face of Reggie Flanders following Janet up the steps. Another smaller woman crept up several feet behind them.

I ran out to the plaza. “Fuck Reggie, it’s been two years.” I started to hug him but realized my smell might be offensive, pinched my nose, pointed at myself and shook hands instead. “You should have called.”

Reggie laughed. “Um-hmm. That’s how I found out your sorry ass was down here.” He pointed at Samantha. “She wouldn’t give me a minute’s peace until I agreed to come down and protest.”

Samantha looked pleased with herself. “Ellen and I gave this bro the dog and pony show through ninety miles of prairie. By the time we passed Rantoul, another former Trotskyist was a member of GRAC.”

Reggie shrugged and smiled. “For the time being,” he added.

“This is Maura,” Samantha said contemptuously, pointing at a petite young woman, in her late teens, with long brown hair, who turned her head away just seconds after she was introduced. I stepped back, figuring I was becoming ripe, but Samantha dismissed Maura’s behavior, speaking loud enough for everyone to hear, “She’s just neurotically shy.” Maura didn’t look up, just dropped her head even further. Janet said hello and then led Maura down to the sidewalk to picket.

I felt embarrassed for Maura and returned my attention to Reggie. “So much to catch up on. How’s John? Talk to Winston lately?”

“Winston, Winston, Winston,” he said, shaking his head and smiling affectionately. “Not since we left for Chicago, although John toasts him every time we have a beer.”

“Winston’s in Florida. I talked to him the night Phnom Penh fell.”

“You fool still into that communist bullshit?” I shrugged. “Not me,” he continued proudly. “You are looking at a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture. I graduated from Circle a week ago at the end of the winter quarter.”

“That’s great,” I said, but his news made me feel envious and sad. “Any job prospects?”

“I got an offer from a firm in Phoenix.”

“A firm?” It sounded so much like my father.

“John’s in Phoenix now, interviewing for a job in construction. If he gets it, I’ll accept the offer. When I told the head of the firm about John, they gave me three or four leads. It looks promising.”

“So this company knows about you and John?”

“They seemed pleased to be getting a gay black man. I’m not complaining.”

“Wow,” I said with enthusiasm and then with melancholy, “Too bad you won’t be able to stay in GRAC.”

“He’ll start a Phoenix branch,” interrupted Samantha. But Reggie just rolled his eyes.

“Hey,” he said, chuckling. “I just came down because somebody’s got to baby sit Dave Rosen—fool.”

“It just so happens,” I said with good-natured self deprecation, “I’ve found another babysitter down here and believe it or not he wants to join GRAC,”

"Who?" asked Samantha and Ellen in unison.

"Wait until I tell you about Simon Sawyer," I said.

"Simon?" said Ellen.

"Simon visits every day now—and brings food. He’s from the campus. He even joined me for a few meals there in the foyer. Tomorrow night, when it's dead, I'm going to sneak off, take a shower break at his place, get some fresh clothes and go out to dinner."

"I didn't want to say anything," said Ellen, "but I think a shower’s a good idea."

"Yeah Rosen," said Samantha. "You reek." Reggie shook his head again and clucked.

"The hazards of the job," I responded, although I too was embarrassed—and uncomfortable.

"Simon is coming up to Chicago after this is all over. He wants to join GRAC."

"He better not be a police agent," said Samantha.

Reggie started to laugh at that until a look of disapproval from her stopped him dead in the middle of a guffaw.

"Yeah, we’re serious" added Ellen for Reggie’s benefit. "Let's put it this way. If he's interested in Dave, in his current filthy state, he's got to be a police agent."

"I don’t think Simon’s an agent," I replied.

"We'll interrogate him," said Samantha. "If he can pass the interrogation, he's in."

Ellen looked at Samantha and smiled. “Girl, I like the way you think.” As for me, the thought of Samantha, the inquisitor, interrogating Simon gave me pause.

Reggie stepped back from Samantha and Ellen’s view and shook his head for me. Then he joined Maura and Janet picketing on the sidewalk below the plaza.

“Simon shares much of our philosophy,” I replied. “But that’s not the point. Is everyone who disagrees with us a police agent? Is every coward, who refuses to come out publicly, a police agent?”

“Comrade,” shouted Samantha. “You’re still on probation for revolutionary abandonment. I wouldn’t push it if I were you.”

I decided not to push it. I needed their support. “Go down and picket,” I said.

Samantha and Ellen went down the plaza steps, the steps where I began my sit-in almost two weeks earlier. The five of them picketed as I sat on the mattress and watched through the glass. An hour later, Simon arrived, came in to greet me, and then joined the picket. I wondered what he now thought of our group as he marched flanked by Samantha and Ellen.

The picket garnered no press. It was old news. After an hour, everyone returned to the foyer to say goodbye. I pulled Samantha aside, out of Simon’s earshot. “Satisfied?”

“We’ll see, comrade,” was all she said.

“I’ll see you tomorrow night,” Simon called over abruptly. “Now, I got to get out of here.” He left quickly.

“Damn it! What did you say to him?” I shouted to Samantha.

“Calm down, comrade,” said Samantha. “We said nothing of importance. He’s probably just tired.” I didn’t believe her, but since Ellen nodded in agreement, I let it pass. “It’s getting late, folks,” said Ellen. “We need to head back.”

Everyone said goodbye again. Samantha gave me ten bucks. The five demonstrators put their picket signs in the trunk of the car and left for Chicago.

I popped an amphetamine that Ellen brought and figured it would keep me happy and content until dinner with Simon the following night.