1 00:00:04,920 --> 00:00:10,080 Speaker 1: Welcome to the ten Minute Storyteller. That's me Bill Simpson, 2 00:00:10,280 --> 00:00:15,040 Speaker 1: your host, narrator and author. We hear at the ten 3 00:00:15,080 --> 00:00:19,680 Speaker 1: minute Storyteller endeavor to entertain you with tall tales or 4 00:00:19,720 --> 00:00:24,840 Speaker 1: rendered swiftly and with the utmost empathy. We pledge to 5 00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:29,520 Speaker 1: pack as much entertainment, emotion, and exploration into the human 6 00:00:29,560 --> 00:00:35,640 Speaker 1: condition as ten minutes will permit. Mini novels on steroids. 7 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:44,720 Speaker 1: This week we meet guy Guy needs underwear, heads for 8 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:48,360 Speaker 1: them all. Where some white kids get tangled up with 9 00:00:48,400 --> 00:00:52,720 Speaker 1: some black kids the n word koreem's around the food court. 10 00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:58,880 Speaker 1: One kid pushes another kid, fists fly, blood spills. The 11 00:00:58,960 --> 00:01:01,960 Speaker 1: cops arrive, put the white kid in a chair, the 12 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:06,800 Speaker 1: black kid on the floor. Tempers flare, Guns are drawn. 13 00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:12,919 Speaker 1: What's guy going to do? What's guy going to say? 14 00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:22,880 Speaker 1: The racist guy takes the afternoon off and goes to 15 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:26,720 Speaker 1: Express Lube to have the oil changed in his ram. 16 00:01:27,800 --> 00:01:30,760 Speaker 1: On the way back, he passes the mall. He hates 17 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:35,360 Speaker 1: the mall, never goes, hates shopping for everything but trucks, 18 00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:40,640 Speaker 1: boats and fishing gear. But he needs socks and underwear, 19 00:01:41,480 --> 00:01:45,160 Speaker 1: so he stops, goes into Macy's straight to where the 20 00:01:45,240 --> 00:01:49,600 Speaker 1: socks and underwear. Used to be not here, nothing here 21 00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:52,880 Speaker 1: now but racks and racks of those puffy jackets that 22 00:01:52,920 --> 00:01:56,240 Speaker 1: weigh no more than a dollar bill. He bought one 23 00:01:56,280 --> 00:01:59,120 Speaker 1: of those a couple of years ago, bright orange, for 24 00:01:59,200 --> 00:02:02,320 Speaker 1: when he walks then at night, so they don't get 25 00:02:02,440 --> 00:02:07,160 Speaker 1: run over. He must look a little bit lost because 26 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:10,360 Speaker 1: he hears a lady, a sales clerk, asks can I 27 00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:14,760 Speaker 1: help you? He looks around and sees a black woman, 28 00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:19,800 Speaker 1: an older black woman, not old, just older, but good looking. 29 00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:25,160 Speaker 1: A good looking older black woman, slim and trim, very nice, smile, 30 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:30,040 Speaker 1: hair straight and pulled back hard, showing off the smooth, 31 00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:34,959 Speaker 1: the milk chocolate skin of her pretty face. Uh, socks 32 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:37,720 Speaker 1: and underwear, He says, it used to be right here. 33 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:42,880 Speaker 1: Oh god, that was ages ago. She says, follow me, Hey, 34 00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:47,520 Speaker 1: I'd follow you anywhere. Guy says, because that's the kind 35 00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:50,880 Speaker 1: of crack Guy's been making to the pretty ladies since 36 00:02:50,960 --> 00:02:56,480 Speaker 1: middle school. Walking ahead, not looking at him, She snaps back, 37 00:02:56,639 --> 00:02:58,760 Speaker 1: what's the matter with you saying that to me when 38 00:02:58,800 --> 00:03:03,160 Speaker 1: you've got a ring on your finger? Hey, Guy's heard worse, 39 00:03:03,520 --> 00:03:07,200 Speaker 1: way worse. Once he asked this black check if she'd 40 00:03:07,200 --> 00:03:10,120 Speaker 1: ever thought of sleeping with a white guy, and she 41 00:03:10,240 --> 00:03:13,680 Speaker 1: looked him up and down and said, not one as 42 00:03:13,800 --> 00:03:18,079 Speaker 1: ugly as you. Ouch, he said, And he says it again, 43 00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:21,920 Speaker 1: but then adds, hey, listen for you. I'd happily take 44 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:25,400 Speaker 1: that ring off my finger and hide it in my jeans. 45 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:31,320 Speaker 1: She starts to turn and say something, but decides probably 46 00:03:31,400 --> 00:03:36,080 Speaker 1: best to stay quiet instead. She sighs, points to the 47 00:03:36,160 --> 00:03:41,680 Speaker 1: socks and underwear department, and walks away. Guy picks out 48 00:03:41,680 --> 00:03:45,040 Speaker 1: what he wants, pays, then decides to go upstairs and 49 00:03:45,080 --> 00:03:47,760 Speaker 1: get one of those big soft pretzels that you dip, 50 00:03:47,800 --> 00:03:52,120 Speaker 1: and Mustard hasn't had one since since he can't remember. 51 00:03:52,160 --> 00:03:56,400 Speaker 1: When a little crowded up at the food court he 52 00:03:56,480 --> 00:03:59,800 Speaker 1: has to wait in line. While waiting, he watches these 53 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:04,080 Speaker 1: four young punks be bopping around with their baseball caps 54 00:04:04,360 --> 00:04:09,160 Speaker 1: turned brim backwards, listening to some crappy street jive music 55 00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:13,360 Speaker 1: way too loud on one of those bluetooth speakers hanging 56 00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:18,600 Speaker 1: off the lead punk's belt. Loop Guy. He'd like to 57 00:04:18,640 --> 00:04:21,839 Speaker 1: hassle them, tell them to turn the goddamn thing down, 58 00:04:22,440 --> 00:04:25,760 Speaker 1: but decides to just get his soft pretzel and get 59 00:04:25,800 --> 00:04:29,479 Speaker 1: out a dodge in his dodge, I mean, who needs 60 00:04:29,480 --> 00:04:33,360 Speaker 1: the trouble guy doesn't need the trouble. Let the mall 61 00:04:33,480 --> 00:04:38,560 Speaker 1: security guys handle it or the cops. I'm staying disengaged. 62 00:04:40,120 --> 00:04:43,279 Speaker 1: He reaches the front of the line, orders a pretzel 63 00:04:43,320 --> 00:04:47,440 Speaker 1: with mustard and a coke, swipes his visa card, gets 64 00:04:47,440 --> 00:04:50,640 Speaker 1: his booty, turns to go, figures he'll eit in the 65 00:04:50,680 --> 00:04:54,960 Speaker 1: truck with Spotify playing some Van Halen or bon Jovi 66 00:04:55,240 --> 00:05:00,960 Speaker 1: or Pearl Jam and not too loud the food cord. 67 00:05:01,080 --> 00:05:05,240 Speaker 1: He again spots the four dipwads, three of them scrawny, 68 00:05:05,480 --> 00:05:09,360 Speaker 1: acne faced a holes, following their leader, a muscled up 69 00:05:09,360 --> 00:05:13,240 Speaker 1: type wearing a two tight litl Zan sleeveless T shirt. 70 00:05:14,520 --> 00:05:17,800 Speaker 1: They want hot dogs Coney Island Franks, and they don't 71 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:20,599 Speaker 1: feel like waiting in line to get them. They push 72 00:05:20,760 --> 00:05:24,839 Speaker 1: and shove and intimidate their way to the front, well 73 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:28,800 Speaker 1: almost to the front. A little black kid can't be 74 00:05:28,880 --> 00:05:31,280 Speaker 1: more than four and a half feet tall, eight or 75 00:05:31,360 --> 00:05:35,040 Speaker 1: nine years old, clutching a ten dollars bill in his fist, 76 00:05:35,320 --> 00:05:38,680 Speaker 1: says in a high, squeaky voice, Hey, come on, man, 77 00:05:38,920 --> 00:05:41,760 Speaker 1: wait your turn. I've been waiting and you got to 78 00:05:41,800 --> 00:05:48,480 Speaker 1: wait too. Lil Zan's sleeveless tea depicts a giant hand 79 00:05:48,760 --> 00:05:53,680 Speaker 1: with a long middle finger flashing the bird very classy. 80 00:05:54,160 --> 00:05:57,360 Speaker 1: He says in his own squeaky voice, Hey wait your turn. 81 00:05:57,560 --> 00:06:01,359 Speaker 1: I've been waiting, and you gotta wait too. His three 82 00:06:01,400 --> 00:06:04,520 Speaker 1: scrawny flunkies get a big chuckle out of him mocking 83 00:06:04,560 --> 00:06:07,760 Speaker 1: the little black kid, and that's when this bigger black 84 00:06:07,839 --> 00:06:11,160 Speaker 1: kid as big as Lil Zan but not quite as 85 00:06:11,440 --> 00:06:14,919 Speaker 1: muscled up, rolls onto the scene and says, hey, yo, dude, 86 00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:19,440 Speaker 1: you don't be messing with my little brother man little brother. Huh, yeah, 87 00:06:19,440 --> 00:06:21,599 Speaker 1: that's right, little brother, and he been waiting a while 88 00:06:21,640 --> 00:06:24,120 Speaker 1: to get himself a dog, so you just back off 89 00:06:24,200 --> 00:06:28,360 Speaker 1: and let that boy alone. Lil Zan turns to his 90 00:06:28,440 --> 00:06:31,640 Speaker 1: buds and says, amos here thinks we should be nice 91 00:06:31,640 --> 00:06:35,359 Speaker 1: and let the little bro touch my dog. And he 92 00:06:35,480 --> 00:06:38,440 Speaker 1: turns and snatches that ten dollars bill out of the 93 00:06:38,440 --> 00:06:42,720 Speaker 1: little black Kid's hand, which causes Big Bro to give 94 00:06:42,800 --> 00:06:45,760 Speaker 1: Lil Zan a shove, causing litl Zan to immediately return 95 00:06:45,800 --> 00:06:48,360 Speaker 1: the favor, and they go back and forth several times, 96 00:06:48,400 --> 00:06:52,040 Speaker 1: pushing and shoving. The little black kid takes his brother's 97 00:06:52,080 --> 00:06:56,240 Speaker 1: hand tries to lead him away. Hey, ain't nothing good, Jerome, 98 00:06:56,320 --> 00:06:58,560 Speaker 1: Ain't nothing good going to happen here, Jerome, come on, 99 00:06:58,640 --> 00:07:02,880 Speaker 1: come on, let's go. That's when Lil Zan lets fly 100 00:07:03,080 --> 00:07:05,919 Speaker 1: with a flurry of f bombs and n words, all 101 00:07:06,040 --> 00:07:10,400 Speaker 1: strung together in one long racist rant, which ends the 102 00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:14,960 Speaker 1: shoving and sets in motion a full fledged battle, a 103 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:19,440 Speaker 1: bare knuckled brawl. Both Jerome and Lil Zan land solid 104 00:07:19,480 --> 00:07:25,320 Speaker 1: punches to the face, head, and chest. Some folks, women 105 00:07:25,520 --> 00:07:30,440 Speaker 1: mostly scream for them to stop fighting. Others, mostly boys 106 00:07:30,480 --> 00:07:32,920 Speaker 1: and a few young men, cheer the fighters on. They 107 00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:35,400 Speaker 1: want them to keep on pound in each other. A 108 00:07:35,480 --> 00:07:39,880 Speaker 1: ring of spectators closes in around the brawlers. Blood flies. 109 00:07:40,360 --> 00:07:45,080 Speaker 1: Guy well, guy doesn't do dick, He just stands there, disengaged. 110 00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:48,800 Speaker 1: Lil Zan and Jerome battle on and off the floor, 111 00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:52,600 Speaker 1: kicking and swinging wildly, trying to tear each other's heads off. 112 00:07:53,360 --> 00:07:56,920 Speaker 1: And then the whistles, police whistles, and the sound of 113 00:07:57,000 --> 00:08:01,360 Speaker 1: heavy running. Two cops, not Maulk but the real thing, 114 00:08:01,760 --> 00:08:06,720 Speaker 1: sprint onto the scene. Spectators make way. A gap opens 115 00:08:06,720 --> 00:08:10,760 Speaker 1: in the circle. The cops, two good sized white guys 116 00:08:10,960 --> 00:08:14,720 Speaker 1: with guns holstered on their hips, grab the two teenagers 117 00:08:14,840 --> 00:08:18,600 Speaker 1: and pull them apart. The cops shove the white kid 118 00:08:18,640 --> 00:08:21,560 Speaker 1: into a chair and tell them not to move. Then 119 00:08:21,600 --> 00:08:24,800 Speaker 1: they push the black kid face down onto the grungy 120 00:08:24,960 --> 00:08:28,800 Speaker 1: mall floor, wrench his arms behind his back, and lickety 121 00:08:28,800 --> 00:08:34,200 Speaker 1: split cuff the kid's wrists together. Someone in the crowd, 122 00:08:34,320 --> 00:08:36,760 Speaker 1: a woman, a young white woman, doesn't like it, not 123 00:08:36,840 --> 00:08:39,720 Speaker 1: one bit. She shouts at the cops, Hey, yo, what 124 00:08:39,800 --> 00:08:42,240 Speaker 1: are you doing? What's up with that? The black kid 125 00:08:42,320 --> 00:08:45,840 Speaker 1: didn't do anything. That wise ass white kid started all 126 00:08:45,880 --> 00:08:49,480 Speaker 1: the trouble. Cuff his obnoxious ass, not the black kids. 127 00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:55,760 Speaker 1: Others chime in with similar comments. Guy, he doesn't say 128 00:08:55,760 --> 00:08:59,720 Speaker 1: a word. Jerome squirms around on the floor and lets 129 00:08:59,760 --> 00:09:03,680 Speaker 1: flow his own flurry of obscenities. The cops pin him 130 00:09:03,720 --> 00:09:07,120 Speaker 1: down with plenty of vim and vigor. The one big 131 00:09:07,160 --> 00:09:09,760 Speaker 1: bruiser has him by the legs, and the other one 132 00:09:09,880 --> 00:09:13,800 Speaker 1: has a knee planted firmly in the middle of Jerome's back. 133 00:09:14,800 --> 00:09:17,520 Speaker 1: The little brother beats on the shoulders of the cop 134 00:09:17,640 --> 00:09:21,320 Speaker 1: holding his big brother's legs. Leave him alone, man, come on, 135 00:09:21,440 --> 00:09:23,960 Speaker 1: leave him alone, Leave my brother alone. He ain't done nothing. 136 00:09:24,800 --> 00:09:28,240 Speaker 1: The cop swats the little black kid away. The kid 137 00:09:28,280 --> 00:09:31,200 Speaker 1: falls back, smacks his head on the floor comes up. 138 00:09:31,240 --> 00:09:37,640 Speaker 1: Woozy Guy steps forward, but quickly steps back. The cops 139 00:09:37,920 --> 00:09:41,640 Speaker 1: drip sweat. These are small town cops who mostly do 140 00:09:41,800 --> 00:09:46,000 Speaker 1: traffic stops and domestic violence calls. They're in way over 141 00:09:46,040 --> 00:09:49,280 Speaker 1: their heads. One of them shouts into the radio attached 142 00:09:49,280 --> 00:09:53,360 Speaker 1: to his vest, Patrol three, requesting backup mall, third floor 143 00:09:53,679 --> 00:09:58,120 Speaker 1: food court, Back up, now, back up now. Blood runs 144 00:09:58,200 --> 00:10:01,120 Speaker 1: from Jerome's nose and mouth and from a gash above 145 00:10:01,120 --> 00:10:04,800 Speaker 1: his left eye. He's cursing and squirming and bleeding all 146 00:10:04,840 --> 00:10:09,600 Speaker 1: over the floor while Lil Zan sits there smirking. A 147 00:10:09,640 --> 00:10:14,000 Speaker 1: woman suddenly screams, Jerome, Jerome. Her shouts come from some distance, 148 00:10:14,120 --> 00:10:18,360 Speaker 1: but she's obviously closing fast. A couple seconds later she 149 00:10:18,480 --> 00:10:22,079 Speaker 1: reaches the scene. It's the black woman who helped guy 150 00:10:22,520 --> 00:10:25,240 Speaker 1: with the socks and underwear, the one he made the 151 00:10:25,320 --> 00:10:29,560 Speaker 1: cracks to about following her anywhere and taking his ring off. 152 00:10:30,960 --> 00:10:34,040 Speaker 1: What in God's name? She screams, what are you doing 153 00:10:34,080 --> 00:10:38,160 Speaker 1: to my boy? She reaches into the handbag hanging over 154 00:10:38,240 --> 00:10:41,600 Speaker 1: her shoulder. The big white cop, with his knee on 155 00:10:41,720 --> 00:10:44,800 Speaker 1: Jerome's back, pulls his handgun and points it at the 156 00:10:44,800 --> 00:10:49,240 Speaker 1: black woman's chest. The crowd, having witnessed this scene many 157 00:10:49,360 --> 00:10:54,240 Speaker 1: times before, instantly grows quiet, waits for the blast, waits 158 00:10:54,400 --> 00:10:57,200 Speaker 1: for the black woman to clutch her chest and fall 159 00:10:57,280 --> 00:11:03,640 Speaker 1: over dead. Rome's mother pulls a white cotton handkerchief out 160 00:11:03,679 --> 00:11:06,920 Speaker 1: of that handbag and says, fool, you put that gun 161 00:11:06,960 --> 00:11:10,679 Speaker 1: away before you hurt someone, and she bends down and 162 00:11:10,720 --> 00:11:14,560 Speaker 1: begins to wipe the blood from her injured son's face. 163 00:11:16,679 --> 00:11:22,320 Speaker 1: Appetite gone guy tosses the pretzel and coke into the trash. 164 00:11:22,720 --> 00:11:30,520 Speaker 1: He walks away, ashamed, Ashamed because he did nothing, said nothing, 165 00:11:31,520 --> 00:11:36,240 Speaker 1: is nothing, Ashamed because he's a coward, and because he 166 00:11:36,320 --> 00:11:40,440 Speaker 1: knows damn well he never would have made those cracks 167 00:11:41,080 --> 00:11:54,800 Speaker 1: to a white woman. Thanks for listening to this original 168 00:11:54,920 --> 00:12:01,040 Speaker 1: audio presentation of the racist narrated by the author. If 169 00:12:01,080 --> 00:12:05,360 Speaker 1: you enjoy today's story, please take a few seconds to rate, review, 170 00:12:05,600 --> 00:12:10,559 Speaker 1: and subscribe to this podcast, and go to Thomas William 171 00:12:10,679 --> 00:12:14,920 Speaker 1: Simpson dot com for additional information about the author and 172 00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:20,160 Speaker 1: to view his extensive canon. The Ten Minute Storyteller is 173 00:12:20,240 --> 00:12:24,120 Speaker 1: produced by Andrew Pliglisi and Josh Klani and is part 174 00:12:24,200 --> 00:12:29,839 Speaker 1: of the Elvis Duran podcast Network in partnership with iHeart Productions. 175 00:12:31,480 --> 00:12:36,320 Speaker 1: Until next time. This is Bill Simpson, your ten minute storyteller.