Elton's Shoes

By Wendell Harris

Eltons Shoes is set in the mid 1970s in an inner city neighborhood. Elton is a twelve year old boy who struggles to deal with bullying by older boys on the street and belittling by his peers in school. It is a story about perseverance and what it means to believe in yourself and others. It speaks to what it means to be responsible and to question what you do not understand. Through his unfolding life experiences, Elton learns that things are not always what they appear to be. At the center of Eltons story is the power of friendship and family.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Jun 20, 2012
• ISBN: 9781452081458

Wendell Harris

Wendell Harris grew up in Youngstown, Ohio. After receiving his B.A. in Sociology from Youngstown University, he enlisted in the Peace Corps and served for two years in rural Jamaica. His duties included teaching elementary school and community development. Upon returning to the United States, he taught elementary school in the inner city of Cleveland, Ohio. He earned a Master of Arts in Teaching at Case-Western Reserve University prior to moving to New York State to teach in the Educational Opportunity Program at Suny-Albany. He also received a M.A. in African and Afro- American Studies at Suny-Albany. He has worked at Bard College, Cornell University, Oakland University and Schenectady County Community College. Prior to retirement in 2003, he worked for the New York State Education Department in the Office of School Improvement. He is a published poet, avid tennis player, worked in local theatre and currently works part-time as a massage therapist.

Book preview

Elton’s Shoes

by

Wendell Harris

Cover Designed by Marcus Kwame Anderson

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AuthorHouse™

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

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© 2012 by Wendell Harris. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 05/30/2012

ISBN: 978-1-4520-8143-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4520-8145-8 (ebook)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2010914594

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

CHAPTER I

CHAPTER II

CHAPTER III

CHAPTER IV

CHAPTER V

CHAPTER VI

CHAPTER VII

CHAPTER VIII

DEDICATED TO

PAYTON NASH

IN MEMORY

OF

DANIEL HARRIS 111

Special thanks to Jean M. Wood and Jean Finley

CHAPTER I

ELTON FELT A SHIVER MOVE down his spine. The shiver felt more like a warning than the effects of the cold. He quickly tossed the thought from his mind. As he pushed open the door to the old grocery store, he thought he smelled decaying fish. Wrinkling his nose, he said nothing and moved down the dusty, shadowed aisles. He took out the grocery list that his mom had prepared. Carefully, he selected a package of black-eyed peas, three cans of corn, two loaves of bread, a gallon of milk, laundry detergent and cereal. He brought them to the counter.

Behind it stood Mr. Everhart, a tall, thin man with a receding hairline, a wide space between his two front teeth, and a chalky complexion. His meat-stained apron hid part of his red and green tie and gray pants. The people in the neighborhood called his pants highwaters because they were always an inch above his ankles. He wore black loafers and white socks no matter what the season.

The only time Mr. Everhart smiled was when a customer handed him money. Elton wasn’t sure whether he was smiling at the customer, the money or himself. After Mr. Everhart deposited the money into the cash register, his face would become expressionless again.

In the mirror behind the counter, Elton caught a glimpse of himself. Momentarily, he studied his round face, chubby body and slightly bulging eyes. His blue sock cap was pulled snugly over his ears and his corduroy jacket made him look bigger than he really was. No matter what he wore, though, he was always reminded of his shoes. Each day he had to wear the scuffed, worn-down shoes.

Mr. Everhart finished ringing up the groceries.

Fifteen-sixty seven.

Elton dug into his pocket and brought out two ten dollar bills. A smile settled on Mr. Everhart’s face. Elton started to smile back but resisted.

Elton gathered up the bag of groceries and shoved the change into his coat pocket. The bag rustled in his arms as he opened the door and stepped into the wintry air. The late evening sun seemed frozen above the rooftops of the sprawling apartment buildings. Hugging the groceries with one hand, he rolled up the collar of his jacket and hurried toward home.

Ahead of him, two figures in long coats and stingy-brim hats approached. They drew closer as Elton shrank back, trying to give them room to pass. Plowed snow was piled into small hills along the sidewalk, and only a steady traffic of feet had cut a path wide enough