First off, this awesome trucker gives me a ride (don’t worry, bro, I won’t snitch). I was on my way back to my fam’s old homestead to see my Ma and Pa, when I ran into my homeboys, Preacher Jim Casy and Muley Graves. Turns out Jim’s not preachin’ no more. He’s on this whole hippy-dippy “love-is-everywhere” and “just try to connect with people” kick, but whatever, he my boy an’ I keep him around no matter what. Loyalty’s the definition of family, yo, right?
Anyways, Muley’s all like, “Yo, you fam ain’t there no more. Ain’t nobody there no more. Everybody got tractored by the banks and stuff. Why don’t you check your Uncle John’s place?” It was nighttime though, and some cops came over to the farm. I felt like chicken-crap hidin’ from them on my own place, but I ain’t tryin’ to go back to the pen.
Next day, we get to Uncle John’s, and everybody’s packin’ up. Good dang thing I came home today. Imagine if I was a couple days late?
Everybody sayin’, “California knows how to party.” They sayin’ it’s our only hope. We’re starvin’ here, the banks are takin’ everything and nobody can grow nothin’ with the dust all swirlin’ round everybody’s heads. Go out there to California, pick some fruit.”
Man, you should hear Connie and Rosashar’n, especially. They think we’re gonna be bumpin’ with Dre and Snoop and Tupac, sippin’ juice and whatever out there. I’m like, “Well, maybe in the city of Compton, but where we’re going I’m not so sure we’re gonna find California love, kna’mean?”
Pa went down to sell all our family’s stuff, and only got 18$$ for it. Not exactly bling. I hope Ma’s right about them handbills and all the jobs out there...
Man, one last thing, and this is only half-funny. Gramps was all psyched to eat grapes and whatever in Cali. Then, Muley gets up to go hunting again, and Gramps isn’t trying to leave OK, either. He’s all attached to this place, like he was born here or something. But, check it - we gave him some sizzurp and passed right out! After that, we tossed him up into the car and we were out.
Peace in the Middle East,
Joadacious
Well, dangee! Jodacious, your day sounds really awful! But I’m on the lam, right now, and I thought it would be a lot more fun than it really is.
ReplyDeleteStill, at least you have a mom and dad. My mom died when I was 6 years old. I’m 14, now. Ok, that’s a little bit of a lie. I’m really 12. Ok, ok... I’m 10. But I’ve seen some things. And my dad could be anybody! I kind of have a hunch that it’s Herman E. Calloway. He’s the leader of the Dusky Devastators of the Depression!!!!!!
When my mom was alive, she used to keep fliers for his shows when he came to Flint, but I don’t think she ever went to see him. Now, I have a bunch of them in the bottom of my suitcase, where they won’t get messed up. My mom never said why she kept them, but there were lots of things she was supposed to tell me when I got older. She didn’t have a chance, so I think she just left me some clues. Like the funny rocks I keep in my tobacco sack that say silly things like “gary, in. 7.13.12” and “flint, m. 8.18.11.” She also left me a picture of her as a kid on a old broken-down pony smiling at the Miss B. Gotten Moon Park. She looks so pretty and happy. But what does it all mean? I don’t know yet. But that’s why I keep it in my suitcase.
Anyway, this morning, I got a new foster family, the Amoses. And by night time, I lost them. No big deal though. I didn’t really want to keep them. Toddy Boy came in while I was sleeping and put a pencil in my nose all the way up to the R! He’s 12, and way bigger than me, but still. He could kiss my wrist if he thought I wasn’t going to put up a fight. I belted him a good one on the face, but that just made him madder.
I learned something really important from him, though. Sometimes, you just have to know when you can’t win, when enough is enough. I never thought to do it before, but I curled up in a ball. Somehow, Todd made his mom believe that the fight was my fault, though. Those Amoses are mean! They made me sleep out in the shed with vampire bats and fishhead door guards. And a million evil spiders. I tried to kill one of the vampire bats, but it didn’t work. I broke a window and - woop, zoop, sloop! - I was outta there.
I knew I needed some revenge, I put Toddy’s hand in a cup of warm water and made him pee the bed! I thought about really scaring them, by making their gun go off, but I decided that wasn’t a really good idea. Either way, now, I’m on the lam and sleeping under a big Christmas tree next to the library.
I hope your week gets better, Tom! I’m sure mine couldn’t get any worse....
BudNotBuddy
Word up, Bud. Sorry to hear 'bout your moms. New post comin' soon! Keep in touch!
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