Shelton Family Saga

Chapter 6

A Lie & an Alibi
Sat, January 19, 1963, 2:37 p.m. 

Underneath the Ol' Crape Myrtle outside Miss Ruby Mae's candy shop was the forever meeting spot for Hollywood and Hoochie, and they always picked up right where they'd left off from any previous time they were there. On this particularly day, Hollywood was eager to start the conversation.

"Hoochie that's kinda neat, the way you got it planned, but something about it just don't feel right."

"Man Hollywood you're my best friend. My best friend in the whole world. We've been down since befo' my momma died when I was fourteen. Shit, we go all the way back to when we was five in Mrs. Luther's Bible study class at the church. That's even befo' them Jehovah Witness people came and changed yo' momma into one of them."

"Yeah Hoochie you're right; but, why'd your momma have to die? She was my momma's good friend back then, and you know that's the only reason she still let me hang 'round with yo' roguish self."

"Yeah, I know. But it's gonna all work out. Watch and see. Besides, if shit hit the fan for some reason and you do need an alibi, Noochie's gonna vouch for you."

"Noochie?" Hollywood asked feeling uneasy and getting a little suspicious.

"Yeah, I already put him on game, so don't worry Hollywood. It's gonna all work out, ya dig? And then we gonna git us a Cadillac."

"Hmmn," Hollywood nervously sighed.

"So, you gonna do it, man? You gonna help me out Hollywood?"

"Yeeeah Hoochie, I'm gonna help you out....like I always do."

"See Hollywood that's why you my brotha for life!"

*****

Sat, January 19, 1963, 5:12 p.m. Helmsville

"SAY LOOKOUT NOOCHIE," Hoochie hollered across the parking lot. "EHHH, NOOCH? Man, if you don't git yo' lil short ass over here," Hoochie muttered under his breath. Noochie, putting on a tough guy act like he was Jesse James, started walking with a swagger toward Hoochie across the Helmsville grocer store parking lot.

"Ehhh, Hoochie my man. What's up brother," Noochie casually asked as he went to give Hoochie dap.

"Eh, check this out Nooch. I'm gonna need you to back me up on some shit, a'ight?"

"Shit, you just say the word my man, and I got you," Noochie confidently quipped.

"So Hollywood gonna need an alibi. He wanna be a bad boy."

"Whaaat?"

"Naw, I'm just playing," Hoochie laughed. "He's trying to git some alone time with his girl Brisha, but you know his strict ass parents ain't having that shit."

"Naw man. They ain't gonna budge a bit with that."

"Yeah, so look here. He's gonna be with Brisha, but you're his alibi to say he was shooting hoops with you. Just in case anybody ask, ya dig?"

"Yeah, no problem. But you don't mind me asking, he IS your best friend...."

"Awe, shit man," Hoochie interrupted already knowing what Noochie was about to ask so he hurriedly let it be known, "I gotta make some bread to pay Big Star back for a wad he let me hold; so I gotta go clean out the storage room down at the drugstore."

"Awe yeah, say no more", Noochie quipped, "I got you my man."