CUZ: A Good Samaritan

One spring night a young woman traveled from the beaches of the Gulf of Mexico to the Bluegrass state of Kentucky. She had experienced the sun, the suds, and the sin of spring holiday on the golden beaches. Her and other beach worshippers filled Interstate 65 creating a steady flow of headlights pointed North.

It was not long after passing exit 231 just north of Calera, Alabama when she heard the roar and felt the disintegration of one of her tires. Her joys of the spender of the blue waters and blue skies now replaced with the darkness, an eerie feeling, and the unknown of an Alabama night. The continuous flow of beach worshippers focused on home.

Good beach worshippers changed lanes and passed on the other side. Other people saw the dilemma and passed on the other side saying, “That poor girl.” They feared delay and trepidation of the unknown as the stranded vehicle disappeared in the hundreds of headlights that blinded those that looked in their rearview mirrors.

Just a few miles from her situation MC and Charley were bathing after a shift of working in the cement plant. MC, an oiler helper on the cement kilns, washed the cement, coal, lime dust, and grease from his tired body. Charley, a feed end man on the lime kilns showered away the dust and grime from crushed limestone that covered him.

MC and Charley transferred from a sister cement plant in North Birmingham Plant when it closed. In the move, they retained their seniority and other benefits. Charley began working in 1948, four years prior to my birth, which was over thirty years at the time.

MC ‘s tenure was not as long as Charley. Charley and MC rode to and from North Birmingham, about fifty-mile round trip. Their mode of travel was a tan 1969 Dodge Charger covered overtime with cement and lime dust from the plant. It was ragged, but dependable.

Bathed and dressed in fresh street clothes after working from three until eleven pm, the two journeyed from Calera. As these two friends of mine started home they spotted the young lady sitting alone just about a mile from the exit. They stopped a short distance behind. MC could see the flat tire and very carefully got the young lady’s attention.

MC told me the story of what happened. MC and I had made friends working side by side as cement kiln oilers. Our bond was strong enough that we called each other Cuz. He, a black man from North Birmingham, and I being a country boy from rural Alabama, were an odd mix. We were close friends and he said he knew the young white girl has horrified in the dark night.

MC was dark skinned and could look and be intimidating. Most of the men in the plant feared him. I have watched him sharpen his pocketknife as our foreman and other employees would confront him. He said sharping the pocketknife softened the confrontation.

Once some boycotters at a department store would not allow him entrance. MC walked back to his automobile, opened the truck, and retrieved a pistol. Reaching the boycotters the second time, he pointed the pistol in their faces and said, “If you sorry people would work, this department store would hire you. I’m going in to pick up my lay-a-way.” He did.

MC taught me about dealing with intimidation. He said, “Cuz, look them in the eye and don’t backdown. Most people that intimidate are cowards.” I found his wisdom very true.

MC said, “I walked up to the young woman and told her to stay in her car and open the truck that Charley and I would fix her flat.” She told him that she did not have a spare tire. MC told her that his Charger tire would fit her car and she could travel to a service station or she could continue to use his tire. He asked where she was headed. She said that she was headed back to college in Kentucky. MC asked, “What school?”

The school was the same one as MC’s daughter attended. MC told his daughter’s name and said when you get another tire give mine to my daughter.

MC told me that he treated the young woman as he hoped someone would help his daughter. That’s the kind of friends MC and Charley were. After I became a minister, MC said, “Cuz I knew all along God was calling you to preach.

 

A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. Luke 310:30-35

 

Thanks for the memories Cuz

 

 

 

 

Breanna, Hummingbirds, and Moments of Contemplation

 This morning, I was enjoying the morning sun climbing above the trees as four hummingbirds battled for three feeders. The feeders are close proximity to the porch swing where I was basking in the glow of the beautiful morning.

I have named the birds and have gained their trust. They fly right up to my face and we make eye contact. There is Tootie Green, Rebel, Johnny Reb, and Redneck. Tootie Green is the self-appointed guardian of the feeders driving the others away. Rebel and Johnny Reb are gray and while Tootie is gone they will simultaneously feed on opposite sides of the feeder. Tootie has a green ring around its neck, while Redneck of course has a red ring around his neck.

Tootie is the aggressor while Redneck is a loner. Watching my tiny friend war reminds me of WWI aerial dog fighting. It is a constant battle and amusing spectacle as they chase one another.

I remind Tootie not to be so greedy. There are three feeders with four ports for their long-pointed beaks to feed. While meditating on their rush and battle to be ahead, I thought of Breanna, the driver of a hummingbird type of white compact SUV. I have not been properly introduced to Breanna. My first encounter with her was on US Highway 31 between Thorsby and Lomax, Alabama. She had perfected the art of tailgating or drafting as they termed it at the Talladega Speedway in Talladega, Alabama.

I was the sixth vehicle in a caravan on the long stretch called Bean’s straight. There were oncoming cars and none of the six of us could pass. The white SUV’s driver was a young blonde female who kept drafting me as she zigzagged in and out the center lane.

The five vehicles ahead of me were maintaining a safe distance from each other. Traveling speed was consistent with the fifty-five miles per hour speed limit. Suddenly, the while SUV flew from behind me to pass six vehicles which is illegal in Alabama. Having been hit by a speeding car in the pass, I slowed and the young blonde speed merchant cut me off. That is when I spotted her name on her vanity license plate, Breanna.

She took my place for the remainder of the way to Lomax where she quickly darted and exited to the left. I guess she was frustrated and decided to go another route.

A couple of weeks later Lisa and I were headed to Jemison, Alabama. We stopped at the railroad crossing and continued to US Highway 31. A white SUV with a young blond lady pulled from a service station and never looked to her left where Lisa and I were approaching her. Lisa stopped and I told her that it was the second white SUV with a young lady pulling out in front of me. We were up close and almost personal with the SUV and then I saw the name on the vanity plate. It was Breanna, imagine that!

It seems that everyone is always in a hurry. I learned a long time ago to leave in plenty of time to arrive on time. If one is five minutes late it is very difficult to make up for the lateness. I am amazed that there are not more accidents.

I try to take the advice from Simon and Garfunkel’s song, The 59^th Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy):

Slow down, you move too fast
You got to make the morning last
Just kicking down the cobble stones
Looking for fun and feelin' groovy

The Bible gives us intelligent words to slow down.

 Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good; and he that hasteth with his feet sinneth. Proverbs 19:2 KJV

The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want. Proverbs 21:5 KJV

WHY US?

 May 7, 1931, Joe and Ethel chapman welcomed little Roe Leecie Chapman into the family. Two older sisters and brother preceded Leecie and two sisters followed her. She became Joe’s long-legged Sally. She was the tallest of the six inheriting her height from Joe. All the others were short like Ethel.

Leecie would be Joe’s second son wearing overalls and work shoes working alongside of her brother doing chores around the farm. Everyday Leecie would wrestle her brother holding him to the ground until he yelled “calf rope.”  She worked and fought like a man. She could plow a mule, drive a tractor, and split firewood.

Leecie hated school. She went to the seventh grade before quitting to pick cotton and to work as a hired hand doing the chores of maintaining a farm. She worked hard her entire life. Even though she worked long and hard she never had much money, but she married and had four children which she said made her rich.

She married Mitchell Clark Hopper Jr. on February 4, 1950. He was seven years her senior. Folks called him J M for Junior Mitchell. Where Leecie never ventured far from Chilton County Alabama. J M had traveled to North Africa and Italy with the United States Army. J M would take Leecie to live in Illinois when Leecie was in her mid-twenties returning to rural Alabama in March 1960.

In 1969 she went to work outside the home to help support the family. In 1982 doctors diagnosed J M with two brain tumors. Leecie worked and cared from him until his death May 27, 1984. Leecie had a mole on her back that was melanoma cancer. Doctors removed the mole and diseased tissue down to her spine. She never allowed the pain to prevent her from caring for J M.

Losing J M was devastating for Leecie. One to never quit, she seemed give up living. By brothers and sister encouraged, but she grew discouraged and had aliments that doctors could not diagnose.

One Saturday I went to eat Saturday breakfast with her. Sneaking up behind her I squeezed her. She said, “You broke my ribs.” I told her that I did squeeze that hard. Doctors were shocked when they x-rayed her. I had collapsed her right rib cage. Cancer had swept through her body ravishing her rib cages, number four vertebrae, esophagus, right arm between elbow and shoulder. And multiple other parts of her body. Stage four melanoma had riddled her precious body. 

Mom had gone with me to hear me preach in September 1986 just before I “bear hugged” her. When they operated on her right rib cage, they said she had six months to a year to live. She had some issues around Thanksgiving and doctors said she had three to six months to live. At Christmas doctors said she had days.

When mom was bedridden, my sister was a trooper and wonderful taking care of her. My sister spent the week with her while my two brothers and I spent the weekend from Friday evening until Monday morning. Mom spent most of time in a hospital bed in my brothers and my old bedroom.

One Saturday morning I was aggravating momma and told her to get out of bed and “fix” me some biscuits. Hers were the best. Grabbing the triangular bar above he bed she struggled tiring to sit up. She had lost strength on her right arm. It broke my heart to see her try her best and she could not.

She looked in the eye and said, “Bobby I know when you are lying. Tell me how much time I have.” With tears swelling in my eyes I said, “Days.” She said, “I thought so.” She then asked, “Why us?” I asked, “Why not us. If you could give your cancer to someone, who would you give it.” She said, “I wouldn’t give this curse to anyone.” I said, “God allowed you to have it because He knows you.”

For the next few moments momma said that the only thing she wanted in life was to have a Christian family. God blessed me with a pastor son, two deacon sons, and a daughter Sunday School teacher. I am ready to go.

Mom went to be with the Lord on January 28, 1987.

 

Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. I Corinthians 16:13 KJV

 

Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. II Corinthians 12:10 KJV