Shelton Family Saga

Chapter 4

Hollywood
Wed, Jan. 02, 1963, 10:32 p.m.
Helmsville

Harvey Greene was a strait-laced kid. You know the type. They never waiver away from their golden child image. Harvey, or Hollywood as he was known, was just that way. He always did everything his parents told him to do and didn't deviate from it one bit. He was the model church boy and the perfect son. His mom was a very strict Jehovah Witness, and very holier than thou. She didn't used to be that way, but something had changed her mind around the time Hollywood hit puberty. Hollywood didn't ever pass judgement on anyone and he was Myles's best friend. You could always find them side by side since they met. Harvey and Myles, better known as Hollywood and Hoochie, were more like brothers and remained tight and closer than ever, even after Hoochie's mom died.

Although Hollywood was rarely at Hoochie's house, Hoochie spent a great deal of time hanging out on Hollywood's street and at his house.

"Eh Hollywood? Where you at man? Hollywood?"

Hoochie reached down and grabbed a couple of loose pebbles off the ground chunking them up at the second floor window of his friend Hollywood's house. Who would've thought they'd see a two story brick house surrounded by lush landscaping over in the section? It was the only house like that and for good reason, too. Hollywood's dad was a carpenter by trade so him and a few of his kinfolks out of Sheridan had built their house. It was a wedding present from Hollywood's grandparents when his parents had tied the knot. His grandparents had bought the materials and all of Hollywood's uncles and a lot of his cousins had come over to Helmsville to help build it. The section was what some referred to as the wrong side of the tracks, being it was on the impoverished side of town where all the black people usually stayed. The town was separated in sections by the railroad tracks, with the white folks residing on one side of the tracks and the black folks on the other side. Each group had their own little area, so where the black folks stayed was referred to as their section of town, or simply the section.

Hollywood slowly slid the window up asking, "Hoochie, why you out so late?"

"Shit, man. What I'm s'posed to be doing? Getting ready for bed like some ol' ass man or some shit?"

"Well, we do got school in the morning."

"Naw, man. I ain't trying to fuck with that."

"Hoochie stop cursing. You know my momma don't play that!"

"Awe whatever, ole cry baby ass boy. Shouldn't she be reading her watch tower book or some shit?"

"Hoochie, I ain't playing!"

"Alright, alright, I hear ya man. I'm just messing with ya Hollywood. Besides, you lucky to have a momma anyway."

"Yeah, I am, but my momma love everybody like they're her own kid."

"She don't like me though."

"She just don't like how you be cursing is all," Hollywood corrected him.

Tired of the back and forth banter, Hoochie asked his friend, "Okay, well you gonna come on out or we just gonna keep talking from yo' window?"

Hollywood was such a good kid, he didn't ever dare to disobey his parents. How could he? He didn't have much room for error between his momma's hardcore Jehovah Witness beliefs, and his daddies opposite take on the subject; so, Hollywood just played it safe and did what felt good. Luckily, that feel good feeling just happened to be pleasing to both of his parents.