Bud, Not Buddy

Just after dark, Bud passes out of the city limits of Flint. He becomes afraid of the sounds in the trees and fields nearby. He hides in the bushes when cars pass, but eventually a pair of headlights finds him. The driver reverses the car and gets out to try to help Bud. While Bud is still hiding, the man says neither of them should be on the side of the road near Owosso at night; he offers Bud a bologna sandwich and red pop to come out. Bud admits to the man he ran away from home. The man gives Bud the red pop.

Bud creates what he thinks of as the “perfect lie”—that he is from Grand Rapids, assuming the man will “return” him home by paying for a bus ticket. The man tells Bud that Black travelers are not welcome in Owosso and that they need to move along. The man steers Bud into the car, but when Bud gets in he sees the man put a box from the front seat into the back, marked with the words “Urgent: Contains human blood” (106). Bud, believing the man is a vampire, locks the driver’s side door before the man can get in and attempts to drive away.

The car does not get far before it stalls. The man catches up and convinces Bud that he is not a vampire, just taking blood to a hospital for a surgery. Once Bud unlocks the door, the man drives and asks Bud about his parents. Bud tells him that his momma died and his father is Herman E. Calloway. The man immediately recognizes the name, saying “I know your father, everyone in Grand Rapids does” (111). The man introduces himself as Lefty Lewis. He has children and grandchildren, and he likes to joke and tease, telling Bud he has a “peanut-head” and that he will take the image of Bud driving away without him to his grave. Bud falls asleep.

When he wakes up, Bud isn’t sure where he is, so he pretends to sleep despite a woman’s voice calling to him. He hears Lefty Lewis talking to the woman; it is his daughter, Mrs. Sleet. Mr. Lewis tells his daughter that Herman E. Calloway’s wife died longer ago than ten years, so she could not be Bud’s mother; Mr. Lewis assumes, “But you know how musicians are, there must be at least a few Mrs. Callaway I don’t know anything about” (118). He also reveals that Herman had a daughter, but the daughter must be a half-sister to Bud as “she must be full-growed by now” (118).

Lefty’s daughter, Mrs. Sleet, convinces Bud to wake up with the promise of breakfast. Lefty tells Bud they will have to leave soon after he eats. At breakfast, Bud meets Lefty’s grandchildren, Scott and Kim. Scott asks if Bud ran away because his daddy beats him; Bud says no. Kim sings a song on the agreement that Bud will then answer questions. Kim wants to know how Bud’s mother died. He states, “My momma got sick. She died real fast. She didn’t feel no pain or no suffering” (128). Mr. Lewis and Mrs. Sleet return and everyone has breakfast together. Bud is not used to talking and laughter during meals, as the Home’s rule is silence while eating. Lefty teases his daughter for how lousy her cooking used to be, but everyone enjoys their breakfast now.

Mr. Lewis completes errands in Flint while Bud waits in the car; then the two drive toward Grand Rapids. Mr. Lewis reveals that he sent a telegram to Herman E. Calloway at his club in Grand Rapids, the Log Cabin, the night before to let him know that his son Bud was safe in Flint and will return by eight o’clock that evening the next day. Bud realizes this telegram will confuse Herman greatly but does not let on. As they drive, a policeman follows and pulls Mr. Lewis over. Mr. Lewis tells Bud to place a box under his seat and to not say anything.

The policeman checks the trunk and car, then tells Mr. Lewis he can be on his way. The policeman explains he is looking for “those stinking labor organizers” who “might be sneaking up here from Detroit” (135). Once they are on the road again, Mr. Lewis explains that in Flint, he had flyers made advertising an organizational meeting for the Pullman porters in Grand Rapids, who have been trying to start a labor union.

Bud falls asleep. When he wakes up, they are in the parking lot of the Log Cabin. Mr. Lewis wants to escort Bud to Herman E. Calloway, but Bud asks Mr. Lewis to allow him to go to father alone. Mr. Lewis agrees to keep Bud’s suitcase as collateral and says he will come in after five minutes. Bud goes inside, waits a few minutes, then returns to Mr. Lewis to reassure him that his father is there and that he thanks Mr. Lewis for bringing Bud home. Mr. Lewis warns Bud to not travel alone again and tells him: “You’ve got to be good and stay put. I know your dad’s not the easiest man in the world but, believe me, he’s mellowed a lot from when it was just him and your sister” (143). Bud thanks Mr. Lewis and goes inside.

Bud sees six men near the stage. One has his back to Bud and is telling a story of being in a fight. Bud knows this one must be his father, especially after the man explains that sometimes you give up a fight because you’re smart enough to know better. Bud thinks this is the same lesson he told himself fighting Todd Amos. Bud approaches the stage and one of the men asks if Miss Thomas sent him. The man Bud thinks is his father turns, and Bud sees that he is old. Bud tells the group he is there to meet his father, then points at Herman and says, “I know it’s you” (148).