I was in 6th grade when we had to move into a bigger city. My parents did not understand each other as good as before. Father wasn't home for weeks because he had to teach in some other place and during this time my mother had an affair with one militarian. After 11 years of marriage my parents have divorced.

   Unexpected news, that my mother has married again and moved to Pine Bluff, has taken the father unawares. He quitted his job and sold Prince so he could give us money for the trip. Than he left to Oakland by first train because he found out that there is a need for people for work on shipyard. When my tears have dried up, I wrote to him as frequently as I could. From time to time he answered me.

   Back than Pain Bluff has seemed wonderful to me(probably because I've never left Arkansas). Streets have been asphalted, and there were more cars. Besides here, there were good schools and colleges, that's why there was a lot of youth in the city.

   My mum loved the new husband very strongly, and his army grade made a big impression on me. Our stepfather treated us very well but for me to live with him was not the same as to live with my father. I probably was the only one who felt like that.

   Once in the evening about 11 o'clock when I just went to bed, someone knocked at the door. "Joe" someone whispered. I have sacredly risen and have looked outside. There was my father. I have cried in all throat: " Pops has arrived from California!! ".

   Next day he met mum and spoke with her for very long time. Apparently, she missed him more, than it seemed her, in fact she at once has agreed to collect her things and return to him again. Before father had left he has given us enough money that all of us could go to Oakland together with mum.

   Soon after that my 3 brothers, sister and I have got on the train with mum. Through the window I observed, how cable columns are carried away near us. " We really leave from here! ", I have told silently.

   The meal during the trip was strange. I have got used to eat what we raised. What they gave on the train, I didn't really like, but I was so happy that I didn't care. Brothers and Lula were happy too that they were going to see father but not as much, they were younger and didn't spend time with him as much as me.

   At last we arrived to Los Angeles, and mum for some reason did not want to go further. So we have sat down on the following train which was driving back, and I have cried all 3 days while we travelled. When we again were in Pine Bluff, I have explained all to the father in the letter, and Pops have answered, that he could take away me. I remember well, that each his letter stated: " I will be there soon ".

   About in 3 months I have again heard silent knock in my window, and nothing could make me happier. I have told mother that I have gone to the father to Oakland, and have tried to persuade her, to let off brothers and the sister together with me. But she did not want to hear anything about it. She nevertheless could not keep me, I was already 13 then. So I have left with my father.

   I really liked Oakland. Every early morning Pops got up and prepared breakfast for us. Then he left for work. After a while I have written to mother and have persuaded her to arrive on a visit together with my brothers and the sister. When she has got off of the train, tears of pleasure have scattered from my eyes. Father too was delighted - he started to sing.

   My sister Lula was the mollycoddle. After death of Verna Mae she was the only girl, and my mother has spoilt her. When in the morning we were ready to go to school, Lula still slept. We awakened her, but we hardly left the room, she fell asleep again. Only an old domestic means could help here. We filled a zinc bucket with an ice water and poured it out on her head. With a scream she jumped out of the bed. However, the funniest thing was that though Lula could not rise in the morning from bed, at school was the cleverest.

   After mum has lived with us about one year, she has again left, this time to Gary, Indiana. Other children accompanied with her, but I have remained with the father, in the house near to a gulf. From the bay window you could see the sea. On the one side the port was seen, on another was shipyard. The ships sailed with soldiers on board, which were going to 2d world war. I always read the names written on their grey boards, and admired the soldiers dressed in beautiful uniform. In some months they came back, covered with wounds and exhausted, and I with pity observed, how they go down from the ship, leaning against each other.

   2 years have passed. I have found friends at Prescott School. My mum wrote me letters and frequently called. She missed me very much.

   There were not much of free workplaces, and I almost spent each weekend in finding any earnings. I carried newspapers and was the messenger in grocery shop. As a result I earned so much that I could buy bicycle spare parts and make myself a bicycle (I couldn't afford a new bicycle).

   Working after school has helped me to not get in inconvenient position. In past boys of my age considered a special glamour to be in some gang. By the way you wore the jacket, they could see, to what gang you belong. The strongest gang in Oakland was "Harbor Home" gang. They did not like me, because I have not joined them. One night they threw a brick to my window and broke the glass, I have woken up just in time to evade.

  " The gang! " - I have whispered.

   But I have thought of my mum's advice - not to let anyone to terrorize you. Next day after school I went to that place where this gang usually hanged out and called their leader. I have beaten him up. Other dude tried to mess with me and didn’t have luck too. He has fallen down under my impact. They attacked me one after another but I've managed to win them all.

   Probably, they would think well before they throw a stone to my window if they knew, what reputation I had in Indiana. Well, they had to feel it on their own skin. After that they said: " If you will argue with Joe Jackson, he'll beat you up".

   After the fight with the gang I have decided to improve my fight technique, because I have to support my reputation. Our house seems to me a suitable place for trainings. Unfortunately, doors were from a strong oak so no matter how much I kicked them, there were no signs. From that I had callouses on fingers' bones; I learned to hold the big finger and a wrist so I could kick as quick and strong as possible. And once I have really punched a hole at the doors. But I have almost broken to myself a hand. When father has come home from shipyard, he has declared to me, that I do not dare to break his doors.

   That's why I have changed the tactics and called any potential contender in district, doesn't matter how senior and bigger he was. The method was very simple: if the contender still could stand up after my impact with the right hand, I rendered one more impact, putting in it the whole weight of my shoulder. If after that he did not fall, than he still had to try to catch me …

   When summer break have begun, I again searched for work for myself. I have found out that in 100 miles to the south there's a need for youth for collecting of cotton and vegetables. Without thinking twice, I have gone with my school friends to Bakerfield.

   I have left home for the first time. Mexicans, blacks and Japanese worked together on fields. We lived in huts, and teamwork in heavy conditions has rallied us. Especially it was pleasant to me, because some young Mexican girls were very beautiful, and it's been some little time before I have received some invitations to visit them on weekend.

   When we collected the cotton, and it is heavy, exhausting work, they paid us for weight. All workers started simultaneously. When I after a pair of minutes I looked back, the others were far behind. But one Mexican all time outstripped me. He cleaned off 2 lines of cotton while I managed only with 1 line, and collected up to 600 pounds a day. I worked as quickly as I could, but my best result was 300 pounds. Others collected no more than 200, and it is a lot too.(Later Tina Turner told journalists, that she collected 60 pounds a day, and that she considered spiders and the worms living on plants, disgusting).

   My father secretly looked after me, and called my chief all the time to ask about me. So he for sure knew, that I was a good collector of cotton. When we came back in the evening from fields, tired and sweaty, we first went to the shower. This building was away from huts. Man's showers were on one side, women's on another. Once in the evening me and 4 more guys have made the way there and sat above the female showers on the ceiling beams. From there we observed, how young girls got undressed and took a shower. They giggled, teased each other and behaved so funny, that I too have burst out laughing and have lost balance.

   I have fallen down from my beam directly on girls. They have beaten me the wet towels, and all the time while I was there laughed at me. I was ashamed of what I did, but I was young, and it was so much fun! Nevertheless I have decided not to do such things anymore.

   Once we have gone to the river to swim for a while. My friends balanced on a tree trunk which was put through a small crevice. I went the last. All others already came over to of other side and waited for me. Involuntarily I have glanced in a precipice. During this moment the tree has turned over, and I have departed to a black hole. Around I heard rattlesnakes, there were so much of them that they in a literal sense sang! There remained only prays! Fortunately, I have got out from there alive and healthy but when I have got out , I have been scratched and peeled and my friends had to pull out all these thorns and splinters from my skin. Though I was still the teenager, I had feeling, that I have 9 lives like a cat, and 5 of them I already used. After that small incident we have gone to huts by other road.

   I loved this part of California with its hilly landscape where the yellow and orange poppy blossomed, and smelled with wild sage. Today California is far from being so beautiful, as 50 years ago because environmental pollution is noticeable here too.

   It's, among all other, 1 more reason why I so am proud of Michael: he so does so much to protect the nature. He protests against all kinds of pollution, endows the big sums of money for protection of an environment and does all he can to prevent destruction of world around.

   Time on the farm has passed very quickly, and I had to come back to Oakland because school has begun again. There I also earned my pocket money so I could buy school books, and from time to time jeans or a shirt. And I have saved so much money that I could visit mother.