Friday, May 28th, 2010, “Searching Outside Of The Family For Similar Values” Part IV, Ernest Leaks, “Heavy”, Crane High School and the coaches, my conflicts continue!
What high school should we attend? Crane High School was our only consideration. That’s where all of the “ballers” went so we followed.
Some of my middle school teachers wanted me to go to other more “academically challenging” high schools. I know they were well meaning but they didn’t understand my connection with Ernest.
My grandfather purchased our first home farther out west of the city. The area was called, “K-Town”, mainly because many of the streets started with a “K”, Keeler, and Kostner etc. We lived on Jackson Blvd. In the summer of 1972 we packed and moved into our new home.
“K-Town” was an area of Chicago that never felt like home. Constantly on edge, we waited for the next crisis.
I wondered if my grandfather did any research on the area? Why he would purchase our first home in such an area?
I did befriend many youth in the area. The first day at our new house a youth who was my age came to our front porch and introduced himself. Romero was his name and he lived just two houses down from us.
We made small talk for while. “Do you like basketball?” Romero asked me. “Yes I do.” Romero invited me to play with him at the local playground just a few blocks away. We played one-on-one for a while.
“Okay,” Romero said. “I’ve had enough! Where did you learn to play ball like that?”
I told him about Fink’s influences, Ernest, and the local legends that we had in my former community. But mainly I mentioned the time spent practicing and that I would be trying out for the team at Crane High School. Crane’s basketball reputation was known throughout Chicago.
“Man, Crane always has great ballers! Do you think you are going to make the team?” “I don’t know but I will try out for JV team this upcoming school year, my freshman year.”
Romero was instrumental in introducing me to all of the local basketball players. Some were gang members and they liked me right away because of my basketball skills. They all wanted me on their teams during pick up games. As I got older I knew I used basketball as a safety net. The gang leaders all loved basketball too and admired good ballers. I got to know most of them.
Romero and I were once robbed at gunpoint. We were so scared and mad! We didn’t recognize the two young men but all we would have had to do was to find out their names, then report the incident to some of the gang leaders we knew. Restitution would have been resolved by gang rules. Romero and I were not the gun carrying type so we let the whole incident go!
But the amount of money and our bruised egos were not worth someone’s life. Imagine a high school freshman having two different codes of honor. Grandfather’s code; the gang code. Why should a child have to choose? But choose I did.
The area was full of gangs and drive-by shootings. During the summer months, there was a least one a week. I felt like I was a soldier (or civilian) in the rice paddies during the Vietnam War!
June 1st, 2010, “Searching Outside Of The Family For Similar Values”, The Coaches at Crane High School and my conflicts continue!