Inhalt
Chapter One
Carr Square(The Village)
By
M. Anthony Phillips
Thanks to all my friends at Missouri Baptist Hospital.
To all the friends and family who are no longer with us who were all a big part of The Village, including Sam Phillips, Lajuana Phillips, Stevie Campbell, Miss Ollie, Mr. Bill, Bud, Miss Grace and countless others.
To the contributors including Tony Harrison, who played a big part in getting this project started. Contributions from Delores Thompson, Samuel Phillips, Vernon Scott, Dr. Wayne Jones and the fallen whom I was inspired by mentioned before.
Three old friends meet up at Missouri Baptist Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. They’re there for long time friend Michael Phillips. Michael had a mild stroke, shocking to friends Tony, and Stevie and brother Tim. Growing up in the late sixties these friends were inseparable and did everything together. Now that the guys are adults now getting together is not as easy. “Hey Mikie how are you?” Stevie asked with a familiar smile to Mike. Mike sits up from his bed to get a better look at the guys. “I feel man. I wasn’t hurt or nothing, just couldn’t feel my legs or nothing. It was surreal dude.” Tony perks up and gives that one better thing that people sometimes do. “Same thing happened to Shirlene man.” Shirlene happens to be Tony’s wife, an honorary member to the group of friends. “She had a stroke and she’s dealing kidney problems too.” Mike introduced Tony to Shirlene a long time ago just outside the Village and a few years removed from the demolition of Pruitt-Igoe High Rises. There was the Village and then there was Pruitt-Igoe. The two communities were like night and day and the Phillips boys and Stevie and Tony competed for every little space and time available. Tony was also the one who reminisced about the old days the most and always brought up the days of playing corkball in the Village. “Ya’ll remember when we used to play cork?” Tony asked. Smiles radiate across the room. The biggest comes from Tim and Tony. Tim believes he hit the most homeruns, a claim highly disputed by little brother Mike. “I remember hitting the most balls out of Carr School. Ain’t that right Tony?” Tony loves this, everybody talking about the old days. “You hit some Tim but so did everybody else. Carr School was a hitter’s school.” Tony settles in to tell it like it was. He remembers the Village through the good times and the bad. Stevie remembers them too. He stayed in the Village the longest. It’s the summer of 1969 in St. Louis and the weather is brutally hot. So hot that even the birds don’t want to come out and play. Firecrackers go off as the noise makes sweet music children’s ears. The Village is brimming and buzzing this weekend because it’s a 4th of July weekend and celebration. Carr Square Village is all Black now but at one time years ago it used to be an immigrant laden community dating back to the forties. This particular morning started off with a Mr. Softie truck moving ever so slowly down the streets playing that familiar jingle that wakes every kid up. Ice cream sounds good about now so Mike and Tim went racing outside wearing P.F. Flyer tennis shoes, racing the other kids for position like jockeys at the race track. “You can’t beat me Mike” Tim said, as Mike gains on him. Little sister Lajuana hangs back as always, she knows her mother gave them special instructions; anytime they went for ice cream or sno’ cones they had to get some for little sister. The same rule applied to Tony. He has two little sisters and three younger brothers to watch over. Most times he hated it.
Some times the Village kids had beef with one another but everything was squashed when Mr. Softee came around. It was a perfect time to make a truce. “Give me two softees,” JoJo said. He was the biggest kid around and nobody challenged his position in line. He was like a made guy. He was the toughest, enough said. “I was first,” a little girl said. JoJo picks up the little girl and looks her square in the face. “Who was first?” The little girl was so cute even JoJo cracked a smile. “Me.” She fussed. “You must be from Carver Lane huh?” The girl smiles too and tries to kick JoJo. “Yes she is now you mind putting my niece down,” said a voice from behind JoJo. It was a rough voice, from a mean looking girl who was bigger than the toughest kid in the village. Mike, Tim, and Tony never saw this girl before. She was new to them. She got right in JoJo’s face, intimidating the intimidator. Forget ice cream. A good fight is just what this hot morning needs. “She shouldn’t have done that,” Tony said. “JoJo ain’t to be messed with.” JoJo puts the little girl down softly. “Man, I’ll bet you my ice cream cone Tony JoJo puts that girl in her place man,” Mike utters. Tony hesitates, looking at the girl. Tim adds his two cents. “I’ll take that bet.” Tony looks around for Stevie. At least he would be on his side. Tony thinks.
Stevie doesn’t show and the standoff reaches a tipping point. “What’s your name girl?” JoJo asked.
“Carla. But my friends call me Mudd.”
“Why?”
“Cause I play hard that’s why.” JoJo said smiling. The standoff is over with no one coming to blows, at least for now. “Aw man,” Mike and Tony cry. The boys walk away, eating their ice cream. “I love Mr. Softee,” Tim said.
Stevie has now joined the boys just in time for a game of corkball. Tim and Stevie are matched up together like always just like Mike and Tony. The meeting place like always is Carr Square School. Its fences around the school are ideal for homerun markers. Tim points to the fence like he’s Babe Ruth, taunting Tony who’s pitching. “Come on Tony. Lay one right here.” Mike is back-catching and puts down fingers like he sees them do at Busch Stadium. Tony nods his head and throws some heat. Tim doesn’t swing. “Strike
Impressum
Verlag: BookRix GmbH & Co. KG
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 08.03.2018
ISBN: 978-3-7438-6031-5
Alle Rechte vorbehalten