bU Ferdie Pacheco

 (Continued from page 19) "Master Ferdie, didn't your out the main hope of a breeze "Sam, what you got thar? A grooved pine, painted white
 the bottle He closed is ees Daddy ever teach you about coming through the front door white boy?" with enamel. The floor was
for a long moment, savoring the Germ Theory?" He took a and proceeding through the Sam did not look at the man a highly waxed varnish oak.
for a long, refreshing brew. long pull of the golden brew. straight hallway and out the but continued in his precise The most remarkable thing
Ferdie elt a glow of satisfac- brew. Never drink a long pul of the open back door. way to open the door. Ferdie about the room was its lack
tion that comes from provid- golden brew Never drink from Next door a disheveled man tried not to notice the man and of furniture. Only one piece of
tion that c e for ome provi- another man's bottle unless sat in a broken chair, a beer happily stepped into the house, furniture was seen, and the
ing pleasue forn someone you you wipe it off first." bottle in his hand. His face was in the welcome safe harbor of room seemed to exist only to
care for. Suddenly Sam's eyes In that way Sweet Sam did mean, and a three day stubble a parlor. exhibit this treasure.
popped op en. He lookedov teach Master Ferdie about the heightened the effect. The walls were made of (Continued on page 21)
 "Where's your dnk, Master ways of the adult world, about
Ferdie?" the ways of the South and
 Ah, I didn't get one." about friendship.
 "Now, I appreciate the beer, Part III -
but we could have had two As the summer heat reached
R.C. Colas with the dime the its peak in early August, Sam s
beer cost." began. to speed up the de-
 My father says a Cuban liveries so that hewould be
sandwich ain't a Cuban sand- finished by four o'clock. From t
wich unless you have a beer this felicitous turn of events an .
with it?" unexpected bonus resulted.
 "Isn't," Sam corrected him. In the South of the late
 He thought about it for a mo- thirties kidnapping of white
 ment. "Have you ever tasted .children by blacks was a fear
 beer?" that hung on after the Recon-
 "No, sir. In my house we struction Era. That no cases
 can have watered wine with had ever been reported did not
 the meal." seem to diminish this instinc-
 "Hm, I think it's time you tive fear. So when Sam turned
 tried it. You think we could the Ford into Morgan Street,
 share a secret? I mean Mister Ferdie thought it odd, since
 J.B. wouldn't mind, I'm sure, this street led into Central Ne-
 but your Mother might be up- gro District and he knew that
 set. So, it's our secret." they had finished with their
 "Yes, Sir!" Ferdie reached deliveries.
 for the cold bottle, his mouth There were a row of small
 dry, sorely in need of the cold identical clapboard houses
 liquid. which took up the entire block;
 When he went to take a most were shabby and in need
 drink he was aware of a terrible of paint, some were in the
 dnk he was awareoflast stages of disrepair. Sam _
 dilemma. Taught by his family astopped inront o the oof disrpair. Samnly
 and his classmates never to soed n on o the on
 drink from another person's house so neatly kept that it ap- et
 bottle without fi rst wiping f peared to be a model home.
 botte without firt wipg of To Ferdie it appeared to be a
 the bottle, Ferdie was aware arl inrow ofgrey oysters
 that San might interpret this pearl in a row of grey oysters.
 that San might interpret this "Now, Master Ferdie, you
 movement in a racial way. will reap the harvest of you
 What if he took it as an insult lreap the harvest of your Let us cater your next functon
 that a white would not drink diligent labors." Sam smiled
 that a white would not dnnk at Ferdie whose face was a
 from the same bottle as a black ask hiding a sea of troubled
 without first wiping it off. He s h se o tou
 looked at Sam who was con- The ougwhit Ys.R R TAUT
 tently chewing his sandwich, The white picket fence stood
 a hint of amusement in his out like a band-aid on a black TONY YBOR RESTAURANT, INC.
 Sfinger. No other house had a Cafeteria Style Take Out Orders Catering Service Fresh Veggies
 eyes. fence. The front yard was neat-
 -Well, if I die, I die,' thought ly trimmed and a small flower 47-7283
 Ferdie envisioning hordes of bed added a touch of color. The 2001 N. 22nd. St. Tampa, FL 33605 813-247-7283
 death-dealing microbes parad- small porch had room for two
 ing into his mouth. green cane rocking chairs. The Tony Scaglione & Larry Scaglione
 Gingerly he tilted the bottle, house was bright white with
 trying to pour the beer into his dark green trimmings.
 mouth without letting the lip of Ferdie's heart beat as Sam
 the bottle touch his own lips. fumbled for the key to the
 Sam watched in silent amuse- front door. He thought it odd
 ment. Ferdie gulped down the that all the other front doors bl
 beer, and handed the bottle were open, as were the win-
 back to Sam. dows. In the August heat all
 Deliberately Sam took the expectations of a breeze were
 bottle and wiped it with the encouraged by the opportunity
 palm of his hand then popped given by maximum ventila-
 a finger in the bottle, tion. A closed front door shut

































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 P-age20-Se~tioz.;B jFriday, December. 22, 2006