A SIMPLE QUESTION

A SIMPLE QUESTION

I didn't go to his campaign speech for reasons
political.  I went there for entertainment.  I could care less about
politics.  This particular cracker that was running for president,
though, didn't have a clue as to what he was in for.

You see, back in Tavares, we had one particular citizen
whom most folks would probably consider .... well, outspoken.  He was a
skinny black man that could be summed up in 3 words:  How-U-Know!

Never knew what his momma named him, but it didn't matter.  My family had always called him HowUKnow?, and he lived up to it.

I couldn't help but smile when I spotted him up close to
the stage, at the front of the audience.  That way, if he had any
questions, the politician would be sure to hear them. 

It didn't take long either.  The candidate was probably
only 2 or 3 minutes into his speech when HowUKnow's curiousity was
stimulated.  I can't remember the exchange word for word, but it went
something like this:  "If Obama gets another 4 years, that's another 4
years of high unemployment; 4 more years of a disfunctional economy; 4
more years of -- "

"How You Know!"

Boom.  There it was.  I had to keep myself from laughin and not miss anything.

"Uh .... 4 more years of your childrens' education being
neglected; 4 more years of small business going bankrupt on account of
--"

"How You Know?!"

The beauty of it was that HowUKnow's voice always
reached such a high pitch that, if you were around, there was no way you
couldn't hear him.  He'd always been like this.  We loved him.  He was a
town treasure.

"Ah sir,"  the politician finally had no choice but to
acknowledge the skinny old black man at the front of the stage, that was
asking him a question.  "The president's present administration, sir,
is on the sure road to failure, depression, and bankruptcy."

"How You Know!?"

Some of the other town locals couldn't hold in their laughter like I did, but most kept it in check so all could hear.

The candidate tried to elaborate:  "Well, I know, sir,
because it's as plain as black and white.  Since Obama's been in office
America's seen some of its darkest days, financially, morally; the
spirit of the people need a better way to face the future; to find hope
again, where hope has run dry."

"How You Know?"

This time, the politician looked as if he might have
finally understood HowUKnow's question, as he finally shut up and seemed
to contemplate.  Perhaps he had never asked himself that particular
question.  How did he actually know, for sure, that what he was telling
the American people was true?  After all, everything he ranted about
came from other peoples' mouths, and most of it never came with any
verifying evidence.

A major shift in his mind state came over him, like
vertigo, and he almost tripped on himself even though he was standing
still.  Gotta cut down on those pills the doc gave me, he
thought, all the sudden feeling extremely insecure.  He held the
microphone up to his mouth and said, "I'm sorry I'm gonna have to cut
this short, but there's been an emergency."  then dropped the mic with a
loud clunk and briskly walked off the stage.

The crowd was dead silent for about 30 seconds when the
silence was broken by one serious voice, sounding like a lawyer speaking
to a witness, asking simply:  "How You Know?"

Thus followed a great roar of cheers, laughter, and applause.

Man, I thought, that muthafucka's lucky WhyULie's down in Orlando visiting his momma.