Adrian Del Valle - Diego's Brooklyn Read Free Page A

laborious jobs. There were many of those and none of them paid much. Like a lot of his generation, children had to leave school to help provide for their families. School was a luxury and poverties grip hard to break away from. It was a vicious cycle. No food on the table meant everyone had to avail themselves for work. Back in the south, children labored in coal mines, sweat shops, or out in the fields for very little, and whatever they made went to the household. Without a solid education, the cycle carried on from generation to generation.
    All Bill and the missus had these days to show for it was a furnished room in a basement and a paltry social security check to live on. Surplus Government food, dispensed once a month, helped: a block of American cheese, a can of peanut butter, a brick of butter, 1 five pound bag of rice and a 2 pound box of corn meal.
    Their furnished room is in a three story brick over on Bergen Street, one block away. They were lucky. It’s an absentee landlord building and only three steps down from street level. They have a worn sink, an old noisy fridge, a stove with two burners and a large bed in the corner of the room. Bill even had the use of the yard, though it had been over grown with weeds when they first moved in. With Beulah’s help, they grow vegetables and blueberries. The little extra money Bill makes, he gets from doing chores around the neighborhood.
    “Hi, Mr. Jackson.”
    “Diego, what all yawls up to? I ain’t seen you in days.”
    “Nuthin’ much, Mr. Jackson. Picked up a dollar five downtown, today.”
    “You did? Now, how in tarnation you do that? Missus Davina ain’t paid me but twenty five cent to do all o’ this here.”
    “With a lock…you know…the bubble gum thing.”
    “Oh…oh, oh…yawl went fishin’. Yeah, I got ya. Well, ah needs to do somethin’. I gots to pay my ‘lectric bill. It be two months late and the missus cayn’t be without no ‘lectric. And old Geezer the cat needs to eat, too. Momma been feedin’ him scraps, but thems cats got to have theys meat, and I ain’t seen a mouse in the house since the winter time. I do believe that little bugger went and et ever one of them critters.”
    “I can help you make a little money, Mr. Jackson.”
    “Yawl can? Now how do you propose to do that, son? It’s nice of you to offer, but you ain’t nothin’ but a young sprout.”
    “No…really Mr. Jackson, we can do it together.”
    “Bill!”
    “Mr. Bill, sir.” I know a lot of ways…”
    “No, just plain Bill. Just call me Bill, okay, Diego?”
    “Oh, sure.”
    “I’m sorry son, what was it yawl was sayin’, now?”
    “Oh…uh…there are a lot of bus stops and subway stations I haven’t even touched, yet. We can go partners, fifty, fifty on everything.”
    “Fifta, fifta? Well, that’s mighty generous of yawl.”
    Bill gave it a moment’s thought. “You know what? I think it just might work. Heck, at this point, I’ll tries anathang.”
    “Sure it’ll work and I have a lot of other ways to make spare change, too.”
    Bill’s arms folded across his chest as he looked warily at Diego. “Now, Is they legal son? You know…the good Lord…”
    “No, really. It’s all on the up and up. We can make lots of spare change.”
    “I believe you know what you’re sayin’, son. Our wallets are going to grow fatter than a happy tic in a barrel o’ blood. Ain’t that right, Diego?”
    “Ha ha! I sure hope so.”
    “Well…if’n you’re a goin’ to be ma partna, then you gots to come and meet momma for her approval. Is that okay with you?”
    “Sure, Mr. Bill…, I mean Bill. I have to run home real quick first to drop off this milk, but I’ll be right back.”
    “Takes your sweet time there, now. And say hello to your Momma for me. Ain’t no rush, I got to finish up here, anyways.”
    Bergen Street is a narrow and busy roadway, too narrow for the two way street it was. Named after a Dutch settler back in the 1600’s, the