Billy Bob

Billy Bob





Billy Bob was a poor black man who had nothing. He was on the road and homeless and had no where to go. One day, he got a ride from people in a pick up truck. It was on a dirt road leading to a town. Billy Bob needed the ride and the people were nice. He hopped in the back of the truck and didn’t say much. He felt broken, life was so hard.

“You need to meet Pete,” said the man in the truck. He’ll help you. Billy Bob just nodded his head.

After a few miles, Billy Bob got out of the truck and thanked the driver and his family. He was surprised that there was an old man waiting at the crossroads.

“Are you Pete?” Asked Billy Bob.

“I am. Are you Billy Bob?”

Joy spread across Billy Bob’s features. “I am,” he said.

“Good. I’ll take you where you can get something to eat.”

They walked down the road and eventually came to a boarding house in the middle of a town. The housekeeper let them in and gave them each a place to stay.

“Dinner’s at six,” she said. “Mind you wash up.”

Billy Bob nodded his head and went upstairs to lay down for a nap. He was powerful tired.

At six, he went downstairs and washed up at the sink. He met the other boarders and was shy. There was an old black woman named Stella who seemed nice. And several older men. Stella had a box of chocolates she was sharing with the other boarders and Billy Bob shyly took one, then sat down to eat.

It was a merry group and Billy Bob just listened. The older men laughed and joked and Stella answered their sallies with a pert tongue.

After supper, the housekeeper asked Billy Bob to help clean up and gladly obliged. It was getting darker outside and he went outside for a smoke after his chores were done. The sun was just going down and the sky was all blues, purples and pinks. It was gorgeous and made Billy Bob wish he was a poet so he could describe it.

The next day, he and Pete went out job hunting and met with success at a car mechanics. Pete would clean and Billy Bob would help the mechanic with the cars. They got paid minimum wage and would be paid weekly. The car mechanic was really nice and really taken with Pete and Billy Bob and said what a pair they made. He made jokes that made Billy Bob blush and handled the tools with a practiced hand.

Things continued on an even keel for awhile until one day there was a rumor of war. Billy Bob had read the paper and couldn’t believe it. He thought he’d be drafted. Pete was too old. He went to work and told the car mechanic about the impending war. The car mechanic told him not to worry and that things would work out.

A few days later, Billy Bob got a notice from the draft board and went down to the local draft board to register. They gave him a test and declared him incompetent. They said he was a retard and not fit to join the military. Billy Bob was shocked because he knew he wasn’t retarded but at the same time he was relieved. He did not want to go off to war.

That night, at the boardinghouse, he talked to the old men about the draft board. Like the car mechanic, they told him not to worry and that he wasn’t retarded. He had a good job for the car mechanic.

The war started and everyone was worried. Billy Bob used his money to buy presents for his friends and felt like he had done this before. It was strange, but when he passed out the gifts he got a weird sense of déjà vu as if he had done this before. Pete remarked on it and thought that maybe they had done this before. After all, things had a way of repeating themselves.

That night, after supper, Billy Bob lay down and listened to the crickets chirping outside.

He was glad that he had bought the presents but sad that he might have done this before. Was he destined to have such a poor life? Was he always doomed to have to suffer? It wasn’t fair. He tried hard but it was hard for a black man. What should he do? Try harder? Or just suffer in silence. He didn’t know and went to sleep with some troublesome thoughts.

Over the next few days, news of the war was getting worse. Billy Bob knew they had done this before because he knew what was going to happen in the war even before it happened. He told Pete and Pete just nodded as if he was full of knowing. He seemed to think they were repeating themselves too. He told Billy Bob not to worry, that this would work out for the best.

Billy Bob tried hard not to worry but he kept seeing things and knew things before they happened. Just the other day, he was with Pete and Stella and the other men and the housekeeper and they were talking in the kitchen when Stella got up and left. Billy Bob had to leave too but the housekeeper stopped him.

“Billy Bob?” She said. “Why don’t you go downtown to the draft board and find out from them if the war is coming our way.”

‘It’s not,” said Billy Bob.

She looked at him in shock. “How do you know?” She asked.

“I just know, ma’am.” He said.

He hung his head shyly and left to go to work and didn’t want to keep knowing things. He felt like he was going crazy. He didn’t know what to do. He talked to his boss but he was no help. He needed help. If this kept up, he might have to kill himself.

He worked but his mind wasn’t on the work and he kept making mistakes. His boss let him go early and he went home to the boardinghouse. He didn’t eat dinner, instead went to bed and curled up in a ball. He kept seeing things and knew things and knew the war was going bad for their side. He didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know why he kept seeing things and knew it was going to turn out badly.

There was no help for it. He had to stop this. There was such a thing as knowing too much.

The next day, he went for walk out in the country and found a bridge that overran a river. He knew he would jump in. He climbed up on the railing and was about to go over when a voice stopped him.

“Hey!” He heard. It was Pete.

“It’s no use!” Yelled Billy Bob. “I keep seeing things and I hates it. I can’t stand no more!”

Pete came up to him and helped him down. Billy Bob hung his head and cried.

‘I’m here to help you,” said Pete. “The reason why you know so much is that you’ve done this before. I’m here to make sure you don’t make the same mistake.”

“Who are you?” Asked Billy Bob.

“I’m an angel, sent to help you Billy Bob. I’m here to make sure you don’t jump off the bridge.”

Billy Bob cried and Pete held him. “I can’t stands knowing so much,” he said. “When will it end.”

“It just did. You’re not going to jump off the bridge.”

As soon as Pete said that, Billy Bob knew it to be truth. His visions stopped and he didn’t feel like jumping off the bridge. Why had this happened to him.

“You’ve always committed suicide,” said Pete. And each time, you always went a little farther. This time, you made it. You’ll live to a ripe, old age and someday, you’ll go to Heaven.

Billy Bob was still crying. He didn’t know what he’d do without Pete.

“Thank you, Pete,” said Billy Bob. “I don’t know what to say.”

“I have to leave, but if ever you need me, just call out and I’ll be there. I’m your guardian angel. I’m here to help you.”

“Thank you,” breathed Billy Bob.

Pete smiled at him.

Billy Bob went home and things went better. He got a better job and got married and bought a house and his visions disappeared. He lived to ripe old age with children and grandchildren and he never felt suicidal again. The war turned out for the best with the U.S. winning and the evil powers against it falling. Billy Bob had a good life.





The End