I was 26 years old at the time. Just want to finish up on some closing blogs and state things I have held in for a long time.
Of course there may be various opinions good, bad and inbetween. But I never claimed perfection and I do come as I am honest and real. Straight up. Been a while since writing my own article, kind of got away from that, but I feel this is one of my best strengths here.
Many times in my past, I have befriended a sistah. It seems like I always find myself in those type situations. I state in the 1st unedited sample chapter of my book my 1st time seeing abuse and why I am the way I am. Seems like I can not stay away from the issues.
I was at a club called the Touch of Class in Palmetto, FL. I was a regular there and me and Mrs. Lat the club owner were pretty cool. On Sunday nights the club would play oldiesgoldies and me and Mrs. Lat would dance off of "Get Up" by James Brown. Mrs. Lat went to school with my mother and was about 60 yrs old but could really dance, stayed on the dance floor and was in really great shape for a woman of her age. I guess it was also a thrill and I would vision the fun it would be to dance and have fun with my own mother.
Most of the fellas and females talked about from time to time about the figure that Mrs. Lat had. Like a Woman in her late 20's to 30's. Mrs. Lat had a daughter older than I that I had a crush on back during school and would always try to sit with her, she ignored me! Also a son who is a dj and maybe a little younger than I and I mention Ms. Lat's daughter that was my age.
Mrs. Lat died some years ago due to cancer. I felt it was bitterness respectfully. I went to school with one of her daughters who died years ago, she had really went out there and got caught up. Mrs. Lat was raising her daughters little girl. Mrs. Lat would also get angry and go to cursing if anyone brought up the name of God.
I had my share of fights at that club, would get banned from coming there, would stay away for a while, come back and apologize to Mrs. Lat, Mrs. Lat would tell me "I Love You", I would respond "You To", she would give me a hug and I would be allowed to come back to the club.
Every weekend driving to Tampa, St. Pete, Orlando etc. can be tiring after while and the worst part is driving back that Sunday in time to hit the club in town as a kind of way to end the week and well You get the picture now.
I did not start those fights either by the way. I respected Mrs. Lat, but at times I felt I was given offers I could not refuse and...
Anyway, Mrs. Lat would tell me at times she thought of me as a Son and for me at that time in my life it was better than nothing. She always gave me encouragement and even one while for extra money for school, I worked for her as a bar tender, Mrs. Lat told me I could make a lot of money in tips, hey I could drink for free, phone numbers were a regular, I got to listen to music that I love and hey to get paid and party, well I have mentioned before I was really caught up out there. Working in the daytime and partying Tues through Sunday, sometimes on Monday nights if a holiday or Monday night football.
The female had asked my cousin Slick if I wanted to dance. She was sitting by him while we were at the bar to order more drinks. Ice Teas were my drink of choice back then. She was cute. A redbone (not discriminating, I usually liked them dark, I am just describing her) and had on a one piece black body suit. Of course I said "Yes".
All of a sudden, she is turned around and this guy is telling her to get off the dance floor. I stepped to him and told him "She is going to finish her dance with me". I noticed the look in her eyes, I was caught off guard as well as she was. After the dance, he came and grabbed her and snatched her out the door.
Her girls that were with her came running to me telling me how the dude beats her up, had thrown her in a canal in the back of her house, had held her down and burned her back with an iron etc. The girls were hysterical stating please help her. One of the girls named Flea attended Church where I attended along with her grandmother and we had talked from time to time.
No other fellas in the club budged to help her. I told the fellas I was with that I was going outside to help her.
Honestly I did not feel that he would hit me. I did not feel the hit at that time. I looked to my right and pow! It was like a loud pop. I did not go down, I felt a ring (like being in some sort of zone) and it was like being in a daze for a split second but came to my senses quickly, maybe he was caught off guard that I did not fall or back up but came at him.
Willie at first had ran to his car to get his gun out of the glove compartment, I jumped in the car on him to grab his hand away from the glove compartment. I had grabbed the girl and stopped him, because he was forcing and pushing her into the car and she was fighting not to get in. I was calling Willie a punk and things like that(along with some other words etc.) and was challenging him to fight a man if he wanted to fight so bad and I was even offering to let him hit me first, free shot.
I grabbed Willie out of the car and why I did what I did, I can't guess that one even to this present day.
I let Willie walk to the trunk of his car.
I did not see him pulling out a gun and I had fought dudes before that had weapons like a baseball bat or something. I did not see him pull anything out of the car, I could see him rummaging around with the trunk open. I was by the drivers side of the car and he was in the rear with the trunk up.
The police were called, I felt I did a good thing for a person that was not my fight, hey I had my drink on and smoking black and mild cigars, hey there were other females for me to get with, that I knew etc., but when those sistahs came to me and told me she needed help, I went with my heart to help her. All the other brotha's stayed in the club because Willie was a drug dealer. I mean guys I went to bat for many times, did not even stand by me. They never came outside.
I remember after the police were called and I had to give a statement, that I walked back in the club to finish my drink along with a glass of water at the bar by myself. My jaw was feeling ackward and I felt the cold water would help...
I had my jaws wired shut, NO ANESTHESIA, the stuff the Author James Frey (A Million Little Pieces") lied about and what movies are made of. I was transferring the pain to what I was going to do to him a 2nd time. I did not cry and sat there as the MD punctured the gums along my jaw line. I could feel as he would push those wires through the tough cartilage (I guess that is what that tissue is called) and then bend the wire, bring it back through so on and so forth. I don't recall a lot of bleeding and after while I was in a zone and that seering pain was not that bad after while. When the MD 1st started was the worst as I clenched my fist. I was asked several times did I want to take a shot for the pain and to numb my mouth but I stubbornly would say no or shake my head from side to side. My eyes were wattery from the pain...
Can You imagine going through that? I can't either. Again I was 26 at the time and that was my thinking at that time in my life.
I was still lifting and running heavy by the way with my cousin Rod the Minister at my home Church that made me go to the hospital the next morning at Church. When I woke up that morning to eat breakfast before Church, I could not move my mouth to eat my Cherioos.
In the 1st chapter unedited sample chapter of my book posted online, I mention the similarities of my father but not being my father in which he had his jaw broken. I believe the same side...
The MD after seeing me a 2nd time told me that he at least would have to wire the left and right side of my back jaws and use rubber bands where he made hooks in order for me not to do any further damage in the running and working out I was still doing. Also there is nothing like eating a Wendys bacon cheeseburger or eating beef stew from a blender and drinking it through a straw, so I would chew my food through the front part of my mouth slowly and very cumbersome since I my jaw was swollen on the left side of my face and I could barely move my mouth.
I could not move my mouth to eat my Cherioos.
After xrays the MD stated he was scheduling immediate surgery at Manatee Memorial Hospital
and that the cost would be $5000.00.
For one thing I never had surgery before, number 2, I was in my 1st yr at FAMU after graduating from Junior College. I talk about how I ended up at FAMU in my Profile. I did not have $5000.00! Also surgery was a non-option for me, maybe it was an ego thing. The MD told me being 26 that my bones may not heal as they would a teenager. I told the MD I am young and I would heal as I have always healed.
In my past I have had my share of bumps, bruises and wounds, 99.9% of the time never going to a MD.
Make a long story short, 2 Lawyers came to Tallahassee to meet with me. I was being sued for Assault and Battery. I told them my story of defending that female.
Something the Lawyers stated did not sound right.
I had to leave school on a Wednesday to testify in court. Much to my surprise the sistah was in the same elevator and did not speak to me. She was in the elevator with Willie and his Lawyer.
She testified against me and could not even look me in the eye. I can say much more but to make a long story short, a brutha came immediately from Daytona Beach (Yes he was a student at BCC at the time) to bring me an unmarked gun to get Willie. Like the movies, I could not do it and threw the gun over the bridge into the salt water. Something in me would not allow me to kill. I knew where he hung and as we rode around in his ride, I just knew I could not do it.
Since Willie was on Probation for beating on her, he lost the case and I even received a $700.00 check from him via the court for medical costs. I was not taking any kind of medication and my insurance covered the med bills so guess what I did with that money? I had $700.00 to party with arriving back at FAMU and this was before my financial aid netcheck came in!!! Anyone in college knows $700.00 goes a long way for party money! (^;^). Somebody here taught me how to do that face by the way.
The irony in the whole thing? A couple of years later the same guy with his boys came to hug me and give me a hand shake like Men do. The same brutha who had burned that girl with an iron to her back, beat her black and blue and would throw her in a canal in the back of the place where they stayed. This same brutha that had moved his operations from Alabama. The same Man that had a daughter that everyone stated he treasured from that girl. I did not know much of that at the time I fought him for her cause.
Those girls including Flea that cried for me to help the girl? They did not even show up for court. Could not be found for defense on my behalf. I never looked at Flea the same way after that. Yeah when I would go home and see them around they would tell me things that it took a hell of a man to stand up for the girl the way I did and other things like that, but they left me hanging when Willie took me to court for assault and battery.
I have tons of stories in reference to betrayals of people I thought were with and for me.
When I think of this now I know God had to be with me. Even in all my wrongness of being drunk, those cigars, at the club to play around etc. As David states in Psalms 139:1-18, how God was with Him no matter where he was at.
If Willie would have caught me in my nose, eye, temple, chin, forehead etc. I may not be here today to tell that story. I could have gotten brain damage and there are many stories out there of people getting hit in the head and the very unfavorable results that came afterwards.
My jaw healed perfectly and I did not tell my boys at school what had happened.
Of course there are many other outcomes that could have resulted from that circumstance.
If I would have been knocked out and fallen to hit the ground... I was drunk.
Willie hit me in the only place he could wildly trying to hurt me and that was my left jaw. The only way I could survive a full swing of a black crowbar... That had to be all "God" and not me with the exception of the choice I made...
People have been killed with fist shots to the head or brain damaged, I could have easily been killed, but that had to be all God for me to survive that shot.
*It still perplexes me why there are many Women and Females that deal in abusive situations, many times over and over. I have counseled many and I have empathy, relate, sympathy etc. I understand there are very complex situations out there. I know common sense, compulsion etc. can be confused with love. I hear and see many Men/Males, Women/Females that pass up the good for the not so good or betray the ones that are for them and I have been there done that. I can go on and on but feel free to let me know what You think. I have my theories.
The girl never said thank you, but in her eyes at that moment was a plea for help that I could not resist...
Posted By: WILLIAM W. HEMMANS III
Thursday, March 23rd 2006 at 8:43PM
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