“Who?”
“Pork Chops. I went to a movie one night and after takin my seat, I heard somebody sayin, ‘Racehoss, Racehoss!’ I looked around and it was Pork Chops. He said he had a job workin at a cafe an doin just fine.”
“I’m glad to hear that. I hope they all kin stay out.”
We sat in the swing chatting just like two old cons. “Last time we wuz together, Ol’ Racehoss, that damn farm manager wuz afta yore ass.”
“Yessir, that’s right.” His memory was uncanny as we talked and talked about yesteryears.
“Warden, how come you hung ‘em up? I thought you would probably stay around til they tore all the buildins down.”
“Yeah, well, I planned to, but then I thought about it an talked it over wit Ol’ Miss. I decided it wuz time fer me to git out. I spent the betta part uv my life in prisons. I don’t wanna have nuthin else to do wit ‘em. I’m thru. I dun my time.” Adding humorously, “Hell, Racehoss, I dun more time then you did. But I got my belly full in a hurry afta they let th’ convicts take over. Befo I left the Eastham farm I had a dozen lawsuits filed ‘ginst me.”
“For what?”
“Violatin sumbody’s civil rights, brutality, all kinds uv stuff. Say,” he said wearing his devilish smile, “since you wek fer th’ Guvner an everthang, I might need you to testify fer me.”
“Aw, you don’t need my testimony. You’ll make it alright,” I kidded. “Warden, do you remember that last time you put me in solitary when Mr. Meabs ran me in?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, I want to thank you for that.”
“Why?”
“I never told this to nobody. God came to me while I was in there that time, and my life hasn’t been the same. I just wanted to tell you that.”
He sat silently for a moment. “Ol’ Miss,” he hollered into the house, “brang us two glasses uv ‘at lemonade,” rocking the swing gently.
After Ol’ Miss handed us the frosty glasses and went back inside, “Ol’ Racehoss, I b’leeve you gonna make it this time. And I’m glad I had sumthin to do wit hepin git yore heart right.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, Warden. You didn’t have shit to do with it,” and sipped my lemonade.
Bama, Sally, and Elzado (in that order)
died within a ten-year period after Emma’s death in 1971.
God bless their souls.
###
The Retrieveites
Ol’ Cadlack, Florine, High Pocket, Pile Driver, Puppy, Dog, Mae Perl, Cuero, Bull, Sally, Big Six, Chicken, Judy, Mellaman, Fort Worth, Fistfucker, Marble Eye, Piss Ant, B.C., Jelly, Roundhead, Navasota, Misusin Slim, Annie, Look Em Down Red, Lil Chicken, Rat, Big Low, Skinny, Maude, Tangle Eye, Road Runner, Bernice, Gilflirt, Texicana, Cattle Gap, Fish Head, Brass Mouf, Flea Brain, Calf Eye, Choppin Charlie, Garden Slim, Middlebuster, Crip, Baldy, Lil Alfonso, Flyin Home, Pickhandle, Big Mama James, Track, Beaumont, Mus Havit, Rag, Mufflejaw, Sarge, Cuz, Filet Mignon, Spider, Slope Diddy, West Texas, Cotch Tom, Moon, Bighand, Doc Cateye, Lunchmeat, Hound, Motormouf, Skeet, Pork Chops, VD, Chubby, Doc Nolan, Ape, Trigger Bill, Lurline, Snake, Cowboy, Runnin Time, Forty, Lil Hand, Rabbi, Hawk, Pig Eye, Unca Moze, Dumplin, Round Rock, Cornflakes, Good Eye, Rooster, Iron Head, Mattie, Stump, Okinawa, Walkie Talkie, Bugs, Toe Sucker, Shadow, Dead Man, Skindown, 84, Deepwalkin Dad, Polly, Buster, Hook Em Bill, Swap Out, Big Louzanna, Wetback, Beer Belly, Mae West, Buckjump, Wild Man, Lay Em Down Shorty, Rev, Duck Eye, Bird Eye, Yella Gal, Fishgil, Water Boy Brown, Ax Man, Cross Cut, Soda Cracker, Dishpan, Turkey Slim, Rock, Whickabill, Kilgo, Rastus, Two Moufs, Cap Rock, Chinaman, Scrap Iron, Mule, Tin Horn, Coon, Rock Island, Moose, Sleepy, Corsicana, Bones, Tree, Buttermilk, Ox, Dragline, Sardine, Gatermouf, Polecat, High John, Gypsy, Bad Eye, Mama Good Drawers, Ollie, Crazy Folks, Owl Head, Cutbelly, Naomi, Tarzan, Guvner, Black Pete, Firebug, No Ass, Crosshauler, Korea, Speedy, Hafahead, Mama Better Drawers, Lookin Back, Cowfucker, Jaybird, Candy, Babysetter, Air Hammer, One Gone, Calico, Gotch Eye, Mammy, Gravedigger, Sue, Goat, Railhead Shorty, Cablecar, Spriggs, Polkadot, Chili, Dakota, Gila Monster, Pauline, Cresote, Dangalang, Squat Low, Glodine, Pulldo, Lil Hal, Elefin, Big Time, Short Shorty, Witherspoon, Fartnot, Eel, Talco, Shadrack, Blood Eye, Black Rider, Tennessee, Birdseed, Whitefolks, Sicamo, Jack Hammer, Booty Green, Snot Man, Mae Widder, Scarecrow, Kool Aid, Tiny, Fo Eyes, Slocum, Radio, Feets, Peebaby, Rapehead, Pee Wee, Slats, Lillian, Fishhook, Cryin Shame, Gallopin, Three Eighty, 44, 35, Hut, Hole in the head, Ostrich, Pank Eye, Dreamer, Elefin Head, Happy, So-Peter, Carnival, Water Well, Crybaby, Braggs, Nose, Sheep Shit, Brady, Collard Greens, Hammerlock, Pick a head, Racehoss, Space Man, Baby Raper, Killa, Snout, Mable, Hop, Pug, Hollywood, Backsticker, Schoolteacher, Sof Head, Midnite, Way Lay, Skintight, Proud Walker, Rearback, Rockinchair, Box, Midget, Soapsuds, Earthworm, Amarilla, Big Ear, Bow Wow, Pillowcase, Frenchy, Police, Eaglepaw, Fenderbender, 7 fangers, Knees, Neck, Old Folks, Nelly Nuthin, Backtrouble, Dizzy, Lil Ear, Claw, Kangaroo, Hip Cat, Watermelonman, Tumbleweed, Pitchfork, Alabama, Popeye, Squarehead, Eightball, Duckbutter, Arcola, Snakedoctor, Jewel, Greyhound, Rabbit, Big Ada, Stripes, Possum, Jesse James, Ticktock, Hiwatha, Choker, Waco, Gasoline, Bat Man, Hercules, Bay City, Wolf, Pincushion, Top ‘N Bottom, Jap, Sparkplug, Apple Ass, Spooky, Waterbaby, Ragmouf, Ottie Dottie, Corinne, Halliburton, Steeple Head, Blacknite, Waxahachie, Goldfront, Shine, Picklehead, Molehands, Underground, Meat Cutter, Big Cross, Bubble Eye, Wash, Kong, Waskom, Jabbo, Sonny Wells, Razorback, Goosey, Monkey Man, Bulldog, Tomball, Preacher, Rosebud, Twin Chin, Black Scotty, Bill Davis, Penny, Smallchange, Liverlips, Grunt, Big Mexico, Dolly, Molly, Butterbean, Tarbaby, Peanut, Ace, Goree, Doubledeuce, New York, Earlytime, Bug Eye, Grasshoppa, Bicycle, Minnie, Patch over the eye, Arkadelpha, Packrat, Mank, Picturedrawer, Logcabin, Unca Frown, Smiley, Crazy Mo, Nickelhead, Sack Man, Tadpole, Speck, Bummabee, Flagpole, Gladiola, Willie B, Saddlehead, Teacake, Minnow, Buttcut, Blackgal, Copout, Monkeywrench, Dallis, Shot Man, Hambone, YoYo, Willie Mae, Cornbread, Blaine, Ragmop, Squirrelhead, Prizefighter, Gertrude, Peck a head, Cave Man, Suzy Q, Broth ’N Law, Angola, Fly, Flea, Montana, Deathrow, Frostbite, Dummy, Storyteller.
About the Author
ALBERT RACE SAMPLE, author of RACEHOSS: Big Emma’s Boy, became the first ex-convict to work out of the Office of the Governor of Texas, to serve as a probation officer for Travis County, and to serve on the staff of the State Bar of Texas. A multi-recidivist and after seventeen years of incarceration, he was granted a full pardon and restoration of all civil rights in 1976. In addition to being recognized as the Outstanding Crime Prevention Citizen of Texas in 1981, he received numerous high-profile humanitarian awards for his work in the field of corrections and rehabilitation of ex-offenders. His compelling interview on the Studs Terkel Radio Show won the Gold Medal in the International Radio Festival of New York. He received the Gabriel award for outstanding achievement in broadcasting and the Angel award from The 700 Club.
A natural born storyteller, Race passionately recounted his unforgettable and deeply moving journey of resiliency, revelation, and redemption in the award-winning documentary film RACEHOSS. Produced and directed by acclaimed filmmaker Sean Hepburn Ferrer, this gripping one-man performance is a timely and powerful reminder that the human spirit can triumph against all odds.
Race resided in Austin with his wife, Carol, and continued writing, which was his passion, until his death in 2005.
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