The two brown-skinned doe-eyed teen-agers were looking out of the window. Recent arrivals from rural Virginia, they were here to get reacquainted with Jack. From his seat Jack silently observed their chocolate bodies and made his choice. Glasses and thin legs were not high on Jack’s menu so Sandra got left. She was the older and not necessarily the lesser looker, just possessed the skinnier legs. Later Jack would sometimes reflect upon his choice. Sandy’s butt rounded and she turned into a solid knockout! Legs didn’t get much larger though.
After the baby was born and since the "Black Pearl" had left, Jack as confused as ever, consented to the marriage. They moved into the apartment and after a short time "Duxie" moved out of here and in with Rose and her husband.
Jack was mostly unemployed, but Hattie always seemed to come through with enough cash to keep the fledgling newlyweds afloat. Jack, a veteran now, went back to his last job only to find it taken. Being a vet, made by law, the retaining of one’s job, but for the dollar an hour wage, the fight wasn’t worth the effort. The attempt at Robert’s Trade to get involved in diesel training hadn’t panned out. JoAnn had gone South, but the daily meal of beans or potatoes kept the stomach full and his mind in the right place. Hattie always put a crumpled something in Jack’s hand, kissed him on the cheek and said, "Boy, you’re still gonna make it." the badly worn ten-spot going both for the employment agency and the bag of spuds.
Jack would appear, bright and early each Monday morning to answer the ad that had said, Wanted: Bright Young Man for Our Stock Room. Starting salary, $1 /hr. Wearing a freshly self-steamed suit, pressed with a damp rag, and shining along the seams, Jack always got the same responses. Although he had scored well on the aptitude tests, he was ultimately told the job had been taken. He would arrive at seven o’clock and still the same result, he wondered to himself how this early could the job have already been taken. Later an exposé in "The Daily News" embarrassed the Great New York State. The clerks and employers even those of color, had a secret code. On card listings were markings which meant the company was not interested in blacks. But to cover the scheme they were sent to the company anyway with no hope of being hired. With this ploy firmly in place Jack wound up right back in the Garment District pushing hand trucks. Even here the system was used. In shipping clerk or stock clerk jobs Jack would be told to come back when he had more experience, Jack would in turn ask how can he get experience until he worked in a position like this. Somehow he and family managed until the Post Office.
The "Projects" were designed to let people work their way out of the "Projects" if their will was strong enough. Jack’s was very powerful. Working diligently toward first keeping his head above water and then achieving a higher status he hardly ever missed a day from work. With a second child already on the way there was little left to play around with. Although meats eventually replaced the high protein diet that low income always dictate, Jack and his family were never extravagant. He told Beth what to do and when to do it. What to wear and when to wear it. He really didn’t want this kind of control but the lack of working capital made it seem okay. He actually put two dollars in each of twelve or thirteen envelopes. First born son Eugene was quickly getting out of second child’s way. It had only been thirteen months and another cake had been baked. So close in fact were the births that the names were similar. Eugene and Eugenia.
Beth was born the third child in the Hobart clan. At the time of her birth, boys were the preferred gender. Families that sharecropped as did the Hobarts needed boys to do the back-backing work that sustained the tobacco farmers. With only two boys the family united with the cousins next door and together made it work. It wasn’t an ideal situation. They would work all year and maybe the land-owner would give the family a thousand dollars after he took out expenses. Jack had spent a summer doing the chores the families normally did. To him it was fun because he knew he didn’t have to do it as a job. It was then that he first met his future wife.
Dad had, as a good-will gesture, loaded the old Indiana, a truck no longer manufactured, with barely serviceable furniture. Jack sat in the back with Micey, local drunk who as Jack recalls must have been along strictly for the ride. At maybe 130 lbs. Micey could barely stand up much less help with furniture. Sneaky Pete, the drunk’s favorite beverage, had ravaged the frail body.
Lizzie Russell, grandmother to the two clans was as crossed-eyed as Clarence the Lion. Never without the twig she held clenched between the remaining teeth, stained from years of dipping snuff, she and Micey had a slight fling.
Jack noticed a young lady, that had that look and yes, she was returning the same. Later guys and girls played "Find the Clothespin". With the boys putting the object down their pants. Beth was around but maybe too young to participate in the fun and games. Annie, still another cousin, also drew Jack’s attention. One night Jack and Annie were about to get something started when a loud "Annie" put a damper on the moment. Apparently, Martha, Annie’s slightly retarded mother had figured the same thing. The thing with Martha Mae, the girl with the look, never materialized. Jack was, as usual without love.
Three years later the Hobarts moved to New York, Jack was still in the army and wasn’t aware until he came home and met again the two sisters. Both had now matured and this was when Jack made his move. The Hobarts’ father had abandoned or been asked to leave. Maybe this infidelity thing started then or was already inbred. Before long a child was born to the separated mother. Probably because of the mother’s advanced age, Malinda, the illegitimate offspring, was also slightly retarded. Sandra, the oldest girl had her marriage last only a year before Beth and Momma were asked to join in the courtroom lie that John, her erstwhile husband had abandoned her. Sandy also remained childless despite dating other men and eventually marrying. But who knew? Who cared, then?.
Soon, for Jack and his family there were more kids. Eduardo, the middle of the bunch, then Estelle and Esther ended the parade. Jack worked and kept the bill folks at bay. Still paying for the furniture and TV (Who ever heard of A Muntz?) which never quite played without the triple images. Jack devised a way to avoid completely paying for the defunct television set. The payments were thirty dollars a month and claimed he could show enough receipts to prove he had paid in full. Actually the stubs were from other bills but nobody ever challenged his story, guess they figured they had gotten enough money for that piece of crap.
Elementary School Days * No More Gizzards * No, You Didn't * For The First Time
Life In The Garment Center * Jack's Black Queen * Those Were The Days
New York, New York * Dad * Post Office Blues? * DS or BS?
The Hookers of Hunt's Point * SanMan * Amazing