No Explaination Needed

Some things are just funny on their own without any explanation; for example, an on-line announcement went something like this:

The SHS (Sprayberry High School) Class of 1965 will have their luncheon Friday at 1pm at Golden Corral. Senior Discount starts at 1pm.

Eddie vs Eddie

I had another memorable fight that I would like to tell you about now. I say “now” because I want to tell you about it while my previous story about my fight is fresh on your mind. You might not get the two confused.

In my mind, this conflict stands out because it almost ended my life… you know, snuffed out? Never more?

The time period was several years before the fight with Ichabod Crane took place. I was probably 11 or 12 years old. I lived on Manget Street in Marietta. The part of Manget that bordered Larry Bell Park on the west side. My friends I hung out with lived mostly on Glover Street which mostly bordered the south side of Larry Bell Park.

I basically hung out with Gene S. and Tony H.. Tony was a couple of months older than I am and Gene, about a year younger. There were other kids about our age that would materialize every so often and hang out with us but then go. They came and went.

One kid that came and went was Eddie N. He was friendly and all, and we enjoyed his company and all. Eddie N. and his older sister lived in either Douglasville or Newnan, I forgot which, it has been so long ago. I think they lived in a broken home. But at months at a time they would visit their grandparents who lived on Glover Street that would be behind the Marietta Journal building if it was still standing.

There were several boys that were at least 16 that lived in the neighborhood. I know they were over 16 because they quit school already. Also, some of them drove old junky cars. They smoked, they cursed, they had a wise-crack for everything. Gad, how I envied them.

One day, they as a bunch, were hanging out in the yard at the corner of Manget and Glover Streets. We thought they were interesting and got closer and not long we were joining in with our 2¢ worth of conservation. Then they got the idea they would like to see Eddie and I get into a fight.

They circled around us and pushed me back in the circle when I tried to get out. They were telling Eddie lies about what terrible things I said about him. They were pushing up against each other. They kept telling Eddie more lies about what I said about him. Ed was becoming enraged.

Their favorite wisecrack that day was, “Eddie hit Eddie!” They were regular Bob Hopes.

Then, Eddie lunged at me swinging. When Eddie got nervous he put his mouth on the back of his hand. He always had wet slobber on the back of one hand. When he came at me swinging he was swinging with one hand. The other hand was in his mouth. I think it was a comfort thing.

I dodged his swings and kept out of his reach, I knew he was strong. One time he got a hold of my shirt and ripped it. It took two hands to pull me to him and when I got close enough I popped him in the nose. Blood spurted. I later found out I broke his nose.

He never hit me. When I saw my first opening I darted through my so-called friends and ran home.

Later Eddie’s sister came looking for me. She wanted to have me arrested for assault and battery. My so-called friends said they had no idea who she was talking about; they didn’t see any one get into a fight.

Not that they were protecting me so much, they were brought up to not to be stool pigeons.

They were fine pillars of the community weren’t they?

For several weeks I avoid getting close to Eddie. But, one day he came over to Gene’s house when I was there and we were back friends again.

Then one day we were up in the loft of Eddie’s grandfather’s barn. Either Tony or Gene brought up the fight Eddie and I had. I think he brought it up thinking no harm would happen and we would have a big laugh over it, but in a split second Eddie leaped on top of me and was coking me.

Eddie was strong. He was extremely strong. His strong hands squeezed my throat made me feel like the life was being squeezed out of me, which it was about to be just that. I could not breathe. I felt something changing in my head.

I suppose I squirmed some and we both moved a few inches. What I didn’t know, was the floor we were on was not nailed down. It was a wide sheet of particle board or plywood paced over the rafters.

We wiggled ourselves to the edge and the big board and the board politely tilted like a seesaw and we slid to the floor of the barn. As soon as I hit the dirt floor I sprinted off like a rabbit and ran all the way home.

I stayed away from Eddie for over a year.

Then Tony’s mother said she was taking all us kids to see Eddie in Douglasville (or Newnan). I didn’t think about my near death experience with Eddie. I guess time heals.

Or, I mean to say, I didn’t think about my tumble with Eddie until we were half-way there; out of sight, out of mind. Then I started dreading our visit.

Eddie lived on a farm that had rows of long chicken houses. We got the tour of the chicken houses and the room the eggs are brought to, cleaned, and sorted.

Eddie was nice. I was hoping he forgot our scrap or forgiven me one. Just the same, I prefer to keep on the side of wide opened space, like a pasture to run if I had to.

We went walking around across the pasture to look at the different cows. We came upon a pond that apparently the cattle drunk water from. I imagined Eddie suddenly grabbing me and throwing me in the water and landing on me and holding me down.

Then, Tony’s mother blew her car horn. It was time to come back to the house. The blaring of the horn was a noise of happiness.

We left and that was the last time I saw Eddie N.

Xenophobia

One day the other week I took my mother-in-law to her beauty shop. Her weekly hair appointment takes about an hour. I brought a book to read.

The beauty shop is in an old shopping center. The old Shopping center is beginning to show signs of deteriorating. And also, a few stores cater to immigrants.

I was sitting in the car reading my book when a big pickup drove by me in the parking place beside me, then stopped in the row behind me. I watched in my rearview mirror as a young Latino man got out of his truck and went to a small grocery store that caters to people south of the border. Soon, he came out with a Weber-type grill fully assembled, standing on its legs, in a grocery cart.

He and another Latino pushed the cart to the truck. The next few minutes they worked to get the grill into a car sitting next to his truck. Then in a minute two more young Latino men or teenagers materialized. Then one or two more came out. By the way they were laughing, jostling, and carrying on, they all knew each other.

They were all standing around talking in Spanish. One decided to turn his speakers up very loudly. They liked Hip-Hop music.

I felt, with their loud music, they were being obnoxious. I felt threatened.

An old woman came out of the beauty parlor. She was using a walker. She looked happy with herself with her hair. Then she looked up towards the music and saw the bunch of Latino’s. She walked very carefully studying the group as she edged towards her car, not taking her eyes off them.

What was she going to do if she had any trouble? Guard them off with her walker? Lift it up and jab at them? They didn’t pay her any attention. They were enjoying each other.

She got in her car and hurried away.

They kept hanging out talking loud and laughing with the loud music thumping.

Then I thought: They are not hurting anybody. They are just hanging out. I hung out many times with my friends, when I was their age. Hanging out with one’s own is universal.

One of them started doing a mock dance for the others’ amusement twisted or hopped by my car and he saw me. He went back and turned off the car radio. They didn’t know I was there. How could I expect them to be harassing me if I was invisible to them just like I am everybody else?

They still hung out, but being aware of me, they were more subdue.

Apparently I was on-guard for no reason.

Socializing in the Pool

For exercise I go to a nearby county-owned inside pool several times a week.

The time that I go there not many people are there. I don't know why I do it, but each day I count the heads. Usually there are between six and ten. It is a big pool, so with so few people ever person has plenty of room. Mostly everybody there looks to be over age 60.

There is one cluster of women three to five who come who always stay in a little group and talk. I don't think they would ever consider getting their face wet because each one wears makeup in the pool.

There is one lady who, to me, looks like Paula Dean. She seems to be the group's social leader. She talks so innocent and bubbly - I suspect she was a cheerleader when she was in high school.

They all have long Styrofoam-looking floating things that is available from the lifeguard. You can wrap it around you, or straddle it, and float around - I don't see how that could help you do exercise.

Each one in her cluster of socialites always speak to me, as I do them. But, for some reason, I haven't figured out, she decided I do not exist. She is the only one in her floating group that does not speak to me. The few times I have looked her directly in her eyes and spoke she gave no recognition that a human being had just attempted to communicate a greeting to her.

Yesterday was a cold rainy day. When I got to the pool the only person in it was the Paula-Dean-retired-cheerleader. I suppose the bad weather just sort of delayed some people or prevented them from coming at all.

Just her and I were in the pool. I spoke to her and believe it or not, she returned my greeting. I think she thought it might be un-cheerleader like to ignore the only other person in the pool.

I went to the end I prefer and started my laps of swimming back and forth, back and forth. After several laps I looked over at her and she was floating casual over to me. She is a social animal.

I wasn't looking forward to our meeting. I would have to nice and stay in one place and chat with her, as not to appear rude. Just as she got close enough to talk she commented about how warm the water was. I agreed.

Then somebody hollered at her. One of her friends were lowering herself into the pool and behind her was another one of her friends.

"Saved!" I thought.

"Saved!" she probably thought.