Part Forty
The ratio of whites and blacks leveled considerably and life went on. There were still fights though mostly one on one, not gangs like before. Mike's gym clothes were stolen and when he discovered who had stolen them, he told the guy to just keep them since he wouldn't wear them again, especially since someone else had sweated in them. An innocent white girl was attacked on the bleachers by a black guy and several white guys beat the black guy up. Another time, Mike caught a guy redhanded with his stolen baseball glove and snatched it away from him. The thief was so small he went and got a bigger guy to jump on Mike though Mike was faster and surprisingly hit the big guy, stunning him. The guy then tried to snatch the glove away from Mike and as he tried to snatch, he slipped and fell to the ground. A crowd had surrounded them and Mike heard them screaming for Mike to kick the bigger guy while he was on the ground. Mike kicked him in the head a few times, then grabbed him by the hair of his head and rammed his head into a steel pole and a gold tooth with a star in it fell out of the guy's mouth. Blood pouring from the guy's mouth, he sputtered he didn't want to fight anymore so Mike walked away with several white guys walking with him to watch his back. It was two weeks before school would be out for the summer and Mike didn't return, opting instead to go to the beach every day where life was more peaceful. He was surprised to receive his report card showing he'd passed to the next higher grade without having to take any tests. A note was included from Principal Thomas, stating his grades were more than acceptable and to have a great summer.
Carl complained so much about Virginia's children she rented a three bedroom house across town near the river. She was rarely home and also moved her barmaids in the rented home to alternate watching Tommy and Kathy when they weren't working. The barmaids had nowhere else to go as it was and it wasn't uncommon for Mike and his siblings to wake beside the drunk barmaids. Life had gotten out of control once again, Ricky and Ronny had been turned in by someone for selling marijuana. An entire week they'd come in through the back door to get something to eat and not be seen since the police had been coming by searching for them. Mike kept food cooked for them when they'd come by and then they'd leave, going to hide out at some of their friend's houses where they could. One last time they came by to get some clean clothes, they decided to run to Winnie, Texas to live with relatives because they didn't want to end up in the LTI. Mike packed them as much food as he could, along with their clothes. He told them to be careful and with tears in his eyes hugged them bye. Neither one of them were even teenagers yet and they were hitchhiking over three hundred miles in the middle of the night to a life of uncertainty.
The police never gave up and kept watching and coming by the house in search of them. Mike and everyone was questioned as to their whereabouts and the only answers the police received were no one knew where they'd gone to. Ricky and Ronny called home the very next day near noon to let Mike know they'd made it to Winnie safe and they were laying low in a relative's garage apartment. They weren't allowed to sleep in Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Sis's house and couldn't stay long in cousin Dennis's garage apartment. West Monroe detectives had traveled to Winnie looking to capture and bring back to be placed in the Louisiana Training Institute for boys. Everyone knew how Ricky would become violent and they were scared to turn him in. Mike spoke with Ricky later in the week and Ricky related to him that he and Ronny lay quietly on top of some doors stored in the rafters of the garage when the detectives had been there searching for them. Mike asked if they were getting enough to eat and Ronny told him another cousin, David would bring them food when Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Sis would leave the house to go to the bar. They also mentioned David brought them some blankets and they'd hide out in the garage for the time being. Mike hurt deep inside, concerned about his two younger siblings being on the run, though in the back of his mind he knew they'd survive. Mike next turned his attention to his older brother Jimmy Don, whose drug use had gotten out of control. No one suspected Jimmy Don was on drugs and he got away with it for quite a while. Mike was having a difficult time accepting his family had broken apart and the feeling something bad would happen to Jimmy Don next.