My Dog Skip

Memory is a funny thing.

Recollections slip in and out

and around in time...

...leaving plenty of room

to weave and backtrack...

...and drift and glide.

In my life, I've found that...

...memories of the spirit

linger and sweeten...

...long after memories

of the brain have faded.

My fondest memories are

of my childhood days...

...back in Yazoo, Mississippi.

I can still see the town now.

Ten thousand souls, and nothing doing.

Where the old men sat drowsily

in straw-bottom chairs...

...watching the big cars

with out-of-state plates whip by.

Drivers hardly knowing...

...and certainly not caring

what place this was.

There was a war going on then.

And it touched our lives every day.

War, President Roosevelt

reminded us...

...required everybody to make

sacrifices. And boy, we did.

The cotton grew tall that year,

the summer of 1942...

...but I sure didn't.

Matter of fact,

I stayed so small and puny...

...I was a target

for the neighborhood bullies.

Fortunately, I lived next door

to Dink Jenkins...

...Yazoo's best athlete

and favorite son.

Dink?

Where do you think they'll send you?

Probably Fort Benning for basic,

then overseas, I reckon.

How long will you be gone?

That's hard to say.

If you're not home, who will

show me how to throw a curve ball?

You promised to show me.

Partner, you're gonna do just fine.

While I'm gone, you'll make

friends your own age...

...and who knows,

you might even meet a girl.

Will!

Suppertime!

This was a time of large families.

Four or five kids, sometimes more.

So needless to say,

ours was already unusual...

...what with me being the only child.

My mother was lively and talkative.

Certainly didn't fit

the housewife mold.

And my daddy...

Well, my daddy was

stern and overbearing.

He was a war veteran

and had lost his leg in battle.

And from most accounts,

it changed him.

Sometimes it seemed that

along with that leg...

...he'd also lost

a piece of his heart.

You know I.C.? Colored fellow

at the service station?

Sure.

- His son came back from Europe today.

- Wonderful.

In a box.

Somebody around here's gonna

be having a birthday pretty soon.

You been thinking about

how you want to celebrate?

A party maybe?

Will, your mother

asked you a question.

Stop. You're lucky to have

that food, with the rationing.

Would you like a party?

I guess.

I picked these up today

at Carr's drugstore.

Invitations?

You can't very well have a party

without guests, now can you?

After supper, you fill them out and

give them to your friends tomorrow.

Like who?

What about John Abner?

He's 5. He still wets his pants.

There are plenty of children

who would love to attend your party.

Your mother went to a lot

of trouble to get invitations.

And you will fill them out.

Can I be excused?

Yes, you may.

Don't forget your invitations.

What are we gonna do?

He's gonna be so lonely without Dink.

Maybe we should reconsider

what we talked about before.

Absolutely not.

We've been over this already.

It is not a good idea.

Not for Will, not now.

He is still too young.

- Y'all be careful.

- All right, we will!

Hey, you wait for us!

Smile.

You take care, you hear?

Come on, Jenkins!

Can't keep old Adolf a-waitin'!

Fellas, y'all want to come?

We was wondering...

We wanted you to sign our football.

You know, as a souvenir.

All right.

Beside Slingin' Sammy Baugh.

His name came with the ball.

This might be a little soon,

don't you think?

I ain't even played college ball yet.

Jenkins, come on. Let's go!

- Thanks, Dink.

- Let me see!

Willie-boy, aren't you

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