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2 I stepped through the door of Strouds place and took off my cap. The first time I had gone into his apartment with my cap on, he had snatched it off my head and handed it to me. He wasback in his bathroom on his knees, cleaning the tub. I could tell he'd already scrubbed the sink and toilet. Tm just about done here," he said. "Give me a minute." He rinsed the tub, washed out his brush, and looped its cord over the showerhead . I went out and sat at the big cherry-wood table, and I was looking at my reflection in the shine when Stroud came into the room. "Cleanliness," he said, "is next to what?' He waited a beat. "Impossible. Next to impossible.It truly is.Youleave that table alone, dont even touch it, don't do nothing to it, and in afew days, there'll be dust all over it, and I'll have to polish it again. Things get dirty on their own. You don't have to do nothing. What's on your mind, boy? I got things to do." I told him I had talked to a man over at Coleman's. I laid my glove, ball, and cap—all folded into one—on the floor, not wanting to mess up the tabletop, and the cap dropped out. "Where'd you get that cap?" He picked it up and looked it over, put it on his head and took it off and put it on again. 52 .9 I stepped through the door of Stroud's place and took off my cap. The first time I had gone into his apartment with my cap on, he had snatched it offmy head and handed it to me. He was back in his bathroom on his knees, cleaning the tub. I could tell he'd already scrubbed the sink and toilet. "I'm just about done here:' he said. "Give me a minute." He rinsed the tub, washed out his brush, and looped its cord over the showerhead . I went out and sat at the big cherry-wood table, and I was looking at my reflection in the shine when Stroud came into the room. "Cleanliness:' he said, "is next to what?' He waited a beat. "Impossible. Next to impossible. It truly is. You leave that table alone, don't even touch it, don't do nothing to it, and in a few days, there'll be dust allover it, and I'll have to polish it again. Things get dirty on their own. You don't have to do nothing. What's on your mind, boy? I got things to do." I told him I had talked to a man over at Coleman's. I laid my glove, ball, and cap-all folded into one-on the floor, not wanting to mess up the tabletop, and the cap dropped out. "Where'd you get that cap?" He picked it up and looked it over, put it on his head and took it offand put it on again. 32 "Out back. In that pile of stuff." "You better stay out of there," he said. "No telling what you might find, or what might find you. All kinds of rats and snakes in there, I know that. I'd clean it out myself if I was up to it. Cost too much to get it hauled off." He removed the cap and looked at it again. "Sure didn't have no idea this was back there, though. Huh. Look like you cleaned it up." "Yes, sir. It was real dirty. What's the S for?" "The Sabbath Creek Black Stars," he said, his voice rising on the word Stars. "The by-God Stars. Been a long time since I seen one of these. Long time. I had me a team, you see, semi-pro, back in the thirties. A little after that, too, but those were the best years.Teams would come through and stay here, and we'd play one game Saturday afternoon, usually, and one on Sunday afternoon. Except that was a problem sometimes. Some folks wouldn't play on Sunday, but we could still get up enough for a game." "They stayed here?' "What you mean 'They stayed here? Boy,this was a fine place way back then. You don't know nothing about it. I had me a£00¿/business, zfine place for colored folk to stay. I had...
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