Little A and Womack

By John Chipley

Shirley Nelson Kersey, Ph.D.For The Young African-American Boy

Readers of the books of fiction featuring Little A, a boy living in the projects of Memphis, are instantly aware that the writer is eminently qualified to focus on this young hero.

Only a person who has taught in the inner city schools i

• Language: English
• Publisher: URLink Print & Media, LLC
• Release date: Feb 5, 2021
• ISBN: 9781647536640

John Chipley

Shirley Nelson Kersey, Ph.D. Readers of the books of fiction featuring Little A, a boy living in the projects of Memphis, are instantly aware that the writer is eminently qualified to focus on this young hero. Only a person who has taught in the inner city schools is able to create a fictional, yet realistic account of the life of a youngster struggling to find himself in this environment. John Chipley, whom the boys fondly have dubbed Mr. Chip, taught in Memphis inner-city schools for over fifteen years. In retirement he offers weekly volunteer sessions that focus on encouraging boys to read. This is a lofty goal, for the boys live in homes and neighborhood environments not structured to develop reading skills or dreams of career advancement. Mr. Chip’s goal surpasses development of reading ability to encourage the boys to enjoy this privilege. Chipley is formally prepared to teach, for he holds both Bachelor and Master of Education degrees. However, the most memorable aspect of his classroom presence is his heart. He cares deeply about each one of his students and is there for them both now and in the future. Through the persona of Little A, Chipley gives the boys a fictional character with whom they can identify. Little A’s life style echoes theirs. While reading this series of books, the boys witness someone they can relate to. Little A is a wonderful fictional character full of wisdom, character, adventure, and confidence.

Book preview

Little A and Womack

Little A and Womack

Copyright © 2021 by John C. Chipley. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any way by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the author except as provided by USA copyright law.

The opinions expressed by the author are not necessarily those of URLink Print and Media.

1603 Capitol Ave., Suite 310 Cheyenne, Wyoming USA 82001

1-888-980-6523 | [e-mail]

URLink Print and Media is committed to excellence in the publishing industry.

Book design copyright © 2021 by URLink Print and Media. All rights reserved.

Published in the United States of America

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021901775

ISBN 978-1-64753-663-3 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-64753-664-0 (Digital)

20.01.21

Contents

Introduction of Characters

Chapter 1: A Call For Help

Chapter 2: The Adventure Begins

Chapter 3: The Very Next Day, Womack!!

Chapter 4: The Mountain People

Chapter 5: Doc

Chapter 6: In The Beginning, There Was A Rope Bridge

Chapter 7: What Do I Do Now?

Chapter 8: Trapped

Chapter 9: Alone

Chapter 10: Don’t Go!

Chapter 11: Free At Last

Chapter 12: Yes, It’s Me

Chapter 13: Who?

Chapter 14: The Transfer Of Life

Chapter 15: Bengali

Introduction of Characters

Little A: Little A, our hero, is twelve years old and lives in the inner city of Memphis with his mom. He’s African American, skinny, has long cornrows, and loves to play basketball. He’s a straight A student in the seventh grade. He is tired of being poor, so he is working hard at school to make good grades. Little A knows that good grades are his ticket out of the projects and poverty. Angel face outline HERO!!!

Joshua (Little A’s best friend): Joshua, age twelve, lives in the mountains of Virginia, in a small town named Mt. Jackson. Little A met Joshua last summer when he went to visit his uncle in the mountains of Virginia. Joshua and Little A instantly became best friends, like brothers. However, they lived in two very different worlds. Joshua is white, skinny, VERY tall, and VERY funny. His blond hair is cut short, and he always wears bib overalls with holes in the knees. He never wears a shirt and always goes barefoot. The two boys look so different, yet they are very much alike. Little A taught Joshua all about living in the inner city of Memphis (gangs, street ball, the gun he found while walking home from school, and much more). Joshua taught Little A about country life (wild bears, tractors, fishing, splitting firewood, skinny dipping, and hard work). The two boys look so different on the outside; yet, on the inside, they are identical. Angel face outline LITTLE-A’S BEST FRIEND.

Ms. Sister: Joshua lives with, and was adopted by, an old lady everyone calls Ms. Sister. Joshua never did know her real name. She is small (the same height as Joshua) and very old, yet full of fun. She is a white lady, but her skin looks grayish from working on the farm for so many years. She adopted Joshua when he was just a baby. Soon after, she also adopted a baby girl named Betsy.

Angel face outline FUNNY/CRAZY OLD LADY. EVERYBODY LOVES HER.

Betsy: Betsy is thirteen. She is African American and a short, skinny, funny little girl who loves to torment Joshua and Little A. She is a true tomboy and proud of it. She is feisty and doesn’t take any backtalk from the boys. Angel face outline VERY CUTE, FUNNY.

WOMACK: Womack is an American Indian, a Cherokee. At the age of fourteen, he runs away from home and joins the mountain people. Over time he becomes their leader. He is very tall and very strong. He is both good and not so good. You will have to determine if Womack is good or bad. Angel face outline GOOD? BAD? YOU DECIDE??

THE MOUNTAIN PEOPLE: This story takes place in the small country town of Mt. Jackson, Virginia. This is the home of the mountain people. Mt. Jackson hasn’t changed since the day it was founded. It is just a crossroad. It’s so small there isn’t even a town sign. There are no streetlights. The main road is just two blocks long. The main store in town is the general store, owned by Ms. Sister. Mt. Jackson is mostly farmland, but it is situated next to a giant mountain. It is a mountain that no one is allowed to enter. The people who live on this mountain are called "The mountain people." One very old rope bridge separates The mountain people from the rest of the world. In this story, Little A crosses over the bridge and is not allowed to return home. The mountain people have their own rules!! The mountain people are not like you and me.

(Now it’s time to start our story.)

Chapter 1

A CALL FOR HELP

It was the middle of a hot summer night. Momma woke me up and handed me the phone. She said, Abraham, WAKE UP! It’s Joshua. Something’s wrong. After handing me the phone, she sat on the edge of my bed. Momma always told me that nothing good happened after the sun went down. So

I didn’t want to answer the phone. I just held it in my hand for a long time. Then I finally said, in a very sleepy voice, Joshua?

Yeah, it’s me, your mountain bro.

Joshua was crying and talking at the same time.

Little A, something’s wrong, bad wrong, with Ms. Sister. I know she’s old, but she’s not acting normal. I’m scared she might die. Little A, if she dies the bank will take over the farm. The man at the bank, Mr. Morgan, is a bad dude. He doesn’t care about Ms. Sister, Betsy, or me. He just wants the land. Little A, if the bank gets the farm, Betsy and I will have to leave. We will be separated and moved to different foster homes.

Then there was a long pause. Joshua was having a hard time getting his words out, but he kept trying. "Ms. Sister never told us she was sick. She just started going to bed earlier and earlier, but I thought that was because she was so old. Yesterday morning when I got up, she wasn’t in the kitchen. Little A, Ms. Sister’s