A Search for a Loving God Part X

Dallas is no NY City, but for someone that has only lived in small country towns all their life it was an eye opener. We didn't move into the best of neighborhoods, & according to police statistics it accounted for more calls than any other part town. The area is called Oak Cliff. The following is a small sampling from Wikipedia.
Oak Cliff was a town located in Dallas County, Texas (USA), that was annexed by the neighboring city of Dallas in 1903. It has since retained a distinct neighborhood identity as "Dallas' older, established neighborhood". As such, it is often called "The Cliff."

Oak Cliff has turn of the century and mid-20th century housing, many parks and remarkably close proximity to the central business district of downtown Dallas without the heavy vehicular traffic or higher cost of housing commonly associated with Dallas' northern neighborhoods.

The current boundaries of Oak Cliff are roughly Interstate 30 and the Trinity River on the north, interstate 35E on the east, Camp Wisdom Road on the south, and Cockrell Hill Road on the west. In practice nearly every neighborhood south of the Trinity River (excluding west Dallas) is called Oak Cliff, though much of it was never part of the original town. For example, the South Oak Cliff neighborhood (the primary African-American neighborhood in Dallas), which generally includes neighborhoods south of Illinois Avenue, was never part of the original town of Oak Cliff, just as the Arcadia Park area was once its own municipality.

I went through a short period of cultural shock & that is putting it mildly. I had never seen such a diverse mix of people & I felt a need to stay alert & cautious. Yet, there was a sense of adventure & I desired to explore every avenue of this city.
The high school W.H. Adamson is one of if not the oldest school still operating in Dallas.
From the start I could see I might have some problems fitting in here, hell even my clothes made me stand out like a tourist or a hick. There didn't seem to be one farm/ranch boy in the whole school and I was labeled a goat roper from the start. Hell I couldn't have stood out more if I had worn a lamp shade on my head. Walking the halls I saw groups gathered & each had their own unique defining characteristics. There was of course blacks & Hispanics, but it looked as the ones here were not of the same tribe as those from where I came from. Although not as prominent as it is today there was some gang activity.
I know it may sound strange to some, but the first place I felt comfortable was athletics. I started in the middle of the school year & had run track back home so I ran track here. I was the first freshman at this old establishment to be on the varsity track team

I was on the varsity track team, but it didn't mean anything because I was prohibited from varsity competition for 6 months, something to do with transferring schools. Had I transferred from the same district there was a one year probationary period, I think it was to prevent recruiting. I basically practiced with the team.
When I turned 16 I had to go to work. My mom & stepfather said I could live there, but I would have to work for my lunch money, & had to purchase my own clothes. I got a job at a place called FoodWay & was making a whopping $1.60 an hour. The manager worked with my hours some to allow me to play sports. I didn't have a girl friend so my weekends were mostly free to work. I averaged between 25 & 30 hours a week, & for once in my life I had a little money in my pocket.
My 1st attempt at purchasing some clothes I thought might help me fit in was a total disaster. I got these stripped bell bottom pants that looked liked they were made out of window curtains, & a shirt to match. Van Gogh never splashed so much color as my new suit. I think I wore it once.
Next I tried all black, & no there wasn't anyone dressing Gothic in those days. I finally settled on old reliable jeans with a boot cut, & standard shirts.
Coach had instructed me to get some running shoes that provided a good cushion. I set out on Jefferson Avenue for my search. Jefferson Avenue provided a smorgasbord of selections no matter what you were looking for. I was not a mall I could go to, and the nearest shopping center was a few miles away. Jefferson Ave. was a few blocks away. I had searched many stores, and was about to give up. I was walking home when I saw this store that seemed to have a little of this & that of everything. This store looked like it was a step into the twilight zone. At the back in a corner was a small selection of shoes and this one pair caught my eye. A pair of Pumas made from Kangaroo leather. They had great cushion so I tried them on, & I had never had anything on my feet feel so much like pleasure.
I called the proprietor over & asked how much & he says something like $18.00 & all I could think was that’s a lot of money. I had enough to make the purchase, but it would leave me almost broke & I had other needs. I told him I would have to think about it, & would check back in a few days. He says, Ok, but this is my last pair. I asked when he would get another shipment & he says, I’ll not be able to find shoes like this anymore, the government has outlawed the import of kangaroo leather hoping to prevent their slaughter to extinction. I thought hard & asked to try them on again, & I kept them on and purchased them.
I didn't walk home, I floated home. I was lucky I made it home without scrapes & bruises because I think I was admiring how well they looked on me & watched my feet all the way home.
I awoke the next morning and when I first looked at the shoes I was suddenly overwhelmed with depression thinking about how much I had just spent on them. I could have purchased 3 or 4 pair of regular tennis shoes for what I paid. I was also ashamed to wear them to school, so I put them in a sack & carried them. I wore my old shoes & placed the Pumas in my locker in the field house.
Spring training for football had begun and the first week or two it is non contact. We practiced in shorts & Tee Shirts, & there were a lot of drills, wind sprints, laps, stretches, & calisthenics. While getting dressed suddenly I was in the lime light. I was asked where did you get the shoes, how much did they cost etc. A couple of guys said I might go over there & buy me some, & I smugly said, cant. I got the last pair & they can't get anymore. I loved my shoes.
After two weeks into training it's pad up & go live head to head. At this point it's time to put on cleats. We finished a good workout & hit the showers. I headed to my locker & when I opened the door there was a blank space where my shoes had been. I looked all around & at everyone’s feet, but didn't see my shoes. I at last said ok guys where are my shoes? Some shrugged, but most ignored me & when the locker room cleared out still no shoes.
The weekend came & after my duties at FoodWay I had started helping out at a new Super Slide. I would wax the slide till it gave the best ride, sweep up, & at times take tickets. Some of the guys from the football team & their dates came in to ride the slide, & there on the feet of one of the baddest guys in school much less the team was my shoes. I didn't hesitate I walked up & said, those are my shoes. He looks at me & says no there not, & I said, yes they are, I know my shoes. He shrugs & says I just borrowed them, and I said, no you stole them. He says Man don't call me a thief, I tell you I borrowed them. I said, No when you borrow something you ask, you didn't ask you just took & that is stealing. He sucker punched me into a chain link fence & climbed on swinging. All I could do was cover up. I was lucky the owner & his son came out & pulled him off. The owner’s son was a weight lifter about 25 years old so he did get his attention. Then the guy who's name is Danny F. points to a near by park & says you & me over there in 15 minutes. I said, OK.
I walked over & a guy named Johnny G came with me. Johnny G acts bad, talks bad, & even walks like he is bad. The first thing Danny says is "Johnny I'll give you to the count of ten to get & if you don't I'm gonna kick your ass first. Bad ass Johnny left & he seemed to be in a hurry.
I was now looking at Danny & his friends & wondering when things got underway if they would jump in. Danny Then says, now I'll give you to 10 to get out of here or I'll kick your ass. I said, Save your breath I'm not going anywhere without my shoes.
Looked like the dance was on and I had my personal invitation. Had I known when I awoke that morning I would be required to go to a dance like this I may have slept in. The band was playing, saw dust was on the floor, & it was my time to dance.
He came at me like a bull, & I stepped aside. He swung a flurry of punches and I blocked everything. He ran at me swinging & I dodged, blocked, & stepped aside. He had kicked several times & I was able to shift so it glanced off or block them also. Then during a flurry of kicks and punches I misjudged a kick, attempting to block it my middle finger on my left hand was broke. I grimaced & he back up breathing heavy & says, ha-ha I connected with that one. I raised my hand & he could see it was broke. He then says; if you don't want more you better go now. I said, not till I have my shoes. He says, I'm not going barefoot. I said It didn't bother you that I had to go home barefoot. Then he did something that has puzzled me to this day. He sat down, took my shoes off, & threw them at me. He then says ok, take your fucking shoes & get out of here. I picked my shoes up & walked away.
I never swung one punch, or kicked once, nor anything else offensive. I simply defended, & my thinking was if I did hurt him his friends would jump in or he get more pissed & not stop with just an ass whipping.
A few days later working at the Super Slide Danny F. drove up in his 66 Mustang & calls me over to his car. He ask, you gonna be mad at me forever? I know I must have looked puzzled, & I said "I haven't thought too much about it" He says, I know of a party this weekend if you want to go you can ride with me. I said ok, but I thought I hope this isn't a set up. Actually he was real, & the party was fun.
There was a lot of friction directed toward me on the football team before, but now I was accepted. I was a new kid competing for a position & that breeds resentment for many. I love competition, & always push myself to the limits to win. Danny befriending me did seem to help me be accepted all around.