THE CORNER STORE

                      EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD HAS A CORNER STORE AT LEAST IN THE BLACK COMMUNITIES AND MINES WAS NO DIFFERENT, CORNER STORE, LIQUOR STORE AND SOMEWHERE TO GET YOUR EAT ON. EVERY HOOD THE SAME WE EVEN HAD THE DRUNKS WE KNEW BY NAME AND THEY ALL KNEW US. IN 1974 I WAS 10 AND JUST RUNNING WITH MY BUDDY'S WHEN MR. JIMMY ASKED ME TO DO HIM A FAVOR, NOW MR. JIMMY WAS ABOUT THE COOLEST DRUNK WE KNEW YOU NEVER SEE HIM FALL OUT BUT HE ALWAYS SMELLED LIKE WILD IRISH ROSE AND STINKY FEET. BUT ALL IN ALL HE WAS COOL ALWAYS HAD A STORY TO TELL YOU. JIMMY SAID I NEED YOU TO STAND NEXT TO ME IN FRONT OF THE LIQUOR STORE FOR A FEW MINUTES I DIDN'T HAVE TO SAY ANYTHING JUST STAND THERE, NOW JIMMY KNEW MY MOM AND I KNEW HE WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING TO HURT ME SO I TOLD HIM COOL . SO AS I STOOD THERE JIMMY WENT THRU THESE LINES YOU GUYS HAVE HEARD THEM ALL CAN YOU SPARE A DIME OR QUARTER, I JUST LOOKED AT THE GROUND AND WONDERED WHY DID HE WANT ME THERE BUT AFTER ABOUT 20 MINUTES JIMMY HAD ABOUT 15 DOLLARS IN CHANGE AND ONES. NOW AT 10 I DIDN'T KNOW ANY BETTER SO JIMMY GAVE ME 2 DOLLARS AND TOLD ME GO ON AND GET YOU SOMETHING FROM THE STORE AND HE'D SEE ME LATER. SHHHHHHHHHHHIT I WAS ON TOP OF THE WORLD 2 DOLLARS FOR STANDING I WAS ALRIGHT.SO I WENT IN THE  CORNER STORE FILLED MY BAG WITH A BUNCH OF CANDY AND I WAS GOOD. NOW THIS WENT ON FOR QUITE AWHILE I'D SHOW UP LIKE I WAS GOING TO A REAL JOB AND SHIT AND JIMMY WOULD BE THERE WAITING AND HE'D GET PAID JUST BECAUSE I STOOD THERE WITH HIM AND FOLKS THOUGHT I WAS HIS KID AND HE WAS TRYING TO GET SOMETHING TO EAT FOR ME.SOMETIMES WE'D GET THE SO-CALLED DO GOODER WHO'D GO IN THE CARRY OOUT AND BUY US SOMETHING TO EAT BUT MOST TIMES IT WAS ALL CASH MONEY. THE REST OF THE WINOS TRIED THAT SAME SHIT BUT NONE OF MY FRIENDS WOULD DO IT AND JIMMY DIDNT LIKE MY FRIENDS HE SAID THEY LOOKED TO SLICK. NOW JIMMY WAS GETTING PAID AND TELLING ME WHAT HE WAS DOING EVERY SO OFTEN HE'D START DRINKING ON THE JOB AND I'D HAVE TO TAKE OVER BY NOW I HAD LEARNED WHAT TO SAY I'D JUST HAVE TO PICK MY SPOT AND THE RIGHT PERSON NOW REMEMBER THIS IS LONG BEFORE CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES AND POLICE RUNNING LITTLE KIDS AWAY FROM PLACES. SO I WAS GOOD NOW IF THIS WAS GOING ON MY BLACK ASS WOULD BE IN A GROUP HOME AND MY MOM WOULD BE IN JAIL.OOOHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!HOW TIMES HAVE CHANGED.SO THE FIRST TIME I WAS A LITTLE SHAKEY IT'S LIKE RIDDING A BIKE YOU GOT TO KEEP TRYING AND AFTER A LITTLE WHILE I GOT PRETTY GOOD I COULD SIZE UP WHO WAS WHO AND IF THEY WOULD OR WOULDN'T GIVE UP ANY MONEY REAL QUICK AND BY THE TIME THE STREET LIGHTS CAME ON[ MY MOMMA ALWAYS TOLD ME HAVE MY ASS IN THE HOUSE WHEN THOSE LIGHTS CAME ON] I THINK I HAD ABOUT 25 DOLLARS AND YOU KNOW WHEN YOU ARE A LITTLE KID MONEY HAS NO VALUE SO WHEN I SHOOK JIMMY HIS DRUNK ASS ROSE UP AND I SAID HERE I GAVE HIM 20 AND I KEPT 5 AND RAN HOME QUICK, POCKETS JIGGLING LIKE I WAS CARRYING CHRISTMAS BELLS AS I GOT TO THE DOOR I REMEMBERED TO BE QUIET CAUSE IF MA HEARD ALL THAT CHANGE SHE'D WANNA KNOW WHERE I GOT IT .SO AS I TIPPED IN SHE LOOKED AROUND THE KITCHEN CORNER AND SAID YOU LATE I LIED TOLD HER I WAS OUT FRONT NOT FAR SHE SAID OK. I WLKED REAL SLOW IF YOU EVER HAD 5 DOLLARS IN CHANGE AND TRYING NOT TO GET CAUGHT YOU'D WALK SLOW TOO. SO THIS WENT ON FOR ABOUT A MONTH NOW REMEMBER I SAID MA AND JIMMY KNEW EACH OTHER AND I FINALLY FOUND OUT HOW, MA AND JMMY DRANK TOGETHER GOT DAM DRUNK TOGETHER. WELL IT WAS FRIDAY NIGHT AND MA ALREADY SAID SHE'D BE LATE COMING HOME SO I WAS DOWN IN FRONT OF THE STORE WITH JIMMY AND BY NOW JIMMY HAD STARTED TO TAKE THINGS EASY AND WAS DRINKING MORE THEN HE WAS TRYING TO HUSTLE THE FOLKS OUT OF A DOLLAR, I THINK BECAUSE HE KNEW I WAS ON POINT. SO IT'S ABOUT 8 AT NIGHT AND JIMMY IS TWISTED LIKE THE CORK IN A WINE BOTTLE SITTING ON A MILK CRATE NEXT TO ME AND I AM WORKING EVERYONEAND OUT OF NO WHERE MA PULLS UP OUT OF NO WHERE AND BEFORE I KNEW IT SHE'D SMACKED THE COWBOY SHIT OUT OF ME AND PUNCH JIMMY IN THE MOUTH. MA WAS NO DAM JOKE!!!!!