askchapo

And I learned that, uh, it makes a difference. This was the diving board area, and I was one of the guards. And they weren't allowed to it was a three meter board. If you fell off sideways you landed on the damn the darn cement over there. And Corn Pop was a bad dude. And he ran a bunch of bad boys. And I did and back in those days and to show you how things have changed, one of the things you had to use, if you used pomade in your hair you had to wear a bathing cap. And he was up on the board wouldn't listen to me, I said HEY ESTHER! YOU! OFF THE BOARD! OR I'LL COME UP AND DRAG YOU OFF! Well he came off, and he said, "I'll meet you outside." My car, this was mostly, these were all public housing behind you. My car, there was a gate out here. I parked my car outside the gate. And I, he said, "I'll be waitin' for you." He was waitin' for me with three guys with straight razors. NOT A JOKE! There was a guy named Bill Wrightmouse, the only white guy and he did ALL the pools, he was the mechanic. And I said what am I gonna do? And he said, "Come down here in the basement. Where mechanics where where all the pool filter is." You know the chain? There used to be a chain went across the deep end. And he cut off a six foot lump of chain he folded it up he said, "You walk out, with that chain. And you walk to the car and you say, 'you may cut me man, but I'm gonna wrap this chain around your head.'" I said you're kidding me. He said, "No if you don't, don't come back." AND HE WAS RIGHT! So I walked out with the chain. And I walked up to my car. And they had in those days used to remember the straight razor you'd bang'em on the curb get'em rusty put'em in a rain barrel get'em rusty. And I looked at'em. But I was smart, then. I said, first of all I said when I tell you get off the board you get off the board I'll kick you out again but I shouldn't have called you Esther Williams. I apologize for that. I apologized but I didn't know if that apology was going to work. He said, "YOU APOLOGIZING TO ME?" I said I apologize not for throwing you out, but I apologize for what I said, and he said, "OK" closed the straight razor and my heart began to beat again.