The Glory Field

Part Six begins in Harlem, New York. It is August 1994. Malcolm Lewis is the fifteen-year-old grandson of Richard and Harriet Lewis, and the great-grandson of Elijah and Goldie Lewis. Luvenia Lewis is his great-aunt. Malcolm is a talented musician, playing the alto-flute and the saxophone in a band called String Theory. When he is not in school, Malcolm helps out at Mahogany Beauty Products, his great-aunt Luvenia’s cosmetics chain. When white cosmetic companies started selling make-up for black women, Luvenia branched out into real estate and travel.

Malcolm’s story begins when a telephone call from his great-aunt Luvenia wakes him from a dream. She is on her way to Curry Island for the Lewis family reunion at the Glory Field. She is calling at Malcolm’s home in Harlem to talk to him before she leaves. Malcolm’s parents, Charles and Celia, have already left for the reunion, as has his sister. As he wakes, Malcolm remembers he also has a young woman, Jenn Che Po, calling to audition for his band.

Jenn arrives; she plays the amplified cello, and turns out to be very talented. Malcolm invites her to play for the band. When Luvenia arrives, she gives Malcolm the money to buy tickets to Curry Island for himself and his cousin, Shep. Luvenia believes that Shep has a drinking problem and hopes the long trip to Curry Island will help him recover. However, Shep is a crack addict and Malcolm is not sure where he will find him. After Luvenia leaves for the airport, Malcolm goes in search of his cousin.

Malcolm returns to Harlem Park, the last place he saw Shep. He does not find him there, and realizes he isn’t as keen to find his cousin as he thought he had been. He then remembers something his father had said: “A real man does what he knows is right, not just what feels good” (307). Malcolm is approached by a ten-year-old drug dealer who tells him he might find Shep selling cassettes outside the Apollo Theater.

Malcolm locates Shep outside the theater. He is obviously down on his luck, and not interested in going to the reunion. However, when he realizes there is money involved, Shep says he will take his half and meet Malcolm at the airport. Malcolm knows that Shep will not turn up, and will spend the money on drugs. He asks Shep to take him to his home, so he will know where to find him again. Shep takes him to the East Harlem Restoration Center, a homeless shelter for men. Shep blames his drug addiction on his family: “A tape got two sides to it. One side is the main sounds and the other side is the sounds they just put on to fill out the tape. All this family stuff is the same way. One side of all this ‘How great is the Lewis family’ stuff is how all you uppity people are doing so good. The other side is the rest of us” (314). Malcolm finally agrees to give Shep the money, and they agree to meet at the shelter the following day. When Malcolm meets up with Shep the next day, his cousin tells him that the money has been stolen. Malcolm tells him they will take the bus. They both leave for Curry Island.

Shep gets sick on the bus, and as this upsets other passengers, the driver leaves them at a diner in Virginia. A trucker comes into the diner and says that he can get them to a mile within Johnson City. Malcolm and Shep agree to ride in the back of the trailer. Inside the trailer is filled with animal hides, the smell is overwhelming and they both find it difficult to breathe: “Malcolm knew that it wasn’t only the lack of air, it was the smell and the awful feeling of being imprisoned that made the fight for a breath of air seem like a fight for life” (342). Malcolm realizes that Shep is particularly struggling as he is also suffering from withdrawal symptoms. Shep admits to Malcolm that he wasn’t robbed but had spent the money on drugs. The truck driver drops them off outside Johnson City, where they catch a bus that takes them all the way to Curry Island.

Malcolm and Shep are greeted at the Glory Field by Dr. Jennie Lewis, Tommy’s widow. The Lewis family has decided to sell the land to developers who plan to build a luxury resort. The family will be working together to harvest the last crop of sweet potatoes. Malcolm is to work with Tommy’s father, Robert Lewis, who now calls himself Planter. Planter tells Malcolm stories about the family. He also tells him about the day he went into Johnson City to attend an auction of black memorabilia. There, he bought the shackles that Muhammad Bilal wore. He tells Malcolm that he bought the shackles as a reminder of where the family started and how much they had overcome. The day after they finish the final harvest, Luvenia tells the family that the resort will be organized into shares which the family will hold.