Little A: Fall from Innocence

By John Chipley and Tom Chipley

This is a coming
of age book
For boys (and girls)
Stories about:
*How to survive
*The Badness & Goodness
*Innocence Lost

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Jul 17, 2015
• ISBN: 9781504923026

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

© 2015 John Chipley. 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 07/16/2015

ISBN: 978-1-5049-2303-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5049-2302-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015911271

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

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

Everyone calls me Little A

Our First Talk

The F Word

It’s Called Survival

Hate Words

Gangs

Just Walk Away

The Finger

Girls

Just Say, No!

Super Teacher

Innocence Lost

Pure Evil

The Goodness Stories

The Letter

The Adventure Began

Goodnessville

The Surprise

The Last Talk

About the author

Dedicated to

Ibrahim Kone

edited.jpg

Little A

This book is also dedicated to

Janice Fitzpatrick

Everyone has a gift.

Janice chose to share her gift with me.

&

Because of her gift, I am able to get my books into the hands of children who otherwise might never have a book of their very own.

&

Starfish Ministry

Everyone calls me Little A

I grew up in the inner-city of Memphis, a section called Binghampton. It’s a place where innocence gets lost at an early age. In my case, I was only twelve.

This is a collection of stories about growing up in Binghampton and my coming of age. It is also about Grandma, her love, her humor, and her endless wisdom.

When I started the first grade, Grandma sat me down, got real serious, and said, Little A, we have to talk. Then she proceeded to tell me about the time she discovered she wasn’t a boy, like her six brothers, but a girl.

Trust me, you’re going to love Grandma!!!

Our First Talk

Grandma’s stories were full of laughter. She told me, with very childlike innocence, that she wasn’t delivered in the normal way. She said that a big bird dropped her on the front porch one night while her parents were sleeping. All her brothers were born the normal way. She was number four of seven children.

She laughed when she told me that for years she didn’t know why she didn’t have a pee-pee like all her six brothers. However, it never bothered her, because it never bothered anyone else. She was always just one of the boys. She thought the big bird must have dropped her by mistake, and some of her body parts got damaged. The fact was, she only had four toes on her right foot. So, she assumed she had lost other parts as well.

Grandma talked a lot about all the wonderful times she spent growing up in the country, versus how I grew up in the city. She always told me in her child like voice, Little A, I sure wish you could have grown up with me in the country. It was a wonderful time and place to be a child.

You see, Grandma was my protector. Around the apartments Grandma could protect me, she always had my back. But when I started school things changed. I remember the night before I started real school, the first grade, with the big kids, Grandma came into my bedroom and sat on the edge of my bed. She looked serious, like I was going off to war or something.

She said, Little A, we need to have ‘a talk,’ you and I.

I didn’t know what she was talking about. So, I asked, What talk? Did I do something wrong?

No, she said, Little A, tomorrow you start the first grade and, well, I can no longer go with you and protect you from all the badness in this world. And I feel sad about that. You see, at school, you’ll be hearing and seeing things that I wish I could stop, but I can’t. So, child, here be the plan for you and me.

I want you to ask me any question about anything you see or hear that you don’t understand, ANYTHING!! Soon, child, you be hearing words and seeing things from the older boys that you won’t understand. When this be happening, Little A, you let me know, O.K.?

I told Grandma, O.K. But I reminded her that I was a boy, and she might not understand my boy type things.

Little A, Grandma said, "as you know, I grew up with six brothers. I don’t think my brothers