Memorable Passage from If You Come Softly

 By Jacqueline Woodson

"If you come as softly
As the wind within the trees
As you may hear what i hear
See what sorrows sees"


I occasionally like to get lost in a book, so i asked that one of my presents for my seventeenth birthday be a couple of books of any kind. This was one of the books i received. The book being about two teens, a Caucasian female and an African American male, who come from very different worlds, but somehow ended up in the same private school where the majority of the students are White and it is very odd to see a Black student there. Because both students kind of stick out like a sore thumb they eventually befriend and then fall in love with each other but are hesitant to share their love with their family and friends for the fear it will be misunderstood.

"The elevator door slide open quietly. I stepped inside and waited for it to close, counting slowly under my breath. When it started moving again, i closed my eyes and thought about Jeremiah.

I had been staring at my program card, trying to figure out where room 301 or something was- looking from the program card to the numbers on the doors and i had run right into him, my math and science textbooks crashing to the floor. Then he was apologizing and i was apologizing and we were both bending at the same time to retrieve them. And then- we just stopped and burst out laughing.

Thats when he said his name-Jeremiah-and that stupid song about the bullfrog popped into my head so fast i just said it- "Like the bullfrog?"

"Yeah," he smiled "like the bullfrog."
I couldn't stop looking at him, at his smile and his hair. I had never seen locks up close. His were thick and black and spiraling down over his shoulders. I wanted to touch them, to touch his face. I wanted to hear him say his name again. For a moment we stared at each other, neither of us saying anything. There was something familiar about him, something i had seen before. I blinked, embarrassed suddenly, and turned away from him.

Then Jeremiah rose and i rose.

"Well... good-bye. I guess... I guess i'll see you around." he said softly and looking at me a moment longer before turning away and heading down the hall, his locks bouncing against his shoulders.

"Jeremiah." I whispered to myself as i walked away from him.