Project Text

Justin Boyd

Professor Broadous

PAS114b

24 April 2012

Briefcase and Transition

            A transitional stage is the hardest. To change oneself is an incredibly difficult process. In order to make a transition there would have to be a mental change along with an emotional and sometimes physical change. Imagine having to make all these changes within a society that looks down upon the race and skin color the person is and everyone telling the person that they will become nothing in life and treat them like nothing. This is the world in which the invisible man lived in. In the book Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison the main character, who will be named Invisible Man, was going through his life trying to figure out who he was. He discovered parts of his identity through a series of objects and events.  Although, the most important factors that helped him on his journey were the items he used the most and the briefcase followed him throughout his entire journey. The briefcase allowed him to house certain objects that either hindered him or helped him in his journey to transitioning to become a better person.

The briefcase was awarded to him after he was tricked to fight over pieces of gold that turned out to be useless brass tokens that were scattered on an electrical rug. The briefcase was the reward of him enduring a fight over what was assumed to be gold and so it initially held that memory of him overcoming an overwhelming situation. Receiving this briefcase gave him a slight hope that he can become something more than what he is thus beginning the transitional period. A briefcase is defined as “a common bag used by vagrants and transients for carrying around belongings and business people who needed to carry papers” (Pohl). The common bag symbolized his mind because everyone has a brain but chooses the way in which they would use it, just like the suitcase; therefore the briefcase is parallel to the mind.  The reference to transients, vagrants and business people show that the briefcase, the mind, is something that men and women of all social classes can obtain which helps the invisible man see that the briefcase is his starting point into a better life. Briefcases are meant to house significant objects, usually papers but can also be objects of importance. Also, much like the mind the parallel of important objects and papers would be the memories and events which are placed within the mind via memorization. Once again the briefcase has shown a resemblance to the mind and so the memories, mind, and events not only are mental but they have manifested themselves within the form of the briefcase and all its contents. This briefcase played as an opportunity for him to actually be able to bring along items and memories which helped his mind to see this part of his life, beginning with the reward of the suitcase as a new journey to become a new person.

            On his journey the first major piece of information stored within the briefcase was the high school diploma which seems to be the next step in his journey. Having the high school diploma shows that Invisible Man does have an education and is not an uneducated transient. Not only does him having this document seem important but also since he is an African-American male with no sub-standard education, the diploma helps him add another piece to the bridge that he is trying to create to transition so someone better. This diploma held quite a bit of power “[T]oday’s college degree is the equivalent of the 1950′s high school diploma,” (Clarey) since the book seemed to have taken place within the realm of the late 1940s and early 1950s this quote perfectly depicts how the diploma was viewed. This also runs parallel to his mind. The briefcase housing the proof of knowledge parallels to his mind housing four years or more of high school knowledge, which means that he is no ignorant man, he has learned to read write and speak well, as witnessed in a speech given after he receives the briefcase. The diploma also is one of the most pivotal steps in his transition because it is what allows him to enroll in a college, which then should allow him to pursue a career, well that is how he planned it. During this timeframe a high school diploma was scarce “In the 1940s only 24.5 percent of 25-year-olds had a high school diploma,” (Hayden) the quote further explains the difficulty of obtaining a degree such as a high school degree. This differentiated him from all the other people of that time that were without a degree and inevitably helped him step on to a new part of his transitional stage. The high school diploma was treated as a very precious document and so that knowledge from high school was also precious and he tried to utilize the knowledge and make apparent his intelligence whenever a chance arose.

             Invisible Man’s next addition to his mind comes when he meets a sweet young woman with secret intentions. Her name is Mary and decides to house and care for Invisible Man, during his stay he comes across a coin bank in the shape of a fat black man that ate coins placed in his hands. Invisible Man didn’t realize how normal it was in the region he was in to have racial items such as that “African Americans had been fighting against racial discrimination for centuries; during the 1950s, however, the struggle against racism and segregation entered the mainstream of American life.” (History.com) he was oblivious to the customs of the region and wasn’t informed of how things were. The racism had been so heavily used that the people seen it as just another part of life. There was an opposition to it but it was still accepted through little things, such as the bank. This bank was offensive to Invisible Man and so he smashed it. After smashing it he had to dispose of the evidence and so he placed it within his briefcase. This event affects him in two ways, one being that he came across a form of racism that he was not very familiar with so it almost instantly angered him to the point of violence, secondly after dispelling this anger the thought was stored within his briefcase. Since the briefcase is representative of his mind the event was also stored into his mind and it became something he would never forget. Now he has to carry the broken remnants around in his briefcase which is a constant reminder of how society sees the black man. The bank hurts him mentally because it is an obstacle that he is faced with but is not easily overcome. Invisible Man does not do well with racism and so it discourages him to want to continue although he does. Him placing the broken pieces into his briefcase show that this is a part of his transition and he will not forget this event. Encountering the doll has set him back in his transition to become something that he wants.

During the Invisible Man’s travels he ends up in a factory hospital receiving a treatment. He is the hospital bed with a numerous amount of wires, which look like strings, receiving electric shock therapy. As he gets shocked his body contorts and moves about, it is explained by an onlooker to resemble dancing "Look, he's dancing, someone called" followed by “They really do have rhythm, don't they? Get hot, boy! Get hot!’ he said with a laugh" (237). Invisible Man is now partially scarred because he is fulfilling a stereotype and the therapy was a bad experience. He looks as though he is a sambo doll.  After meeting Mary and breaking the bank, Invisible Man comes across a vendor named Tod Clifton, he was peddling sambo dolls which were small dolls that resembled a racist caricature of the African-American man. The doll had big lips, very dark skin and usually with a smile on its face. The dolls looked almost like they were dancing when he first saw them until he noticed a string on the back used to control them. This doll symbolized failure and how the African Americans were made to work, which would be the sambo doll’s dancing ability, by the white people. The dolls held a lot of racial weight “Sambo was depicted as a perpetual child, not capable of living as an independent adult” (Pilgrim) these dolls were incredibly racist and yet the people accepted them. The dolls also symbolize the African American history and how they have been made to do all the work and the white man has sat back and reaped the benefits. These dolls hurt Invisible Man the most because they were the way that an acquaintance of his had to make money and that they were the epitome of racist. These dolls had set him back further in his journey to discover himself. He later stored one of the dolls in the briefcase which symbolized many things and has multiple meanings. The sambo doll reminded him of his friend Clifton who died in the next chapter, the dolls represented how the African American race has failed in trying to pull away from the white man, and lastly the impression of racism once again beating against his mentality. This has the strongest effect on his transition because the idea that he cannot run from racism or change who he is is beginning to manifest itself within his thoughts. He has tried hard to arrive at where he is when getting this doll but it is starting to seem to him like it is all for nothing. Once the doll was placed inside the briefcase the mental toll of it had taken affect. He is now beginning to realize how he is being used by society and other groups he is a part of at this point in the book. The doll being placed in the briefcase is seen not only as a setback but also an eye opener because of his realization.

The briefcase was Invisible Man’s mental sanity, it had mental parallels to everything he had acquired in his briefcase throughout his journey. At the end of his journey he had to destroy his briefcase which led to him losing all progress or regress he had made therefore leaving him back at the spot in which he first began. Him ending up where he began showed that the transition was something that he either could not endure or no longer wanted to go through. Not all transitions yield success and in Invisible Man’s situation it was better that he did not make the transition which lead him back to living underground which is where he began at the beginning of the novel. Transition is not for everyone and he was just another person that could not do it due to the surroundings and happenings of the world. This resonated not only in the book but also in everyday lives for black people. They would try to become something better than what they are and where they are in life and then make the attempt to transition and be met with many racist remarks along with racist people. One of the major beliefs were that of the “contrast between light and dark. Light can symbolize understanding as well as the "good"  of society, whereas dark can symbolize confusion and the "lower scale" of society,” (Caudle) this idea was widely believed among the white community which only fueled the racism and eventually lead to more hostile environments for blacks. This showed that the world during that time was very influential, even on an intelligent man, and times have only changed slightly. The racism has broadened to other races but the difficulty to transition is all the same. No matter what time era transition will always take a full mental and sometimes physical toll on a person.

Untouchables

Boyd 1

Boyd, Justin

Professor Broadous

PAS 114B

March 22, 2012

The Untouchables

            Homelessness has become a social disease. The societal trashcan has become the streets of almost all neighborhoods. Homeless rates have increased incredibly within the past few years. Due to the increase of the rates there should also have been an increase in programs and money dedicated to helping them although, there hasn’t. Once the citizens have become homeless they then require a certain amount of help financially along with many other ways depending on the events that preceded losing the home the person or family lived in. The government tries to provide facilities such as; homeless shelters and abuse shelters for women to help people get back on their feet. Although the help is provided there is a fatal flaw with this model; there is only enough help given to keep that person living within the niche they have created due to housing being only temporary, there isn’t enough help for substance abusers, and there are not any programs trying to help educate the homeless on how to find a job and maintain it. These factors are the space in which the homeless live in and they heavily contribute to becoming homeless and staying homeless. Without a significant amount of external help the homeless will only get as far as the help will take them which is why the government should

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provide enough help to get them far enough to become a citizen and not a piece of waste that rots within the societal trashcan.

Housing is the base of success and mental stability. Without a house there are many traits physically and mentally at risk within a person. Being able to be sheltered and protected is one of the cornerstones to getting out of homelessness which is why shelters provide temporary housing to a limited amount of people. Despite the shelters contributing with the offer of housing it is not enough “The emergency shelter system is able to accommodate only a small fraction of the growing number of homeless families in need.” (Responding to America’s Challenges) because it only helps a small group of people. This group also is no elite group of people. It is only the next people on the list. A trip was made to the homeless shelter and it was very unsettling. While they stay within the housing facility they are not required to do anything but be out of the facility for a fraction of the day and then comeback before a certain time. It seemed almost like the homeless were being geared towards becoming submissive, which is the complete opposite of what a person without a home should be. The amount of time is not enough to help someone get back on their feet “Emergency shelters are unable to provide the intensive long-term assistance which homeless families require in order to stabilize their lives.”(Responding to America’s Challenge) which then leads to them falling into the same cycle of becoming dependent upon something else. The stay was limited to two weeks, or fourteen days, which is not enough time allotted to become nondependent upon the shelter i.e. get a new home or even a job. The housing system for the homeless does not work. Despite the help being offered it does nothing to actually get the homeless back on their feet. It just continues to enable the homeless so far to where they lose all hope in becoming a citizen again.

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There are also no programs being offered to assist the homeless in trying to get back into societal life. These programs seem to be one of the more important parts of a homeless shelter yet they either aren’t in existence or are scarce “emergency shelters and transitional programs rarely assist families in overcoming the tremendous barriers they face in accessing permanent housing,” which then enables the person to have an even lower chance of becoming part of the community all over again. These programs would help immensely with lowering the homeless rates and also help to generate awareness of the public of how many people are actually homeless. Programs such as these are how the homeless can become working and striving citizens yet they aren’t focused on enough to be created. There are some but they are scarce but still have an amazing effect on the people it helps “HELP Bronx Crotona Park North has served over 2,799 families. 100 percent have been placed into permanent housing. This facility's record of success makes it a federal government model for transitional housing.” (HELP) this facility is the perfect example, it has created a program and supplied housing used to help the homeless and has strived very well. Facilities such as these are of great importance, with a turnout of 100% there should be a deal of importance placed on this issue. The addition of a facility such as this would not only help the homeless but help them to understand how to transition into the world after losing all that they have lost. Losing a house is one of the primary factors of becoming homeless and so adding a chance to regain it back with assistance would only help the problem.

Another vital factor in one’s space of becoming homeless and staying homeless is substance abuse. Homeless people develop habits that only allow them to be able to support certain habits or wants, most of which include substance abuse. The abuse begins to consume the person and cause them to think that all they need is their dug of choice. This leads to them to

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create a mind state that solely gears them to becoming dependent upon that drug. When their space is infected with this drug they can easily attain it which then incorporates it into their daily life routine “Substance abuse is much more common among homeless people than in the general population.”(National Coalition for the Homeless) which then makes them more defensive against those who want to help along with those who do not try to engage them. This space makes the person an outcast to society and to his or her family. Once they become hostile towards everyone, due to the side-effects of the drug or the mind state created that everyone is trying to take it from them, they no longer try to seek help. Once the homeless have taken the drug for too long they then begin to not care about anything or anyone bug the drug and often will do anything to attain it. During the visit to the homeless shelter there were a few people that seemed to be under the influence of a substance. There were people warning the extremity of his dosage and how hostile he might be. They suggested he be left alone until his side-effects wore off. It was a sad sight. There were questions that preceded this event regarding the healthcare and substance abuse programs and they were all met with the same answer that the government did not try to provide them at all facilities.

Drug counseling can immensely help and change one’s life, whether it be a serious drug such as heroin or one that is less potent such as marijuana. Although drug counseling is not seen as a major factor in helping the homeless “For many homeless people, survival is more important than personal growth and development, and finding food and shelter take a higher priority than drug counseling.” (National Coalition for Homeless) this is the same perspective the government sees drug counseling, it seems like it is not a vital part of homeless life when in fact it is. By providing healthcare programs the drug addictions would decrease along with the amount of

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people whose brain has become useless due to years of abuse. The offering of healthcare plans will help immensely with people staying homeless which then could cause them to begin to try to get their lives together.  These needs have been recognized by the major facilties as well “HELP USA plans to develop more residences to provide this population with medical care,” (HELP) with a major homeless helping organization recognizing this problem the government should surely put some effort into trying to bring a program similar to it to every homeless facility major and minor.

A job is one of the most mentally relieving factors of anyone’s life. It helps to create a peaceful space and mindset. The thought of having a job allows the person to be motivated by the paycheck that is given to them. It relieves any anxiety to steal or want to commit a crime. The homeless have none of these feelings. Joblessness is a great factor in being homeless because it is something that is common to everyone that is homeless and this problem has not been helped “With a 10.6 percent unemployment rate and rising welfare rolls, the authors predict that the numbers of families and children living in homeless shelters will increase to 10,600 and 16,900 -- increases of 13 and 15 percent, respectively -- by the end of Fiscal Year 2010.”(Institute for Children and Poverty) unemployment is a serious problem on all levels of society but the ones that need it most are not being helped. During the trip to the homeless facility there were a few conversations going on and one was specifically about how the facility did not gear the homeless to being a productive citizen. In the conversation the person had mentioned them primarily not having any jobs to give the homeless so that they would have some sort of hope that they will get back on their feet. After hearing a worker of a facility say that about his own workplace it shows that this problem has gone noticed but has been chosen to

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be ignored. The absence of the offering of jobs has hurt the homeless’ moral along with motivation and so they do not really have anything to look forward to as the days pass. Their space is just a routine of nothing.

On the other hand, the larger organizations, such as the frequently mentioned organization HELP, have these opportunities and programs. These programs seem to help the homeless out very much “Participants begin working with job developers while they are still undergoing vocational training. Job placement typically occurs soon after completion of training.  Businesses within local communities frequently hire HELP Works graduates.” (HELP) the offering of these jobs provide a sense of security and closure for the homeless. The effects of these jobs relieve them of many problems mentally regarding whether or not they will be able to support themselves financially and with the addition of this program they can and will. This also would greatly help families, although there weren’t any families for the trip to the homeless facility there are many families in other facilities with adults ready to work and willing to earn every cent of their money. Programs such as this should be included and incorporated into every facility but there has been an ignorance to the effect of all this help and how it would benefit the community and the people. No one seems to care, or their space has made them voiceless because they are all alone.

Becoming and remaining homeless all revolve around one main theme which is space. The space of one person can completely define who they are and how they become successful or anything opposite of it. Having a home creates a solid foundation for stability and protection, being drug free helps to keep a clear and clean mind, and having a job provides funding for any

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necessities needed to maintain a healthy life. These three main factors can make or break a homeless lifestyle. These problems are acknowledged by many others throughout the nation “What also needs to be happening at this moment is mobilizing Health and Human Services to increase food programs, emergency housing, health care (both mental and physical).”(Word Press) by seeing that there are others that acknowledge these issues and seeing as how other speakers of the issue intertwine these same problems one can only think that these problems are nationwide and the government is aware but chooses not to do anything about it. The quote is just another example of how the public has witnessed and viewed the homeless and the problems surrounding this problem. There are people helping the homeless such as HELP and they were just people that decided to build a foundation off of wanting to help. If that want is combined with the power of the government then there should be no reason for any homeless person to go unhelped whether it be with all three problems or one at a time. Now there is just a question of whether or not homelessness is important enough to the government to help.

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Works Cited

"Beyond Shelter: Housing First, Ending Homelessness." Beyond Shelter. Web. 22 Mar. 2012. <http://www.beyondshelter.org/aaa_initiatives/ending_homelessness.shtml>.

"Employment and Homelessness." National Coalition for the Homeless. Web. 22 Mar. 2012. <http://www.nationalhomeless.org/factsheets/employment.html>.

"Help USA." Help USA. Web. 22 Mar. 2012. <http://www.helpusa.org>.

"Unemployment and Family Homelessness: The Nation's Crisis, New York City's Experience." Journalism Center on Children & Families. Web. 22 Mar. 2012. <http://www.journalismcenter.org/resource/children/unemployment-and-family-homelessness-nations-crisis-new-york-citys-experience>.

"Wanderingvets.com." Wanderingvets.com. Web. 22 Mar. 2012. <http://wanderingvets.wordpress.com/2009/05/13/200-health-effects-of-unemployment-and-poverty/>.

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Critique

Boyd Justin

Professor Broadous

PAS 114b

February 23, 2012

Critique The Golden Arch

·         Voice: The voice seemed odd to me. I felt as though there was a sort of conversational aspect of the story. Almost as if I was expected to reply at times. I am not a fan of how the voice was portrayed in this story.

·         Audience: The was easy for anyone to follow which made it a universally great story no matter the age or age group trying to be reached. The story line was great but it seemed to be a bit cliché.

·         Detail: the detail was done very well and I enjoyed the amount of detail. It showed that the story line had been polished and developed fairly well. There were some grammatical errors that could not be ignored. I stumbled over quite a few parts of the story and at some parts I had to reread a few sentences to ensure that I had chosen the right words.

·         Meaning/Symbolization: This was done very well because it gave the instrument a personality and worth other than money. I became more encompassed in the instrument than the character. The instrument went on to exude a sort of soul when the music was played which amazed me while reading.

·         Structure: The structure of the story seemed fragile. The transitions were a bit sloppy, such as one of the paragraphs beginning in a quote. The structure could have used more work but it surely was an improvement from the previous paper I had read. The structure was done well.

·         Organization: The organization was simple which caused no real confusion in the story. I was able to fully follow it and interpret all that was happening.

Critique Non Omnis Moriar

Boyd Justin

Professor Broadous

PAS 114b

February 23, 2012

Critique

            The voice and tone were done very well I could really feel the sadness the character was going through. I could imagine the shakiness of his voice and the discouragement he felt from losing his loved one. The change in tone when the flashbacks would occur seemed a bit lacking because there wasn’t as much detail regarding feelings but there was still a since of feeling just not as strong. The tone was done very well.

            Organization was solid. I expected the flash backs to be more distinguished. There was one flashback that didn’t have an introduction to let the reader know the flashback was happening. The transition between them were just dates, I would’ve enjoyed something that would’ve eased the reader into the flashback other than just dates. Other than that the organization was great.

            The structure was average. Like I said in the previous paragraph there could have been a better way for the transition. In this area there was a bit of lacking with connecting the paragraphs. Even when the paragraphs weren’t followed by a flashback there seemed to be abit of a missing sentence that would relate them.

            The meaning was very well done. The saying that the main character had was very emotional and helped to connect the reader to the character. The meaning of this story is one of the main reasons I enjoyed the story.

                        The audience was also done very well. Everything was explained thoroughly and I could understand everything that was happening. Aside from the transition this area was flawless.

            The detail put into the story was great. The descriptive words used helped me to connect with the character, his emotions and the environment. This was done the best out of all of the categories and it helped me to enjoy the story as much as I did.

Critique

Boyd Justin

Professor Broadous

PAS 114b

February 23, 2012

Critique

            I read the story A New Tomorrow and the tone was very well done. It depicted the environment present day and the past and was very detailed and specific. The story and diction caused a smile upon my face during the happy parts and slight frown during the low points. The tone seemed to be one of the better traits of the story. It met my expectations.

            The audience was treated fairly well in the story. Most of the details were included and helped me, since I am the audience this time, understand what was going on and how and why certain event had happened. There were some times where I wondered why one thing was the way it was written or something seeming out of place but those were only small things. The audience was mostly addressed and informed regarding almost all happenings in the story.

            Details throughout the story are very vivid. There were some points, like the pancakes in the beginning of the story, where I would have liked more of a description just so I could get a sense of smell other than knowing they were sweet. The details were more general than specific to anything. Nothing was fully explained like how I would’ve imagined but they are overall solidly explained.

            The symbolism in the story was very clear and concise. I had no confusion as to what the doll stood for or the food. Everything was symbolized perfectly. This, in my opinion was the best aspect of the story because it was clearly explained and there was no sense of confusion at all.

            The structure as far as the storyline and how it was told was average. The flashbacks went where a person would assume they would go and everything else followed suit. There were a few seemingly misplaced sentences but those were tiny problems. The last paragraph was very confusing as far as its length, it is incredibly short, especially compared to the behemoth of paragraphs previous to it. Besides that one paragraph all else was consistent.

            The organization seemed a bit sloppy. The flashbacks were infused with the story paragraphs and there were a few points where I could not distinguish the reality from the past, such as the beginning, until I read on. I would have enjoyed seeing a better transition other than it just happening other than that everything held it’s own and compiled into a nicely told story.

Boyd, Justin

Professor Broadous

PAS 114b

23 February, 2012

Memory

            The sizzle from the skillet in the hot and moist kitchen caused Robert to slowly sweat. He was making pancakes. The sweet smell had wandered throughout the apartment and gently caressed the noses of Tiffany and Mishell. Tiffany ran around the house yelling “Yay daddy is making pancakes! Granny you smell them? I think he’s putting chocolate chips in them!” Mishell smiled and licked her lips. “Yes I do baby. You know how much I love pancakes.” Robert then wiped his face and poked his head out of the kitchen. “Alright Tanny Fanny” his nickname for Tiffany, “You ready for your daddy’s homemade, world’s best pancakes with a dash of chocolate chips?” while smiling at her and Mishell. With a large smile and gasp Tiffany replied “Yes dad!” she looked at Mishell and said “See granny I told you he was using chocolate!” Mishell replied, “Yea baby you were right. Go on and bring your granny a big stack of pancakes, we can share them together.” Tiffany ran into the kitchen and asked Robert for a plate and he said “Here’s a special stack. Just for you and granny, it has a lot of love in it. Kiss the pancakes so they taste as sweet as you are.” She kisses the top pancake. “Mm those are going to be amazing! Can the cook have some sweetness too?” “Yea!” Robert bent over and Tiffany kissed him on the cheek “Mm mm mm! That’s a sweet kiss! Thank you honey! Go give granny a kiss so she gets a lot of sweetness.” “Okay daddy!” Robert stacks the steamy golden-brown chocolate chip pancakes on top of another with the top pancake having a thick slice of slowly melting rich butter. Robert said “Here comes the best part!” He grabs a cup filled with maple molasses, so sweet the scent alone makes everyone’s mouth water, he pours the thick molasses onto the first pancake and it created a waterfall of golden brown sweetness just begging to be tasted. “Alright baby that’s all. Go on into the living room and share with granny. Daddy is going to make himself some and join you guys for a breakfast date.” He said with a smile. He stacked his pancakes in a pile, less alluring than the previous stack, and walked into the living room with the molasses cup. “Hey baby.” Mishell said “Thank you so much for making me my favorite.” “Oh it’s not a problem granny; I’d do anything for you. You raised me and so I am forever grateful.” He said with a smile on his face. “Yay! You guys are like best friends. That’s what my friends from school say it is called.” Robert and Mishell chuckled then Robert said “Yes Tanny Fanny you could say that granny is my best friend and I love her very much.” “Ooh daddy can granny be my best friend too?” “I don’t know sweety, you have to ask her not me.” Robert laughed and smiled. Tiffany looked at granny and hugged her and gave her a kiss on the cheek “Granny will you be my best friend?” Mishell laughed and said “Well sweety of course I will be your best friend.” “Yay Daddy granny is my best friend too! We are going to be best friends forever!” Robert said smiling “Hey you took my best friend. Haha it’s because you’re so cute.” Tiffany looked across the table at him “Can’t we share granny?” “Aw how sweet you don’t want to lose your best friend so you share. Yes sweety, we can share.” By the time he finished talking he realized everyone had finished eating so he collected the plates and walked into the kitchen.

While cleaning the dishes Mishell had walked into the kitchen reminding Robert that Tiffany had school in about thirty minutes. He replied “Thank you” and finished the dishes. Once he finished the dishes he went into the room and told Tiffany that she has to start preparing for school. She smiled and said “Yay I like school, it is so much fun.” Robert smiled and said “Well hurry up so you don’t miss class” then he walked out of the room so she could dress. He went on to his room and changed out of his smoke-soaked clothes and into some regular clothes he deemed worthy to be seen in public with. Robert was always scared people would know his background due to the way he dressed so he would always try and dress as though he has always had a rich background. About twenty minutes passed and then they both were ready to go out. Robert stopped Tiffany at the door and went down their daily school checklist. “Tanny you have your lunch?” “Check daddy.” “Your socks?” “Check!” “Clean undies?” “Check!” “Homework?” “Check” “And a sweet kiss from daddy?” “Che- no daddy I don’t have that!” she smiled and looked up at him. “Okay baby here you go!” he lifted her up and kissed her on the cheek. Mishell watched smiling at the cuteness the two of them exuded while discussing things needed for school. “Alright granny I will be back. I’m going to drop off Tanny at school.” Mishell said “Okay” and Robert left.

About thirty minutes passed and Robert returned. He asked Mishell if she wanted to do something and she said “No sweety I just want to sit here and watch some television. You know I am still a bit fascinated by it.” “okay granny” he replied. Before she tried to get up and turn the television on he grabbed her cold hand and sat down next to her. He began “Granny I want to know some things about my parents. You remember them don’t you?” Mishell looked at him and rubbed her other hand against his cheek and replied “Of course I do.” Mishell smiled and paused. “Well sweety what do you want to know? I can only tell you what you want to know.” “Tell me about my father first.” she smiled and looked him in the eyes. “Alright, well your father was a great man. He worked in the lumber yard. He had a strong muscular build that I believe you got from him. He was a very serious man he was always concerned about you because you were his only child, and lucky for him you were a boy so you would carry on his name. He would constantly bug your mother about how you were and I would sit and listen and chuckle about the conversation they would have. She would always get annoyed when he began to ask about you. It was almost like they had switched places when he wanted to know things about you. He loved you very much but he never showed it. He always thought showing emotions was a sign of weakness and so he never did try to show any sort of caring for damn near anything. But…” she said with a smile and grasped his hand tighter. “One night I caught him holding you in his room and singing a sweet lullaby to you. Boy he had the deepest smoothest voice I have ever heard since the temptations. That man was truly a blessing and you should be happy to have had him in your life. He would always take care of me as well, even though I was not his mother. I loved your father. He treated me better than my mother treated me.” Mishell looked away and said “Alright baby what else would you want to know?” She smiled and looked back. “Robert what ever happened to your girlfriend…you know…Tiffany’s mother?” Robert’s smile turned quickly to a frown. “Granny well it was something like with how my father was just in this case it was a girl instead of a boy. I love Tiffany and so I would work overtime and when I did come home I paid more attention to the baby. Miranda did not want that. She was not ready to have a child and I made the mistake of thinking she was. I still love her with all my heart but it was something I had to do so I left her.” As he told Mishell his faced began to contort just to stop the tear from falling from his eye. He felt as though he had ruined a bit of Tiffany’s childhood by removing her mother. “Sometimes I really think that I made a mistake sometimes but” Mishell interrupted “No baby you have done nothing wrong do not regret anything.” Robert looked at her. Mishell continued “What have I taught you” “A Johnson never quits.” “That’s right sweety a Johnson never quits and that’s what you did not do!” As she spoke her grasp on Robert’s hand tightened “Don’t you quit on that child you raise her how you want and you are doing a damn good job.” Robert smiled and said “Thank you granny I love you.” he kissed Mishell on the cheek.

He stood up and said well granny all this emotion is a bit much for me so I am going to go outside and take a break and get some fresh air. She said “Okay do what you need to do.” she smiled and walked into the kitchen to get some water. While Robert was outside he looked at a picture of his father in his wallet. He wanted to know more. He walked back into the house and asked Mishell to know more about his father and his mother. She replied “Not now honey I want to watch some television. Don’t worry I will tell you more later. As long as I have my memory, you have your connection to your parents and my memory isn’t going anywhere.” She smiled and patted him on the back. “Ok granny. You know I love you.” “I love you too.” Mishell replied with a big smile. “You know Robert you are too hard on yourself sometimes. It’s like you make everybody’s problems your own. You need to stop that.” “I know granny I don’t know why I do that. Thanks, you really know what to say when I need to hear it.” Robert looked at her and smiled. Mishell replied “No baby, you are just still growing up and learning how to deal with things.” Mishell looked at Robert and held his hand “Boy, boy, boy you sure do know how to get this old lady talking. I still haven’t watched the television”

Mishell slowly walked over to the chair she always sat in while she watched television. This chair was old and faded, it smelled of her medicine bottles and a small bit of saliva due to her falling asleep and drooling so frequently, she loved the chair and wouldn’t trade it for any other chair. “Alright granny you go and watch your television shows. I am going in the back to lie down until it’s time to go get Tanny.” “Alright sweety I will probably be here sleep or watching my shows.” By the time she said that Robert had already went into the room but she had no clue because her eyes stayed glued to the television. She slowly became lost in the television, it was if she was being hypnotized. After a while she stood up to break the trance she was stuck in and walked into the kitchen. When she walked into the kitchen she realized that she developed a slight hunger so she walked over to the refrigerator and opened it up she didn’t see much that she wanted. While she stood there with her stomach making low rumbles she opened the freezer. She didn’t see anything in there either. Out of  anger she slammed the freezer door which caused a bottle of liquor that was sitting on top of the refrigerator to wobble and then fall which landed on Mishell’s head and broke.  When the pieces of glass hit the floor Robert jumped out of his sleep and ran to the kitchen. He knew that the alcohol had fallen because it is the only glass thing that was in the kitchen. He got to the door of the kitchen and saw Mishell dizzily walking back out. He grabbed her and said “Granny are you ok?” he walked her over to her chair. “Yes sweety I am fine just a little bump on the head.” She chuckled “Your dear old granny has faced worse than this. I’m as tough as nails” she smiled and looked at Robert. “Alright granny I can’t have anything happen to your beautiful face. I don’t know what I would do if I couldn’t look upon your beauty everyday.” they both laughed and hugged each other. Robert looked at his watch and said “Wow it’s almost time to go get Tanny Fanny. Granny are you coming this time?” “Yes I will go this time. Can you take me to the store? I would like to go and get something to eat.” “O yes granny I will take you. Come on let’s leave now so we can be there when Tanny comes out of the school gates.” they both got into the car and left.

When they arrived at the store all three of them got out and walked to the store. Mishell was rubbing her head a bit due to the bump she now had on her head. Robert and Tiffany walked over to get bread, milk and other essentials. Mishell went over to get frozen chicken to bake later when she began to make dinner for everyone. Meanwhile, Robert was asking Tiffany a few questions regarding her numbers “Hey Tanny Fanny. How old are you?” “I am seven.” “Show me with your hands.” She then slowly counted seven fingers. “One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, see dad I am this many years old.” “Very good you little genius.” Robert then rubbed the top of her head. “Okay so let’s add.” “Aw I don’t like math a lot.” “It’s okay Tanny this won’t be difficult. If daddy was sixteen when he had you, how old is he now?” Tiffany looked at her hands then at Robert then back down at her hands and began counting silently. “seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three, daddy you are twenty three?” Robert looked down in amazement. “Yes sweety I am twenty-three great job!” By the time they were done they had reached the front of the store. “Hey Tanny go get granny and tell her to come on so we can ring up her stuff and go get some ice cream.” “okay dad.” She ran down the isles to go find Mishell. She then came back two minutes later and asked “Daddy what is a stranger?” Robert looked down and said “It is a person that you do not know and should not listen to or go with. Strangers are dangerous.” “Well am I dangerous?” “No, no you are not.” “Well granny just called me a stranger and she wouldn’t come with me.” Robert then walked rapidly down the isles to find Mishell and get her. He became scared that she may be forgetting things. He found her on the drinks isle looking at prices of water. When Robert walked up she said “Hey sweety you all ready to go?” Robert breathed a sigh of relief. “Yes granny I am ready to go.” “What’s wrong deary? You seemed worried.” “Nothing granny I thought you were losing your memory.” Mishell laughed. “You crazy boy I told you that my memory isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.” Robert hugged Mishell and walked with his arm wrapped around her to the register. Once the items were bagged and paid for they all walked out to the car. Robert went to the trunk and began to put the groceries in the trunk. While doing that he noticed a figure standing very still on the side of the passenger side of the car. A slight cold chill went through his body because he was nervous as to who the person may be. He looked over to the side and saw that it was Mishell. He breathed a sigh of relief and said “Granny you scared me.” With a big smile on his face he opened up the car door “Get on in so I can leave when I am done with the groceries.”  Mishell then looked up at Robert very puzzled. She replied “Who are you?” Robert stepped back “Granny what did you say?” “Why do you keep calling me granny? Who are you young man?” Robert hugged Mishell very tightly. “Granny I love you, please do not do this to me.” As he said those words his voice became more shaky and hoarse and tears began to run down his cheeks. “Come on miss it is time for you to go home.” “Okay sweety.” Mishell got in the car and Robert slowly walked with his head down to put the rest of the groceries in the car. He finished and sat in the car, “Daddy I’m good at counting aren’t I?”  “Not now sweety, daddy is tired.” Robert slowly raised his hands to the wheel and drove home.

When they got home Robert unloaded the groceries and went to his room. He held the picture of his father in his hand and began to cry. “Father what have I done to deserve this? I just want to know about you so I can have some guidance to raise my little girl.” Tears began to run consistently down his cheeks. He feared he would know nothing about his parents ever. He wiped his eyes, laid down and took a nap. When he awoke he smelled baked chicken in the air. He didn’t know where it was coming from so he rushed into the kitchen and saw Mishell cooking. He smiled and hugged her, “O granny I thought you had lost your memory.” “No sweety. I told you that my memory wasn’t going anywhere. How many pieces of chicken do you want?” “Four will be fine for me.” Robert went into the living room and sat down. He began rub his slowly balding blonde hair and saw Tiffany drawing pictures. “Hey Tanny. What happened while I was sleep?” “Well dad granny had asked where she was and who we all were so I told her. When I told her that we were best friends she remembered.” Robert looked at her. “Are you sure that is what happened?” “Yes daddy.” Robert went to his room and called the doctor.  The doctor suggested that she come down and get checked out just in case there was any internal damage done when she was hit in the head. He scheduled an appointment for Friday, the next day, after he drops off Tiffany. For the rest of the night he had Mishell rest and tell him all that she could remember about his parents. “Granny how did my father die? Well, what caused his death?” “I am not entirely sure but I remember that night. It was a beautiful night. The moon was full and there was a sweet scent in the air, I believe it was perfume that your mother had on. Your father was caring for you while your mother cooked. It was almost magical how everything went so well. He was singing and dancing with you in his arms. Then something went wrong. Somehow he had accidentally hit your head into a wall while he was dancing. You began to cry and your mother had gotten angry. Your father wasn’t one to be sad so he just got angry back and yelled at her. He then set you down and walked around the block. When he left I picked you up and rocked you to sleep. Whenever your father gets mad he goes and walks around the block. He goes to the end of the block and walks back. Well this time there were some gang members on the corner. We heard grunts and moans and then we ran outside. We saw them beating up your father and we began to yell. We ran to the corner and your father, Micheal, was on the ground breathing heavily. He was stabbed in the chest. We could not do anything. He laid there and died but before he died he kissed your mother and I and told us both he loves us and you.” Mishell began to cry upon remembering the moment.  “We left him there and went back to the house to call an ambulance. That is how your father died.” Robert sat speechless in the chair. He went over to Mishell and hugged her. Mishell hugged him back “Thank you sweety, I am done with the stories for right now I will tell you more later but I am no longer in the mood.” Mishell went to her room for the night. Robert went as well after he cleaned up and sent Tiffany to bed.

After dropping Tiffany off at school Robert took Mishell to the doctor’s office and had her checked out. The doctor told him that she is developing the Alzheimer’s disease. “Robert.” the doctor said, “That bump on the head had injured her memory quite a bit. It seemed to have been a catalyst to the memory loss symptom of the disease. She still is at a point where she can remember things, she will just need something that will help bring back her memory when she loses it. Luckily there was no internal damage or bleeding. There is nothing you can do to stop this. No medicine will cure this disease. I am sorry.” Robert shook the doctor’s hand and left with Mishell. Mishell had asked what the doctor had told him and he would only reply “Nothing granny.” with a smile. He then took her home and had her discuss all of her past to him so he would figure out the things that would bring back her memory. Robert realized that he only had a small amount of time to retrieve his parents memories but he decided to know his granny just so her memory can forever live in his heart and he will always know his granny whether or not she has forgotten her past and pleasures.

The End