When Rudolph walked into the dining room the table was almost full. There were the two older men he and Tommy had seen and Tommy talked to on the front porch, two other younger men Rudolph had never seen, a woman with a small boy and Miss Maxine, sitting at the head of the table. There were two chairs unoccupied and Maxine motioned for Rudolph to take the one nearest her. For the first time Rudolph notice another table, smaller and unset with any dishes running parallel to the big table. “We have a new guest tonight,” Maxine announced to everyone and no one in particular. “Mr. Rudolph Crumpton will be staying with us for a while and I want everyone to make him feel at home,” she continued. Neither of the two men Rudolph had not seen before even looked up. The black man that had been on the porch smiled and quickly spoke, “he’s kin to Tommy Douglas and hiding from the law,” breaking his buddy from the porch up with laughter. “He’s wanted in Alabama for killin his family because they told him he’s kin to ole Tommy,” the other front porch guy said, breaking the first porch buddy up. “Shut up you two,” said Maxine, “you two wouldn’t know it if he was, you can’t read and don’t know how to operate the T.V.” The others continued to fill their plates with the grandest meal Tommy had ever seen, the diner from the morning included. As bowls of mashed potatoes, green beans, fried chicken, biscuits and gravy were emptied Agnes and Roxanne would refill them and the people around the table kept eating. Maxine tried to introduce or at least point out the others and give them names but Rudolph was too busy eating as fast as he could. After two helpings of everything in sight Agnes brought out a huge bowl of banana pudding. Rudolph again filled his plate with the most wonderful concoction he had ever put in his mouth. He was so full by the end of the meal he could hardly move. “Honey you had enough,” one of the two black angels he had fallen in love with ask. “Yes mam,” Rudolph replied, “I’ve never seen or eaten so much in my life.” “Do ya’ll eat like this all the time?” Rudolph asked to no one in particular. “Miss Maxine believes in feedin her folks good baby boy and we just try to keep her happy,” answered the black lady who was pouring Maxine a cup of coffee. Rudolph had stopped trying to figure out which one it was, he just said, “thank you, it was great.”
A large grandfather clock standing in the corner of the room showed 7:25 by the time everyone was finished. There had been little conversation during the meal, everyone seem to be too busy eating and passing food to talk. One by one the diners got up from the table and disappeared from the room soon leaving only Maxine with her coffee and Rudolph. “Rudolph, I don’t know what Tommy has in mind for you but I do want you to be careful,” Maxine said trying to start a conversation. “I love that boy like he was mine, but I’ve known him a long time and I don’t trust him worth a damn.” Rudolph was surprised and had no idea what to say. “I just want you to be careful,” Maxine continued as Agnes and Roxanne cleared the table. “He’s always paid me every dime he owed me and I have no guess as to what he does for a living, I just have a bad feeling he’s going to get in trouble some day he can’t get out of and I don’t want to see him hurt anyone else, especially someone as young as you.” “He’s just going to help me get started here in Pittsburg Ms. Maxine, I don’t have anyone else and he’s been better to me in one day than anyone I’ve ever been around,” Rudolph said. “My old man died a couple of years ago and my mom sent me to Pikeville because she had it so bad.” “I ain’t good in school and I don’t have nobody else, I’m nearly twenty years old and I got to do it on my own, if Mr. Douglas can help me I’ve got to take it, I ain’t gonna do anything that gets me in trouble, I promise.” “Just remember what I said,” Maxine went on, “Tommy can do anything he wants, he’s smart, he can get along with people and he’s a charmer, just be careful.” “Yes mam,” Rudolph replied, “Ain’t nobody ever talked to me like this and I appreciate you caring about me, it feels good and I’ll be careful.”
Rudolph went back to his room and lay across his bed to ponder the conversation he just finished with Maxine and all the other events of the day. If Tommy Douglas had no family here in Pittsburg as he told him earlier why was he coming out of the church office where he said he had been to visit his aunt? If he was such a big businessman, why had he been in and out of this boarding house so many times everyone here knew all about him and Miss Maxine knew him so well she did not trust him. Rudolph was a big ole oversized man-child, appearing not too bright and totally alone in this new world. He knew some things were not adding up, the question was what was he supposed to do about it when did he get it figured out. Rudolph while savvy but not the brightest kid was tough as nails and mean as a snake, he would not be a fall guy or anybody’s dummy. Tommy needed him for something and Rudolph would parlay that into a life comparable to Tommy’s. Tommy could either be a part of it or not, Rudolph was not as dumb as Tommy thought. Rudolph’s thought processes were a little different from most people. That night he decided he really didn’t care. If it meant earning a living, and having the kind money Tommy had, he would do anything it took to get to that place himself. If Tommy told him to cut Maxine’s throat he would only ask for a knife. Thinking further he decided he would only be associated with Tommy so long as it was beneficial to him. He would not take any falls for anyone but would give loyalty when loyalty was deserved. When loyalty was not deserved people would be living at their own peril with Rudolph.
Rudolph looked at the dime store watch he inherited from his dad and saw it was almost 9:00. He opened his closet and pulled the black hooded sweatshirt they purchased earlier in the day from its hanger and walked down to the front porch. The two older guys on the porch when he first arrived were sitting in the same chairs they had occupied earlier in the day. “Where you and ole Tommy headed tonight?” the white guy asked as Rudolph walked through the door. “Ya’ll goin lookin for some ole rusty heeled girls?” the second ask, bringing a big laugh from his buddy. Rudolph still not feeling comfortable with people he didn’t know said nothing. “Ole Tommy knows them all,” said the black guy, “he’ll make a man out of you boy, just be sure you don’t catch nothing,” bringing another big laugh from the old white guy. Rudolph sat down on the top step and the two old goats returned to talking about the Pirates and how the management had sold the team out to the highest bidder. “We are family my ass,” the black guy said, “they gonna trade Stargell and everybody else that’s worth a shit.” “I ain’t even goin this year,” the white man said, “we won’t win 40 games and now they raisin the damn bleacher seat tickets to $15, that’s bullshit.” Rudolph never cared much for any sport or knew anything about them, sports were just entertainment for rich people, poor folks didn’t have the time nor money to play them or even pay much attention to them.
A few minutes after 9:00 Tommy pulled up in his Cadillac Seville; Rudolph eased off the porch and walked down the sidewalk toward Tommy and his future life. Tommy unlocked the passenger side door with his automatic door lock control just as Rudolph reach for the door handle. Though impressed, Rudolph knew this was another effort to impress him and said nothing as he slid into the seat next to Tommy.
(to be con'd)
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