So some of you have been waiting around huh? Been wondering what the heck he was doing these past few weeks? I've been absorbing new information for my writings, as well as setting up more things for this new year. You folks have kept me motivated as I have been observing my page view numbers increase every week while I've been away. At my last writing entry here a few weeks back, I had about 4,700 page views. Now I have over 5,300. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. That interest keeps the fire burning inside me.
This next year's work is devoted to all of you who continue to read on. Now, without any further delay...I present my fictional story...THE LESSON...
"The Lesson" by John S LES
We all have and give opinions about the lives of others around us. Often times we base those opinions on our own life experiences both good and bad, positive or negative...right or wrong. We cannot ever say, with absolute authority which direction a man or woman's life should go based on the circumstances of their lives and the composition of their emotional and psychological makeup. We can only advise, guide or speculate. But we can't expect them to do what we would have done in that same situation.
Whatever their emotional and psychological makeup is, it will be different (in small degrees or wide margins) from our own. We all have "prejudices" that we learn ourselves or are taught to us over time. Sometimes those things are learned for good reasons, and sometimes for bad reasons. At the end of the day, we should not judge people unless we ready to honestly examine our own lives first. We cannot ever truly judge a person, for better or worse, for right or wrong...unless we truly walk in that person's shoes. There is nothing more truly humane, than to have compassion for others. To do anything less...is a slippery slope to becoming evil and tunnel visioned, no matter how noble, liberal or conservative our point of view. It this the selfish point of view - the "my way or the highway" inside all of us...that can be our own undoing to everything and everyone around us.
June 2012. The city, Jasper, Texas. It is a city located on the deep, east end of the state of Texas. Jasper has been home to some racially divisive incidents. Back in 1998, three young, local white men, picked up a local black man, James Byrd, took him out to a drinking spot, assaulted him, then chained him to the back of their pick up truck and dragged his body for nearly 3 miles. The trail of blood, skin and body parts stretched the entire distance, from a dirt road to a paved road before finally coming to a stop. The first officer to find the body, was then state trooper, a black man by the name of Rodney Pearson. Fourteen years later, Mr. Pearson was recently voted in as the Chief of Police by a Jasper City Council that was predominantly black. A year later, those black council members were voted out and now a predominantly white City Council has voted Chief Pearson to be fired and another man, namely a white male, has been given the job. The current council members argue that the man they've hired was more deserving, had a better resume. They were only correcting something that had gone wrong with the decision to hire Mr. Pearson in the first place.
I reckon those folks over there in Jasper should follow this story. A story about a guy I know by the name of Billy Ray Dawson who lives in a small, part rural, part suburban town just like Jasper. A town I'd like to call, Prosperous, Texas. Prosperous is just like tens of thousands of other small towns across the country and even the world. Much like Jasper, it is racially divided 40 percent white, 40 percent black and 20 percent of just about everybody else. Billy Ray, is a scruffy looking while male in his late 20's, who's better known for his ten year old, but well maintained blue Chevy pick up truck, blue jeans, flannel shirt and Confederate flag painted on the rear end of his truck.
Years ago most people in Prosperous, Texas made their living through farming. Then the oil boom came up in the 1950's about 20 miles north of Prosperous. Once that oil boom passed, Prosperous had become mostly a town where people passed through, or retired to in order to have a more slower paced life. Most of the folks of Prosperous continue to find jobs in the neighboring towns such as cooks, carpenters, mechanics and yes...still some farming. However, with hard economic times hitting America and this particular region of the country, jobs haven't been as plentiful as they were in the past. For two years, Billy Ray Dawson and several of his friends have struggled with taking odd end jobs to make ends meet. One day they could be away help building a house, the next day they could be painting barns, another day they could be driving trucks with supplies 2 or 3 towns over.
Unfortunately for Billy Ray, and his friends, in places where the jobs were scarce, there were many legal Mexican Americans and African Americans who were willing to take some of those jobs at cheaper rates, just to make ends meet for themselves. Even worse, there were many times when illegal immigrants were brought in to take other jobs in the surrounding towns. They took less pay and had zero benefits. Should they get hurt or worse, there would be a dozen other illegal men ready to take their place.
Such was the laws of economics and workforce in this area of the world. Everyone was looking to make a buck or save a buck or both. Those who get crushed in between the clash of companies finding ways to continue making profits legally or illegally, morally or immorally doesn't really matter. It never does. Even more, it didn't help that Prosperous had been a involuntarily segregated town in most parts. Heck, just like in Jasper, even the town's central cemetery was segregated. At Duncan's Cemetery most of the whites were buried up the hill of the land side and all of blacks were buried at the bottom of the hillside. This practice started way back when Prosperous had a small slave population and has continued ever since. Ask anyone there and they'll tell you that it's just the way things are done.
This particular day in June, Billy Ray was in between jobs, standing with his buddies Tank and RJ, when they observed a well dressed black man drive into town talking about some crazy talk about creating jobs by bringing in some job involving computers and involving the government. The part about computers didn't really appeal to too many people in Prosperous. Then the second part about this stranger talking about getting government jobs in the area was even less appealing. When some folks noticed the "Obama Biden 2012" bumper sticker on his car, and the fact that he was clearly a well educated sounding black man, made his reception that much worse.
But this man was no ordinary man. This man, Michael Raymond Singleton, was a Gulf War veteran, turned entrepreneur Although Michael Ray grew up in New York City, both of his parents were originally from a small town just outside of Dallas, Texas. Singleton had distant relatives two hours east of Prosperous. He and his co-company creator David Shields wanted to bring some technology related jobs to Prosperous and other small towns just like it. Jobs that would eventually fetch contracts with private companies as well as government agencies. The real estate was cheap in Prosperous By incorporating a new industry, along with information from past industries, Singleton and Shields figured that their crusade to build a new work force and industry might appeal to the younger populations in these small towns.
These type of job opportunities would be people and native intensive. The computer training part would require a small curve for learning how to enter data information. It was really the actual people interacting with other people that would be the door to open more doors. More jobs, more money floating in the town, more shops, stores and business that could start flowing again. Some of the nearby towns also had larger populations, stronger economies, and had great potential for attracting commerce.
Not knowing his way around town, Michael Ray spent much of his day driving around Prosperous and getting a feel for the town. He was to meet with City Council officials later that day and present his company's proposal to city officials, including the mayor, Press Johnson to see if they would approve of Michael Ray's company establishing a business presence in Prosperous. As he drove around Michael Ray's reception amongst white inhabitants of Prosperous went from lukewarm to dismissive. His presence represented an unwanted change. As he ventured onto the outskirts of Prosperous where the residents were predominately black, he was treated with equal lukewarm to a disbelieving audience that any changes could come to Prosperous. He was also warned by many to get out of downtown Prosperous as soon as his 3pm meeting with City Council members was over.
"Prosperous is a well known Sundown Town around here, Mr. Singleton. 'Sundown Town' as in don't let the sun set and you be caught driving around the White section of Prosperous. There's no telling what might happen to ya. You might get a ticket, or you might just get run out of here by locals. Worse yet, if the good old boys around here don't get ya, the deer might. This town is right in the Pineywoods Wildlife district. You have to watch where you drive through on the roads with these deer at night, otherwise you could wind up in some crazy accident. So you best get back on the road as early as possible and keep heading west until you get to Dallas."
When 2:30pm arrived, a confident Michael Ray made his way into the school auditorium where his presentation was to take place. Everything started on time at 3pm and Michael Ray presented a hopeful and inspiring presentation to bring some jobs and light commerce into Prosperous without turning it into a full fledged commercial district. But, by the time the floor was opened for questions by the mixed audience of locals who attended, he was immediately assailed by White members for being a political Obama plant, a left winged liberal looking to hire only Blacks and illegal aliens for jobs. Black audience members then assailed him for proposing jobs that appealed only to educated, Whites who lived closer to downtown and already had better odds of obtaining office jobs in the downtown area.
It wasn't long before all of the racially divisive tensions that bubbled underneath the surface of the town eventually boiled over into the questioning and answering. The City Council members and Mayor were embarrassed by the obvious release and venting of anger, ignorance and pent up racial tensions that now buzzed in the auditorium. Billy Ray, Tank and RJ were in attendance and did all they could to help increase the tensions in the room by yelling out anti-government, anti-Obama and anti-outsiders epithets. The City Council, although open and sympathetic to a discussion about new business ventures in Prosperous, had to order the rest of the presentation to be over. Sheriff's deputies were called in to help empty out the auditorium as a stunned Michael Ray looked on.
"My parents grew up in a town not too much unlike Prosperous. It took the building of a General Motors plant in Arlington to help bring the town together and make people realize that in economic times like these, we are all in this together."
It was then agreed by all that the Council would meet up with several smaller groups over the next couple of days to propose the ideas of this new business and for Michael Ray to return a week from that day for another presentation. By the time it was all concluded it was past 6pm and Michael Ray opted to have dinner at a rib shack that was just about neutral grounds a little further east. He would then get on the road and head northwest and take a four hour drive to Dallas.
Outside, Billy Ray and his buddies mocked Michael Ray as he shook hands with city officials and prepared to go to dinner. Michael took the opportunity of the moment to walk up to the group, while the city officials stood nearby and challenged them.
"Gentlemen, I never asked for anyone here to like me. I never tried to impose any of my personal beliefs upon anyone while I've been here. All I came here to do was to help. To help the people, the citizens of Prosperous, Texas find a new way to have an economy as the world around us is changing. Helping the people here, will help many others in this area. The only color I see and care about is the color of money, the rainbow colors of opportunity for all the kids in this city and the blessings of the Almighty God to heal the broken hearts and dreams in this area."
"We don't want no government jobs down here!" Billy Ray snapped back.
"These aren't government jobs. This is private enterprise, with the potential to earn government or private contracts. The people here in Prosperous can get guaranteed money flow in either direction."
Michael Ray gave a polite goodbye and then took off east to the rib shack.
About an hour later after finishing his meal Michael Ray got back on the road. However, with his GPS system not picking up a good signal he decided to head into town to back track where to pick up the road to the junction to pick up US 175 west. It was this trip back into town that would begin a process to forever change the lives of Billy Ray and Michael Ray.
Upon entering the main street, Michael Ray did observe Billy Ray in his truck and by himself. He pulled up and politely asked for directions to get to the junction. Annoyed that Michael Ray had the audacity to still be near downtown Prosperous, and it was just about sundown, Billy Ray knowingly gave him directions that would place him right into the roadways most notorious for car accidents due to deer wandering across at night time. It was information that only most locals knew about since the warning signs had been ripped down and never replaced. After giving him the directions, Billy Ray decided to give Michael an eight minute head start to see if he indeed would get into a car accident.
After eight minutes passed, Billy Ray got on the road and followed the directions that he had given Michael Ray. When he reached the halfway mark, he did come across the body of a large deer that had been struck and Michael's turned over car. Just as he had predicted, Michael Ray had been too busy following the twisting road directions and was never going to be ready to slow down in order to avoid the deer. After the deer struck the windshield, he swerved, hit the embankment, causing the car to ride up and flip onto it's hood.
As Billy Ray slowly pulled up to the car, he could see the badly injured Michael Ray attempting to crawl out from under his smoking car. Billy Ray slowly got out of his pickup, but did not move any quicker to provide any help to Michael Ray. With his face bloodied from the shattered windshield, his head contused and bleeding, Michael Ray saw Billy Ray approach him and reached out his hand for help. Billy Ray only came over snickering and shaking his head. Billy Ray then knelled down, sticking his knee down into Michael Ray's chest, compressing and restricting it from the already difficulty he had breathing.
As Billy pressed his knee further into Michael Ray's chest he said to him, "Sometimes a man just needs to know his place. Needs to know where he does and doesn't belong and you niggers just don't belong here."
Gasping his last breaths, Michael Ray attempted to move Billy's knee off his chest. With his last breath he managed to utter one last word before seeing Billy's face and a flash of light, "Whyyy..." and then darkness.
Still snickering, Billy Ray responded "Because I just don't like niggers. Never have and never will."
Even in the warm Texas summer night, Billy Ray felt a sudden chill come over his body. He immediately looked around to see if any approaching or passing cars had come to witness his dirty deed, but there wasn't. He looked around again and again. He couldn't escape the feeling that someone was indeed watching even though there wasn't a car in sight. As he walked back over to his truck he looked back at where the body of the deer was and saw a tall older, black man dressed in a short brown leather coat, cowboy hat, blue jeans and cowboy boots standing in the distance.
Slightly worried that he might have been caught Billy Ray yells over to him, "Hey there boy, you got a a cell phone or something? The battery on mine just ran out. We gotta call somebody quick to get this nig - this man some help before he dies. I tried to give him some CPR, but I don't think he's gonna make it."
"Sure. Sure you did."
"What do you mean? I tried to help him?"
"Sure thing."
"Well boy, do you have a phone or not?"
"Nope. Don't need one. When I need to make a call...people hear me."
"Oh what the fuck are you, some kind of angel? Angel of Death? Have you got a phone or not boy?"
"Nope. I'm God."
Just then another motorist approaching from the opposite direction slows down as they approach the accident. A man runs out of the car with his cell phone in hand and calls the local Sheriff.
Billy Ray looks back at the mysterious man, "Come on boy, come give us a hand, we got some help here."
"I am going to help you, Mr. Billy Ray Dawson. I'm going to teach you a lesson about...humanity..."
Billy Ray waves his hand at the man and then he and the other motorist move in to pull Michael Ray's body from underneath the turned over car. A Sheriff Deputy also arrives within minutes along with several other motorist. Within minutes the Deputy begins asking Billy Ray if he saw what happened and if there was any other witnesses, but when Billy Ray turns to look back, the man is gone.
Many hours later, after a tow truck is brought in to remove Michael Ray's car. His body placed in an ambulance, and was officially declared dead on arrival at the hospital. The body of the deer was placed in a police pickup truck for proper disposal in the morning. The mysterious black man walked by the parked police truck and touched the badly mangled deer.
His body twitched, stirred and came alive. The ropes holding him fell off. He stood to his feet and off into the woods behind the police station he galloped away...
This next year's work is devoted to all of you who continue to read on. Now, without any further delay...I present my fictional story...THE LESSON...
"The Lesson" by John S LES
©
We all have and give opinions about the lives of others around us. Often times we base those opinions on our own life experiences both good and bad, positive or negative...right or wrong. We cannot ever say, with absolute authority which direction a man or woman's life should go based on the circumstances of their lives and the composition of their emotional and psychological makeup. We can only advise, guide or speculate. But we can't expect them to do what we would have done in that same situation.
Whatever their emotional and psychological makeup is, it will be different (in small degrees or wide margins) from our own. We all have "prejudices" that we learn ourselves or are taught to us over time. Sometimes those things are learned for good reasons, and sometimes for bad reasons. At the end of the day, we should not judge people unless we ready to honestly examine our own lives first. We cannot ever truly judge a person, for better or worse, for right or wrong...unless we truly walk in that person's shoes. There is nothing more truly humane, than to have compassion for others. To do anything less...is a slippery slope to becoming evil and tunnel visioned, no matter how noble, liberal or conservative our point of view. It this the selfish point of view - the "my way or the highway" inside all of us...that can be our own undoing to everything and everyone around us.
June 2012. The city, Jasper, Texas. It is a city located on the deep, east end of the state of Texas. Jasper has been home to some racially divisive incidents. Back in 1998, three young, local white men, picked up a local black man, James Byrd, took him out to a drinking spot, assaulted him, then chained him to the back of their pick up truck and dragged his body for nearly 3 miles. The trail of blood, skin and body parts stretched the entire distance, from a dirt road to a paved road before finally coming to a stop. The first officer to find the body, was then state trooper, a black man by the name of Rodney Pearson. Fourteen years later, Mr. Pearson was recently voted in as the Chief of Police by a Jasper City Council that was predominantly black. A year later, those black council members were voted out and now a predominantly white City Council has voted Chief Pearson to be fired and another man, namely a white male, has been given the job. The current council members argue that the man they've hired was more deserving, had a better resume. They were only correcting something that had gone wrong with the decision to hire Mr. Pearson in the first place.
I reckon those folks over there in Jasper should follow this story. A story about a guy I know by the name of Billy Ray Dawson who lives in a small, part rural, part suburban town just like Jasper. A town I'd like to call, Prosperous, Texas. Prosperous is just like tens of thousands of other small towns across the country and even the world. Much like Jasper, it is racially divided 40 percent white, 40 percent black and 20 percent of just about everybody else. Billy Ray, is a scruffy looking while male in his late 20's, who's better known for his ten year old, but well maintained blue Chevy pick up truck, blue jeans, flannel shirt and Confederate flag painted on the rear end of his truck.
Years ago most people in Prosperous, Texas made their living through farming. Then the oil boom came up in the 1950's about 20 miles north of Prosperous. Once that oil boom passed, Prosperous had become mostly a town where people passed through, or retired to in order to have a more slower paced life. Most of the folks of Prosperous continue to find jobs in the neighboring towns such as cooks, carpenters, mechanics and yes...still some farming. However, with hard economic times hitting America and this particular region of the country, jobs haven't been as plentiful as they were in the past. For two years, Billy Ray Dawson and several of his friends have struggled with taking odd end jobs to make ends meet. One day they could be away help building a house, the next day they could be painting barns, another day they could be driving trucks with supplies 2 or 3 towns over.
Unfortunately for Billy Ray, and his friends, in places where the jobs were scarce, there were many legal Mexican Americans and African Americans who were willing to take some of those jobs at cheaper rates, just to make ends meet for themselves. Even worse, there were many times when illegal immigrants were brought in to take other jobs in the surrounding towns. They took less pay and had zero benefits. Should they get hurt or worse, there would be a dozen other illegal men ready to take their place.
Such was the laws of economics and workforce in this area of the world. Everyone was looking to make a buck or save a buck or both. Those who get crushed in between the clash of companies finding ways to continue making profits legally or illegally, morally or immorally doesn't really matter. It never does. Even more, it didn't help that Prosperous had been a involuntarily segregated town in most parts. Heck, just like in Jasper, even the town's central cemetery was segregated. At Duncan's Cemetery most of the whites were buried up the hill of the land side and all of blacks were buried at the bottom of the hillside. This practice started way back when Prosperous had a small slave population and has continued ever since. Ask anyone there and they'll tell you that it's just the way things are done.
This particular day in June, Billy Ray was in between jobs, standing with his buddies Tank and RJ, when they observed a well dressed black man drive into town talking about some crazy talk about creating jobs by bringing in some job involving computers and involving the government. The part about computers didn't really appeal to too many people in Prosperous. Then the second part about this stranger talking about getting government jobs in the area was even less appealing. When some folks noticed the "Obama Biden 2012" bumper sticker on his car, and the fact that he was clearly a well educated sounding black man, made his reception that much worse.
But this man was no ordinary man. This man, Michael Raymond Singleton, was a Gulf War veteran, turned entrepreneur Although Michael Ray grew up in New York City, both of his parents were originally from a small town just outside of Dallas, Texas. Singleton had distant relatives two hours east of Prosperous. He and his co-company creator David Shields wanted to bring some technology related jobs to Prosperous and other small towns just like it. Jobs that would eventually fetch contracts with private companies as well as government agencies. The real estate was cheap in Prosperous By incorporating a new industry, along with information from past industries, Singleton and Shields figured that their crusade to build a new work force and industry might appeal to the younger populations in these small towns.
These type of job opportunities would be people and native intensive. The computer training part would require a small curve for learning how to enter data information. It was really the actual people interacting with other people that would be the door to open more doors. More jobs, more money floating in the town, more shops, stores and business that could start flowing again. Some of the nearby towns also had larger populations, stronger economies, and had great potential for attracting commerce.
Not knowing his way around town, Michael Ray spent much of his day driving around Prosperous and getting a feel for the town. He was to meet with City Council officials later that day and present his company's proposal to city officials, including the mayor, Press Johnson to see if they would approve of Michael Ray's company establishing a business presence in Prosperous. As he drove around Michael Ray's reception amongst white inhabitants of Prosperous went from lukewarm to dismissive. His presence represented an unwanted change. As he ventured onto the outskirts of Prosperous where the residents were predominately black, he was treated with equal lukewarm to a disbelieving audience that any changes could come to Prosperous. He was also warned by many to get out of downtown Prosperous as soon as his 3pm meeting with City Council members was over.
"Prosperous is a well known Sundown Town around here, Mr. Singleton. 'Sundown Town' as in don't let the sun set and you be caught driving around the White section of Prosperous. There's no telling what might happen to ya. You might get a ticket, or you might just get run out of here by locals. Worse yet, if the good old boys around here don't get ya, the deer might. This town is right in the Pineywoods Wildlife district. You have to watch where you drive through on the roads with these deer at night, otherwise you could wind up in some crazy accident. So you best get back on the road as early as possible and keep heading west until you get to Dallas."
When 2:30pm arrived, a confident Michael Ray made his way into the school auditorium where his presentation was to take place. Everything started on time at 3pm and Michael Ray presented a hopeful and inspiring presentation to bring some jobs and light commerce into Prosperous without turning it into a full fledged commercial district. But, by the time the floor was opened for questions by the mixed audience of locals who attended, he was immediately assailed by White members for being a political Obama plant, a left winged liberal looking to hire only Blacks and illegal aliens for jobs. Black audience members then assailed him for proposing jobs that appealed only to educated, Whites who lived closer to downtown and already had better odds of obtaining office jobs in the downtown area.
It wasn't long before all of the racially divisive tensions that bubbled underneath the surface of the town eventually boiled over into the questioning and answering. The City Council members and Mayor were embarrassed by the obvious release and venting of anger, ignorance and pent up racial tensions that now buzzed in the auditorium. Billy Ray, Tank and RJ were in attendance and did all they could to help increase the tensions in the room by yelling out anti-government, anti-Obama and anti-outsiders epithets. The City Council, although open and sympathetic to a discussion about new business ventures in Prosperous, had to order the rest of the presentation to be over. Sheriff's deputies were called in to help empty out the auditorium as a stunned Michael Ray looked on.
"My parents grew up in a town not too much unlike Prosperous. It took the building of a General Motors plant in Arlington to help bring the town together and make people realize that in economic times like these, we are all in this together."
It was then agreed by all that the Council would meet up with several smaller groups over the next couple of days to propose the ideas of this new business and for Michael Ray to return a week from that day for another presentation. By the time it was all concluded it was past 6pm and Michael Ray opted to have dinner at a rib shack that was just about neutral grounds a little further east. He would then get on the road and head northwest and take a four hour drive to Dallas.
Outside, Billy Ray and his buddies mocked Michael Ray as he shook hands with city officials and prepared to go to dinner. Michael took the opportunity of the moment to walk up to the group, while the city officials stood nearby and challenged them.
"Gentlemen, I never asked for anyone here to like me. I never tried to impose any of my personal beliefs upon anyone while I've been here. All I came here to do was to help. To help the people, the citizens of Prosperous, Texas find a new way to have an economy as the world around us is changing. Helping the people here, will help many others in this area. The only color I see and care about is the color of money, the rainbow colors of opportunity for all the kids in this city and the blessings of the Almighty God to heal the broken hearts and dreams in this area."
"We don't want no government jobs down here!" Billy Ray snapped back.
"These aren't government jobs. This is private enterprise, with the potential to earn government or private contracts. The people here in Prosperous can get guaranteed money flow in either direction."
Michael Ray gave a polite goodbye and then took off east to the rib shack.
About an hour later after finishing his meal Michael Ray got back on the road. However, with his GPS system not picking up a good signal he decided to head into town to back track where to pick up the road to the junction to pick up US 175 west. It was this trip back into town that would begin a process to forever change the lives of Billy Ray and Michael Ray.
Upon entering the main street, Michael Ray did observe Billy Ray in his truck and by himself. He pulled up and politely asked for directions to get to the junction. Annoyed that Michael Ray had the audacity to still be near downtown Prosperous, and it was just about sundown, Billy Ray knowingly gave him directions that would place him right into the roadways most notorious for car accidents due to deer wandering across at night time. It was information that only most locals knew about since the warning signs had been ripped down and never replaced. After giving him the directions, Billy Ray decided to give Michael an eight minute head start to see if he indeed would get into a car accident.
After eight minutes passed, Billy Ray got on the road and followed the directions that he had given Michael Ray. When he reached the halfway mark, he did come across the body of a large deer that had been struck and Michael's turned over car. Just as he had predicted, Michael Ray had been too busy following the twisting road directions and was never going to be ready to slow down in order to avoid the deer. After the deer struck the windshield, he swerved, hit the embankment, causing the car to ride up and flip onto it's hood.
As Billy Ray slowly pulled up to the car, he could see the badly injured Michael Ray attempting to crawl out from under his smoking car. Billy Ray slowly got out of his pickup, but did not move any quicker to provide any help to Michael Ray. With his face bloodied from the shattered windshield, his head contused and bleeding, Michael Ray saw Billy Ray approach him and reached out his hand for help. Billy Ray only came over snickering and shaking his head. Billy Ray then knelled down, sticking his knee down into Michael Ray's chest, compressing and restricting it from the already difficulty he had breathing.
As Billy pressed his knee further into Michael Ray's chest he said to him, "Sometimes a man just needs to know his place. Needs to know where he does and doesn't belong and you niggers just don't belong here."
Gasping his last breaths, Michael Ray attempted to move Billy's knee off his chest. With his last breath he managed to utter one last word before seeing Billy's face and a flash of light, "Whyyy..." and then darkness.
Still snickering, Billy Ray responded "Because I just don't like niggers. Never have and never will."
Even in the warm Texas summer night, Billy Ray felt a sudden chill come over his body. He immediately looked around to see if any approaching or passing cars had come to witness his dirty deed, but there wasn't. He looked around again and again. He couldn't escape the feeling that someone was indeed watching even though there wasn't a car in sight. As he walked back over to his truck he looked back at where the body of the deer was and saw a tall older, black man dressed in a short brown leather coat, cowboy hat, blue jeans and cowboy boots standing in the distance.
Slightly worried that he might have been caught Billy Ray yells over to him, "Hey there boy, you got a a cell phone or something? The battery on mine just ran out. We gotta call somebody quick to get this nig - this man some help before he dies. I tried to give him some CPR, but I don't think he's gonna make it."
"Sure. Sure you did."
"What do you mean? I tried to help him?"
"Sure thing."
"Well boy, do you have a phone or not?"
"Nope. Don't need one. When I need to make a call...people hear me."
"Oh what the fuck are you, some kind of angel? Angel of Death? Have you got a phone or not boy?"
"Nope. I'm God."
Just then another motorist approaching from the opposite direction slows down as they approach the accident. A man runs out of the car with his cell phone in hand and calls the local Sheriff.
Billy Ray looks back at the mysterious man, "Come on boy, come give us a hand, we got some help here."
"I am going to help you, Mr. Billy Ray Dawson. I'm going to teach you a lesson about...humanity..."
Billy Ray waves his hand at the man and then he and the other motorist move in to pull Michael Ray's body from underneath the turned over car. A Sheriff Deputy also arrives within minutes along with several other motorist. Within minutes the Deputy begins asking Billy Ray if he saw what happened and if there was any other witnesses, but when Billy Ray turns to look back, the man is gone.
Many hours later, after a tow truck is brought in to remove Michael Ray's car. His body placed in an ambulance, and was officially declared dead on arrival at the hospital. The body of the deer was placed in a police pickup truck for proper disposal in the morning. The mysterious black man walked by the parked police truck and touched the badly mangled deer.
His body twitched, stirred and came alive. The ropes holding him fell off. He stood to his feet and off into the woods behind the police station he galloped away...
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