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| Corie Leigh
March 17, 2005
B61, Overheard
A man in coveralls with two gold teeth, holding a hard hat, sits caddy corner to a young woman. Slumped in his seat with his legs spread, he laughs and moves his hat from hand to hand, telling the story of his youth— how he wound up in juvenile detention at the age of nine.
On the way to school one day, his little brother ran into trouble with another boy who was trying to steal his bus pass. In defense, the little man of nine took out his Zippo and lit the offender’s hair on fire. Consumed by fire almost instantly, the boy ran off the bus ablaze. It was the last the man of nine saw of him, though over time he heard that the delinquent was so badly injured that he never was able to stand straight again.
The man of nine was picked up from school by the police and led out in handcuffs, sent to several institutions upstate. He was released at the age of thirteen. Said the man,
I came home to my mama in a do-rag, smokin' cigarettes. She slapped me and asked what the fuck I was doing, I was only thirteen.
Take those ladies panties off your head and act normal, she said.
You see, I was still a baby, and I forgot. I realized that I had been actin' old for so long; I forgot that I was young.
Posted by callalillie at March 17, 2005 1:00 AM | City Life
Posted by: nicole at March 17, 2005 12:42 AM
ladies panties! I wonder what would happen if I used that phrase with my kids, who refuse to take their do-rags off...mmh.
Posted by: Nancy at March 17, 2005 5:31 AM
Ahhh. One day someone is going to recycle something I spill.
Posted by: Uma Andersson at March 17, 2005 8:21 AM
yeah, i always wonder about that. it's one of the reasons why i never have cell phone conversations in public, too.
Posted by: corie at March 17, 2005 2:33 PM
