Soul Train was a favorite Saturday afternoon program of mine and I liked watching it more than I did the popular
American Bandstand. The dancing was better and I preferred Motown over the mostly pop music featured on Bandstand.
Thinking of Cornelius made me think of Soul Train which in turn made me remember a black guy I used to know. I had known him (lets call him "Freddy") since high school; he was an excellent basketball player and all-around athlete. He lost a chance at a big school scholarship when his team was playing its biggest rival and one of the opposing players called him a racial slur. Freddy knocked the guy on his butt and was immediately ejected from the game - the other team's intent. Later, the player apologized to Freddy and told him his coach had told him to say what he did.
After high school, Freddy got mixed up with drugs and lost two very well-paying jobs and it was after getting fired the second time that he approached me for a job. At the time, I was drilling the daylight shift on a rig; my immediate boss was a mutual friend of Freddy's and I figured he had told Freddy that I needed another hand.
With much misgiving, I told Freddy that I'd hire him, but he needed to know that the drilling superintendent was of another generation and had many of the prejudices of his era. Oh, he wasn't what I'd call an extreme bigot, because he had hired a crew of Hispanics, but he did make some inappropriate jokes behind their backs.
Freddy said he didn't care, he really needed the job and that he'd work hard and would, when possible, stay away from the boss and try to prove himself.
I nodded, but went on to warn him that I expected him to be on time when I picked him up in the morning. I told him we left very early, leaving in plenty of time to allow for a sensible driving speed and time enough to stop at the store before leaving town. He asked when we left and I told him the time - he winced, but still was steadfast that he needed the job. Again I warned him that I wouldn't wait on him, that I'd leave town without him if he wasn't ready and that I'd fire him if I had to wait on him more than once. He assured me that he wouldn't let me down.
I'd roughnecked with Freddy before and knew he had drank beer on the job. I warned him that wasn't tolerated and neither would be drug use on the location. He promised he wouldn't do either.
We stood there in silence for a minute, me wondering if he would hold up his end of the bargain and I think he was wondering the same thing. He then asked what time we got back to town after work.
"Depends." I replied. "If the relief gets there on time and everybody doesn't dally around and no one has to stop to use the bathroom or get beer or a coke on the way home, we roll into town around four or so." (It was a long drive) I went on:
"Since you live closest to me, I would pick you up first and drop you off last, just makes the most sense and saves me time and distance picking up/dropping off the crew. You'd probably get home around 4:30."
Freddy didn't hesitate. "I can't work for you." he said with an abrupt turnaround. "Why not?" I asked, incredulous with his change-of-heart.
"Soul Train starts at 4." he said. "I can't miss Soul Train."
Edit to add: I bumped into Freddy's cousin the other day while getting water. We exchanged the usual pleasantries, asking about one another's families and all that and I was pleased to hear that Freddy was living in another state and was clean and drug-free and had a family. The guy told me he (him, not Freddy) had been working in a local grocery store and had thought he had seen me there, but wasn't for sure if it was me. I told him "Well, you know all us white boys look alike." He laughed and said "You still crazy, for sure!"
