Melodrama @ the Center!
Circa: 1966.
Setting: Carver Center (a gym in the heart of the Ghetto)
Subject Matter: 2 UNFORGETTABLE MOMENTS.
1st Unforgettable Moment:
Title: Straight Menace.
BACKGROUND:
I busted out of the locker-room and eagerly awaited warming up before a pick-up game. As I was walking towards one of the Youth Counselors (mid- 20’s) who was tossing out basketballs from a bin, a BULLY purposefully stepped in front of me!
Let me describe him:
He was about 4 inches taller, at least 30 lbs. heavier and 3 years older. In all the time I frequented the Center, I never saw him. He obviously wasn’t interested in playing B-Ball, and somehow infiltrated the premises. I learned later that he was just an unsupervised fatherless street thug that lived in the neighborhood. He had a HUGE Afro and a menacing glare much like the Mr. T character on the ole TV show ‘The A Team’ (LOL). The conversation went like this:
Bully (getting in my face): “Get out of my way, BOY!”
Me (standing in front of him): “Can’t you just walk around?”
Bully (Surprised I didn’t immediately move out of his way): I SAID- Get out of my way!
Instinctively knowing that if I didn’t stand my ground, I would be fodder for others to take advantage of, I just stood there…
Bully (taken aback that I didn’t move and noticing a slight crowd now gathering around): “Man, don’t you know WHO I AM?”
Me (oblivious to a fault, yet curious): “No.”
The Bully turned his back to me and on the back of his white T-Shirt, written in Black Magic Marker was the word- HELL.
Bully (turning back around): “My name is HELL, Mo-Fo, and I will take you there!”
I immediately thought to myself, ‘Oh crap, I gotta fight this guy? I better move fast before he just pummels me’ (yet still standing my ground)…
Thankfully, one of the Youth Counselors much bigger than the bully, was watching the whole thing unfold, and interceded: “Johnson, leave him alone, man- what’s wrong with you.”
Bully (responding): “Tak’n-up for the white boy!” Then afterwards, walking towards the nearest hoop and instigating trouble with everyone in his path; slapping the basketball out of their hands, shoving them out of his way, and daring anyone to stop him.
Yep, a ‘Straight MENANCE!
2nd Unforgettable Moment:
Title: What da Color IZ?
BACKGROUND:
I entered the Center and was in the locker room tying up my tennis shoes when two Thiev’n-Minded Youths entered and immediately began opening locker doors frantically searching for anything valuable. They were jumping from locker to locker.
While sitting near them on a bench, I curiously turned towards them. I later learned, of course, that eye-bawling any misdemeanoring only draws their attention and you always end up with unwanted drama... And sho-nuff, one of the would-be thief’s ran over to be…
Would-Be Thief: “Hey man, you go some money?”
Me (thinking, why are they looking for money? Totally naive to their economic position): “No.”
Would-Be Thief (astonished): “You don’t have any money?”
Me (still confused with naiveite): “No.”
Would-Be Thief (shocked): “YOU WHITE, right?”
Me (not making the connection, not getting the assumption, and just still plain street stupid and confused): “Ah….Ahhh...”
The two frustrated Would-Be Thief’s looked at each other perplexed, then just scurried out of the locker room, like 2 hungry rats rummaging for food elsewhere.
P.S. On the Bully named Hell: Thanks Blood…I’ve used your line many times in my life before a confrontation…I’m Hell too! (LOL)
B.P.S. On the two Thiev’n-Minded Youths: I have a standing joke in my house where the subject of color comes up and I iterate: “Man, I know I’m NOT white…Cuz, I STILL don’t have money!’ 😊 Now, when I look back at both of these moments, they seem straight out of a comic book…Just some comic relief….From the Lookout Post.