A Young Black Stranger in Paradise

By Melvin

This story is about a young daring black boy growing to man hood in the 50th through 60.

'When time came for him to start school, he was so proud of himself. But that pertilay day to go to school, his mother told him Son, you will start school in the First Baptist Church in Woodbine.

In those days back in the 50th and 60th in the state of Georgia, everything was segregated for blacks, that meant they black people were not allowed to go in any public places to get even a piece of bread. But that did not worried Melvin much, the reason, he was a clever young boy, he learned good in school and
sport.

He was confidence that he will make in life, why because his mother pearl was her name taught him in very tender ages to show all people respect, regardless what race, and that what he did. He always had a smile on his dark face that makes him many friends in Woodbine with all citizens.

His character helped him to full his dream, yes it was not always smooth for him but his paradise he found in his life, not in woodbine Georgia, but in Germany, where he had his own business for many years, and his home. There is where he lives until this day.

It is the story of a young black boy from Woodbine who grew to a young man, went there to Ralph J Bunch high school for a while, then he left Woodbine on his journey to seek his paradise.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris UK
• Release date: Feb 6, 2015
• ISBN: 9781499093704

Book preview

A

Young Black

Stranger

In Paradise

Melvin

Copyright © 2015 by Melvin.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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.

Rev. date: 01/03/2015

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Contents

One

Jacksonville had a very good

Baseball Team the Jacksonville Braves

The time came to go to School in their New Bus to St Mary’s High School (Three)

The Day of Excitement on the Bus One Eveing

"A Day of Sorrow was in the Air in Woodbine (Five)

In The Summertime, When they Began Working on the Lettuce Farm In Woodbine

The Night at Mr; Rudolphs Club

Assocation at the ¹St Baptist Churches Every Two Years, A Joyfull Time for Young and Old!!

It was a Great Morning to Listen to the Singing of the Markig Birds

The Sophisticated Woman

Joe the hound dog went hunting with them

A Time to Rememer

One

Melvin was born in a small town, by the name of Woodbine, on the south east coast of Georgia that joins Florida. This variously town on High Way 17. Melvin grew up a young black boy to roam the streets of this little Town down in South east Georgia. Woodbine with it two thousand inhabitants, yes it was his town where he was born. Woodbine is wedge in between Brunswick, Georgia north, and south a big city Jacksonville, Florida.

Back in those days the famous high way US 17 ran from Washington DC to the last state on the eastern coast through the city Jacksonville Florida, a big city where the teenagers and the beautiful girls from Woodbine and Kingsland enjoyed their selves. They went to Jacksonville for sports, and night clubs, dancing. The summer time was the best to watch games, go swimming, and to dance to hear music in the clubs. All the high school girls liked baseball and basket ball just as much as the youngsters did.

they saw baseball games, in Jacksonville was indeed exciting to watch, Players like Hank Aaron, many more playing at the time with the Jacksonville Braves played it was a ball team, It was exciting to go walking in the city, it had large parks and in those parks filled with all kinds of trees. There were many benches for people to sit on. They were young at the time very young, they did not know what that word meant tired.(expired) Jacksonville at the time a modern large city, where many people from Woodbine were employed at.

Jacksonville with it large Parks large shopping centers, nice sandy beaches and many clubs, where the black young men girls enjoyed going to on the week ends. Play pool their, where they found their big brothers hanging out with their girls, but they were not allowed to say a word to them, when they were in the Clubs With their friends.

Jacksonville had a very good

Baseball Team the Jacksonville Braves

(A Ball) on that team back in fifties, Hank Aaron played, before going to the major Leagues. Hank was an outstanding player in center field. They went to the games as often as they could, sometime two times a week, when the Braves were, playing at home, in Jacksonville the whole Stadium was always full. Now to Woodbine, the small town he loved so dearly. The people were friendly, and they got alone blacks and whites. Woodbine could have become a economically booming town, but there were those land owners, who did not want that to happen. So the white business men’s from the North carried all the Factories to Saint Mary’s, the town grew to become the most booming town in South Georgia, second to Brunswick. In regards to development of all types of business, Polk wood which gives both towns a great economic growth there in Saint Mary was the first town in Camden County with 2 large high schools. blacks and one School for whites. In those days, there was strict segregation back in 1950th 60th in Woodbine, was a romantic little town, right on Highway 17at the time in 50th and 60th, the white folks were making their living mostly from the Yankees, at least that the name were given them after the silver war back in 1860th. But who cares about the past, since all the tourists were drive through Woodbine highway 17 to Florida. Many of the white folks had their restaurants and Souvenirs Shops not to forget the Gas Stations on high way 17.

Some of Melvin friends were working in their holidays trying to help their parents out with a couple of dollars, to meet ends. The salaries they got paid for their hard work was only few dollars in the summer time, from 8 am until 4 o’clock. Pm the food, they got perhaps a few hamburgers, which were sandwiches from one of their cousins slipped out to them during lunch break. Their cousins who were working as house maids for the business people in town were working there daily for a few dollars a day.

Their neighbor hood was located on the south side of town, like his friends said some time the Nero’s’ had to live on the south side, because those white folks though they should. Every time Ernesto always talked funny things to Melvin, some of their friends had to laugh. Until some older men who were passing by though, they were drunk. No, they called it fun not to deny, that they were so hungry, that their stomachs were yelling, as if they were letting some loud sounds go from behind them. Those were the days in Melvin town Woodbine. The black folks were so friendly, especially the older ones in the ages of Pupa. Melvin’s mother, his cousin handful, and his dear cousin Anne. Melvin remembered when he was, going home from work one day, he had to passed by her house every day. she called him Melvin she said, she knows his stomach is letting air out, she could hear it across the street, get over here she, said eat a piece of this good cold water melon! " , Before she could get the word out of her mouth, he had jump the fence, was on that water melon doing it a job, that’ the way the black boys talked in their slang back in those days in 50th in Woodbine Georgia. That means of good English. Melvin eats as much water melon as he could. Cousin Anna allowed him to eat almost all of it. She saw the water melon was demising, that was the most of the water Mellon.

Mrs. Pearl was Melvin dear mother, a tall beautiful brown skin woman, with dimples in her jaws. Pupa, that what the most of her children called her. She was highly respected from white and black folks in town. She never talked loud, no, and she had a smooth quiet way to talk. She really was a working woman. Like most of the black women, she draw a attention to men. The boys were some time so black that they were hard to detect at night, but Melvin has always noticed, when it was a girl, they always had a lighter completion than the most of the boys, but in the tenth grade in biology class, he learned that it could had something with the females genes genetic in the girls body. So the boys had to be darker he supposed.

It was raining all that day Monday in woodbine. Melvin was out mostly every day on Highway 17 on the side walk playing with his car tire.

The main highway 17 was famous in those days for the white tourists driving south to Florida. on holidays. The high way 17 ran through the center of Woodbine. That was where of course, all the shopping areas were for the tourists who were driving south, to do some shopping, or to eat in the restaurants. There was no Mc Donald cafe during those days, but they made some of the best Hamburgers in days in Woodbine, a town in the State east of Georgia. But in woodbine, they tasted better than any other town.

They had all kind of Souvenirs Shops with favorite candy bars, called pecan fudges. Melvin went mostly ever day to buy one. When he did not have any cash, to buy some with, he wanted, only a small bars of candy. He asked a tourist" Sir, he is so hungry, could he please buy him a bar of fudge candy?

Always when he was begging for something, there was a smile on his little dark face. Some time Melvin had luck, the most time they said nothing to him, Little color boy, he doesn’t need candy, than the Boss of the shop comes out side, they always told Melvin, takes his little behind and get away from there! Behind in Georgia slang in those days meant your little (but –ass away from this property ok) smile.

That was mostly in the summer time, when all of the older children were out of school in holidays. He always liked to run with his old worn out car tire on highway 17 at that age the age of twelve years old, he surely was the fastest running boy in town, but playing on the dirt road came to an end. It was getting time for Melvin to start school again, that was for Melvin as if he would be going to the chain gang, he did not want to, but there was Pupa, his mothers. Her name was Pearl, but, her six children called her Pupa as a nick name when they were small children it was easer to say Pupa than Pearl her real name.

It was time for the bell to ring, because that coming Monday was day X for the street runner to start school. His Mother went down to the Store in Woodbine mostly where she always shopped, and bought for him of course a pair of those blue jean. Melvin was so skinny, the jean almost did not fit. him. He had a pair of old worn out shoes, which his mother bought for him about six months earlier. The black kids always wore white shirts they walk out on the road at night the drivers of the cars could see at least the shirts they wearing. Wear were white shirts good to be seen at night.

Anyway, for that young boy at his age 9, Melvin was thinking that he would be going to a School house, but that was not the case in days of 195o. Through 53rd the black children had to go to school in woodbine in a Church, yes that where they had to go. Although their parents were paying taxies just like all the citizens, black and white, but blacks were denied of their rights. They did not have many rights; they were compelled to live at the Mercy of their white Neighbors, who were not always kind to blacks. Even at the age of twelve, ;Melvin could see the way his people were being treated, but the blacks people were still to this day, a races who were taken from West Africa, to work as Slaves, in the new world called America for nothing, just a small amount to eat. The white men called them selves in those days Christians, but their work proved differently. The way they treated them in those days.

At the age of thirteen he started to realize that his dear mother was compelled to work in order to take care of her children, they were three children, who were still living at home. Harry a young man, who was older than Melvin, his youngest sister Virginia. She was just a little girl, 7 years of age at the time.

He started his sevenths grade in the Church of course! His teachers would always say to Melvin, he is a smart little boy, just keep learning at home, and stay away from that old car tire on the street!" Melvin asked his teacher. Miss Annie said, to him, he is a smart boy in school, he reads quit good, he can spell and write well, just keep learning she said to Melvin, she was sure he will have a great future, if he only could finish high. Perhaps go to college. Melvin asked Mrs. Annie she thinks if he continues to work hard to learn, he could go to a high School? What is a high school, dose it means the school is up on a high hill? She got angry, she said to Melvin, he is still a young boy, but in a few years he will know much more about a high school, she will show him in a book what a high school is ok she said. He just smiled at her, said yeah mama.

The time came to go to School in their New Bus to St Mary’s High School (Three)

After 7 years going to school in the two Churches in Woodbine, time came for many of them to ride on the Bus to St Mary’s about twenty miles away from woodbine. After going to school in the two Churches for seven years, than they were driven with Bus to St Mary’s there was always a high schools, in St. Mary’s the black student and one for whites. The town had a large paper factory, it was so large many employers were working their, at least eight thousand employers all two schools were constructed out of bricks they were always looked clean had in the back of the school of our school was a gyms for sport, and basketball, The boys loved to play the game, so after about week in school, they were introduced to their Teachers. There were men and women teachers Mrs. Wilma Atkinson coughed his eyes quickly She was a beautiful dark skin woman, with very good apreance, nice figure, she impressed him, she spoke an outstanding English, he will never forget, she was from Montgomery Alabama. Since he was at that time in the eight grades, she was his math teacher for the following 3 years he was fifteen years old at the time. He started high school in Saint Mary was a cozy little dreamy town, located on the Saint. Mary’s River, with it entire lovely oak trees, crown with moos a pond their branches.

When that dream came true, for Melvin to ride in a car, it was a thrilling event for him to ride in a big school bus, was still more exciting! A dream came true, after his life just living in Woodbine to Brunswick, which was the largest city close to Woodbine. He felt as if he was a riding to New York city, anyway, some time his mother and her cousin Annie cousin Handful, that was the mother of Bryant Edith Mother where did she got that name from? well, people were saying, cousin Handful was so small tiny, that she was only a handful to see, anyway, she had also seven children, four girls, and three boys, who were all very close related to Melvin, and his mother and cousin Handful’s mother, were sisters the children called their mother Pupa, they were children of two sisters. Our mother and Handful were first cousins

After Bryant and Melvin reached the ninths grade, they started goings to school in the same grade in St. Mary’s high school. The two of them went at that time in the 8h grade. They like looking at the older boys play base ball. They promised, when they got older and grew bigger, they will by all means play the game they like so much, base ball. The years went by swiftly for them to join the team in woodbine, and the team got new faces in the line up.

"The Day of Excitement on the Bus

One Eveing"

If it had had been the time of Mohamed Allie and Joe Frasier that fight on the Bus between Loretta Williams, and Annie Meyers that fight would be called the fight of the century.

The Bus was returning back to woodbine, so the students got in line, waiting to board the Bus. Well some how Loretta Williams who all in their school

Loretta was known to be the meanest girl in the school house. The two of them Annie Meyers were in the same class to gather, the 8th grade. Anyway, Melvin saw Loretta, when she shoved Annie Meyers. She did not say a word, perhaps three feet, but Annie Meyers kept quieted, until the Bus started to move, perhaps ten miles away from Saint Mary’s, Melvin was talking to Bryant, than all of a sudden, some one said, they are fighting up front!, quest who they were, Annie and Loretta. All the students on the Bus started applauding with their hands, and a loud voice saying, hit her Annie give her a right cut! and that what she was donning, hitting Loretta the hardest blows Melvin had ever seen a girl threw, but Annie Meyers was getting back at her "with some left of those jabs, just like a man would throw them, very hard they were throne.

But after the driver came in the back of the bus, he wanted to stop them; Loretta hit him with a deadly blow than he was also hit from Annie Meyers with one of her right hooks. The bus driver just fell to the floor, but he got up quickly, "than some one shouted, he has a gun, but it was not a gun, it was something that fell out his pocket. So things cooled down. Those two girls really fought like men. After that happened, a day later, going from woodbine to Saint Mary’s on the bus to High school they saw a terrible accident. It happened about one hour before they got there, the most sad thing about it, they all were their school mates the young people that belong to the same high school. What happened? Melvin doesn’t know, but anyway they all were shocked to see their friends and students who were going to their high school together they know so long, lying on the highway dead.

"A Day of Sorrow was in the Air in Woodbine (Five)

Melvin will never forget that evening, they were in the movie, one could call it so, while in those days, there were only one place for the blacks, that was up stairs in the roof, just like a farmer puts his chicken up in the roof at night, On that Friday night, the movie had just started. Some young man came running up the stairs shouting Mr. Jason had been killed by some white man, who he was always running with him together, It was a fearful time for all of them, the young people were thinking who will be next ? so the Sheriff came up , of course the movie was empty in just 5 minutes. Melvin will never forget, it was very hot that night and to make it worse, Mr. Jason was only living a throw of a stone form where it happened. One may ask, what happened to the men who killed him? Well they carried the two white men to jail, but the next morning they were free again and sitting in their pick up truck in front of Mr. Jackson’s Store.

In The Summertime, When they Began Working on the Lettuce Farm In Woodbine

Melvin will never forget the first day Herbert Bryant and him started to work for first the time that year, they were very excited, because that meant, money honey for them, Oh boy" they started on that, Monday to cut the lettuce as fast as they could, they were getting paid accord, the, more they cut, the more they were paid. Melvin was the smallest of the three the boys, but he was quicker and fastest when it come to base ball, and field track. than they were, very fast least when it came down to talking and laughing and making jokes, on Mister Teddy’s Farm, there were women and girls during the vacation time, and of course the boys.

They were getting paid mostly on Fridays at about three pm in the afternoon, some earlier, it depend on what time the banks personals would have the cash counted out, anyway, the moment they received the money, no one could hold them any longer. They left with their bikes fast down yonder where the black people live; all three of their mothers were waiting for them. Melvin’s mother was at the time she was always setting on the porch, she liked that, so did cousin Handful, was waiting on Bryant too, she always, said to him boy how much you got pay? He would some time get angry, and say to her, don’t worry Mama he said, you will get some money from me today, she screamed at him and said," you are right she will, so long as he puts his big his know what in- her house, he will pay for the food the same way like Pearls two boys. Popup was the oldest son of cousin handfuls boys, Bryant and James who was the youngest of the 3 boys

The Night at Mr; Rudolphs Club

It was on a Friday night, which was the night when the young men would go out hunting for adventures, and that prettily nights they found it. What happened? Well on that Friday night, theywere playing pool and listing to music. A strange man came in who he was they don’t know, no body knew anyway, he came in walked directly to the pool table‘ and said to one of our friend, who was shooting the ball at the time, said boy, give him that pool stick! James looked at him, and said, he must wait for your time buddy! The big man looked at James said he is not gonad ask no more and shoved James, that was his mistake to do that, all his friends who were in the club hit the dance floor, and started to swing at that big guy with all the power in their arms, and they battled with him for about three minute, mister Randolph the owner of place came on the scene, he lifted the big guy up over his head and threw him head first out " and since that night, we never saw him again.

On that prettily, night they were always asking Jerry a friend of their, that they would buy all the gas he needed, if Jerry would drive them to baseball game that coming Friday night to Jacksonville Florida, that the city where Hank Aaron started to play baseball in the major league, in regards to Hank, he plays right field, and he was outstanding, in that position, he never let a ball fall out his glove. Well anyway, Jerry droved them that Friday night to the base ball game, and the Jacksonville braves played against the Brunswick Angels, of course the Braves

Won, no wonder, when they had Hank Aaron on the team to day he holds the best Record of most Home Runs with Babe Ruth’s

On that coming Sunday, they had a base ball game in Waverly, a small town about 15 miles north of Woodbine. The team in Waverly was a very good team, they had 2 pitchers, who, could throw the ball with a very high velocity, so hard than any other pitcher seen who could throw the ball so hard. But anyway, the game must go on that Sunday. The team from Folkston arrived with their team in woodbine. They had talked already to Mr. Louis, their Manager, he lived very close to Tarboro, he was a very good man, ideal to manage a good baseball team, and Mr. Louis proved it many times. The main player on the team was as following center field Melvin 2 left field Tommy Watts, in third right field Henry Smith in right field. 1 base jimmy 2 base Andrew 3 base the one and only Bryant, Melvin first cousin he was the best one who could really play 3 base Bryant could field the ball. He throws the ball always very hard.

Bryant threw the ball to first base just as fast as a rocket. That was their team of middle 1950th in woodbine; Georgia one could say a small town, but popular in those days, after all, it was on high way 17! And it was full of tourists going South in vacation.

It was summer time, was ending very fast to autumn, well that meant that school time was approaching fast what would they do? The ones who were still in school, would they continue?

All though Woodbine was a very small town, but it had it charm one could say. Woodbine had some beautiful homes. Pretty Gardens, with palms trees Orange trees and tangerine trees pecan tree, and in many gardens Rhododendrons in all colors.

The boys going to school would fall out of school, due to money problems, the most of them were poor boys, fatherless, like always the men made them, but a banded their mothers, the mothers of the boys had to work in the kitchens of the white people to earn money to feed their kids. Melvin was always thinking about his mother, when he was walking to meet her coming home from the’ Chicken farm, his mother always, walked so slowly, Melvin felt so sorry for his mother. He though in his heart, if he ever gets the chance, he will help his dear mother, who he called Pupa.

She was always thinking how she could help her children to finish high school, and gets a profession to start theirs lives out there in the world, which was a jungle. Who was deiced a good education. got good jobs. His brother Harry was eight years older than Melvin. during the Korean war, Harry was drafted in the Army, but every one was surprise that they took him, because of his feet, he had flat feet, that means when he puts on shoes, he could not walk to good due to the pains, he likes to played ball, also baseball, but he was always at time jealous of Melvin his brother, because he was much faster than him. And when the team mates on the team was giving all credit for catching the most balls, he got very angry always said to Melvin why he always showing off on the field, just play like they always play just stop acting like that Melvin would say Harry is just jealous of him, that all. Melvin brother Harry bought a use car, Buick as soon as he brought the car home, the lovely girls were always behind him , and talking about nice looking girls: Harry and friend Melton would go riding with his two lovely sisters the oldest one was Janine and Dorothy , the most beautiful girls in town, and Harry had very good manners, and all the people in woodbine liked him more than they did Melvin, he only had advantages over him by playing base ball Melvin was better than him and running track in sport that what Melvin likes the most in regards to Harry, base ball. He was his second oldest- brother, a fine young man, with great manners, was loved by every one in woodbine, yes he was!!.

They were always at the beaches in the summer time in Jacksonville. There were nice bars, where they could eat good old soul food, but at that time one didn’t call the food soul food, black man’s food, they always were trying to learn how to swim, but it was hard to go swimming in the ocean, the waves were very high, the black boys in those days were afraid of water, just like a bob cat, they like to drink it, but swimming in it "no sir boys.

They some times looked for other jobs only working on the lettuce farm the pay was not to good and they were always spending a lot of money out there with those school girls. The Friends of his brother’ Freeman, he worked for Large Merchandise Store, that had in woodbine q hardware store. He was the first man Melvin knew who was very smart polite to everyone. He builder one of the first Super market in Woodbine. He sold electric appliances from Brunswick to Jacksonville Florida, and was selling Hot Point electric appliances in all the area and he was the first man, who Freeman worked for: He was a short young man maybe five feet five he always had his hair straighten with potash, but did not mater to him, and he had a brother, who was older than him, name was Jimmie, they came to woodbine when they were very young from the Yankee State of Philadelphia Pennsylvania.

He was a little taller than his brother, he also spokes very good English, but the two of them were always laughing at other men when they did not comb their hair. When Freeman started talking, he would always say, some time hello there young man? And what was not good for him, he got married to a wild girl, who did not loved him what so ever she was in love with his cousin Justin

She was very good looking girl intact, she was only twenty two years old, and Justin should never have married her. She went also to Saint Mary’s high school, she was good in all her grades were high. So when she met Justin, she left school and they ´got married, they were not living not to far from our house she lived with her’ mother and father, Mr. Whitaker he was a man who liked to talk to Melvin, because he likes base ball too

When he saw him, he would say, Melvin he played very good center field last Saturday, but his old glove one day that ball going to fall right through it. Melvin, just laughed and said Sir he hope it won’t , than he walked away.

Especially in the summer time when they were just boarding, they stared to think, where is a older person who they could make angry, Than they would say to each other, suppose they take some hand crackers and go to their cousin Annie’s house and light one and run away, so the three of them waited until night came, and the moon was shining bright, at nine o’clock they walked down main street, not to far from Bryant’s house, just around the Conner they reach cousin Annie’s house. Than Bryant asked them, who is going throw the first fire cracker, Melvin trying to show them, that he was a brave young boy said, give him the fire cracker! So they gave it to him, that he could throw it, look" there drove a car close to them. And who was in it, the Sheriff of woodbine. He put his spot on he saw Melvin dark face.

The light came straight, in Melvin’s face, he was so skinny and small, with his dark skin, the bright light tracked him in the face. Melvin started to run that fast that nigh. He was faster that night in the street, than on the f track field in Brunswick when they had sport games. Competition, anyway each one went his way. The next morning, when he got up to eat breakfast, his mother called him boy get his little behind in this room!, he thought Oh my God, he will get his behind whip this morning. So Melvin walked up to her good morning Pupa, did she sleep good

She said don’t he show her his white teeth to her this morning! Where was his little ass last night? Melvin said to her they were out just talking with each others, is something wrong Mother? She just looked at him with those pretty dimples in her jaws, but he knew her, when she began to breathe heavily, that meant that he had to move out of her reach, after all, his mother was larger than him. She had a right jab, better than that of Joe Louis, so anyway she said to him just pull down his pant, and she wants to get right close to his behind to tease it with that stick! It was a large one. Melvin felt the pains. Melvin. Flesh smelled like burnt meat. Melvin was yelling, Pupa mother, he will never do something like last night again! But she was still at it as hard as she could hit Melvin on his behind. Than his sister Mae came out of the kitchen, she said, Just stop it Pupa, she will kill him, than Melvin screamed, he said with a loud voice. He feels like he was dying already," Slowly she stop. Beating Melvin be hind. That was the last time Pupa ever whipped Melvin. The black boys called beating by their mothers a job, well done because they had very big mothers, only Bryant’s mother handful was tiny small woman

The next day Melvin was walking to town do some shopping for his mother. There drove up the Sheriff. He saw Melvin "he ask him what they were doing last night? He answered the Sheriff. Sir he was so sorry for what he did, he was punish already from his mama. The Sheriff said to Melvin they three little rascals, what were they doing out there by that old woman’s house last night? Melvin thought it was just a question. Melvin was sure he could explain to the Sheriff why they were out on the road by Mrs. Annie’s house. He said, Sir, they were out on the road playing, throwing a few rocks over the road, in the forest. Melvin always talked fast and in his Georgia slang, he was sure that he could convince anybody. Melvin started his plea in front of the Sheriff, by saying Sir. They were just out side talking and making a little fun just jiving each other that meant making joking with each others.

Dose he get him Sir? The Sheriff looked at Melvin, he laughed. He than said If he ever catches him and the other boys standing in front of that house, again, he will put all of them in jail, dose he understand him? Melvin, Yea Sir, he said. Than the Sheriff said he can continue now to shop. Melvin was very happy to hear that. It only because he knew how to talk sweet, and fast to everyone. Melvin was convince, that he was able to get away with everything. Melvin found in the store what his mother wanted. Later in the day, he saw Little Joe he was just coming also from the store, buying some meat for Mrs. Jones. When he got closed up on him, Melvin could see in his face some red scars, as if he was hit in the face, Melvin hello Joe, what’s up? He just looked he said Melvin dose he want to knows what his mommy told him to do? No Melvin said what? She told him just stay from, that bad boy Melvin! For Melvin told told Joe he not any worse then" he or Bryant, Melvin was very angry he told him to tell his mother, that if he is such a bad boy, why all the boys parents say, Melvin is one of