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Lloyd Pond
Part Three
Where you going, man?” I asked
“Your shoes look awful man, they need a shine.”, W. A. replied.
In this section of town, close to Buffalo Bayou, the streets often flooded. Builders raised the foundations higher to avoid flood waters. As a result, when we crossed the street, we had to climb up four or five steps to reach the sidewalks. The sidewalk was covered with an awning held up by cast iron columns and shops and hotel entrances faced onto Louisiana Street. The business shops were closed, of course, but we turned into the hotel entrance. I guess it was flop house. A cheap room for men who drank too much. A few such men sat in chairs along side the walls of the narrow lobby. They looked at us or I guess through us. Wondering what these kids were doing here. A question that was also running through my mind.
“Nope, this isn’t the right place.” W. A. mumbled. We made a quick retreat back to the street that was littered with trash and wine and booze bottles. There was the pungent smell of urine. A skinny guy with no teeth stumbled out of the store front shadows.
“Hey! Hey! Guys I need some help here. Can you spare some money? Anything? Please?”
We hopped off the high sidewalk down to the street and walked down the middle of the street back toward the car.
“Yeah, let’s get out of here.” I urged.
“That was just the wrong side of the street.”, W. A. offered.
So back up four steps to the sidewalk where the storefronts were mostly the same. A liquor store was opened. In midblock, W. A. found the place he was looking for, and we went into what at one time was a barbershop. Four barber chairs were one side of the room. The floor was black and white checkerboard squares now yellow and grungy with age. Bare incandescent light bulbs provided light to the room. Across the room from the chairs, the wall had been painted with a jungle scene that Paul Gaugin would have been proud of. The jungle started near the door with trees plants and vines realistically rendered. But as the scene proceeded to the back wall, the jungle animals begin to be seen peeking around leaves or hanging from the branches. Then almost to the back wall, fangs and claws became more pronounced. Blood dripped from the mouths of crocodiles and hyenas. The back wall was the masterpiece. Two chairs were set up for shoe shines. Beside the chair on the right, Adam was painted in all of his innocent glory and anatomical correctness. One arm extended to receive the fruit from Eve. Likewise, beside the chair on the left, Eve was portrayed holding one arm out to Adam with the forbidden fruit. Her beautiful body, in every detail masterfully painted. Between the chairs, a tree was painted. Around the tree was the snake, a huge, python type, whose eyes were fixed not on Adam or Eve, but on the approaching viewer. I moved to the left but the beady eyes followed, no matter where I stood the snake seem to be staring at me. No one was in the room, so I turned to go out the door. An ancient black man blocked the door way.
“Shine ‘em up, shine ‘em up. Sit down, sit down.” He said motioning to the chairs.
We climbed into the chairs and he started the shoe shine, working on both of us at the same time, applying soap, polish and then buffing, popping buffing and popping the shine rag.
“What you boys doing here? He asked as we paid for the shine.
What you boys want?” he grinned as his eye shifted to look at Eve.
“No, nothing like that, man!” I stammered as I almost sprinted to the door.
As we got back to the car, W.A. tossed me the keys. “You drive. I tell you where to turn. Time to see if the fish are biting”
We made our way over to Main Street and turned toward Congress Avenue. He rolled the window down go slow here , near the curb, turn the radio up.”
As we cruised, a Lady of the Night came out of the shadows and walked to the car. We slowed to almost a stop.
“Your Momma know where you are tonight?”, the girl spoke.
W.A. held a dollar out the window, she was keeping pace with us.
“How much?” he said and waved the dollar at her.
Just as she was about to reach us, W.A. yelled for me to hit the gas and we sped away, the dollar floating in the air and colorful language she was shouting piercing our ears. He banged on the side of the car and yelled back at her. We turned on Congress and then turned south onto Fannin Street.
To be continued....
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