? Stroud told me he needed some help, and he took me into his apartment. All the curtains were pulled back, and the whole place was bright with sun, and it smelled fresh, like lemonscented furniture polish. I helped him lift a heavy box onto a shelf. "All right then," he said. "I appreciate it. Hold it right there,"—he pointed at my feet—"I got a little something for you." He went into the kitchen and came back with a single saltine. I thanked him and took the cracker and ate it. The walls were covered with photographs, nearly all framed, most of them in black and white. "Who are all these people?" I asked him. "Who arethey?" he shot back. "Who areyou?' He seemed to be waiting for me to answer, but I had no idea what to say—I hadn't intended to insult anybody—so I shrugged and said, "I don't know." "Don't know? Ain't you Lewis Pope? Checked in here with your mama a few days ago? Ain't that you?" "Yes, sir, I guess so." "You better quit guessing," he said. "Say it straight out. Get some spine and stand up. Youhear me?" I nodded, but I wasafraid to say anything. 24 Stroud told me he needed some help, and he took me into his apartment. All the curtains were pulled back, and the whole place was bright with sun, and it smelled fresh, like lemonscented furniture polish. 1 helped him lift a heavy box onto a shelf. "All right then," he said. "I appreciate it. Hold it right there," -he pointed at my feet- "I got a little something for you." He went into the kitchen and came back with a single saltine. 1 thanked him and took the cracker and ate it. The walls were covered with photographs, nearly all framed, most ofthem in black and white. "Who are all these people?" 1asked him. "Who are they?" he shot back. "Who are you?" He seemed to be waiting for me to answer, but 1 had no idea what to say-I hadn't intended to insult anybody-so 1 shrugged and said, "I don't know." "Don't know? Ain't you Lewis Pope? Checked in here with your mama a few days ago? Ain't that you?" "Yes, sir, 1guess so." "You better quit guessing," he said. "Say it straight out. Get some spine and stand up. You hear me?" 1 nodded, but 1was afraid to say anything. 24 He waved his hand toward the back door. "Step on out here with me while I have a cigarette." We went through the kitchen and onto the patio, and he took the large wooden chair and I sat in one of the others. He pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and held it out to me, looking over the tops of his glasses. I reached out to take one—though I didn't plan to smoke it—and he pulled it back. "Look here," he said. "First thing you got to learn is a little common sense. You follow me?"«A/ • » Yes, sir. He shook a cigarette up from the pack, pulled it out with his lips, and lit it. "Second thing," he said, "is this. Youwant to be aballplayer, don't you ever get started on these things. They suck the wind right out of you. Give the other fellow a little edge, you see, and a little edge is all a good player will need." I asked him how he knew I wanted to be a ballplayer. He started laughing, and the laugh ratcheted into a cough, and he pulled a handkerchief from his pants pocket, put it to his mouth—I heard him clear his throat and spit—and then he folded the handkerchief and put it back in his pocket. "How did I know? Look here, you ain't invisible. I believe sometimes white folks go around thinking they invisible. Here you are, running up and down the road with your ball glove, and you done gone out to the old Stiles place and pasted up a strike zone—a whole lot bigger than it ought to be—on the side of the house, and you out there throwing like it was the World Series,walking around talking to yourself, and you think can't nobody seeyou. Why you think that is?" 25 He waved his hand toward the back door. "Step on out...