“I’m not gonna tell you again, boy” he breathed in “we don’t want no more cameras, no more press or trouble in Jackson-now be thankful nobody’s not laid a hand on you-what would your Momma say if her only son came back to her in a box?”
“She’d say” James muttered as he looked down at the lacquer of the bright red paint on the bristles of the brush “that no stupid statue was worth my daddy dying for..”
“Is that what this is about?” Gordon shot back “you’ve just come here to vandalise our sculpture?”
“I dunno Sheriff” James smiled “I ain’t made my mind up yet.”
“Right, that’s enough” Gordon growled as he yanked James up off his knees. James wrenched himself away and ran towards the statue, about to dab the knee with blue paint before he felt Gordon pull him back. As they tussled, the crowd swelled forward. Mrs Wallace inched forward, her jaw dropping in excitement as her bloated face glistened in the growing heat.
“Look” she yelped, turning towards the other police officers who motioned to one another to heave forward, “that coloured boy is fighting with the Sheriff, when are one of you fools gonna do something?”
“Mrs Wallace, he ain’t done nothin’ yet” Officer Jacobs gulped as he noticed James resist the Sheriff’s attempts to subdue him with surprising strength “he’s just being a layabout, he’ll be on his way.”
“If you won’t do anything about it” Mrs Wallace hissed “I can place one call to my husband in Vicksburg and get you and the Sheriff transferred to Alabama where you can pick cotton with them coloureds..”
James threw his left shoulder down and ghosted past Sheriff Gordon’s trashing arms. As he stumbled forward, his feet tripped over one another and he found himself hurtling towards Mrs Wallace. As his right hand came ahead of him, the tip of the paint brush flicked across her blouse, sending sprinkles of fire red paint across her chest, sternum and neckline. He fell down at her feet and heard her shriek. As he rolled over to his side he noticed Sheriff Gordon standing ahead of him, his feet frozen in the dust as he stared back.
Mrs Wallace clutched the edges of her skirt, moving backwards as she kicked at James, sending a curl of dust over his head. “Sheriff” she bellowed “look what this little cockroach did to me, arrest him, and arrest him immediately.”
As she moved forward towards Sheriff Gordon, she glanced down momentarily at the eyes glaring up at her. Something about the expression on James’ face made her blood run cold. “Don’t you look at me like that” Mrs Wallace swallowed hard “you know your place you little black cockroach..”
James would not look away. The fiercer his glare of contempt grew, the heavier Mrs Wallace began to breathe. “Don’t…” Sheriff Gordon warned as he moved quickly towards them, but it was too late. Another fizz of paint scattered across Mrs Wallace’s front, and another, followed by another.
James glanced over his shoulder at Sheriff Gordon and smiled, the joy in his face was obvious as he let the paint brush fall to the floor. “Y’see..” he mumbled “..don’t matter how much paint my daddy put on that statue there, nobody cared all that much ‘til it got on this white lady, did they?”
“That’s all my daddy did to get killed, to paint a white man’s statue..all he was just doing his job.”
THE END
About the Author
Hailing from a legal and journalism background, Author Saurav Dutt first wrote articles on film and music for Total Film, Empire Online, Time Out and Independent Film Magazine before turning his eye towards nonfiction and fiction.
Dutt first published a book about the Award winning actor and star of 'The Wrestler' Mickey Rourke entitled 'Stand Alone: The Films Of Mickey Rourke'. Released in the Fall of 2011 it remains his biggest commercial success to date winning plaudits from fans and critics alike for its scholarly approach to the actors work. The book 'Stand Alone' is an exhaustive critical analysis of the actor’s career and work which also includes interviews and comments from Rourke himself.
In addition this book he has produced biographies of 'Jaws' and 'French Connection' actor Roy Scheider and 80's teen star of hit movies such as 'The Lost Boys' Corey Haim entitled 'License to Dream' which overtook the sales of his debut biography on Mickey Rourke.
A spoken word album of his poetry and prose set to original music entitled 'The Dreaming' was released in September 2013 through cdbaby.com reflecting his interest in poetic works.
Inspired by the British short movie 'The Pugilist's Son' starring boxer turned actor Gary Stretch (Alexander, Dead Man’s Shoes, Savages) Dutt put together a short story based on the movie entitled 'The Pugilist's Son' which released in October 2013 and was featured in Boxing Insider, MMA Uncaged and Martial Arts Illustrated Magazines.
His début novel, after signing with Plexus Publishing 'Broken Sky' is released in Early 2014
A biography on Oscar nominated actor Val Kilmer is in the works to be released in early 2014, featuring analysis, reviews and commentary and much like his book on Mickey Rourke, the book is eagerly anticipated by fans of the actor.
Dutt will also release a follow up to his critically acclaimed novel on Rourke in late 2013 entitled “Hollywood Outlaw: The Mickey Rourke Story”.
Dutt has also has put his artistry to use by working with esteemed graphic novel studio Scattered Comics to produce a martial arts based action comic entitled 'Sword' which is due for release in 2014.
Dutt currently resides in the United Kingdom and can be contacted at
[email protected] As well as Amazon.com, his books are available in Waterstones and Barnes & Noble in paperback, hardback and Kindle formats.
Also Available
Stand Alone: The Films of Mickey Rourke
License to Dream: The Life of Corey Haim
Roy Scheider: A Biography
The Pugilist’s Son (Short Story)
Hollywood Outlaw: The Mickey Rourke Story
Broken Sky
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