“You’re welcome. Let’s hope when you pass the information to Rip Garrett and Tito Diaz, they feel like you do and thank me as well. When it comes to promotion time, let’s hope they think of my ingenuity.”

CHAPTER 30

WENDERHOLE STROKED THE arms of his wheelchair.

“I know that someone was trying to do good by busing me into a white school, but there’s a lot more to school than education. Darnell, Leroy, and I were tight, but it wasn’t that we had so much in common. It was more like if we didn’t hang together, we’d sink alone. When Darnell was caught dealing and shipped away to Ohio, it was down to Leroy and me and a couple of other flunkies. Darnell was hard to replace. Leroy was a nice kid, but frankly put, he was as dumb as a rock.

“As dropouts, we had no work ethic. We didn’t have a lot of opportunities, either. We never saw education as a way out. That’s what I try to teach the kids. You have options. If a washout like me in a wheelchair can earn his keep, think what you can do.”

“It’s a good message.”

“If it gets through—and that’s the problem. It’s just words to these kids, same as when I was growing up. They don’t see education as a way out, either. It’s either sink alone or gangs, and gangs mean running drugs. Nothing’s changed. That’s what we did. Run drugs for the white boy when we weren’t trying to break in as rappers.”

“You were A-Tack,” Marge threw out. “Leroy was Jo-King.”

Wenderhole laughed. “You’ve done some research.”

“I like to come prepared.”

“Leroy was Jo-King at first, then it became Yo-King.” He smiled. “One day Leroy comes to us all puffed up after going to French class on a rainy day. He found out that Leroy came from Le Roi. That’s how he became Jo-King.”

“I didn’t find anything for Yo-King. I’ve heard that you cut a couple of demos.”

Wenderhole said, “I’m getting to that. This is a story. You’ve got to have patience.”

“I’m all ears.”