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They Didn’t Talk about MLK
Billy and Irving washed cars at Irv’s house, around the back where the oily little creek intersected the railroad. The culvert under the tracks carried the runoff to a small lake where the kids skated in the winter.
Billy and Irving offered a car wash to customers if the repair job would span the weekend. If they had the cars running by Friday night they would take them to Irving’s on Saturday and wash them. It was excellent customer service and resulted in good word-of-mouth and repeat customers.
In the summer of 1961 Irving lost his home to the bank. They cancelled the mortgage and found a way to revoke the deed. The owner had sold it to Irving’s wife, Suzie, knowing almost nothing about her. As a nurse, she qualified for the mortgage. Then Ed at the bank discovered she was married to Irving and that changed things. Ed stood on the other side of the polished ebony railing at the bank and told her it could get a lot worse. And nobody wanted that. So when the police arrived to enforce the eviction order, Irving and his family were already gone.
Billy and Irving met at the sprint car track in the Pine Barrens. Workaholics went there to practice their automotive craft and avoid their families. It’s not there anymore. There are houses there now. Billy borrowed a wrench from Irving one day. Irving had bad experiences lending tools to white men and…
