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Now Mr. G. had ten more acres to farm, an additional worker for the fields, and help for Aunt Minnie. As soon as this was complete I asked Mr. G. if he wanted me to move back into the shack and he said, ?No, you are family.? I always had been treated well but never before had I felt so good. Not too long after that an older black man came to live in the shack and to help in the fields. Mr. G. certainly knew how to make the most of what you have.
Things went well that summer, what with all the help on the farm. In spite of lower prices we were still able to sell all the cabbages and tomatoes we could raise. Little did we know tragedy was hovering just around the comer.
Roy had become quite a man now and since the farm family had grown so much Mr. G. let Roy take his family to the store on Saturday in the buckboard while we went in the truck. After Roy let his family out at the store he would go and pick up Esther, a girl he had been seeing for some time, and bring her back to the store where they would spend their evening together.
This one evening we were all outside when Roy went in the store for something. There was a group of young white boys at the other end of the porch and they were getting very rowdy. One of them, Bubba, came over and started picking on Esther, telling her what he would like to do to her and picking at the buttons on her blouse.
I ran into the store and told Roy there was trouble outside. He bolted through the door and didn?t stop until landing right in the middle of Bubba and throwing him to the ground. Bubba jumped up and pulled a switchblade knife. Roy said, ?I don?t want any trouble now.?
Bubba charged Roy, slashing his arm, but Roy sidestepped just enough to avoid the main thrust and landed a blow to the back of Bubba?s neck. Roy picked up the knife and backed away but Bubba rushed him anyway. Roy sunk the knife into Bubba?s belly and he let out a yell like a stuck pig.
By this time everyone had gathered around and looked in wonder as Roy stood over Bubba with the knife. Mr. G. took Roy and Esther to the truck and told me to bring everyone else in the buckboard. We raced home and pulled up to Zack?s house and Mr. G. told Roy to pack his things then he went to the main house and came back with some money, which he gave to Roy. He whispered something into Roy?s ear and Roy and Esther got into the buckboard and disappeared into the night. Mr. G. said it would not be a good idea for Roy to take his chances with a local jury in this county and that Esther needed to leave with him since she might be in danger.
Mr. G. then said: ?It would probably be about an hour before the sheriff would arrive and he wanted everybody on the front porch of the main house and when the sheriff arrived he would do all the talking.? He also said he did not want us to know where Roy had gone so we would not have to lie.
We all gathered on the front porch while Mr. G. went into the house. Soon he came out and sat in the rocking chair and placed his shotgun by his side. He then directed all the children to get under the porch and stay out of sight.
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