Where Are They From?

One time, Mother took us to see Dad at his work. Me and Raymond got to put things in the cart. Mom liked the hammer I picked out. She said it was smart and useful. She also said something about teaching my grandpa a lesson with it, but she said it in the way that she talks when she's saying grown-up things, so I couldn't really hear it. I think grandpa knows how to use a hammer, though. I went to Mom's old house one time and she said Grandpa had built it with wood and a hammer and nails. So I wasn't really sure why Mom would need to teach him more. I guess it's like when Mom or Sarah or Margene read to me: I know how to read, but they still help me. I can read almost 15 words every minute! Ben timed me once, and I set a record. That's fast. So then maybe Mother was just being nice. Right?

That same day, we saw a man who looked different than anyone I ever saw. He was the tallest person ever! He was so tall. I looked up at him, and his head was almost as high as the lights. I think he was a mailman; that's what I heard someone call him. I think he must be really good at it, or maybe really nice, because everyone walked over to talk to him. He wasn't wearing his mailman clothes, though, so how did they know it was him? Does he deliver everyone else's mail? Not ours; our mailman is shorter and fat. Also, he had dark hair, and his skin was like a candy bar. Mother said he was a "black" man, but he didn't look black. I know what black looks like. The wheels on a car are black. I asked why he wasn't really black, and she just said because. Raymond asked if we could be like that tall man, and Mom said no, because we're "white." But I know what white looks like. That's the color of the clothes we wear when we all go swimming together. That's fun, but scary, because dad puts your head under water and it feels icky in my nose. So why are we white? We don't have skin like those clothes, just like that man didn't have black skin. Like I said, it was more like a candy bar.

I never saw a man like that again. Until tonight. Mother was taking a trip somewhere, and Ben was in charge. We played Fort for a long time, but then he went outside to talk with Sarah. She was crying, but that's been happening a lot lately. She's a great big sister, so I hope it's OK. I don't like it when Mom cries, either. When Ben went outside, Raymond turned on the TV, even though I told him it wasn't allowed. We can't watch it too late because Heavenly Father likes us to not think about the bad things that come on. Well, Raymond didn't listen--as usual--and we saw this:

There were so many of them. Everyone looked like that tall man from Dad's work. What was going on? Is it normal for so many black men to play basketball? Where do they all live? Why was everyone so excited?It's just a game, right? What's BOS? I want to ask Dad about this, but then he'll know that Raymond turned on the TV.

Also, I don't like the man in the suit and tie. He looks scary. He was yelling and making mean faces. I am glad I don't see him every day. If he ever becomes the mailman here, I want to move. Or maybe we'll make Raymond get the mail.