One autumn evening we did a ride in the car. I wanted to say so much, but I did not know from what to begin, therefore I was not too talkative, only from time to time I threw admiring sights on sitting near to me Kate. There was a fragrant white flower in her hair which wonderfully shaded her wavy black hair. Kate was in white suit with pants, her gold earrings sparkled in moonlight. For some time we simply went forward on the road, then I have found a silent place under the trees and have stopped. The owl has cried in the distance, I have thought it was a good sign.

   " This summer together with you was so wonderful, Kate". We talked, but time flew by too quickly, and suddenly at once there has come midnight.

   " It will be better, if now I take you home, Kate ". She has disappointedly nodded and has looked down. Both of us did not want, this evening to end.

   I have bent to kiss her on a cheek, but then stopped. "Katherine", I have told with serious tone. She has looked at me, and I have continued: " Will you marry me? "

   Kate began to shiver, as at the day we first danced. I have gently kissed her on the mouth and held my arms till she stopped shivering.

   "Will you? Will You marry me? ", I have asked once again.

   "Yes", hardly audible Katherine has answered.

   I enjoyed looking at her face, her golden skin and gentle brown eyes in which moonlight played, and felt like the happiest the man on earth. I will marry the woman of whom I dreamed all the summer long. I was confident, that Kate will become a good wife and we will have a wonderful family.

   In November, 1949 we have celebrated the wedding in a narrow circle. There were only family members, but I was satisfied with it. I anyway was interested only in Katherine.

   Soon we expected our first child, and I was going to buy a house. Unfortunately, we presumed to ourselves the smallest houses in Gary but since I wanted to have only 2 children, I believed, that there will be enough place. We have combined together my savings and money of Kate's stepfather and have brought 1st payment for the house on Jackson street, and then we bought at one time, everything that was first of all necessary for us: a refrigerator, a kitchen - range and a bed.

   Katherine constantly wanted to prepare for me for my favourite foods. She was a good cooker and all the time tried to learn something new. The meat that she cooked was melted in my mouth, and all folds were seasoned. When I came from work in the evening, the meal already waited for me on a table. Kate filled my plate, put it on a clean cloth, and her again went to the kitchen- range, because wanted to see if I like it.

   " Kate, come, sit down", I asked her.

   " Everything is all right, Joe. I better stay here", she answered.

   I had to persuade her for long before she finally has sat down near the table to eat something too. She really was very shy. But I will tell to you, that in some years she became, undoubtedly, the best cook in the city. There's no restaurant in the world where I could eat the way at home with Katherine. And she keeps the house in perfect order. She never forgets anything. I am so proud of my wife.

   When Katharine gave birth to our first-born, she suffered during 2 long, painful nights, and the doctor, my aunt and mum helped her during labor. (In past in Southern states blacks were not taken to hospitals.) I waited outside and continually peeped in a window. Our first child, the girl at last was born. I was awfully happy and proud, at first time I've become a father.

   First I wanted a boy, but Maureen which we have nicknamed Rebbie later appeared such outstanding personality, that I at once have fallen in love with her. She was rather temperamental for such a baby. She shouted so loudly, that it was audible in the entire house! At the same time my daughter has helped me to realize all degree of my responsibility. I have decided to get at my factory, work with the greater salary that I could take care of her and Katherine.

   In the meantime we eventually prepared for hunting. Both I and my 2 stepbrothers looked forward to it with impatience for some months. I drove from Gary to Arkansas, we have spent the night there in the open-air. The next morning we have worn boots, collected equipment and went to the road. I still never came so far into a wood, but my stepbrother was experienced. We suited a halt near the wide river. There was a boat here, it belonged to the friend of my brother.

   " Know what? Let's put our fishing tackles here, and go float a little downwards on the river. When we will return, we already will have fish ", he has suggested. I have unpacked fishing tackles and have been compelled to ascertain, that we have forgotten the most important - a bait. But my stepbrother has found a way out. " Listen, Joe ", he has said, " take a gun and hit a bird. We then have taken meat for the fish. I by a boat will come up on the middle of the river. And you will shoot a bird on that tree on the coast and when it will fall in water, I will take it ".

   My favourite stepbrother has come in a boat. When he reached up to the middle, he has shouted: " you see a bird there on a tree? "

   "Of course", I have answered.

   My younger stepbrother has remained on coast below on current, the boat was to the left of me. The bird chirped on a fur-tree on the right. I have aimed at heart and have pressed on the trigger. Boom!!

   The bullet has passed through a bird and with an indistinct crash has jumped aside from a tree trunk. " Aaw, I am wounded! ", my stepbrother has cried.

   All occurred as in slow-motion shot. I saw as my best friend have fallen down in the river, and could not believe my eyes. I have jumped in water and though he was much more bigger and heavier than me, I was so is excited, in my blood there was so much of an adrenaline, that it was possible to me with the brother on hands to get out on coast. There I have cautiously put him on a grass.

   He was wounded in a head. The splinter of a bullet has hit him in an eye. My knees shivered from fear and excitement when we carried him to the car. His blood has filled my shirt, and he shouted all the time, as if he is just about to die.

   In hospital I have explained to sisters and doctors, that I on imprudence have wounded my brother, but they have not wanted to help him (Such things happened in 40s if you were black). On the contrary, they wanted to get rid of us as soon as possible, and it became clear to me that insisting will not help it . They don't give a damn, how hard my brother is wounded, and they will not accept him.

   I had to come up with something else before he would lose his blood. Then I remembered about one rich white lady that lived not far away from the hospital( remember about the daughter of the planter?). She was related to my mother and knew our family for a long time though till now did not recognize, that she is related to the blacks.

   But she was my last hope. I have quickly exchanged shirts with my younger stepbrother, have jumped in the car and in clouds of a dust have dashed away from the hospital parking. Before the gate to the house of the old lady I have stopped, have run up to a door and have rang the doorbell. It seemed me eternity before she opened. Hurrying up, I have told her the whole story. She has silently listened. "Let's go" she said then. I immediately open the door in front of her when she leaning on a stick, toddled to my car.

   When she saw my brother on a dirty parking before an accident ward, she, highly lifted her head, together with me has marched directly to the hospital. She knew all employees on names, they were her neighbours, and she has declared them that they have to accept my stepbrother, because he is from her family. " And Joe is my nephew ", she has told.

   Doctors at once became much friendlier and more attentive, and promised to make everything, they can.

   While the doctor cared of my brother and sewed up a wound, he explained to me, that it is impossible to rescue his eye. " But we can make him an eye of glass, such eye even will move, if he will turn his head ", he has told, probably to encourage me.

   3 week later they have inserted a glass eye. Since muscles of the eye have been damaged, it half hanged down downwards, and it was visible that it not real. Looked nevertheless better, than an empty eye-socket.

   My stepfather and mother of my stepbrother were in fury because I caused this misfortune and though I have paid all hospital accounts, they behaved as if it was not accident, and I intentionally have made it. Despite of all this, I wanted to keep taking care of my stepbrother, eventually he was my friend. And I communicated everyday with his girlfriend, she was the sister of my wife. Nevertheless our relationship has gone wrong. We did not quarrel, but also were not as close as before.

   Then he married the sister of my wife and became my brother-in-law. I hoped, that it will change something, I in fact have made everything to help him. I even have paid very expensive glass eye, and have apologized too. But all this has not helped.

   Kate was again pregnant. Ours 2d child had to be born in a hospital and when Kate's labour have begun, I had to make a hard decision. If I will take a full day off with no payment, I will not have enough money for the mortgage, diapers, and medicines for Kate and children. Therefore I have gone to work, and instead of myself sent my mum and sister to the hospital.

   In the first break I have run there and with simplification have found out that the second labour was not so heavy and didn't last so long. The kid, our first boy, was healthy and was born just in birthday of my wife.

   I have gone to hospital right after the shift. We have named the child Sigmund Esco. Pops which later came from Oakland to visit us, named him simply "Jackson boy ", and from this eventually it turned to Jackie. I finally had a son that I always dreamed of, and now, on my representations our family was perfect. "We have boy and the girl, now we are a true family ", I told Katherine.

   But it was less than a year when my wife became pregnant again. And what else could you expect from a man like me? We had a boy again At us the boy, Toriano which we have later nicknamed Tito. But now I really had to earn money, because we needed much more milk and vegetables. And also I have followed the lead of my parents and began to give out daily to children one spoon of cod-liver oil. They were making such faces that we couldn't not to lough.

   On the steel factory they finally made me a crane operator. I liked the work and I tried to do it as better as possible, but conditions remained heavy because people constantly were fired, and I too very much was afraid of firing.

   I all time searched for collateral earnings, in fact I had to feed the family. Due to this circumstance I have understood, that I am obliged to enable children to receive appropriate education so that in the future they wouldn't have to work as hard as me.

   Since I still believed, that I can succeed in show business, I sang each free minute and practised in play on a guitar. When I sat in the crane, I composed songs because I wanted to create a quartet. Sometimes I got so tired, that almost fell asleep during work, but the desire to get on stage someday helped me to not fall asleep.

   Singing was easy for me, father has taught me this when I was still a boy, but to play the instrument was not so easy. Fortunately, the longer we practiced, the better our group which we have named " The Falcons " has become. In couple of months we for the first time performed on a party and after that the group was liked so much that we got invited to play on all holidays in Gary. Besides we now could earn some dollars, acting in night clubs.

   About this time I have written a song " Tutti Frutti ". Soon after that Little Richard has written the well-known hit with the same name (Certainly, I could now claim that has stolen it from me but I will not do it because in this time we've became good friends. Besides he has a golden heart and he helps other artists with what he only can). After a while Katherine waited for a child again. Her attending physician tried to persuade her to do an abortion, but for us it has been excluded, for us the family had very big value. So another baby came to world, when I still worked at night shift. " Joe , you have a boy again! ", my chief has shouted to me.

   I was delighted and immediately ran to the hospital. Mother and the child felt well. Jermaine LaJuane lay on Katherine's hands and swung the tiny cams. " Wow! ", I was surprised, "strong as small "King - Kong ". But I should admit, that after birth of Jermaine I should work as possessed to feed the family which became bigger. Thank God, the health did not let me down and I've never been seriously sick. Some my colleagues have died on this heavy work of a cancer and other illnesses.

   Once Jermaine has felt very much bad, and we had to take him to the hospital. The doctor has told, that he had nephritis. Katherine and I had no the slightest representation, of what is it and he has explained, that it is illness of kidneys, and fortunately, with babies it in many cases possible to cure. until he recovers our little Jermaine had to stay in the hospital. We visited him as frequently as we could. He always waited for us with impatience and when we had to leave, he cried so plaintively, that sisters did not want us to go away. He jumped on the bed up and down, wanted, us to take him with us. He tried to get out from there, swung hands, shouted and cried.

   I tried to not let him to notice, how I suffer because of his sufferings, but hardly had we entered into the elevator, my tears started to flow. I had to go to work and could not be with him constantly. I remembered all the time the way he crying, stands on the bed... My only wish was, he recover as soon as possible .

   Jermaine has stayed in hospital near 3 weeks. The situation was very serious. The majority of children has defect after the nephritis and when we finally were allowed to take Jermaine home, we had to watch, he had more rest and drink to wash out his kidneys. Some weeks have passed before he has completely recovered and again could play with the brothers and the sister. He didn't have any complications after the illness and that was a huge joy for me and Katherine.

   Now we had a temperamental girl and three restless boys. Rebbie and Jackie have taken dance lessons. Though she was only 5 Rebbie had a promising talent and she has won several competitions.

   We lived nearby the baseball field, and I frequently observed, how neighbour's guys train there. When my sons became enough adult to hold a bat, not overturning, I have brought them there. That's how Jackie, Tito and Jermaine have entered in " Katz Kittens ", a team which was sponsored by mayor.