The Hitching Post...

While tourist and south-side folks sported the beach, back of town folks jumped off a rock we called the flat. Nestled across the street from a corner store known as Hitching Post, a high enough flat rock gave the perfect perch to a jack knife twist or a swan dive in beautiful clear waters in Bermuda. There was a man so black we called him Blue, who was known for his romantic charisma. As a young boy, I found hope knowing that someone so black can find women so beautiful. Blue finally found a country beauty real charming and nice. I called her a country beauty, only because I knew blue and no back of town woman would be caught dead with him no matter how romantic Blue got, for everyone knew that the Hitching Post sold boos, and minutes after drunk-thirty, Blue turned into a monster. After swimming for a while, we kids those who had money, no, I had none, mind ya own business, went in the Post and got what snacks a buck could boost. I stayed close to the Flat to await what snacks would be shared, only to hear unusual thumbs coming from across the way. Then all of a sudden, a scream here and there, and it was the country beauty being beating by Blue. I never felt so helpless as she looked in my direction, for what seem like help, but what could I do, being so little my own self. I pointed to the fight, as one by one the older kids just said "oh, that's Blue, beating up his girlfriend". My mouth dropped open as I became appalled at what I was seeing. Before long, the splashes from the water from dives and jumps over shadowed the screams from not to far away. On the way home, I could not help look at the place where the crime took place and wondered what ever happy to the country beauty. The next day found me with a new smile, for this time I had money in my pocket, and was ready for the excursion at the Hitching Post at the relevant time. After the morning splash, we headed to the Post for snacks and this time i too made my way across to the store. Who to my surprise, did I see coming out the Hitching Post arm in arm but Blue with smiles arm in arm with his country beauty. Shocked and appalled, I cut my eyes at the both of them, as if I had the nerve. Its a good thing i was too little for them to notice, and therefore went in the store with no one being the wiser of my eye deal.  We all got this and that, and filtered out the store and back to the flat. After a while it was splash city again and we all enjoyed ourselves to the full. In time we could hear singing from drunks who had made enough trips to the hitching post, and thumbs was heard from you know who, and when the screams were heard, we all looked at one another and said..."blue!!". I learned in my short life, that drunk-thirty can come at full noon to some folks and smiles the next day is not UN-heard off...nj