Third Ward

CHAPTER I

School was out for the summer, and there was very little to do in this small community in Houston, Texas called Third Ward, or the Trey as it was called. Little Man and Lawrence Ray just finished eating lunch, and they were ready to go do something in the heat of the day just to cool off. Rolling old automobile tires through the neighborhood was as much fun as they were going to see that day.

Little Man and Lawrence Ray were brothers. Jessie James and Man were their best friends. They all lived on a small street or alley way named Division.

The Community … Third Ward consisted of three major streets, Holman, Dowling, and Ennis and three major schools, Blackshear Elementary, Ryan Junior High, and Jack Yates High School. This was all the boys knew, they never been anywhere else. This was home…This was Third Ward Texas to them.

Lawrence Ray the younger of the, boys was really pissed he didn’t get enough to eat, but then again. he never got enough to eat. As a matter of fact nothing ever pleased him.

Hey Jessie James, let’s leave Little Man and go over to Mr. George’s store and steal some moon cookies, I’m still hungry Lawrence Ray said with a smile as he pointed toward the little neighborhood grocery store.

Jessie James was short, had deep brown eyes almost black, short black hair and was a little on the heavy side for his height, well Jessie James was just fat. His brother Man was rather tall and just as fat, they both had the deep brown almost black eyes. scary.

Jessie James would rather eat than sleep. He and Lawrence Ray were best buddies as they would say. They decided they were going to be best buddies, rather than best friends, because to them a buddy was better than a friend, a buddy was like a brother.

The two of them stayed in trouble, and if they weren’t fighting one another, they were fighting someone else. As much as they fought one another, one would wonder if they even liked each other. Jessie James was just bad, as the old folks would say. One of the reasons people called him by his full name Jessie James, James being his last name, no relation to the famous outlaw.

Mr. George’s Grocery Store was an old two story house that was converted. Mr. George and his family stayed up-stairs and the downstairs area of the house was the store. It was said that Mr. George helped raise most of the kids in the neighborhood. Everyone in the neighborhood had credit at his store. He was the neighborhood’s flim-flam man. He had everything you needed in his tiny store. His store was not as big as the grocery store across the street, but he gave credit to most of the residents in the area, that made the difference. He kept everyone’s credit in a little tablet, with everyone’s first name… that is if they couldn’t make their mark or sign their name. Between Mr. George’s store and the big Holman Street Store located right across the street. No one had to take the long bus ride across town to Piggly Wiggly or Weingarten’s.

Most of the adults in the early Sixty’s (1960) either didn’t go to school or quit school to work and help care for their families. Therefore most of them could barely read or write. Some of them knew how to make their mark, or write their first name… Counting money was different. You had better not try to underestimate their skills at counting money. But counting money and just plain old numbers were two different skills, money was easy to count, numbers well. that is why most parents in those days made sure their kids went to school, to have a better education than they did.

Everybody got alone, in the neighborhood because the expectations of life in general exceeded the existing conditions.

Third Ward had its share of cafes and night clubs, which were considered after hour restaurants. Greasy food was served all night, fried shrimp, fried fish, fried chicken, French fries, fried onion rings, fried pork chops and fried pickles almost anything you wanted to eat. fried… and it was greasy. Of course, all kinds of beer were served, Pearl, Red Cap, Schlitz, Bush Bavarian, and the good stuff. Whisky was always served in the back, with the Wines, White Polk, Boones Farm, and Ripple.

The music in Third Ward was the Blues, cafes, and most night clubs were open day and night, serving food and alcohol. Old Lightning one of the local guitar players, played his guitar at one of the café’s on Dowling Street called the Red Dot Café. He always played to a packed crowd, and when he wasn’t playing at one of the local night clubs he played the Blues on the street corners night and day.

Old Lightning as he was called was not the only Blues singer that sung doing the daylight or nighttime hours on the street corners. They all sung about the good times and the bad times, sort of telling a story through a song. They had their beer or wine with them, never bothering anyone, just singing. They weren’t considered beggars… they asked for nothing. They didn’t have a cup or basket awaiting hand-outs. They just wanted to sing, and they did a very good job of it.., their way of letting out the grief and pain of living in the ghetto.

For some reason most of the blues singers had bad teeth, brown, and missing a tooth here or there, their grills were really bad probably from smoking cigarettes … Both the appearance of brown teeth and missing teeth were very noticeable. Fighting and not being able to afford a dentist probably was an issue also. Their eyes were deep brown and bloodshot from drinking and no sleep, their fingernails were equally brown from picking the guitar, and or smoking filter-less cigarettes such as Camel, Pall Mall or Bugles to the mere butt. Oftentimes you would see them re-roll smoked butts, money was tight. Now at times some of those butts were not cigarettes but marijuana. You had to have a little money for that though. If you were a kid you had to really listen to understand the corner singers. Strange as it may sound some of them became real famous, but kids weren’t supposed to listen to the blues, because it told of the bad times.

Nathaniel, Lawrence Ray and Little Man’s dad thought he could sing. He was a nice looking man, tall and very slim.a lady’s man … The song Lucille by BB King, was his favorite song. You know if it weren’t for all the crying he probably would have been a good singer. He sung Lucille so much because he missed his common-law wife, Bert. He realized too late that she was the best thing that ever happened to him.

No one legally got married in those days, there were no precious ceremonies, with fancy preachers, they just lived together, had children, and represented themselves as husband and wife, it was legally accepted, this was customary in those days.

The night clubs were open all week every night, the weekends were the best nights though. The weekend started on Wednesday. Sunday was considered a sacred day, but the Clubs still opened. Depending on who was there singing they were still very crowded. The kids in the neighborhood either went to church, or stayed in the house on Sundays, you’d better not be outside playing in your Church Clothes. After Church you changed into your School Clothes, and if you were a kid, you stayed your butt inside, no tearing or messing up your school or church clothes on Sundays.

Church Clothes usually consist of black tie ups shoes, white long sleeve shirts, no matter how hot or cold, you wore a long sleeve white shirt to church with a bow-tie or regular tie. The ties were very, very skinny, couldn’t hide those missing buttons on your shirt though, bow ties were rarely worn also because of missing buttons on the long sleeve shirts. The shoes most kids had either were too little or the soles were coming off (talking shoes). The funny thing about talking shoes was the sole was usually coming apart from the front part of the shoe thus causing them to flap, it was like someone was talking to you. that was the joke about talking shoes.

The kids had to be on their best behavior, and no getting dirty, no rolling tires, no fighting, no playing cards, no ironing clothes, and no cussing, and definitely no playing dominos. Sundays were relaxed days, relatives visited. The kids got to laugh at the grown-ups in Church with the Big Hats. Some of the hats had big feathers in them and some of the hats were bigger than the persons wearing them. Now the shoes were just as bad, most women had big feet in those days.Well the kids would always get into trouble for laughing in church.

Besides the Deacons and the Preacher, there weren’t too many men-folk as they were called, in Church on Sundays. The women of the Church would really take care of the Pastor. The men would claim their wives spent more of their money on the preacher than they did them.

Mr. Davis and Frog-Shorty, two of the neighborhood folks, would complain of the money their wives spend on the Pastor. Mr. Davis said, That big foot ass wife of mine spent five dollars on getting Rev. Jones a shirt from Rubenstein’s Department Store yesterday, and you know what?… His ass dresses better than me now. How do you like that shit?

Frog Shorty said in his heavy voice (Call Frog Shorty for the obvious reasons, a very short man with a deep voice) I got to buy my clothes from Wolf’s Department Store. Shit I can’t afford to go to Rubenstein’s. Your wife must really love that preacher, and probably more that she loves your ass.

Mr. Davis got real angry, and said You old ugly fool, just shut up, I don’t even know why I brought it up. Frog Shorty laughed so hard he started coughing. and with that deep voice of his he had made everyone think he was choking..

Good meals were cooked and everyone ate good and had a lot of clean fun on Sundays. If you were lucky enough to have a television… you couldn’t watch it until after six that evening and the family watched The Wonderful World of Disney.

There were streets in Third Ward Texas that were considered off limits by most of the neighborhood kids. Francis was one of those streets. Most of the older kids lived on Francis. They were kind of transplanted there not really growing up in the area, therefore no one knew or trusted them very well. Francis Street was where the Arthur Kenna Gang lived. The neighborhood kids wanted no part of them. They always traveled together, funny thing about it though they were all family, cousins, brothers, sisters, all family. The little gangs in those days were family. They stuck together for safety, fighting, stealing, and just being plain mischievous. That is. until they pissed off some of the old folks. You sassed grown folks. you got your butt whipped. and they would take you home and tell your folks that they whipped your butt, and for the most part you got another butt whipping.

Most people dared to travel through Third Ward. They would say the people in Third Ward were rough people. And if you drove through roll your windows up, and make sure your doors are locked. Don’t know whether they were scared, or just careful. People were always insecure involving things they didn’t understand, and most didn’t understand Third Ward, well. you had to live in Third Ward Texas to understand.

Outside people thought the folks in Third Ward were strange because they were so self-contained, self-sufficient and seldom needed the police. Most of the kids would play barefooted because in those days you had two pair of shoes, Church Shoes for Church, and School Shoes for School, non other, so when you went outside to play, you couldn’t wear either pair of shoes, you went barefooted as they would say, which was okay with most. Now if you were lucky, and very lucky at that, you may have a handed-down pair of Chuck Taylor tennis shoes, and if you did, they were considered School tennis shoes, face it, if you wanted to play outside you were barefooted. Most outsiders found it strange to see a kid out playing barefooted.

Most of the houses were small shotgun houses that set on bricks with a wood porch. They had two bedrooms, one bathroom, and a kitchen, which was in the back of the house. You had to go through the second bedroom to get to the kitchen, if you were lucky. These houses were called Shotgun Houses, because if you opened the front door you could see right out the back door.

These small shotgun houses were all anyone could afford. They probably paid for themselves over and over no one knew any other way to survive. Most of the residents there had an old couch or dive-in as they were called on their front porch, which served as a living room for most. The small shotgun houses set up high on about three feet of bricks, leaving room under the houses for the kids to play and hid things. Some of the residents would use the area under their house to store things, therefore the under portion of the shotgun houses were kept pretty clean.

There were some areas in the neighborhood that was considered off limits, where supposedly the Boogie Man lived. Those particular houses were boarded around the bottom near the bricks that supported them. There was always something strange about that row of houses. Sometimes you saw the lights on, and other times you didn’t. Some say that several people died there and their ghost was still there. No matter what the case was, the Boogie Man was real, and most of the kids knew it. Well at least everyone, except Lawrence Ray and Jessie James, who just didn’t let on that they were scared of anything.

One night, something strange happened in Third Ward on Division Street. Little Man was setting on the couch or dive-in as they called in their little house. Bert, Little Man and Lawrence Ray’s mother and their three sisters, Valencia, Nadine, and Debra had just finished eating. Little Man was combing Nadine hair he was fairly good at it too. He loved to comb his sister’s hair. All of a sudden something knocked on the door. Lawrence Ray was nodding off to sleep. Little Man was just too scared to open the door. Nadine was half sleep and too sleepy to even realize or recognize the knocking. The screen door suddenly and slowly opened the most horrible ugly looking thing with horns on its head walked in. It had feet like a goat and looked like a goat, with blood red eyes. It looked at Little Man and everyone there setting on the dive-in. No one moved, no one said a word, it was as though he was the only one that could see this horrible looking creature. He tried to call his mother but the words just would not come out. He tried and tried, but nothing would come out. He tried to move and couldn’t. He just sat there scared to death. Everybody just froze, no one saw anything but Little Man. All of a sudden the horrible looking creature asks, WHERE IS NATHANIEL?

Little Man was so scared he could not move, nor could he answer. Lawrence Ray was asleep, Nadine had nodded off to sleep. The Boogie man asked again, pointing his hairy long nailed fingers at Little Man, RONALD WHERE IS NATHANIEL ?

Little Man was so scared he pissed all over himself, he couldn’t move and was wondering why Lawrence Ray and Nadine were not responding and how did the Boogie Man know his name. The Boogie Man looked at Little Man and as quickly as it came it left, it slowly walked back out the front door and just disappeared. Ronald woke Lawrence Ray and Nadine up crying, Did you see the Boogie Man, he came right in this room and looked at all of us.

Nadine looked at Lawrence Ray, they both looked at Little Man crying. They knew something was wrong and dare not doubt what had happened or what he saw. Nadine and Little Man were very close, she got up off the floor, where she was setting and hugged her brother, No, Little Man we didn’t see anything, is it gone?

Yes, it was the ugliest thing I ever saw, and I don’t ever want to see it again, I am just glad it didn’t take us all away.

Lawrence Ray got up, went into the other room, to get Bert, he told her what Little Man said had happened. She didn’t doubt what had happened, but neither did she affirm it, she just said, You all need to stop being so bad, that was the Devil.

Little Man jumped up and ran to his mother’s arms, considering he was the oldest of Bert’s children. He was also the baby, her baby… but no one else knew that. There was just something special about her love for him, not that she didn’t love all her children, he was just special.

Little Man cried in his mother’s arms like a little baby, Mama why was the Boogie Man looking for Nathaniel?

Bert rubbed her son’s head, and kissed him, Don’t worry baby it won’t be back. Just as Little Man was so frightened, the fear went away.

Nights in Third Ward during the summer months were hot and humid, box fans, and the existing screen doors and screened windows were all most people had in the little shotgun houses on Division street. The screen doors were kept locked they were hooked to the side frame of the doors from the inside of the houses.

This hot and humid night was probably the last night Little Man and Lawrence Ray would see their mother Bert and their sisters for a long while.

That night before Little Man heard his mother crying, saying, Nathaniel don’t hit me anymore, please leave me alone.

Nathaniel was Bert’s common law husband and the children’s father. He would get drunk and they would fight. This would bother Little Man very much, so much that he would not claim Nathaniel as his daddy, he was just that mad at Nathaniel. Little Man loved his mother very much.

One night Little Man got up and walked in on Nathaniel slapping Bert around, he said to Nathaniel with his fist balled up ready to fight, Nathaniel stop!, you better not hit my Mama anymore. Nathaniel looked at Little Man. grit his teeth and was ready to hit him, but the little kid had a plan. He had gotten Mama Bessie’s baseball bat and butcher knife she kept in the creases of her dive-in. He was ready to use both of them if necessary. He envisioned whipping the shit out of Nathaniel with the baseball bat. But he knew deep down Nathaniel was a coward. He would only fight people he could whip.

Lawrence Ray walked in the room at that same time and said real calmly Nathaniel leave Bert and my brother alone. Lawrence Ray also knew what needed to be done he knew Little Man was mad and serious. They were both crying Lawrence Ray said again Nathaniel leave my mother alone, I am tired of you making my brother and my mama cry all the time, I hear you all the time always fighting, you need to stop, and stop right now, or I will go get Chuck and LC.

Nathaniel looks at Lawrence Ray, and said, Boy. get your butt out of here, before I whip your butt too. Little Man knew then what he needed to do. By that time Nathaniel had awaken everybody in the house, including, Nadine, Debra, and Valencia.

Lawrence Ray and Little Man ran out of the front door, went two houses down to Mama Bessie’s house. Lawrence Ray ran around the corner to find Chuck or LC (Lewis Calvin). Chuck and LC was Bert’s brothers neither liked Nathaniel. By the time Little Man got back home from Mama Bessie’s house. Chuck and LC had Nathaniel on the ground getting ready to shoot him with a double-barreled shotgun pointed at his head.

Please don’t kill him, please give him another chance, he ain’t nothing but a fool, and he knows it, let him live, he ain’t worth killing Bert cried grabbing her children.

Mama Bessie heard Little Man come in the door of her house, she heard him crying saying, Nathaniel is fighting my mama, and I am tired of it.

Mama Bessie jumped up, wearing her old silk night gown, ran out the door, running down the street, which was just two doors down the street, not more than fifty feet, screaming Don’t kill my baby. She knew LC and Chuck did not like Nathaniel, and they were serious about killing him. Black folks killing other black folks, wasn’t a big issue in those days. The police would investigate, but nothing much would come of it

Chuck and LC had warned Nathaniel before to keep his hands off of their sister. His time was up, and they had no problem killing him, Nathaniel knew it, he knew he had screwed up this time.

In Third Ward, life and death was a part of living. And everyone living in Third Ward knew it better than anyone. There were shootings and knife fights in the clubs almost every weekend, and someone always got shot or killed. Everyone owned a gun. Guns were more important than vehicles, telephones, and clothes to some people. The funny thing about it guns were only used for protection in the clubs. Everyone pretty much trusted everyone else, that is. when alcohol was not involved.

Please don’t kill my son, I know he is a fool, but please let him live. Mama Bessie cried.

Bert pleaded with her two brothers again, not to kill Nathaniel. Lewis Calvin please let him go, please don’t kill my husband.

Once she said that, LC and Chuck, let Nathaniel go saying to him in a very harsh and angry tone Next time, mother fucker you will die. Nathaniel looked at everyone and just started running. It was so quiet after that, no one said a word. Finally everyone left. One of the few times Lawrence Ray and Little Man hugged one another. They were just crying cause everyone else was crying let Lawrence Ray tell it.

That night was the last time for a long while that Little Man and Lawrence Ray would see their mother and sisters. Bert got up in the middle of the night and left Third Ward Texas, with their three sisters. They went to California. Never to return until years later after all the children were grown. It was never known whether the occurrence caused her to leave or whether it was already planned, but Bert, Nadine, Valencia, and Debra left Third Ward Texas.

One thing Little Man knew was that he would never doubt the Boogie Man was real. Whether it was the Boogie Man or the Devil, a ghost, or just an ugly old man, it scared the crap out of him. The sight of what he saw that night never left his memory, for two reasons, one… His mother and sisters left him and two… the sight of what he saw caused him fears for the rest of his life. He always wondered, if the Boogie Man had found Nathaniel that night would all this have happened… The funny thing about it all, he was the only one that saw the Boogie Man that night. He often wondered was it a dream, did he fall asleep too. There was no doubt in his mind what had happened, imagine, telling someone, or just trying to describe the events that lead up to the Boogie Man’s appearance and disappearance. Well. he and his mother knew it was not a dream.

Doing those days, there was a song, it went It was a one eyed, one horn flying purple people eater, one eyed, one horn, flying purple people eater… The kids tend to believe there was a one eyed one horn flying purple people eater, and with the talk of Flying Saucers and Aliens back in those days it was more real to believe than not.

CHAPTER II

You really had no privacy in Third Ward, your business was everyone else’s business, and there was no shame. Mr. Jones who also lived on Division Street would frequently get his gas turned off. He would get his tools and turn his gas back on. The gas company would then take his entire gas meter. He would then utilize some plain old garden hose with some clamps and replace his meter with garden hose and turn his gas back on. He would pay Jessie James and Lawrence Ray a quarter a week to watch out for the gasman, so he could quickly disconnect if necessary. There was all kind of ways to steal utilities in those days. Nathaniel would steal electricity when his, or Mama Bessie’s electricity was turned off, he would just take a long extension cord and plug into someone else’s electricity, and have extension cords all over the house for various uses.

Mr. Cash The Rent Man owned most of the little shot-gun houses in the area. He was loved and hated. He drove a Big White Cadillac all the kids liked him, because he would always give them a nickel. In reality he gave them money just to get them out of the way while he discussed rent business with the adults.

That nickel was a lot of money to the kids … five moon cookies and if you were lucky, just maybe Mr. George had some all day suckers. Once you licked or sucked it down there was money usually embedded inside, a penny, nickel or maybe a dime. The all day suckers were neglected most of the time because the moon cookies were filling, and you could get a whole lot of them. The kids in the neighborhood would get their all day suckers and cookies and go to their club houses and pig out. Usually their club houses were the spaces under houses in the neighborhoods, this was the life for kids. this was Third Ward Texas.

Bessieeee, Hey Mrs. Bessie Mr. Cash would boldly call.

Bessieeee!! Mr. Cash would call again as he walked down the narrow streets of Division between the shotgun houses.

Mama Bessie was Little Man and Lawrence Ray’s grandmother. She was the sweetest person that any kid would want for a grandmother. She loved her grandchildren. She would not waist the time to say Little Man, she would just say Lil Main, she knew him like a book, but she also knew Lawrence Ray like a book. If there was trouble and the two of them were involved well. Lawrence Ray was probable the root of the problem. He would get the butt whipping, not Little Man, although there were times when Little Man would use his trouble making brother’s reputation to his advantage.

What do you want Cash, I won’t have your rent money until next week Mama Bessie would say with an honest smile.

OK, Bessie see you next week, have you heard from Bert Mr. Cash said as he was walking away to get in his White Cadillac.

Mr. Cash would always ask Mama Bessie about Bert and the rest of her kids. He loved Bert very much most people thought Mr. Cash helped Bert get to California, just to get away from Nathaniel. No one ever knew the difference.

Little Man. boy get your narrow butt out them streets, Miss Ida Mae would holler

Mrs. Ida Mae was Jessie James, and Man’s mother. She was always fussing at the neighborhood kids to stay out of the streets, well. what streets the neighborhood consisted of small alley ways. If you walked off your front porch while a car was coming down the alley way you got ran over. A car took up the whole alley way. for the most part nobody in the neighborhood had a car, except for Mr. Cash.

Little Man would look at Mrs. Ida Mae, and say Yes Ma’am

Mrs. Ida Mae would smile, and continue hanging clothes on the clotheslines outside her house. While watching Mrs. Ida Mae finish hanging her clothes, Ronald ran over to the Boo-Boo and Button’s house to look for Lawrence Ray. Mama Bessie wanted both of them to come home. Lawrence Ray was nowhere to be found. Now Jessie James was at home setting on the steps crying, Ronald walked over to Jessie James.

What’s wrong with you?

Mr. George told it on me, and I caught a butt whipping.

Not knowing what Jessie James was talking about, Ronald kind of got scared, because even though Mr. George owned the neighborhood corner store, he knew the kids in the neighborhood were stealing. Nothing big, but he knew most of the parents and the kids. Ronald was still unsure what was going on, because if Lawrence Ray was not at home, which he was not. then he should be with Jessie James.

Getting really agitated Ronald said very load, Jessie James where is my brother?

Ronald and Lawrence Ray shared a special relationship, they were one, and if you bothered one of them you bother the both of them. Jessie James knew this, but he still would not tell Ronald where his brother was. Mild tempered Ronald was really getting pissed, he knew Jessie James had better tell him something real soon, or there would be a fight. Ronald was no match for Jessie James, but he would not back down.

Jessie James looked at Ronald, put his head in his lap, and started rocking back and forth as if he was rocking himself to sleep, he didn’t say a word, although he wanted to.

Ronald grabbed him by the arm, and slung him into streets. He jumped on him and just started punching him anywhere he could. He was really pissed, and did not care where he hit him.

All the time Ronald was punching him, Mrs. Ida Mae was screaming Bessieeee, Bessieeeee, you had better come get Little Man, he is out here fighting.

Everybody called Bessie Creer, Mama Bessie, because she was just that, to everyone in the neighborhood. All the kids and adults both loved her very much, she was heavy set as they would say, and very pretty in her day, a big boned woman that loved all her children. A fight in the neighborhood was a big commotion, didn’t matter who was fighting, it was excitement, and since the neighborhood was so close, it was usually considered a family matter.

Ronald kept punching Jessie James and he just would not hit Ronald back. He kept saying, Little Man you had better quit. Ronald persisted he just kept punching. Soon Ronald realized he was not hurting Jessie James’s fat butt.

So he started punching him in the face, that’s when Jessie James hit Ronald back. He hit Ronald so hard he knocked the wind out of him. Ronald rolled over on the ground gasping for air I am going to kill your fat ass, you hear me I’m going to kill you ass, you just wait till I get up.

At that very moment a car came rolling down Division Street. The car stopped short of running over both Jessie James and Ronald. Mama Bessie ran and snatched the guy out of the car and was getting ready to punch him out when she realized it was Nathaniel.

Where in the hell did your sorry ass steal this car from, boy?

At that very moment, she threw Nathaniel back in the car and ran over to Ronald and Jessie James, who were still fighting. A crowd had surrounded the both of them, several attempts had been made to stop the fighting, but the neighborhood knew Mama Bessie would not understand anyone handling Ronald too roughly.

Mama Bessie just grabbed Jessie James and Ronald both, separated them, and shook the both of them .

Lil Main take your narrow butt home, and I mean right now! Ida Mae, come get Jessie James!

Mrs. Ida Mae, being a little on the heavy side also, wasted no time coming over to get Jessie James, she knew Mama Bessie was pissed, she knew this was not the end of it all either.

Bessieee she hollered back I am on my way.

During all the commotion, no one mentioned Lawrence Ray, but Ronald was still wondering where his brother was. He was still pissed, which didn’t amount to a whole lot, he knew Lawrence Ray was in trouble somewhere.

Mrs. Turkey, Boo-Boo and Button’s mother said, Bessie, that baby was fighting, because that old bad ass Jessie James boy would not tell him where Lawrence Ray was.

Boo-Boo and Button, were two other kids in the neighborhood, they kind of lived on the very end of Division Street in a much bigger house than most. Their house was bigger, not because they had money or anything, but because there was so many of them. Mrs. Turkey thought the world of Ronald, but despised Jessie James, and didn’t care too much for Lawrence Ray, just because he hung out with Jessie James.

Mrs. Turkey was a very interesting she took care of a mentally challenged husband, and a paralyzed son in a wheel chair, and two daughters. There were probably ten people in that one house. Mrs. Turkey always had something good to eat in her house, Ronald liked that. Mrs. Turkey loved to hug Ronald and he loved the hugs he received from her. Her neck was kind of wrinkled and long, maybe how she got the nick name Mrs. Turkey, but she didn’t have a problem with the name…

Little did anyone know, Lawrence Ray had gotten caught stealing at George’s store, and was made him clean up. Lawrence Ray made Jessie James swear not to tell anyone. Swearing meant a lot to the kids, and really once you swore to something, nothing could make you tell, that is nothing outside a butt whipping.

Ronald was still worried about Lawrence Ray. He knew Jessie James knew where his brother was. He also knew that if Lawrence Ray was not in the house before it got dark, he was in trouble too. Mama Bessie made them accountable for each other, and she meant it too. When Mama Bessie got mad at you., well you had better start begging for mercy early, because once she put your head between her legs, and commenced to whipping that butt, there was no hope.

Nathaniel was still trying to explain to Mama Bessie, where the car came from, she was about ready to whip his butt also, here a grown man, work all week, and come home with no money, and this old car, she was pissed. Nathaniel, you had better take this dam car back to where you found it and right now Mama Bessie said, And don’t you come back unless you bring some rent money.

Mama Bessie loved her baby boy. Nathaniel, he could get away with murder and he knew it and always took advantage of it. But when Mama Bessie meant business she meant business. She knew that if Nathaniel didn’t come home with some rent money, she would have to get it some way.

Mama Bessie was very talented in her own little way. , she worked Picking Ducks, she worked in Mrs. Hazel’s Café, and she gambled at Pekino, all of which she was very good at. Ronald and Lawrence Ray enjoyed going to work with her, wherever it was, because they got to eat all that they wanted, and stay up late.

Mrs. Hazel, well she owned the restaurant around the corner on Holman and Dowling. Everybody would eat at Mrs. Hazels place, and you know. she made a lot of money. She never charged Mama Bessie or her children anything to eat. There were days when Nathaniel would gamble off his whole paycheck, and there was no food in the house, Mrs. Hazel would always come through, with a smile, a hug and a lot of good food.

Lil Main, where is your brother, Mama Bessie said as she walked up the wooden steps to the little shotgun rent house.

Ronald started crying, I just don’t know.

What do you mean, you just don’t know?

Ronald started crying, louder and louder knowing it would not help, but hoping she would have mercy on him. He knew what was next, he was crying so hard, he got choked, and fell on the floor, coughing and throwing up all his food. Mama Bessie knew something was wrong. She grabbed him and started rocking him and petting him on the back, he was in heaven, and everything was OK. Mama Bessie looked at him with tears in her eyes. My Baby. My Baby, she never said another word.

Crying and still gagging Ronald looked up at Mama Bessie, ‘Mama Bessie, can I go over to Mrs. Turkey’s house and get Lawrence Ray, I think he fell asleep there."

He knew Mrs. Turkey did not like Lawrence Ray, but her daughters did and he knew Mama Bessie knew that too. Mama Bessie looked at Ronald and said Hurry back baby.

He had to find Lawrence Ray, or not come back home, he walked the neighborhood for hours looking for his little brother.

The important thing was Ronald could not go home without his brother, he went everywhere, he even went by Mrs. Hazel’s, as hungry as he was he didn’t eat, Mrs. Hazel knew something was wrong. She took Ronald in the back room and asked him what was wrong, there again he started crying. Crying was something that he did, tears come to him real easy, and he would cry about everything, he really didn’t mean to but he always did.

I can’t find my brother,

Mrs. Hazel knew that Mama Bessie was ready to be tied, where were her two boys. She knew Mama Bessie was worried, and nervous. Go find Chick-a-Dee Mrs. Hazel hollered out. The entire restaurant cleared.

Chick-a-Dee was the neighborhood caretaker. He was a severe alcoholic that took care of business. He would look out for all the neighborhood kids. No one knew where he stayed, or if he ever slept or ate, but he always had a bottle of wine. He would claim he was a Wine-O that savored the taste of wine not whiskey. His favorite hang-out was, EP’s Liquor Store on the corner of Holman and Dowling. He never bothered anyone., people would just stop by and say Chick-a-Dee, What’s the word, Chick-a-Dee would smile and say Thunderbird, they would say, Chick-a-Dee, What’s the Price, Chick-a-Dee, would spin around, and come around with his hands open, bad feet and all, and say Chicken and Rice.

This was a sight to see, and people really enjoyed his spirited voice. Some say he was a College Professor at Texas Southern University, a very intelligent man, when he wasn’t clowning, and drinking alcohol. He always knew what was going on in the neighborhood, and knew a lot of secrets about people. Chick-a-Dee’s feet were infected real bad he could barely walk some said that he had gangrene in his feet, and others said it was the alcohol. No one never knew why he, never went to the hospital, nor did anyone ever think much about it. All they knew was, he was real friend to the neighborhood kids, Chick-a-Dee was their hero. Some say they saw him once beat off three men, who tried to rob EP’s Liquor store.

If anyone could find Lawrence Ray it was Chick-a-Dee and Mrs. Hazel knew this. The police was never mentioned. The entire neighborhood was looking for Lawrence Ray.

Ronald knew Jessie James was the only one who knew where his brother was, but he also knew the value of a promise. He knew Lawrence Ray made him promise, and a promise was a promise, especially when you spit on it and shook hands.

All of a sudden Mrs. Hazel’s, door swung open, there stood Chick-a-Dee, Ronald he called out. Little Man hated when people called him Ronald. He would get mad at everyone who knew how to pronounce it. He kicked a girl once, because she called him Ronald, she chased him all the way home. Juanita made him hug the girl and apologize…that he didn’t like.

Mrs. Hazel knew that if anyone could find Lawrence Ray, Chick-a-Dee could, so when he called out Ronald, Mrs. Hazel said. Go see what he wants baby.

Chick-a-Dee, would always call Little Man, Ronald, but never around the other kids. Ronald, did Lawrence Ray get mad at you about something? Chick-a-Dee asked.

No Sir, but, Jessie James knows where he is.

Where is Jessie James?

He is at home, probably sleeping.

Go run and tell Mrs. Ida Mae to come over to Mrs. Hazel’s place.

Where are Nathaniel, and James Jr.? Mrs. Hazel asked.

James Jr. is with Maxine, I just saw them across the street. said another voice.

James Jr. was Nathaniel’s oldest brother, they called him Shaky, because he had a shaking condition from the military, and he was always shaking his legs when he sat down. They said he was a disable veteran, well. most folks found that very hard to believe, because he was so likeable. James Jr. loved sports, especially baseball. He was always over somebody’s house watching sports and shaking his leg, he seemed to know all the players. No one knew any different. James Jr. was kind of short and stout, as they would say, he and Nathaniel never agreed on anything.

James Jr. hated the way Nathaniel treated Bert. James Jr. called Nathaniel a pretty boy, and was always telling him he needed to be a man, and quit being a little punk. He never hesitated to call you a punk. Once he told Nathaniel he was King Punk, he said, I am going to make sure my nephews, don’t turn out like you. James Jr. always looked for a reason to ridicule Nathaniel, no one knew why.

Nathaniel was rather good looking for a man, very well groomed. He knew he was good looking. Those that knew Nathaniel call him Big Nate, or just Nate, he was a big man, tall, slender with pretty wavy hair. He claimed he had some Indian in him but in those days everybody claimed Indian heritage. The man was very well put together. Nathaniel, was very quick on his feet, whenever he couldn’t talk his way out of trouble he would run. He outrun Chester once, never knew what happened, but Chester and Nathaniel both were running down Dowling street, and Chester was running real hard to just stay with Nathaniel.

Chester was Nathaniel’s dog, no one knew where that name came from, but most of the folks in the neighborhood wondered whether Chester was dog or human. He had a mind of his own. Everyone loved that dog he protected most of the neighborhood kids especially Ronald and Lawrence Ray. Chester was mixed boxer and chow. well that’s what Nathaniel told folks. The dog always had an attitude and had to be tied up with chains, nothing else held him. Mama Bessie would say he was like Lawrence Ray. He didn’t like anybody. Once Jessie James was teasing Chester, he broke his chains and chased Jessie James all the way home. You would think Chester was laughing all the time he was chasing him home, because once Jessie James got home, Chester just sat there watching him, until he went into the house. Chester would not eat dog food, he ate everything but dog food, greens, beans, bread, crackers, bread pudding, and corn bread was his favorite. Mama Bessie always kept something in the ice-box for Nathaniel’s dog, and it wasn’t dog food. One thing for sure, if Mama Bessie wanted to find Nathaniel, she just turned Chester loose and said Chester go find Nathaniel.

CHAPTER III

Mrs. Ida Mae. Mrs. Ida Mae. Mrs. Hazel wants you. Ronald said as he entered the door of Mrs. Ida Mae’s house. Ronald was always taught to knock, and say yes ma’am, and yes sir, and open the doors for women, and respect adults. Mama Bessie made sure of that, but he was so worried about his brother he neglected his teachings, that night.

What’s wrong Little Man?

Lawrence Ray is missing

Did you ask Jessie where he was, I am sure Lawrence Ray’s shadow knows.

Yes ma’am, he said he didn’t know. The whole time they were talking, Mrs. Ida Mae was putting on her Duster.

Mrs. Ida Mae walked over to Jessie James’s room, Jessie Dewayne James, get your butt up right now.

Jessie came running out of his room. He knew when his mother called him by his whole name he was in big time trouble. His plan was to just start crying, that way, just maybe he would get a little sympathy.

Jessie James came running out of his room, Mama, I love you.

Boy, shut up, where is Lawrence Ray?.

Mama, I don’t know he is probably somewhere sleeping.

Shut-up. your fat butt is lying, you know where he is. Ronald screamed.

Jessie James, grabbed Ronald threw him on the dive-in. Ronald bit him on the arm, the fight was on. Mrs. Ida Mae continued to dress and calmly walked outside, got a big switch came back inside while Jessie and Ronald were wrestling on the floor. Mrs. Ida Mae began swinging those big arms of hers and she did not miss a stroke, she just swung, the switch connected each time.

Little Man you come with me, Jessie when I come back, Lawrence Ray had better be here or you better not be here.

Jessie James knew his mother was not playing. Ronald knew it too. They both were crying and rubbing their arms, butt, and shoulders. Everywhere Mrs. Ida Mae hit with that switch was stinging, hurting and burning. Mrs. Ida Mae could whip some butt.

Little Main where have you been. Have your brother. Mama Bessie asked as she walked out of her house headed for Mrs. Turkey’s house.

No Ma’am, not yet, but I think I know where he is.

As Mrs. Ida Mae walked down the narrow alley-way headed toward Mr. Hazel’s place, she saw Mama Bessie, Hey Bessie, where you headed?

Well I am headed over to Turkey’s house, still looking for Lawrence Ray.

Well, you just as well come go with me to Hazel’s place.

Mrs. Turkey overheard Mrs. Ida Mae and Mama Bessie talking. The houses were that close and being nosy was just the way it was.

Ida Mae, you and Bessie, wait, let me put on my house shoes, and I will go with you to Hazel’s place. Is that Little Man with you? Mrs. Turkey said in her usual heavy voice.

Yea, Turkey, we all headed to Hazel’s place, hurry up.

Okay Bessie.Little Man have you eaten anything baby, Mrs. Turkey was always concerned with Lawrence Ray and Ronald eating, she knew times were hard.

I am not hungry, Mrs. Turkey, Thank you. Ronald said, knowing darn well, he was lying. Mrs. Hazel had some banana pudding, candied yams, and some pork bones at her place and Ronald had much rather have some of Mrs. Hazel’s food, than a sandwich from Mrs. Turkeys.

Mrs. Turkey finally got dressed and they all left. Ronald was well protected there was no one in Third Ward Texas, that even wanted to