Hello ALL, sorry for my break from the action but I am going to be right back at it very soon. Things happening in my life forced me to take a hiatus so please bear with me. I will be providing more interesting stories about the lives of Anthony, Sarah, Tyrone and Chief Toller! Become a follower so you will be notified when the next post is ready to read. Please continue reading and commenting; THANKS!
Ricky R.
“What are the two of you misfits doing walking through this part of town?” Officer John asked with his gun drawn and pointed at Anthony’s face. “Don’t you realize that none of these fine White folk wanna see you baboons going down their street,” he continued while rocking and shifting his weight from side to side. Officer John is a White man with brown eyes and short brown hair. He was about 5 foot, 6 inches tall with a beer belly that made the buttons on his shirt hold on tight as if their lives depended on it. He had no other facial hair outside of a 5 inch scraggly goatee.
“We…we…we…” Anthony started but couldn’t get the words to come out.
“Oh lookie what we have here… If it isn’t a little stuttering monkey,” Officer Mike said. He was also a White man. He had blue eyes and short black hair. He stood about 6 foot tall and had a slender build. He had a handlebar mustache that he usually fiddled with when he got nervous.
“I tell you what… if you hurt my friend, I am gonna find out where you live and beat your son’s behind til he begs me to stop!” Tyrone shouted.
Officer Mike got enraged. He ran over to Tyrone and pressed the muzzle of his gun up against his forehead. Tyrone closed his eyes and begin to mumble a prayer.
“Your MoM is three seconds away from burying what’s left of her son, ” the officer said.
Anthony couldn’t do much because one false move and the officers would pull the trigger. The boys had done nothing wrong except to be Black in a White neighborhood.
“Look, we are sorry for walking down the street but we are on our way to work. Please, we will be off the street and out of sight shortly if you let us go,” he pleaded.
“Whatcha think John? Should we let these two go or should we do everybody a favor and blow their freakin brains out?” he asked while twirling his gun.
The boys looked at each other and then begin breathing heavy.
“I guess we can let them go since he begged me. But, if I see you two again, I will shoot ya right between the eyes and walk off as the bodies are dropping,” he explained.
The officers put their guns away and backed off so the boys could go. As they walked by, they felt a shove in their backs. They started moving faster and faster until they were in an all out sprint. After they had put some distance between them and the cops, Anthony looked at Tyrone and started shaking his head.
“When we get to work, remind me to smack you upside your head!” he said.
“Hey man… you can’t blame me for that one. You know those cracker cops don’t like Black people, especially the two of us,” Tyrone answered back.
“Well I wanna hit somebody and you are the closest one to me. Sorry Ty but this just ain’t fair and I’m mad,” Anthony said.
“Let’s double time it so we don’t get caught up by some more of your White buddies,” Tyrone said. The boys picked up their pace as they continued on their way to the hotel.
Sarah had already been dropped off by her MoM and was trying to make her way in the front door when the boys arrived. Anthony was still a little out of breath when he saw her. He stood there staring for a moment.
“Look, I am gonna go on ahead to the washroom. It looks like you wanna handle your business anyway. See ya after work,” Tyrone said.
“What are talking about man?” Anthony asked.
Tyrone motioned in Sarah’s direction and then smiled. Anthony’s eyes opened wide.
“Naw Ty. I am just looking to see how busy it is right now. You know I don’t like no White girl,” Anthony insisted.
“Right bro… I’ll catch you later,” Tyrone said as he walked over to the elevator.
Sarah walked aimlessly through the lobby to the elevator door. By the time that she arrived, Tyrone had already decided to take the stairs. She reached out for the controls when Anthony was trying to creep up behind her.
“Nice try boy. I smelled you a mile away. Even though I can’t see you, I can see you,” she said with a smile.
“I guess that you were wrong Miss No-it-all,” he responded.
Sarah’s smile quickly gave away to a look of confusion.
“Oh, you don’t remember what you said? Let me refresh your memory. You said that I would always see you first,” he chuckled.
“Oh, do you believe everything that a girl tells you boy?” she asked.
“Very funny girl. You better get to work. You think you’re cute!” he added.
“Nope but I know that somebody does,” she said. Thoughts of what her MoM told her about Black people popped into her head. She felt that Anthony was different from most of the guys that she passed but she didn’t know for sure if he was Black or not. She was scared to ask because, on one hand, he might be offended if he is actually White. Then, on the other hand, he almost definitely would get offended if he is Black.
“What? What? You look like you want to ask me something. You have a big mouth any other time so why not now?” Anthony asked.
“Damn it Rachel! Would you please shut the fuck up?” Chief Toller shouted as he headed out the front door. He slammed the door so hard that the pictures on the wall swayed and rattled as they held on to their nails for dear life. They had been arguing all morning over who left the food out to spoil over night. Oftentimes the Chief went to work with the bitter aftertaste of a wicked verbal onslaught from his wife. It had gotten to the point that he even began to expect it. He marched across the porch and over to his car with a purpose. His frustration showed as he searched his pockets for several minutes trying to find his keys. When he pulled them out, with all of that excess energy, he fumbled and dropped them on the pavement. He just stood there, looked up at the sky, and blindly reached down in order to pick them up. Finally, after he started rolling, he sped to the police station. Soon after arriving, he rushed out of his car so fast that he almost forgot to close the door.
“Hey Chief… How are you doing this wonderful morning?” an officer asked.
The Chief kept on walking without saying a word. He didn’t even look up!
“What in the hell is wrong with Chief Toller?” the officer continued as he disappeared out of sight.
“I don’t know but rumor has it that his wife is not so pleasant. But you didn’t hear that from me,” another officer replied.
The Chief shoved his way in a straight and direct path from point A to point B. Finally, he reached his office. All in one motion, he flung the door open, walked inside, and kicked it shut with his heel.
Around the same time of day, Anthony was waking up and getting ready to start his day. He slowly climbed out of bed. When his feet planted firmly on the floor, his knees sort of buckled. He was sore because he slept with his legs in an awkward position. He quickly recovered before he fell and before his body hit the hard wooden floor. The more that he walked forward, the more aware and physically stable that he became. The strong smell of bacon and eggs led him straight to the kitchen. His MoM was up and at it. She was waiting for everyone to wake up and eat breakfast. She was in the middle of finishing when Anthony walked into the room.
“Good morning Ma. It smells good! So how are you feeling this morning?” Anthony asked.
“Good morning Anthony. I am doing great. Are you ready to eat some breakfast?” she replied.
Anthony stood in silence for a moment as he stretched and flexed his legs one at a time. “Yes, I am starving. I feel pretty good; although, my legs feel like cooked spaghetti noodles. I slept in a weird position but it’s all good,” he continued.
“Well, give it some time and your body should snap back to normal. I hope that you enjoy your food,” MoM said.
She finished what she was doing and then walked out of the kitchen. As she was leaving, his dad entered the room.
“Good morning son. What’s the word for today?” he asked with high anticipation.
Anthony hesitated because he was caught off guard. No matter what he usually said, his dad would find a way to ridicule him.
“Good morning dad and the word is pride. I am very proud of who I am. I am also very proud of where I come from… I know that the people who say negative things about us don’t know any better, ” Anthony stated.
His dad’s face lit up for a moment and then he frowned. “You are partially right son. You should always be proud of who you are. Those people saying negative things know exactly what they are saying and doing. Black men don’t stand a chance in this country. They are just White devils! All of them are just plain evil!” he concluded.
Trying not to make any waves, Anthony just shook his head in agreement.
“Do you hear me son?” his dad asked.
“Yes Sir!” Anthony said.
His dad walked over and opened the cabinet, grabbed a plate, and made a beeline for the stove.
“This looks great! Your Mama sho knows how to cook boy,” he said.
“It tastes great too! I would get seconds but I gotta go meet Tyrone and head to work,” Anthony said.
He got up from the table just as his dad was taking a seat. He put his dishes in the sink and headed for his bedroom. He had taken a bath the night before so all he had to do was brush his teeth and put on his uniform. When he finished getting ready, he told his parents bye and started walking over to meet Tyrone. On his way, a police car followed him. Just as Tyrone appeared from off in the distance, they were confronted by the cops. They jumped out of their car with their guns drawn.
“Hey, hold it right there niggers! Y’all got some explaining to do,” the policeman said.
Anthony and Tyrone usually strolled home from work together and this day happened to be no different. After Anthony helped the last guest waiting in line, he left his station at the front desk and went searching for Tyrone. Now Tyrone worked in the washroom where he washed and folded all of the dirty linens. By the time that Anthony made his way to the washroom, he was outside in back of the hotel, waiting. Tyrone had his back turned so Anthony decided to creep up and scare him. He slowly tiptoed until he was within arms length of his back.
“What are you doing out here! You better get your Black tail back to work!” Anthony yelled, disguising his voice like their boss.
“Sir, my shift ended. You can ask the foreman. I am so sorry. I will..,” Tyrone started as he turned around and saw Anthony. Anthony began laughing so hard that, for the first 10 seconds, no sound came out. Then, all at once, the room erupted with laughter.
“Man… Imma whoop your behind! You tryin’ to play me out like a square boy?” Tyrone responded.
“Naw man… I’m jus tryin’ to keep you sharp man. You thought that you were gonna get your butt beat,” Anthony continued with a giggle.
“You stupid,” Tyrone added with a smirk on his face.
Meanwhile, Sarah had already made her way home. She abruptly knocked on the door and, as she did, the door kind of flung open. She walked into the room just in time to hear her MoM take a big gulp of her drink.
“Mama what is wrong with them colored folk?” Sarah reluctantly asked.
Her MoM nearly spit out her tea as she gagged and choked. When she regained her composure, she raised her eyebrows and quickly darted her eyes in Sarah’s direction. She stood up from the couch and stomped her way over to within inches of Sarah’s face.
“Those coloreds are animals! They are ignorant and very aggressive!” she answered with her eyes wide open.
Feeling the unwanted pressure, Sarah’s face began to turn red as her eyes became swollen and glossy all at once.
“If I ever hear tale of you getting chummy with one those animals, I am gonna whoop your hind parts til you can’t sit for a month! Do you understand me you little blind whore?” her MoM screamed. Spit showered her face but she was afraid to wipe because she felt the warmth of her MoM’s breath on her neck. Sarah just stood there trying to fight back the tears.
“Why are you asking me Sarah?” her MoM demanded as she backed away from her a bit.
“So if a person is nice, they can’t be a nigger right?” Sarah asked.
“You are absolutely right about that. Those baboons don’t know the meaning of the word nice,” she explained.
Sarah became very silent, her usual bright smile disappeared, and she started fidgeting with the buttons on the bottom of her blouse.
“Now why are you asking these foolish questions?” she paused as if waiting on an answer. “These coons are beneath us and we don’t like them and that’s just the way it is! You got it!” she asked.
“Yes ma’am. We don’t like coons mama,” Sarah said carefully sounding out each syllable.
Her MoM smiled out of relief, walked over to her with her arms out in front, and wrapped her in a huge embrace.
“You had me worried there for a minute. I know you’re blind but I didn’t think you were stupid too,” she said while shaking her head. “Mama loves you now go get ready for supper.”
Anthony just stood there in silence for a few moments with his mouth and eyes wide open. He started reflecting back on their previous encounters… ‘And I just thought that she was a killjoy. So that’s why she never looked at me directly!’ Right about that time, Sarah reached out and felt for the controls.
“Open your eyes Anthony! Here is your floor!” she announced with pride.
He tilted his head to the side and just looked at her for a minute. “Blind eh…?” he said shaking his head. “But you seem very comfortable in your skin,” he added.
“I’m blind…,” before she could finish…
“Horsefeathers! I think that you are ossified!” he said.
Sarah stood there and stomped her feet.
“If you would let me finish… I am blind not disfigured. In my seventeen years of life, I was forced to figure out different ways to compensate for it. It also helps that I learned Braille,” she said as she wiggled her fingers on the switches.
“Well don’t cast a kitten girl! I bet you are a little bearcat,” Anthony stated with a smile.
“If you stay any longer I am gonna have to charge you admission,” she said as she waved her arms to shoo him out.
Anthony started grinning, turned around to face the door, and casually walked out of the elevator.
“I am still going to avoid you boy,” Sarah shouted as the heels of his shoes echoed with each step.
After he cleared the doors, Anthony stopped in his tracks and turned so he could see her. “Not if I see you first,” he answered as the doors closed. Just then…
“Where the heck have you been man? I thought that maybe the fuzz took you somewhere and lynched your butt,” Tyrone explained.
Anthony looked at him and started laughing. Tyrone was one of Anthony’s closest friends. He was about 6 foot tall, medium-sized build, with a black afro and chestnut brown eyes. He was usually direct and straight to the point. He, like many of those who lived in the Greenwood area, had grown tired of all of the racism and negativity that surrounded him. His family lived in several houses down from Anthony’s. His father was a decorated World War I Veteran who fought in a totally segregated force. He was a member of the 369th Infantry Regiment and saw action on the front lines for at least six months. For his heroic actions, he and the soldiers in his unit were awarded the Legion of Merit.
“Well… Where in the heck were you Ant?” Tyrone asked.
Anthony still only smiled.
Tyrone just realized where he had bumped into him. “Noooo! No you didn’t. You were vamping with that dame! Boy, she blind! And white!” he emphasized.
“You must be bent! I just got harassed by a cracker and here you come,” Anthony replied.
“In case you forgot, her cracker pop would probably rather watch her fall down that elevator shaft than see your jigaboo behind cash that check,” Tyrone said.
“I am not thinking bout that chick. I am just trying to get back to my desk,” he said.
“Ok, you’re lucky that I have to finish this job. Let’s bail then,” Tyrone said as the two parted ways.
Meanwhile, the Chief pulled up at his house after a rather early and quiet night at work. He got out of his car and his friend Andy appeared out of nowhere.
“You know that it takes everything within me not to bump off one of those uppity colored folk. Those sumbitches walk around in Niggerland smiling cause they’re rich,” Andy said.
“Now you know that I would have to look the other way if you did that,” Chief Toller replied. He paused for a minute. “Or… I just might join in and choke the life out of one of them darkies myself,” the Chief said with a gleam in his eyes.
Just then the Chief looked up at the full moon in the sky… “Damn, I am super excited,” he said.
Andy looked at the Chief, walked over near him in order to change his perspective, and looked up near the same location in the sky.
“Why is that Chief?” he asked.
“Because it’s time to go in and hear Rachel bitch all night,” he said with a blank expression.
“Awww hell, it can’t be that bad can it?” he asked while looking at the Chief. The Chief removed his hat, closed his eyes and shrugged his shoulders.
“I mean I am a devout Christian; GOD fearing and all, but she ain’t no bug-eyed betty!” Andy said.
“She ain’t but I don’t know if it is worth all the headache,” Chief Toller explained.
“Ok, well let’s trade cause mine is nuttier than a damn fruitcake! Speakin’ of the devil… Look man, I gots to go. Good luck,” he said as he walked away.
Chief Toller headed towards the front door chuckling and clapping his hands. He started to knock but, just as his knuckles made contact with the door, he pulled back. He stepped back and took several deep breaths. Then, he crossed his fingers and started knocking. David immediately answered the door.
“Hey there buddy!” the Chief said.
“Hey daddy! I am glad that you are home!” David replied as he plunged forward for a big hug. Chief Toller wrapped his arms around him…
After harassing Anthony, the Chief decided to continue his patrol of downtown. Since it was a nice warm, sunny day, he even walked a few blocks! After Chief Toller finished, he headed over to the department to see who he could catch goofing off. When he got there, he did several laps around the parking lot before he finally parked. On his way inside the building, he straightened up his hat and tie. It was right about shift change so there were many officers standing in the hallway talking. As Chief Toller was walking through the congestion, he stopped to listen in on one of the conversations…
“Now how long does it take one of them colored beasts they call women to take a shit?” police officer #1 asked in a heavy country accent.
The officer who he was talking to had a blank expression on his face. “Umm, what? Fifteen minutes…?” police officer #2 mumbled.
While giggling and slapping his side, “About…about..,” police officer #1 couldn’t finish because he burst into laughter and his face had turned red.
“Oh boy!” police officer #1 cleared his throat. “About nine months!” he screamed as he continued to laugh.
There was a pause until the answer sunk in and then every cop within earshot started laughing; almost in unison.
“You ain’t right man,” Chief Toller said with a big grin across his face.
After Anthony finished relieving himself behind the dumpsters, he headed back to the hotel. He worked at one of the busiest hotels downtown; the Broadway Hotel. It was one of the first hotels to furnish a ceiling fans in every room and to have running water. They allowed some Black people to work there but Black people couldn’t stay in the rooms. Incidents like the one with Chief Toller happened all of the time in Tulsa so it only shook him up a little bit. By the time he was in front of those double doors, he was smiling again. After all, he lived in the affluent Greenwood neighborhood. The very segregation laws that prevented Blacks from shopping in other parts of town, helped make them very successful. Black Americans only bought from Black owned shops so they thrived! The area where he lived became known as the Negro Wall Street because they were so wealthy!
At work, he would usually go up the stairs instead of using the elevator; however, he was running late coming back from his lunch break. Just about the time that he was in place, the doors opened. The attendant looked straight ahead, paused, and took in a big whiff of air.
“Hello Sir, my name is Sarah. What floor would you like to travel to today?” she asked with enthusiasm.
Anthony remained standing in front of the doors, did a double take, and then he spoke. “Hello, I’m Anthony and I would like to go to the third floor,” he answered.
For a moment there was a brief period of silence.
“Correct me if I am wrong but don’t you have to actually get inside the elevator in order to go up?” Sarah asked with a smirk on her face.
“Oh sorry Sarah, I don’t know how to act. Before when we were talking, you never looked me in the eyes so I just kind of figured that you were like all the others,” Anthony explained as he hesitantly stepped inside the door.
Sarah looked from side to side as if she was searching for him. She did everything that she could to keep a straight face…
“I didn’t look at you because I could barely stand the sight of you boy. How hideous?” she announced.
His neck snapped and he darted his eyes in her direction. “And you admit it! Do y’all usually talk trash about us out in the open like this? Doesn’t that go against protocol?” he asked.
She could no longer hold it in and began laughing out loud. “Yep… We used to wait but when we see someone as ugly as you… We just blurt it out with pride!” Sarah said with a huge grin on her face.
He walked towards her, got about 6 inches from her face, and looked dead into her green eyes. She didn’t blink.
“Well thanks for clearing that up girl! You are so fucking rude!” he said.
“I will make sure to avoid you every chance that I get; you big baby,” she responded.
“Not if I see you first!” he said with his voice raised.
She lifted her hands into the air and slowly moved them towards him. For every two steps closer she got, he moved one step back. She had him cornered and continued to move forward. He started flinching as she put her hands softly on his face. She traced his jawlines with the tip of each of her pointing fingers. He closed his eyes, expecting the worst, as he panicked, twisted, and turned.
Just then, she spoke,”You will see me first every time. I am blind.”
This wasn’t just any ordinary town. It became famous for a couple of different reasons. It was set up sort of like a twin city, of all things, due to a thriving neighborhood and a very uncompromising mob mentality. The basic mindset was we stay over here and y’all stay over there! And even though there were two opposing sides in such close proximity, things were just about as peaceful as every other place during that time. That was welcomed news to the man who was in charge of maintaining order; the chief of police. His name was Adam Toller and he lived in Tulsa, very close to the dividing line, with his family. Things were so separate that there was practically a line drawn down the middle of Main Street that signaled where the two sides met. We the people of the United States, in order to make sure that every town is segregated…seemed to be the unspoken motto.
Chief Toller’s family consisted of him, his wife Rachel, and his two sons Michael and David. On this particular day, Chief Toller decided to go to work a little later than normal so he could discretely watch the evening shift’s operations. When he got dressed for duty nobody was home because Rachel was at work and his boys were still at school. He grabbed his hat and made a beeline for the front door. He was very proud to be one of Oklahoma’s finest! He got into his patrol car with a sappy smile on his face. The Chief tested all of the lights and the radio then he headed on his way. As he slow rolled down Main Street, he waved at all of the shop owners who he recognized. All of a sudden, he noticed a young man wandering down the sidewalk as though he was lost. When he was about six feet away, he reached over and rolled down his passenger side window.
“Hey boy! You are a long way from Greenwood aren’t cha?” Chief Toller asked.
The young Black man stopped in his tracks and slowly turned his head in the direction that the voice was coming. When he saw it was a cop, he raised his hands straight into the air. He started shaking and sweat beads began to form right above his brow on his forehead.
“I work down at the hotel sir and I was taking my lunch break right now,” he said. Then, he stood there in silence.
While Chief Toller continued eyeballing the young man, he put the gear into park, turned his ignition off, and opened his door. He maintained eye contact as he walked over to him.
“What’s your name boy?” the Chief asked with a look of disgust on his face. “Well… are you gonna answer me or am I gonna have to beat the black off of ya?” he asked when there was no immediate response.
The young man opened his mouth and began trembling. He tried to speak but the words didn’t come out. Just as the Chief reached for his baton, he spoke.
“Ant…Ant…Anthony,” he said.
“What is Ant…Ant…Anthony?” Chief Toller asked with a smirk on his face. Anthony looked away and lowered his head.
Just then Mr. Stevenson, the manager of the Broadway Hotel, walked down the sidewalk by where they were standing. Mr. Stevenson recognized Anthony so he stopped.
“And what is going on here?” he asked the Chief and waited for a response.
Chief Toller was startled because he didn’t see Mr. Stevenson coming. Anthony raised his head and his eyes lit up for a moment.
“Well hello sir. I was just seeing if I could help Anthony find his way back to where he was going,” Chief Toller said.
Mr. Stevenson looked as though he was in disbelief.
“Well let’s just make sure that Anthony is able to get back to that desk before his break is over, okay?” Mr. Stevenson replied.
“Definitely sir!” Chief Toller responded.
Mr. Stevenson continued walking down the sidewalk. The Chief watched until he had gone out of sight.
“You are very lucky boy! Don’t let me catch you walking around here again!” Chief Toller said with his voice raised.
“So sorry sir. Can I go now because I need to use the restroom?” Anthony pleaded.
Chief Toller got directly within inches of Anthony’s face and began… “I don’t know about a restroom but you can take your monkey ass around back!” he shouted.
Anthony frowned and, with his head lowered, walked towards the back side of the buildings.
“And you better get back to work on time!” he paused. “I can tell that somebody is gonna test me today,” the Chief added as he walked back to his patrol car…
Greenwood in Tulsa, Oklahoma was an area of town where ONLY Black people were allowed to live. And live they did! By the 1920’s, it became the most affluent Black community in the United States! One of the main things that was different than other Black communities was that they made and spent their money in their own neighborhood.
The BLACK Side Of Town (based on TRUE events) 