bu Ferdlie Pacheco
 A slanting cold December as the mules would take him. which was flickering. He read his eyes, pulled up his collar to surprised him. Had they been
rain pounded Sam's face as he From the look of the swaying, the big words WHOLESALE ward off the cold water which on the road that long? "But
tried twhip his two mules to a stumbling beasts, Sam knew DRUG COMPANY, but could was rolling down his back. His I must ask for your help. We
last effort. He had come a long that the light n the corrugated not read the foreign name. hands felt numb and the raw come a long way, suh. My
way in his wagon, hcayiing a tin building was it. Gently he laid Leona on the spots caused by holding the mules done played out. Leona,
grand piano and his ailing wife Sam squinted at the driver's seat pulling the large reins stung as the rain soaked my wife, is very sick, and we at
Leona, toward an unknown sign which swung wildly in the poncho over her so that she through the thin cotton gloves. the end of the road."
destination. Sam knew he had howling wind, barely illuminat- would remain warm and dry. Deliberately he dropped a large The big man looked be-
to go as far from New Orleans ed by a weak electric light bulb He pulled his wet felt hat over weight, tied to the reins, to the yond Sam at the two scraggly
 ground to prevent the mules mules, leaning in their hitches,
 from wandering off. The pair of against each other, and the
 mules had not one step left in -small poncho-covered bundle
 their exhausted bodies. on the driver's seat. Behind
 The light in the office was them a large tarp-covered ob-































 And they came to a shelter on Christmas Eve.
 on and Sam saw a large white ject loomed in the dark.
 man talking on the phone and "Kin you help my woman?
 gesticulating wildly. He seemed She's mighty weak. Almost
 greatly agitated, and perhaps done in."
 21 this was not the right moment "You bring her in out of the
 to call on him, but Sam was at rain and I'll set up the cot next
 the end of his road. to the heater. I'll put a pot on
 Softly Sam rapped on the for some hot chamomile tea
 x1Ij *"i^^ *iIdoor. There was no answer. He with lemon and honey."
 rapped harder. "Suh, 1 don't have no mon-
 The door swung open, and ey."
 Sam looked up to see the angry "I didn't think you did. And,
 face of one of the biggest white if you think about it, 1 didn't
 he had ever seen. asfor none."
 What is t? What do "But, I can work.
 you want? Don't you know "Doing what, playing the
 closed. "Nassah, can't play no
 Yassah," Sam averted his piano, but I can deliver a
 fact that it was Christmas Eve (Continued on page 16)

 Century Bank
 of Florida












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 Chirman, Presient & CEO : t .:.an.. ,ty e, :.le o
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 Page 14 Section B/Friday, December 22, 2006