So, there the Bump family was…at the hospital with Jane Bump’s twisted ankle! She was pleading for pain pills, and this was before oxycodone and she swore that she truly believed that she was dieing! The doctor arrive and subsequently x-rayed the injured area only to discover that it was but a light sprang. He bandaged it and prescribed St. Joseph Baby Aspirin.
Now, Jim was taken to St. Mary’s hospital in Chicago and examined for the severe blow to his chest by the errant Jai alai ball that hit him at 87 miles per hour directly in the center of his chest. He was found to be fine from his Jai alai injury but suffering from his 40 years of smoking and counseled to quit immediately!
George had decided that it was time to introduce Billy B. into the mafia lifestyle and he had made a call to his costa nostra contacts. They agreed that Billy should be brought in as a ‘Best Boy’ and shown the ropes of the Chicago Mafia.
Ivy swore with an oath to St. Francis that she wold keep her gossip to herself if Jane pulled through and that she would not pursue her investigation of George Kovacs if Jane, her best friend, and Jim, her husband, survived!
Billy B. thought of the cold rib eye steak, which he loved, and Coca Cola which had by now gone flat. He thought of George K’s promise to him and the shallowness of so many promise that he had already heard in his short life. He considered what it meant to be a member of a group that would protect you and look after you and always be on your side.
Ivy told Jim as he awakened from the mild anesthesia that he had been given to facilitate his examination of his chest, that she would never take him for granted again. She would never discount the valuable work that he did as a mechanic and that she loved him and that Susie and Steve and that she needs him very much!
She mentioned that this Labor Day was a turning point in their relationship and that henceforth there was going to be a new focus in their home!
Jim nodded and thought how he wold like to have a cigarette. He thought of the vacuousness of Ivy and her multitude of rantings and ravings. He considered if he had truly accomplished anything remarkable in his short life? He thought of Susie and Steve and was somewhat comforted in the knowledge that he had two wonderful children!
Suddenly there entered a woman in a seersucker suit and a panama hat and she asked after the health of Jane Bump, Billy’s mom. Jimmy was informed that all was well and that Jane was receiving the best to care and that Billy B. was being looked after….
Billy B. loved Sauk Village. The street that he lived on was full of friends. There was Danny and Pauly on one end of the avenue and Susie and Steve, with his marionettes, on the other end of the placid tree lined road. The front porch of his house was as long as his house and covered with a roof and the floor was concrete. He and his friends could play on the porch when it was raining and feel secure and safe and dry. The house in Sauk Village had a concrete drive way and part of it was covered to protect the car. In the back yard there was a patio with a Weber charcoal grill and Billy’s dad grilled steaks and hamburgers and bratwurst on it…as well as corn on the cob and baked potatoes.
Ivy, his mom’s friend, came over daily to visit. She was very thin and smoked unfiltered Camel cigarettes by lighting the new one off of the one that was currently in use. Ivy was Susie and Steve’s mom. She was the type of friend that you counted yourself fortunate to have in your corner…because if she was not in your corner you were in big trouble! Ivy had an opinion on everything and spoke with the authority of a world weary traveler. She had worked as a Chicago police officer and she had seen more suffering and death in 20 years than most people would see in two lifetimes! Ivy liked Jane and she called her Janie.
Every couple of weeks Billy B’s mom and dad would have Ivy and Jim over for cook-outs in the Bump’s back yard. They brought along Susie and Steve and often their badminton rackets and some birdies. Billy’s mom adored badminton. She and Ivy would play the shuttlecock sport for hours on end. Badminton was a 1960’s favorite and most homes in Sauk Village…had a set of rackets and some birdies to strike and let fly across the net.
Susie would either hold Billy B. on her lap or hug him at every opportunity…and he was very fond of Susie…who was an older woman!
Ivy would talk incessantly regarding the Chicago police force and the crimes that she had witnessed…while Jim did little more than smile and take another drag on his Viceroy unfiltered cigarettes. Jim was a mechanic, as was Billy B’s dad, and his fingernails were permanently disclored and caked with grease. Ivy would utter one of her many hypothesis regarding the ills of the world and Jim would nod in agreement and utter, ‘uh…huh.’
Joining these weekend gatherings were Billy B’s next door neighbors, George and Helen, who were both retired and spent the sunny days of summer tanning on folding lawn chairs in their back yard. George had been a Chicago mafia lieutenant. He had worked for Al Capone. He was one of the nicest guys that you would ever want to meet. He regularly contributed to the cook-outs by bringing the finest single malt Glenlivet Scotch to the events as well as Filet Mignon for everyone! George found out that Billy had his bicycle stolen..and the next day the bicycle was returned…but it was new! George called Billy, Doc, and treated him like a grandson. He told Billy’s mom and dad that Billy would never have to want for anything because when Billy got bigger he was going to show him the secret of success in the world of Chicago!
Labor Day arrived. The unofficial end of summer and the last hurrah of badminton and Jai alai and filet on the grill with Glenlivet to sip as the world passed in front of you. Jane and Ivy were busily pursuing their badminton tournament. While Billy’s dad was preparing the Weber for the introduction of salmon and asparagus…which was somewhat foreign to Sauk Village traditional grilling.
Steve and Billy B. were making a valiant attempt at playing Jai alai. Jai alai is a very fast game where a ball is thrown by a player with a long scooped shaped hand held device, called a cesta, toward a concrete wall and the other player attempts to catch it with their cesta. They were playing against a block wall surrounding George’s garage. The forward momentum that could be achieved with the downward motion of the cesta could be clocked at 80 miles per hour or more!
Susie told Billy to come over and sit with her as he was much to small to be playing Jai alai. Billy happily agreed. Jim reluctantly agreed to replace Billy B. in the Jai alai tournament. He lit another cigarette and downed his scotch and retrieved a Pabst Blue Ribbon from the cooler.
Ivy loved gossip. She loved to hear it and she loved to tell it! She asked Jane if she had heard the Lou Mitchell had been having an affair with Dax Dribble? Ivy went on to mention that Tom, her husband, did not know a thing about it, but that was not unusual do to his work as a doctor and being on call all hours of the day and night. Lou was a chief assistant to the dean of Humanities at the University of Chicago. Jane responded that she was shocked…and about that time…she twisted her ankle in a hole in their backyard!
Everything suddenly came to a screeching halt! Billy’s mom could not walk and the salmon was burning and the asparagus could not be scrapped off of the stainless steel grill! Billy’s dad ran into the house to call an ambulance and an errant Jai alai ball hit Jim square in his chest and fell like a sequoia! Ivy ran over to her husband…keeping her cigarette firmly placed between her lips and never loosing a drop of the single malt scotch!
The ambulance arrived and those who could climbed into the emergency vehicle while the rest gathered themselves in their own cars and proceeded to the hospital.
A separate ambulance was called for Jim…who was unconscious and drooling, a little , from his open mouth.
As the Labor Day hours ticked by…the charcoal fire cooled to white embers and the completed Filet Mignon’s were enjoyed by Danny and Pauly’s labrador retrievers…and the Glen Levitt got hot.
Carl and Billy B. walked out of Merlin’s tent wondering what type of tiny projector had been hooked up to the crystal ball where they had just watched the strangest, seemingly unrelated, events projected on? The proper decision seemed to be to find Sam Malone’s Taffy stand and proceed to enjoy the best taffy east of the Mississippi river!
When they presented themselves in front of Sam he was singing his famous taffy making song: ‘Mama likes taffy and daddy likes taffy…and so does Dick and Jane…even Spot the dog like taffy! So good….get it now….get it now!’
Sam would take massive rolls of fresh and soft taffy off of the roller with his his massive arms and hands and begin to throw the sweet confection high into the air and let it land on a large wooden table…whereupon he would turn it over and cast it into the air again…all the while singing his favorite song!
Carl’s eyes became wider, than usual, and he sipped his lemon shake-up vociferously! Billy B was watching Carl more than he was watching Sam and suddenly he noticed what Carl was staring at. Standing at the corner of the taffy stand was a cloaked figure with his face hidden. He was holding a scythe in his right hand and his appearance was ominous and foreboding! Billy B. looked away for a moment as governor Otto Kerner passed by with his entourage of assistants and aids and sycophants. When he looked back the Grim Reaper…had vanished!
Carl said to Billy B., ‘He is here.’
Billy B. asked, ‘what do you think that it means?’
Carl replied, ‘someone is going to die!’
Billy B. said, ‘I hope that it is not us…let’s get out of this section of the fair and head for the time tunnel…quick!’
As the boys ran Carl tripped and dropped his box of chocolate taffy and it was strewn all over the ground. Luckily each morsel was wrapped in wax paper…and the gathering of the sweet treats was easy and some DuQuoin dirt joined the confections in their cardboard box.
There was the time tunnel directly in front of them. The metal walkway that served as the entrance was painted in a black and white spiral that produced the optical allusion of movement as they ran through the cylinder. When they exited the far end of the tube they were standing on a busy street corner that was literally full of people. It looked strangely similar to Billy B. and he thought that he had seen the street on T.V.?
Everywhere Carl and Billy B. looked they saw men wearing Stetson cowboy hats and they began to hear the most uproarious sound of cheering and clapping and mirth and merriment to such an extent that they wondered what was the focus of all of the excitement?
As they gazed at the tall buildings, they were obviously in a city…and did not know how that they had gotten there, they saw the sun glint off of the muzzle of a rifle from a window on the sixth floor of a nearby building. Like a steak of lightning Billy B. understood where they were and he exclaimed to Carl, ‘we have really traveled back in time and are standing in Dealy Plaza waiting for President Kennedy’s car to pass…we are going to witness his assassination!’
‘Come on Carl…lets run to the sixth floor of the Book Depository and see if we can distract Lee Harvey Oswald from pulling the trigger and murdering the President!’
As Carl and Billy B. ran up the steps Carl lagged behind and began to cough the cough of a person that was winded! Billy B. ran on and burst into the dusty room and yelled for Lee to put down the gun! Now Lee Harvey Oswald was so startled that he fell back on to his back and screamed out in pain! At this same moment…Carl arrived and jumped on his chest…and you could hear his sternum crack!
‘Mr. President…Mr. President….Jackie…please look this way….Jackie….we love you!’ And the presidential limousine was on its way to lunch.
As Carl and Billy B. looked at each other in disbelief…they were back in the small theatre of the time tunnel exhibit at the Illinois State Fair.
As Jane and Demetrius and Billy B. and Carl walked back to the car after an unusual Labor Day evening at the fair…Demetrius mentioned that he had spent some time in a Democratic Political booth that was dedicated to the re-election of JFK!
School had been in session for one week and had it ever been hot in the classrooms! Billy Bump and his buddy Carl had been looking forward, with anxious anticipation, for the Friday night opening of the fair. There was customarily a parade just before the gates were unlocked to the fair grounds. In the parade throng there were local celebrities, such as Minnesota Fats who lived just down the road, and as many politicians that could squeeze in. The Governor was marching along with the first lady and he was smiling from ear to ear and passing out candy to the children and kissing every baby that was offered to him. He waved with the back of his hand…much as Billy B. had seen Queen Elizabeth of England do in the news.
Leading the parade was a jockey riding a horse drawn chariot signifying the world renown harness race that was held during the DuQuoin State Fair…The Hambletonian! Really what the jockey was riding on was a cut-back chariot to say the least. There was a very small wooden seat that he never sat upon and a flimsy looking frame of metal with two large wheels. The horse reared its great head and tossed and turned as if it was looking into the mouth of hell! The jockey seemed nervous…but then again…jockeys always appear nervous.
Brining up the rear of the great train of jubilant people were the carnies and the special show performers. There were clowns with large white teeth that were affixed in a maniacal grin! There were wizards and magicians and gypsies and soothsayers. At the very end of the procession came an organ grinder and his monkey assistant. The monkey would run from child to child, with his toothy smile, and offer a lolly pop and a mischievous wink!
As the boys proceeded to walk through the gates to the fair there stood a giraffe who was slowly chewing and staring at them. He doffed his top hat and greeted them by name and admonished them to have fun but be careful…as there was a strange wind blowing out of the north. He also admonished them enjoy the taffy…as it was a state fair speciality!
Billy was determined to visit the Soothsayer Tent and he ran there posthaste! Carl arrived shortly thereafter as he had a policy of not running when you can walk and not standing when you can sit. The prognosticator of the future was named Merlin and he smelled of incense and gin. After they each paid a quarter they were ushered into a back room that was semi-lit and had a small round table in the middle of it with a crystal ball in the center of the table. When Merlin entered his pointed wizard’s hat was separated from his head by the tent fabric at the top of the door. Merlin began to explain who he was and what was about to transpire.
He noted that he was very old and that if he told Billy and Carl, how old he really was, that they would not believe him. He went on to explain that the story of king Arthur and the knights of the roundtable was a true story and that he was the Merlin in the narrative. He noted that it had taken him sometime to complete wizardry school and much of the lengthy portion of his life in hiding or masquerading as someone else. He said that he had loved his life as Billy the Kid in New Mexico and his rendition of Boris Karloff had been a blast!
Merlin asked Bill and Carl if they wanted to peer into the crystal ball? They both began to stare intently! There was Jane and Demetrius eating corn dogs at the fair. Then…they noticed the image had changed and there were two very large buildings being struck by large jets…and they fell to the earth. Suddenly, there were images of people weeping and children in cages and the Statue of Liberty…with its torch missing…and a President with orange hair!
So, Billy Bump had wanted desperately to be a foreman in his housekeeping career. He had began a a janitor and had, through hard work, ascended to a crew leader or what was called a Building Custodian. Billy reveled in the stable and secure job, with benefits, that he had attained with the university and he was gobsmacked and grateful…and he worried that it would end suddenly…just like it had began!
The assistant director of the physical plant had been coming to his building to speak with him as to whether he would like to become a foreman, which would oversee several positions and crews like the one that Billy currently worked with…or would he like to be the training officer for the entire department? Dale was a pleasant man and he spoke of his christian faith and a place of mutual interest for Billy and he…Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Billy had taken his young family to Disney World for a January vacation and they had enjoyed it immensely! They had also visited Myrtle Beach, Florida and had met the most delightful elderly couples from New York and New Jersey. The upper east coaster that they met had been staying at the hotel, on the shores of Myrtle Beach throughout the months of January and February and even March. They thoroughly enjoyed Billy and Jane’s young sons, David and Daniel. The Bump boys were always cocked and ready to fire for excitement and adventure no matter what time of day it was!
The first morning that they were at the beach they explored outside. It was thirty degrees with a 25 mile per hour wind! They retreated to the indoor hotel pool. David jumped into the cold pool and turned the most brilliant shade of blue! As his teeth were chattering….he announced that it was not cold and that he loved it! Daniel dove into the body of water and subsequently swam from one end of the pool to the other…under water! He came up gasping on the far side of the challenge and announced for all the hear, ‘I forgot my water wings!’
Billy leisurely discussed careers with the patriarchs of New York and was amazed how accepted that he was! Magically age and location and education and position and no relevance to pleasant and productive human interaction!
Billy and Jane vowed that they would return the next winter…and they have yet to do so to this day!
And, so, Dale asked Billy would he be willing to interview for the assistant superintendent position for Building Services? Billy resounded that he would…and later regretted the assertion as he was offended by the negative interview. After staying awake all night and counseling with Jane the next morning when she awakened at 6am….Billy took Jane’s counsel to refuse the position.
Ray buzzed Billy on his pager and he subsequently telephoned him. Ray noted that Dale and he wanted to meet with him at McDonalds restaurant to discuss why he did not want to stand for the assistant superintendent position? Billy said that he would meet with them but that his mind was made up and probably not subject to change.
Although Dale offered to buy Billy anything that he desired he chose nothing but a cup of coffee and Dale began his final offer. When he concluded it was obvious to Billy that Ray wanted him to accept and out of respect to him and their long relationship he did. Billy reflected as to what he had agreed to and that it was something that he had never considered and never desired. He simply felt a need to serve and had great doubts as to whether he was up to the challenge!
Billy thought to himself the words the Jane had told him when he began as a Building Service Worker I…when she told him that God had told her that he would be managing the Building Services Department…one day!
The evening breeze was pleasant. Phobos and Deimos were full, and shown brilliantly in the dark night sky! Anna was listening to the rain music that had been playing for the last hour or so. The music was so captivating that it was difficult to put into words the feelings that it engendered and the emotions that arose from listening to it. Anna often thought that without the soothing of the rain music she could not endure her new home. As she peered out of her window wall she was amazed at the transformation that the landscape took. First it was a desert and the sand dunes were resplendent in the light of the afternoon sun. Then it was the coast of Maine and the waves of the Atlantic Ocean were rhythmically beating against the rocky shore. Finally she witnessed with amazement the depths of the Pacific Ocean and the sea life and the plankton and a multitude of seahorses swimming with the talking dolphins…who spoke hundreds of languages!
Aaron entered the Great Room and inquired as to whether Anna wanted a refresher for her drink? She noticed that Ryan was with him in holographic form and that they seemed to be talking about something important. Anna replied that she would enjoy another Old Fashioned made with the last of their supply of Bulleit Rye Whiskey. Bulleit had been a favorite on Earth and although they had brought several cases with them for their enjoyment on Mars…many years had passed.
Aaron could not help but notice the lovely rain music as he looked out of the window wall and saw the peaceful land of Southern Illinois and the rolling hills of the Shawnee National Forest. He reflected on his many enjoyable years on Earth and the friendships that he had formed.
But the heat had become to extreme! The Earth was literally cooking under the effects of global warming!
Anna asked Ryan if he would like to have a Old Fashioned with she and Aaron? He said that he would very much enjoy one and she proceeded to fix him a virtual drink.
Ryan noted that they had never had it so good since they left Earth! The days of intransigent political leaders had ended when they had landed on the Red Planet! No longer had they the onerous chore of concerning themselves and attempting to comply with the perverted whims of their political leaders who primarily used the citizenry as there pawns!
Jonathon entered and asked if they had heard Leonard Cohen singing Hallelujah? The group on the Great Room replied that they had not…to which Jonathon said, ‘look out of the window wall and there he is!’
Sure enough…there was Mr. Cohen singing his hit song…Hallelujah and the affect of it was palpable!
Mary Ann came into the Great Room and announced that the Clerk of Mars Region 10 would soon be at their home for a review of their Martian experience so far. Jonathon thought that he was going to tell the Clerk how much I enjoy the window wall! Aaron and Anna wondered if the Clerk could procure anymore Bulleit Rye Whiskey? The holograph of Ryan had fallen asleep on the couch with a wide smile on his face!
Earth had become a terrible place to live during the last few years that the Martian group had been there. There not only were wars and rumors of wars but there was a constant migration of peoples from all over the planet that had lived near the oceans or the coast or in any proximity of the rising waters!
And, so, the midwest and the northern states of the United States…had become packed with humans that were seeking higher ground!
It was much worse in many third world countries where countless thousands of people had died from the effects of global warming. The only words of comfort from the scientist…was cold comfort indeed…as they admonished all to immigrate to higher ground and continue to do so for the foreseeable future!
Suddenly there was a loud knocking on the door of the Great Room…while at the same time the window wall was ominous with clouds and storms and tornadoes and hurricanes!
‘Come on…get out…your time is up….there are millions waiting to take your place in the Great Room!’
‘Well I’ve heard there was a secret chord
That David played and it pleased the Lord
But you don’t really care for music, do you?
Well it goes like this:
The fourth, the fifth, the minor fall and the major lift
So, late Sunday night the Chicago Harley Davidson arrived in Beulah Heights in the little town of El Dorado. Billy Bump had been riding for over 300 miles between his mon and dad and his butt was sore and he was cold.
There was grandma Erskine at the door and Bema alongside her saying, ‘Is that Jane and Junior…where is little Billy at…I hope that he did not fall off of the motorcycle?’
After a few pleasantries, and a cold mug of milk, Billy’s grandma made his bed on the living room couch with Narky eyeing him from an upholstered chair that abutted the makeshift bed. Billy remembered the days when they visited grandma Erskine that she called her little rat terrier, Nugett, but suddenly he had been transformed into Narky!
Now Narky was a mean little shit! He did not like Billy one little bit! He enjoyed illustrating to Billy his profound distaste for him by bearing his long sharp teeth in an almost constant snarl. Narky was getting older and he suffered from arthritis and he could not see well due to cataracts and he…did not like change! Billy and Jane and Jefferson…represented change!
Grandma had a very small bathroom that you had to go through the guest bedroom to get to. Mom and dad were sleeping in the guest bedroom feather bed. The middle of the bed was sunk down to almost the floor, which was the nature of feather beds, and Billy could see little more of them than their arms extended out of the crack!
The tiny rest room could be accessed by two doors adjoining the two bedrooms, one being Bema’s and the other being the room with the feather bed. When Billy entered the room he feared that either mom or dad would come in on him while he was engaged in his oblations or worse…aunt Bema…who was a cross for him to bear!
He wished that he had not gotten up to use the facilities but the cold milk in the porcelain cup had caused him to have to pee! As he made his way back to his couch/bed…he stubbed his toe on the two chairs that grandma had placed against the couch to assure that he did not roll out into the floor. As he moved the chairs, in the dark, he alighted directly on Narky who answered with a growl and a hurtful nip on his big toe!
Billy cried out in pain and Narky answered with many barks and growls! The lights all came on and here came Bema with a scowl and hollering,’ what is going on and what is all of the ruckus and I need my sleep!’
Mom and dad were valiantly attempting to extricate themselves from the feather bed…but mostly were announcing that they needed help and that they were trapped!
Grandma Erskine was fast asleep in her little bedroom on the back porch and new nothing of the festivities!
Billy Bump loved Mrs. Bramlet! His Speech teacher had an active interest in him since the day that he signed up for her class. Mrs. Bramlet was from Tennessee and she love to regale the class with stories of her youth! She often told the story of her first day at college where the advisor, snidely, commented the he had never seen a student from Tennessee with shoes on her feet. Betty’s retort was that she explained the the shoes that she was wearing was the first pair of summer shoes that she had ever worn. She went on to explain that the shoes were for the purpose of making a good first impression!
Betty was a tall woman with a personality that far eclipsed her physical size. She was a kind person and she was extremely supportive of Billy! She loved his speeches…especially his impromptu ones. Billy was the only freshman in the class that was full of seniors and some juniors. Mrs. Bramlet wanted Billy to audition for the high school plays…and Billy wanted to do so. Billy believed that he could excel in theatre and with Mrs. Bramlet’s encouragement he was sure that he could do so! Billy was attending a pentecostal church during his high school years that did not ascribe to theatre or movies…or even television. Billy was torn…and understood that he was missing an opportunity for an advancement of his natural skills!
Some of the senior boys, initially, gave Billy a hard time as a matter of passage from being a freshman to a sophomore. They seemed difficult and intransigent until Mrs. Bramlet spoke to them and suddenly they were all Billy’s friends!
Mrs. Bramlet wanted Billy to be the public address system announcer for the Homecoming Football game. She did not want to take no for an answer. Billy accepted and he was energized the possibilities that the acceptance afforded!
However, the regular person for the announcing duties returned from an illness and Billy learned the he would no be needed…after all. He was both relieved and somewhat disappointed.
Billy knew that he had a future in communication! He was so fond of Betty Bramlet being his advocate! He wanted so desperately to be a communicator, whether in theatre or ministry or radio and he felt secure in Mrs. Bramlet’s constant approval and positive comments!
Mrs. Bramlet had married a man that was 20 years older than she. She loved him and spoke of him tenderly and she was stricken with a surprise illness! Soon she was in a wheel chair and Billy was sad…and he was frightened for her…and she soon passed away!
School had began, once again, in the little town of El Dorado, Illinois. During the last days of August and the first few of September the classrooms were hot and the days dragged by as if they were suspended in slow motion. Tommy was especially sleepy and required nudging several times per day. Daryl had began the third grade in the Southern Illinois town and he had a distinct English accent. He was an outgoing friendly person with a razor sharp brain and the ability to communicate his ideas at a level that Billy Bump had not witnessed for his age group.
Another friendly classmate was Jeff who’s parents owned a hardware store in town. He walked up to Billy one day and announced that he wanted to be friends. Billy had not experienced such an open and genuine desire to be friends on a regular basis, was very pleased to have Jeff as a friend. Jeff told Billy that he reminded him of the Peanuts character Charlie Brown. He went on to state that if Billy was Charlie Brown that he would be Snoopy.
Billy visited Jeff’s home and recalls, these many years later, that Jeff was eating the crips remnants of fried potatoes out of the skillet after dinner was completed and Jeff’s mother telling him that he should not be doing that with a guest present. Jeff responded that, ‘But mom…I do it every night?’
Jeff had a brother that he talked about with Billy…who he said was ill and he became sad when he spoke of him.
Quicker than Billy thought that it would happen the weather began to cool off and the classroom became comfortable. The Halloween decorations went up on the bulletin boards and Billy’s favorite season of the year had commenced!
Carl said that his mom had purchased a tremendous Halloween costume for the holiday! He went on to describe the full mask of the robot on the television program Lost in Space. He also had both pants and shirt with the images of the robot’s body on them. Carl performed an excellent rendition of the robot! He was acclaimed throughout the grade school!
Now Billy had a full mask of a Cherokee Indian, of which he had significant lineage! And so the plan was that this would be the year not only for candy…but candy bars…and not only for popcorn balls…but dollar bills as well!
The plan was for Daryl and Jeff and Carl and Billy to team-up for the great event and see what came of their allegiance?
And so the intrepid four set out along Illinois Avenue just down from Hillcrest School. They knocked on a new home and were invited in while the owners retrieved the holiday treats. Billy noticed that the family appeared to be upper class folks and although he understood that there were people in El Dorado that lived differently than him, he was amazed at the sunken living room and the polished demeanor of both the mother and father and his classmate Kim.
Kim’s dad told him to ask his friends if they would like some punch and Carl told Billy, ‘See…what did I tell you…the quality costumes are working there magic already!’
Suddenly Daryl was dancing the highland fling in a kilt with bagpipes and Jeff asked Billy if he would like to meet his brother? Billy was feeling very dizzy and Carl kept repeating, ‘That does not compute!’
Billy Bump enjoyed TV! He began most of his mornings in the Chicago Heights watching Bozo the Clown which was a live production from Chicago. Billy considered Bozo the funniest clown that he had ever seen! Bozo had giant feet and a red nose and his face was white with clown makeup. Bozo was such a regular in Billy’s suburban home that he thought that all kids must be enjoying Bozo at the same time that he was.
Billy sat upon a sectional couch that had four separate sections. It was black and white and was the epitome of early 1960’s sheik! He enjoyed his oatmeal while wearing his pajamas with feet in them. Billy assumed that all PJ’s had feet in them and he enjoyed the warmth of them…especially in the winter. In fact Jane, Billy’s mom, required that he wear his socks to bed, if he did not have his footed pajamas, in all months accept June and July and August. His mother was convinced that he would obtain a cold if he did not have sufficient covering on his feet for nine months out of the year.
There was a coffee table in front of the sectional couch that resembled furniture that you would see in the popular cartoon of the day, The Jetsons, which was about a futuristic society where cars flew and the maid was a robot.
Billy throughly enjoyed the television shows of the day such as, The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits, which he watched, sometimes, with one eye open as they seemed scary and creepy to him!
The Twilight Zone was written and introduced each week by the Rod Serling. They were, actually, morality plays and Serling had chosen the vehicle of fantasy to portray injustice and prejudice and bias in the American society.
The Outer Limits was a pure science fiction program with journeys to space and robots and monsters.
One of the most interesting episodes of the Twilight Zone was the one entitled, To Serve Man, where aliens came to earth and seemed to be nothing but altruistic and helpful while all along having a hidden agenda for humanity. They showed them how to grow larger and richer crops and were vitally concerned that humanity was well fed! Toward the end the thirty minute program humans were standing in line to take a journey to the, milky white large cranium, aliens home planet where they discover that the helpful visitors were not wising to serve as servants to man…but rather to serve man…as a delicious dish to eat!
After watching the Twilight Zone episode of to serve man he had a peculiar dream that night. In the dream he was on the alien spaceship and he noticed that the aliens kept feeding him ice cream and cake and candy bars and cookies. He was so full…but they insisted that he keep eating. As Billy’s stomach grew larger his hosts told him how good he was looking and to keep eating! Billy wandered into a dining room where he saw a large banquet table and the finest china and cutlery and at each place setting there was a covered dish. When he raised the cover of the first dish that he came to…there was his friend Danny who grinned and said, ‘enjoy!’ As he hurriedly walked to the next covered dish and raised the cover…there was Danny’s little brother Pauly…who said…’eat Danny first!’ Upon lifting the third cover off of a resplendent plate…there was mom…she laughed and said, ‘how are you kiddo…and could you see if they can turn the temperature down….it is hot in here!’
When Billy awoke the next morning he scurried in to the kitchen to receive his oatmeal and take it into the TV Tray in the living room to begin his morning date with Bozo.
Billy looked with horror as his mom said, with a large toothy grin, I put your oats under a cover…to keep it warm!
The Jazz Man 