Richard, the paperboy, from The Red Scarf, July 1944, #19

Richard, the paperboy, from The Red Scarf, July 1944, #19
Well, as y’all know from the last time I wrote something, going to the Ritz Theater in El Dorado on Saturday is my favorite thing in the world to do. But I ain’t the only one who likes the Ritz. Sit back and I’ll tell you how I got in trouble that Saturday morning. Me and John Clayton was just sitting on the breadbox in front of Echols Grocery when two of our colored friends, Joe Rel and Billy Ray Sorrels, walked up, and we all started talking about going to the Ritz that next Saturday morning. Shoot, for about five minutes, Joe Rel and Billy Ray just went on and on how their seats in the balcony was so much better than the downstairs seats where all the white kids sat. I remeber Joe Rel saying, “Heck, Richard, we’re up high and can see the picture show a whole bunch better than y’all, and we don’t hafta just sit there. Man, we can run around and sometimes chunk a little ice down on you white kids.” Well, the more Joe Rel talked the more I wanted to sit with them in the balcony. Finally, I said, “Listen, Joe Rel, next Saturday I’m gonna let you buy me a ticket, and I’ll hide behind you to get in the theater, and then I’ll join you in the balcony. “It ain’t allowed, Richard! Old man Slater will get all over you.” “Heck, Joe Rel. He’ll never know.” Well, it took an extra nickle to get Joe Rel to buy me a ticket, but the next Saturday I was sitting in the balcony right between my two colored friends. Dang, Joe Rel was right. I really liked sitting up there in the balcony. They even had a place in the back of the balcony that sold Coke Colas, and I bought a large one with extra crushed ice. I was having so much fun you wouldn’t beleive it. I walked over to the balcony rail and looked down where all the white kids was sitting and there was John Clayton and our whole gang. I hollared at them and waved. “Richard,” yelled John Clayton, “You better get yourself down here! Old man Slater is gonna get you with his belt!” “I ain’t coming down! I like it up here!” I yelled. Then I though of something and I know it was bad but I just couldn’t stop myself. I’d finished drinking all the Coke Cola, and I had a cup full of crushed ice. Well, I dipped out the ice and make a great ice ball, drew back, and yelled, “Y’all catch this!” I threw that ice ball as far as I could and it hit the seat top right in front of them and sprayed ice all over them, a row of girls and that sorry Homer Ray. You should have heard the yelling. Then, in about two seconds, old man Slater come running down the aisle to see what all the yelling was about. Course, that sorry Homer Ray tattle-tailed. “Mr. Slater, there’s a white kid in the balcony and he threw a ball of ice down on us.”
Dang! Old man Slater yanked off his big belt and started for the balcony yelling, “I’m gonna beat the blue perfect hell out of the kid that threw that ice!”
“You in trouble now, Richard.” said Joe Rel. And I was… But I’m running out of time to finish this story. Y’all check back with me Monday, and I’ll tell you what happened when old man Salter got to the balcony.