His grandmother grew up poor in rural Arkansas during the Great Depression, working hard in the rice fields to feed her family. His grandfather, long deceased, married her and took her on a journey, starting a new life in Michigan.
During the 1950s, Michigan had it all. Employers were hurting for workers as the Michigan factories operated at full steam, producing cars and trucks for the whole world. Workers joined unions and earned high wages with generous health benefits and pension plans. Cities were clean. Government paved and constructed new highways and roads and instituted an excellent education system.
Jerrick didn’t believe his grandmother. Comparing the new and old Michigans was comparing Ferraris to Fiats. Two completely differed. Did Michigan have the best roads and highways in the nation? Now Michigan had the worst roads and highways with more cracks and craters than the moon’s surface. Did Michigan have the best schools in the nation? Jerrick saw most his peers students smoked pot or drank alcohol. His school was particularly bad. Rival schools called Jerrick’s school ‘The Chemical Team.'
Jerrick knew Michigan had jobs during the 1990s, but these were non-union jobs. They were full-time and paid $6 per hour while the minimum wage was $3.35 per hour. However, the union jobs disappeared a long time ago.
Jerrick heard rumors a union job would pay a janitor $20 per hour to push a broom. Everyone knew which factories were the union shops. When people drove by a factory, they saw a large parking lot that could hold hundreds of cars would have 30 cars parked in it. The union shop employed few people, leaving large factory spaces empty.
Then Jerrick noticed something else. Occasionally, as he drove by the union shops, he saw no cars parked in the parking lot. The factories were abandoned, gradually rusting away.
Jerrick knew the reason why. The United States opened itself to international trade. High-cost factories, the union shops, became the first casualty. Then the non-union shops were next, and finally, a massive financial crash put the remaining Americans out of work after 2008.
Jerrick knew the death of U.S. manufacturing came in three destructive waves. First, Japan kicked our asses in the 1980s, decimating our steel industries and denting the American car industry. Then Japan experienced a financial crisis in the 1990s and never rebounded. Second, China, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan kicked our asses during the 1990s. Whole electronics and computer hardware industries were gone. Finally, before the 2008 Financial Crisis, the Mexican, Indian, and Chinese corporations were kicking our ass. Mexico made our cars, the programmers in India wrote all our computer programs and answered the telephone help lines, and China made all that cheap crap that filled the shelves in our stores.
Jerrick knew he can’t stay in his small hometown in Michigan, even though he loved hanging out with Larry and Tommy. He knew the Michigan economy had only one direction - down.
One day in September, Jerrick went to the library and pulled a thick, soft cover SAT preparation book from the shelf.
Jerrick spent months devouring every problem in that book. He knew his grades were not great, but excellent SAT scores would give him an edge. Almost all college admissions dissected a student’s achievement into grades and test scores. Having access to a large cache of money helped too, especially if a university needed a new library!
On a cold winter day in January 1998, Jerrick took the SAT.
Only half the juniors sat in the cafeteria taking the exam.
Jerrick knew where the other half was. Holland had no shortage of booze and drugs. Trillions of brain cells were dying that night in a small Michigan town.
Jerrick aced the mathematics section but struggled with the verbal section. He almost fainted from shocked, when he received the results three weeks later.
Jerrick ripped open the envelope and accidentally tore a corner off the page of the test results.
His eyes quickly scanned for those two important numbers.
With the old SAT exam ranging from 200 to 800, Jerrick scored a 780 in math and a 490 for verbal. He missed two math problems, but his verbal score was atrocious. He joked he was a mathematical genius, but couldn’t speak English.
Of course, those eggheads said the SAT is not an intelligence exam. If a person had scored too high, they called him or her a genius. If a person scored too low, then they called him/her a dumb shit.
Consequently, Jerrick applied to several universities in the State of Michigan. Although they all accepted him, only one university, Northern Mackinaw University, offered a scholarship. Unfortunately, the university was located in the isolated, cold, northern peninsula in Michigan in the middle of nowhere.
University was located in a dying community as the iron mining industry left the state and relocated to Asia.
Jerrick didn’t want to go to Upper Michigan, but where else could he go? He didn’t come from a rich family. If he did, he would be going to a party school, like Chico State or Arizona State.
Jerrick did his best and accepted the scholarship. He must suffer the long cold winters for four years in Upper Michigan.
***
It was amazing how fast time flew by. Jerrick was already a senior in high school and graduation was rapidly approaching.
Jerrick was never girl crazy, but, during his senior year, he thought about the opposite sex. Jerrick was shy and intimated by women, but the prom was two weeks away.
Entering the cafeteria, he saw his potential date, Sandy. He didn’t know much about her except she was stuck in the 80s and not a popular girl in school.
Sandy stood quietly in the lunch line, eating a late lunch.
Cafeteria had few students.
Jerrick deliberately stood in line behind her.
Sandy stood there as a dolled up mannequin. She wore an odd combination of clothes: black tights and a pink top with a white sweater tied around her waist. She highlighted randomly her brunette hair while hair strands twisted in crazy directions.
Jerrick noticed she wrapped a scarf around her hair, like a headband, puffing up her hair more. The Madonna-look hadn’t died in Michigan yet.
Jerrick was nervous, almost shaking. He lightly tapped her shoulder and mumbled her name, “Sanddddyyyyy.”
Sandy turned and faced Jerrick with an annoyed look on her face as if a wasp had stung her. She wanted to give someone, anyone, a bad day.
Jerrick blurted, “Prom is in two weeks. Would you like to go with me?”
“NNNOOO!” Then Sandy turned around, grabbed her tray, and rushed to the far side of the cafeteria. She put as much distance between herself and Jerrick.
Word ‘NO’ pierced Jerrick’s heart, like a spear.
Jerrick turned and walked away, showing no emotion, feeling a piece of Jerrick’s humanity died with him that day. He received his first rejection, gift wrapped by a retro-chick, stuck in the 80s.
Jerrick wanted to cry, but an ancient memory awakened deep from his subconscious. As a kid, he was crying but didn’t know why.
Then his dad rushed over and slapped him hard across his face with his lighting fast hand.
Slap left a reddish handprint across his cheek for days, and it disoriented him a little.
Then his dad told him words of wisdom, “Men must be strong. Men don’t cry. Only babies and women cry. Jerrick, are you a baby?”
Of course, he didn’t want to be a baby. We live in a society where men must be strong. Nothing more is disgusting in this world, when tears flow down a man’s face. Crying is a sign of weakness.
After his father had slapped him, Jerrick lost the ability to cry. Many times, Jerrick wanted to cry, but the tears wouldn’t flow. He must be a strong man, who never cried.
On prom night, Jerrick stayed home. Last two weeks, he didn’t eat any food because he was hurting inside as if Jennifer had ripped out his heart from his chest and stomped on it several times. Then she surgical replanted his heart into his chest, half-broken, lopsided, beating erratically.
His mom kept pestering hi
m, “Jerrick, aren’t you going to the prom?”
“No, mom; the prom is stupid. I’m not going.”
His mom sensed someone had hurt her boy.
His mom continued, “I’m worried about you. You haven’t eaten lately.”
“I’m not hungry, mom.”
Then the phone rang, and his mother picked up the receiver, “Hello. Yes, he’s right here,” and his mom handed the phone to Jerrick.
Larry asked, “Hey dude, what’s up?”
“Not much. Why aren’t you at the prom tonight?” Jerrick inquired. Of all people, Larry would have no trouble finding a date.
“Are you fucking crazy? Do you know how many drugs I can buy with that money that would be wasted on the prom?”
“I see your point.”
“You want to get high tonight?”
“Okay, where do you want to meet?”
“Let’s meet at Tommy’s house. His parents are at a relatives’ tonight.”
“Okay. Later dude!”
“Later!”
Jerrick placed the received down onto the phone cradle and headed to his room to get his jacket.
“Jerrick, where are you going tonight?”
“I’m going to Tommy’s. We’ll watch a movie.”
Jerrick’s mom examined him. She suspected Jerrick was using drugs, but what could she do? At least, he received a scholarship for college that was located 400 miles away from those troublemakers, Larry and Tommy.
Jerrick slipped on his coat and opened the door. He turned to his mom, “I’ll be back at 10 tonight. Okay?”
“Stay out of trouble, Jerrick.”
Jerrick walked out the door and hurried to Tommy’s.
***
Day finally came, Friday, June 8, 1998. Jerrick Ray Davis graduated from high school.
Jerrick wore the customary black gown over his blue jeans and a t-shirt, hiding his bad taste in clothes,
Graduation ceremony started at 10 o’clock, and his mom was very excited, wanting to leave early.
As usual, Jerrick’s dad was driving another delivery across the country. Jerrick often wondered if his dad had another family in another state, spending more time with them. Besides, supporting two families is cheaper than divorcing one family and creating another. Divorce courts are cruel against a man with a good job. Actually, Michigan’s courts were quite infamous for destroying men’s lives.
“Jerrick, are you ready? Let’s go!”
Jerrick used a comb to put the final touches on his hair. He would slip the black cap on later, so it wouldn’t mess up his hair.
Jerrick gulped the remaining Pepsi from his glass and returned it to its spot on the dresser.
Then he headed from his bedroom to the living room.
“Let’s go, Jerrick. I don’t want to be late picking up grandma!”
Jerrick glanced at the clock and saw it is 9 o’clock. They had plenty of time, but he replied, “Okay mom. I’m ready!”
Jerrick’s mom picked up his grandmother, and they headed to the school.
School held a plain ceremony in the gym. His mom and grandmother sat on the wooden bleachers with the audience while Jerrick sat with his classmates on the hard, cold metal folding chairs on the basketball court.
Staff aligned and arranged the chairs in rows, and Larry sat behind Jerrick. He leaned towards Jerrick and whispered, “My mom bought a keg for graduation. Come over. Let’s get fucked up!”
Jerrick smiled, “It sounds like a great plan.”
Principal walked onto the stage and started the procession, “Today ladies and gentlemen; a bright new path emerges for our graduates….”
Jerrick and Larry looked around for Tommy, and they saw him sitting three rows behind them.
Jerrick wondered if Larry were high because he wished, he was high. If the procession were more boring, Jerrick would fall asleep on this uncomfortable metallic chair, even with the cold metal freezing his ass.
After a while, the principal started calling out names, “Regina Angler, Sharon Beckman, …Jerrick Davis……”
Jerrick stood up and walked to the stage. Then he approached the principal and shook his hand.
Principal turned to the table behind him, picked up a diploma, and handed it to him.
Subsequently, the principal grinned at him because Jerrick was graduating and leaving his school permanently.
Jerrick exited from the other side of the stage.
Once Jerrick sat down, he opened the diploma and saw a single sheet of paper tucked inside with the message, ‘Students can pick up their diplomas at the end of June when their grades are finalized.’
Larry leaned close to Jerrick, glancing over his shoulder to examine the diploma, and he began laughing under his breath.
Ceremony lasted for an eternity, but then it had ended.
Jerrick headed to the bleachers, searching for his mom and grandmother.
They had large, beaming smiles. Few Davises finished high school, but that would change with the new generation. A new generation of educated Davises will emerge and rule the world someday.
“Mom is it okay that I go to Tommy’s? His mom is throwing a party.”
“Okay, but no drinking.”
“Thanks mom,” Jerrick said and reached over to hug his mom and then his grandmother.
His grandmother planted a large wet kiss on his cheek.
Jerrick used the sleeve of his gown to wipe the lipstick off.
His mom asked, “What about your cap and gown, Jerrick?”
“I’ll stop at the office and drop them off. Bye mom, bye grandma.”
Then Jerrick trotted away.
After ten steps, Jerrick turned and waved to them. He felt bad about lying to his mom, but she would refuse to let him stay at Larry’s house.
He slipped off his gown and removed the cap during his journey to the school’s main office.
Walking by a trashcan, Jerrick wanted to toss them into the trash, but the school would charge $50 for replacements. He couldn’t be a rebel with a $50 price tag. Besides, he found many ways to be bad for free. Why should he waste the money?
Jerrick returned the cap and gown to the school and headed outside to catch up with Larry and Tommy.
Three misfits meandered to the nearest woods by the school.
Jerrick pulled a joint from his pocket and lit it up, taking a hit.
“OOOOOuuuhhhh! School is over!” Larry screamed.
Jerrick passed the joint to Larry.
Then finally, Tommy took a hit.
They sat on a log on the edge of the woods.
Jerrick gazed at the landscape. A breeze blew through the large oak trees, vibrating the leaves. His mind found peace as his internal dialogue stopped. He saw every individual, vibrating leaf at the same time.
Jerrick glanced over at Larry.
Larry exhaled a huge plume of marijuana smoke, engulfing a large, black bug, flying in front of him.
After a couple of seconds, the bug fell down to the ground dead. It lay on its back with its legs twitching in the air.
The boys erupted into raucous laughter.
After several hours, the boys arrived at Larry’s.
Larry’s mom prepared food and bought a keg of beer. She placed on a large kitchen table: potato salad, bowls of chips and tortillas, salsa, chip dip, a platter of cheese and crackers, and various types of finger foods.
Larry helped his mom and tossed ten hamburgers on the grill.
“You boys get you something to drink,” Larry’s mom said.
“Thanks, Mrs. Collins,” Jerrick and Tommy chimed in unison.
Jerrick and Tommy headed out to the enclosed walkway that connected the house to the garage where Larry submerged a keg of beer in a large tub of ice.
Jerrick grabbed a cup and the tap and began pouring a beer, “Here you go, sir,” as he passed the beer to Tommy.
Then Jerrick pumped the keg several times and poured himse
lf a beer.
Next, they headed into the backyard. Relatives from Larry’s family and friends, such as Bruce, Ed, and Chad sat on lawn chairs, eating food and drinking beer.
After three beers and two, quite delicious hamburgers, Jerrick passed out in the lawn chair in the backyard. He awakened about two in the morning, disoriented, groggy.
Jerrick looked around and saw the party had ended. He saw Larry’s and Tommy’s silhouettes as they sat on lawn chairs across from him.
Larry said, “What happened dude? What a light weight?”
Then both Larry and Tommy began giggling.
“I know. I know. A couple of beers and a delicious meal and then lights out,” Jerrick replied, scooting his chair closer to the group.
“Keep it down; my mom is sleeping. You’re just in time,” Larry whispered and lit up a newly rolled joint, passing it around.
Pungent aroma of marijuana filled the cool night spring air.
***
During the summer, Jerrick, Larry, and Tommy didn’t work. In fact, they did nothing but partied all summer.
Somehow, summer flew by at light speed, and before knowing it, Jerrick packed all his possessions into two suitcases for college, placing them in the trunk of his mom’s car.
Jerrick’s dad stayed home this weekend. His dad towered at six feet tall with an athletic build and played football in high school. However, the many years he sat behind a steering wheel wore John Davis down as his belly protruded from his waistline. His large dad became rounder and less imposing than when he was young. He grew into a shape of a large beetle than a muscular pit-bull.
Jerrick's dad and his mom took turns driving the family car for the 400-mile trek to Upper Michigan.
They dropped Jerrick off at the front entrance of the red, brick, three-story dormitory that was part of a complex lying on the outskirts of the main campus. He could stroll to a store or his classes within 10 minutes.
As his parents dropped Jerrick at the dormitory, his dad jumped out of the car first and helped put Jerrick’s luggage on the sidewalk.
His father was smiling, which was definitely a rare event.
Before Jerrick said a word, his father embraced him and whispered in this ear, “I know I haven’t been a good father, but I’m proud of you. Only good advice I can give you is the world is cruel. If you are weak, then the world will eat you up and spit you out. You must be strong and find your place in this world.”
The Second American Revolution - The Building of an Empire Page 4
