Chapter 21

When David Wilson saw Sarah in the lobby of the Waldorf-Astoria, he almost didn't recognize her. Rather than wearing her hair tied back in the severe bun — her Washington style — she had managed to get an appointment at a beauty salon, had her long hair cut to shoulder length, and now had a simple hairdo with her black wavy hair pulled back to frame her face. It was held in place with a white ribbon. Just the simple change in hairdo seemed to take almost ten years off her apparent age.

Although she was much too heavy, the fact was that Sally had a beautiful body. Like her mother at the time she came to work for the Taylors, had she been naked she would have looked like a classic Renaissance nude. Her bone structure and her skin were perfect and tonight she was carrying herself proudly. In spite of her poor self-appraisal, her extra weight was spread evenly over a magnificent body.

"Sally, you are beautiful!" David exclaimed. Then, ignoring all of the people in the lobby, he took her in his arms and kissed her.

When they eased their lips apart, Sally leaned back against David's encircling arms and whispered so softly he could scarcely hear, "My darling, I love you desperately."

Dave was initially shocked at her words but then felt a wonderful sense of shared love and warmth. When he asked her if she said what he thought she did, she just nodded once quickly and smiled the warmest, most loving smile David had ever seen. In spite of being a very big and handsome man, David Wilson had never dated very much. Moreover, he was not really comfortable around women in spite of the hordes of women who regularly threw themselves at him at Giants Stadium.

The fact was David Wilson was the star running back of the professional football New York Giants. At age twenty-nine, he was a seven-year pro and had been All-Pro for all seven years, having gained well over 1,000 yards rushing every year he had been in the league. The previous year he had gained over 1,700 yards. As a running back, he was considered to be one of the greatest ever to play the game, being thought by many to be even better than Jim Brown and Walter Payton at their best.

Aside from not mentioning football, though, everything Dave had told Sally had been true. He was, in fact, assistant superintendent on the construction job where he and Sally had met. Moreover, he loved construction, loved the Taylors, and loved his job with PHA Construction. In fact, he realized, he was very lucky because he was well on his way to a real career which he could follow when his football days ended. However, in the meantime, he had just been offered a five-year, $35-million contract with the Giants, which could make him one of the very highest-paid players in the game.

Entering the Grand Ballroom, they found their table was off to the side and towards the back of the huge room. For Sarah's purpose, the location was perfect. David joked that if he had been a bit more generous, they might have had seats towards the front. She smiled and told him the table was just fine.

While they talked, Sarah kept watching people come in. They had been among the earliest arrivals, so initially Sarah was afraid of being seen by her parents and the Taylors even in such a large ballroom. The room was set up with a head table running across the end of the room. Between the head table and the remaining tables was a large dance floor. The band — a marvelous dance band from Grambling College in Louisiana, organized as a big band and playing music from that era — was positioned at the side of the room with its axis perpendicular to the head table.

When her parents arrived, they were seated at a front-row table immediately in front of the dais. By that time the room was nearly filled, so there was little chance that they would see Sally.

To her surprise and wonder, David was quietly asking her where she wanted to live, what her thoughts were about children, and other personal matters that would affect them if they were married. My God! she thought. He seems to care for me too.

Although she was not yet prepared to tell him who she really was, she did not want to dig a deeper hole for herself, either, by adding to the falsehoods. Moreover, she realized that Kelly Taylor had been right: It was easy for her to pretend to be from the Times because its attitudes and those of The Washington Post were indistinguishable.

So she found herself telling Dave about being so terribly fat because that was the way professional women were expected to be in the circles in which she moved. After apologizing for her obesity and promising to correct her appearance within sixty days, she grinned, squeezed his hand, and told him that his story about the company softball game was so great.

"I used to love to play softball!" she confessed with a grin. "Maybe I can play with you next year. Could I?"

David just grinned back, and nodded. Then he asked, "Sarah, what about children? You're a professional woman and—"

"Oh God, yes!" she interjected. Then she smiled warmly and added, "That's another 180 degree turn I made in the last twenty-four hours. Honey, hearing little Susan White today ... hearing her love for Kelly and Kelly's love for her ... Good grief! Isn't that what it's really all about? David Wilson, I would love to be the mother of your children."

Then she squeezed his hand and, with a wonderfully cute little grin, asked, "Does that mean I'm going to be your concubine? I guess the difference between a concubine and a mistress is that a concubine gives birth to children. Or... ?"

"How about being my wife?" David asked softly. "Wouldn't that be easier? I mean ... I guess it is sort of trite and conventional, but..." Then he grinned and interjected, "It is sort of old-fashioned, I admit. After all, isn't this the era of myriad relationships? Two guys, two girls, a lesbian getting pregnant through artificial insemination..."

Sally just threw her arms around his neck and silenced him with the most loving and passionate kiss she was capable rendering. Ignoring the other people now sitting at their table, Dave picked her up from her chair as if she was a feather and set her across his lap. Then he concentrated on their kiss.

When they finally eased apart, he grinned and asked, "But what's your answer? You're a reporter, after all. You're not supposed to be restricted to nonverbal communication..."

"The answer isn't yes, darling Dave," she whispered. He looked surprised and hurt for a moment until she continued, "It's hell, yes!" Then she just grinned at him and cuddled as close to him as she could.

It was only with the greatest reluctance that she got off his lap and returned to her own chair when the waiters began the meal service. While they were eating what proved to be a surprisingly good dinner, Sarah was introduced to the other couples at the table. They were all men who worked for PHA Construction, and all were black. All of the other men were married, and Sarah found she really liked both the men and their wives.

The opinion of all of them was that PHA Construction was the very finest company a black person could possibly work for. When Sarah asked why, the unanimous answer was that the company was truly color-blind. Everyone in the company was judged against the same set of very high standards. As one man said, "Good work is good work, whether you're black, white, yellow, or purple with orange polka-dots. It's not because I'm black or in spite of being black. It's just that I'm doing a really good job."

Sarah also learned that in spite of the company's large size — total employment in New York was over 5,000 — it behaved like a huge family.

One of the wives said, "Sally, if there is a family problem, at least one of the Taylors will be there. God only knows how they know, but they know! They always know. The Taylor family is a family of saints. That's all I can say. And not only are they there for us, they are always unobtrusive. The one way to really embarrass Andy Taylor is to make a big thing out of thanking her. I would rather not tell you the specifics, but Jim and I needed help one day, and Andy was there instantly to provide it. Do you know what I did? I just went up to her, thanked her, and kissed her. Know what happened then? She took me in her arms, hugged me, and gave me the most incredible kiss I've ever had in my life!" Turning to her husband she said, "I'm sorry, darling, but it's true. You've never come close to being able to kiss like that."

Her husband just grinned and gave her shoulder a squeeze. It was obvious to Sarah that he felt the same way his wife did and wasn't at all bothered by her statement. The woman continued, "Her kiss was just loaded with the purest love and joy! When she finally released me, I could hardly stand up. She had to steady me until I regained my balance. But I was just flooded with grace and overflowing with joy. That woman is just unbelievable!"

After dessert, the waiters refilled coffee cups, and then it was time for the speeches. Wilbur Jones, the president of the United Negro College Fund, went to the dais. He announced that UNCF's man of the year was a woman — Andrea Pierce Taylor. Further, he announced that the Fund had just received the largest corporate gift in its history, almost $10 million, from PHA Construction. All of the people rose to their feet to applaud.

While they were applauding, Andy was speaking to the president. Although no one could hear what was being said, whatever it was came as an incredible shock to him. Suddenly, he looked jubilant. He shook his head as if to clear it, then held up his hands for quiet. "Folks," Jones said, "I must apologize. You see, while you were applauding, you may have seen some activity up here. Andy Taylor was just doubling the PHA gift. She has just given me her personal check for nearly $10 million!"

The man shook his head and added, "What most of you don't know is how the PHA contribution came to be. You see, the Taylor family — all of them: Andy, Jack, Anita, and Kelly — individually matched all of the contributions received from their workers. Although I'm not free to talk about it, I happen to know some of the things Andy, Nita, and Kelly did to help generate the contributions in the first place. But the result, you see, is four-for-one matching: For every dollar a worker gave, the Taylors added four of their own. That's how the $10 million came to be. Yet in spite of all of that, Andy Taylor has just doubled it, herself."

He shook his head in utter amazement but then concluded, "Could we have the warmest possible round of applause for the greatest friend Negro colleges have ever had? Could we hear it for the Taylors and especially for Andy Taylor!?"

This time the applause and cheering was so loud it almost raised the roof. At the same time the band began to play, "For (S)he's a Jolly Good Fellow," and all of the attendees sang the song at the top of their lungs.

When things began to quiet down a bit, the president again raised his hands. As soon as he could be heard again, he said, "Would Kelly and Anita Taylor please come up here and join us?"

Kelly and Nita rose gracefully from their chairs, went up to the podium, and stood beside their mother.

Then, with a broad grin, the president continued, "Folks, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Here beside me tonight, we have Kelly Carmichael Taylor, voted a few months ago New York's Debutante of the Year. We also have Anita Lucas Taylor. Anita Lucas is Senior Vice President and Fashion Director of Bergdorf Goodman, here in New York. She is acknowledged to be the nation's foremost authority on women's fashions. And then there's Andy. What do these women have in common?" He grinned and said, "None of them have graduated college. In fact, Andy insists she's a high-school dropout. Well, I think we can fix that."

At that moment three lovely young women appeared, each carrying academic robes. At the same time the presidents of three of the UNCF member colleges came up to the podium and stood side by side. In just a few minutes each of the Taylor women was awarded a doctoral degree, honoris causa: Andy and Kelly received degrees as doctors of letters, while Nita's was a doctor of humane letters. Although the women tried to resist, their protests were summarily overruled.

Finally, Andy went to the podium to speak on behalf of her daughters and herself. Turning to the president, she very cutely stuck out the tip of her tongue causing the audience to howl with laughter. "President Jones, thanks a hell of a lot! I give you a little money, and this is the thanks I get? And I thought you were a friend, too."

She paused for a moment, looking thoughtful and continued, "But then there's that old adage: 'No good deed goes unpunished.'"

At her crack everyone cracked up, particularly President Jones. He laughed so hard he could hardly stand.

Andy continued, "You don't realize how many of my dumb friends have degrees. Many have more than one. But I was unique! Not only did I have no degree, I didn't even have a high-school diploma. But you had to go and wreck it, didn't you? Thanks a lot. I'm not sure for what, but thanks a hell of a lot!"

With that, she reached out to Jones standing beside her and proceeded to kiss him with all of her power. The poor man almost passed out. Finally, she released him.

When she did, he just stood shaking his head. Returning to the dais he said softly, "Wow!" Then he shook his head again and said, "I have just had the most unbelievable experience of my life! The kiss that Mrs. Taylor just gave me was so loaded with the purest love and joy, I could not believe it! I'm going to be floating around for the next month, anyway. I'm sure it will take at least that long for my feet to touch the ground again."

Then he shook his head and continued, "Now I really believe everything I've heard about Andy Taylor. She is not only the most beautiful woman, but she is also the kindest, sweetest, most generous person on the face of this earth. She is a model we should all try to emulate.

"Tonight at dinner, I had the opportunity to talk with her. All too often, when we invite a white philanthropist to our gathering, we know — we can feel — that the person really feels that he or she is slumming. With Andy, it's not that way at all. Do you know something? I don't think she even knows I'm black! Honest. To her, people are people. Some are good and others are not. They come in assorted sizes and colors, and Andy judges them one at a time ... against the same standard!

"Folks, what more could we possibly want? Isn't this the embodiment of Martin Luther King's dream? Isn't it? 'Judge a person by the content of his character, not the color of his skin.' Could I have another round of applause for one of the greatest human beings God, in His wisdom, has ever seen fit to put on this earth? Please?"

When the thunderous applause finally died down, the president said, "We have one more guest this evening. She is a young lady who has not yet started even thinking about applying to college. This girl, Susan White, has a little story to tell."

Sarah was surprised to see the little girl from the tavern appear, this time wearing a beautiful white party dress. Tonight, the little girl looked incredibly beautiful. Her skin was the color of chocolate ice-cream, and her black hair had a lovely wave. It was tied back in a ponytail with a lovely white ribbon.

A little platform was set in place behind the rostrum to permit the little girl to see over it. When the microphones were adjusted, the little girl said, "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I can't tell you how pleased and proud I am to be standing here speaking to you tonight. You see, only two weeks ago, I could not have stood here at all."

The little girl paused and just looked around the room. The silence in the auditorium was such that one could hear a pin drop. "When I was born, I was not right from the waist down. My legs never developed properly. The result was that the only way I could get around was on crutches. Actually, my parents knew there was a problem when Mommy was pregnant. I can't tell you how happy I am that she allowed me to be born. So many children are just ... discarded ... these days."

Sarah almost cried at the little girl's reference to abortion.

Susan went on to describe how, when both her parents were in the hospital, she had come down with an unknown fever. "But Kelly Taylor was staying with me, you see. I don't think Kelly closed her eyes for seventy-two hours! She just held me, comforted me, and prayed for me. Mostly I was out of it, but whenever I knew what was going on, I was being held lovingly in her warm arms. She wouldn't even let me be scared. 'Everything will be all right, ' Kelly said. And she was right.

"Then, two weeks ago, I hobbled in to thank her for helping me ... for saving my life. Kelly said it was about time I walked without crutches, so she held my hands tightly and prayed to God to restore my legs — and He did! In an instant, I was fine."

The little girl paused and looked around. Her parents were standing behind her and came up to stand with her at the podium. She continued, "As far as Kelly Taylor is concerned, I am dedicating my life to her. I will do anything... anything... ! that she ever asks of me. You see, Kelly is truly one of God's angels come down to earth."

Turning to the president she said, "Mr. Jones, thank you so much for giving me this chance to publicly thank Kelly Taylor — and all the Taylors — for all she and they have done for me and for my family."

Then she grinned and held the skirt of her beautiful dress out wide and said, "For example, Nita Taylor heard I would be speaking here tonight, so she brought this dress over for me. Mommy says it's from Bergdorf Goodman, the finest and most expensive fashion store in the world. She says it's the finest, most beautiful dress she has ever seen. And it was a gift from Kelly's sister who thought I would be happier if I were wearing a beautiful new party dress. Isn't it pretty?"

There was a warm round of applause from the people in tribute to the lovely little girl as they shared her happiness.

Before Susan could move, Andy was on her feet whispering into Jones' ear. He quickly and enthusiastically nodded, then went to the podium, picked Susan up in his arms, and held her. Speaking into the microphone he said, "Susan, tonight we have received the biggest gift in history for our schools. Well, the donor, Mrs. Taylor, has designated a part of her marvelous gift as the Susan White Scholarship Fund. Susan, in thirteen or fourteen years, when you're ready to go to college, you will be going to the college of your choice with all expenses paid."

Then he hugged the little girl and gave her a warm kiss which she even more warmly returned. Then he added, "You know what? It's going to be a very lucky school that gets you as a student. Susan, you are simply wonderful!"

While all of the people were standing at the podium, another young woman joined the group and spoke quickly to Jones. Whatever she said came as such a shock he almost fell over. Watching the proceedings, Sarah was quick to note how much like Andy and the girls the woman was. She was the same height and had the same magnificent figure. Moreover her hair was virtually identical to Nita's: brown, but with the same incredibly beautiful color streaks through it. It was apparent that she also knew the Taylors very well.