# Memoir - Outsiders Part 11

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Posted by Pete on May 20, 2021 at 04:16:07

The remainder of Dylan and Hayden's visit was uneventful. We spent the last day hiking - Dylan said he was interested in coal mines and asked if he could see any. He assured us he didn't want to go inside of any or do anything dangerous, but just wanted to look around anything that was safe to do so. Jilly in particular, who seemed to know every inch of the hills around our town, served as our tour guide, as we climbed around the hills in search of old coal mining operations. We did locate an old tipple that was fairly in tact, and climbed to the top of it, which offered a nice view of our grubby little town. "Its weird," Dylan said, "we've been hiking for hours, but it looks like town is so close." "Really?" I asked. "Well, back home, its so built up, you can't really get outside of town and see it all. This is a whole different perspective for me." Dylan sat catching his breath, taking in the beautiful scenery.

"What's over there?" Dylan asked, pointing at a spot a little north of town, around a bend in the mountain road. "That's where the Black people used to live," I said simply. Dylan looked at me questioningly. "Back a long time ago, like during World War 2," Cole explained, "the Black coal miners lived in kind of a separate town from everyone else." Dylan looked horrified. "Does anyone live there now?" he asked. "Don't think so," I said. "You wanna check it out?" Jilly asked, getting to hit feet. Dylan nodded, and Jilly led us down the mountain towards the old "colored camp," as some of the old timers still called it. We entered on the back edge of town, and walked past the few remaining structures - old wooden homes that were beyond dilapidated, many collapsing over what remained of the old dirt and gravel roads through the "camp."

"Woah," Dylan breathed, standing in an intersection roughly in the middle of the camp, spinning around and taking in the post-apocalyptic scene. His expression was a mix of fascination, disgust, and fear. I wasn't quite sure how I felt myself. On the one hand, abandoned homes and buildings were just as much part of the local landscape as the mountains and trees. We walked past abandoned buildings every day, and never batted an eye. On the other hand, this particular area creeped me out. When I was younger, some of the older boys would tell ghost stories about the Black folks who lived here and had been killed in the mines or in their homes. A few years before, we were playing hide and seek around the old houses, and when it was my turn to hide, I found a hiding spot that was a little too good, beneath a tarp leaning next to an old shack. And before long my imagination started playing tricks on me, and I was convinced the other boys would run off and leave me there as it was getting dark. Terrified, I emerged from my hiding spot, and Link spotted me from the dirt road, and seeing that I was on the verge of tears, put his finger to his lips and gave me a conspiratorial smile, and then crouched under the tarp next to me. "Good hiding spot, Petey!" he whispered. And he kindly sat with me until I was calmed down, before announcing that he 'found' me.

These days I wasn't quite so scared of this place, but it still left me feeling queezy, and I generally avoided it. Back in the present moment, Hayden murmured, "this place feels haunted." And I had to agree with that. "Check this out," Jilly said, and we veered towards the edge of the small camp, to a rundown stone building butting right up to the side of the mountain. The building was impressive, all brick, 3 stories tall, though by now all of the windows were long broken out, as were the doors. The roof and floors had all fallen in, and trees were growing out of the gaping windows. "School for Colored Youth" was edged prominently in the stonework above what was once a grand front entrance to the building, atop a short staircase. "School... for colored..." Dylan slowly muttered under his breath, before turning to me and Cole, his face looking for an explanation. Cole simply shrugged. "This closed down a long time ago," I offered - which should have been obvious, given the state of the building. "Segregation?" Dylan asked, spitting to word out as if it disgusted him. Cole nodded. "You didn't have separate schools up in BAHston, did ya' BAHston?" Jilly asked. "I... don't know," Dylan frowned. "But I don't think there's any just standing around like this." "Well its not like its really being used," Jilly snorted sarcastically. Dylan blushed, and decided not to pursue the matter.

That night, my mom and dad invited Dylan's parents, cousins and our group of friends over for dinner. My dad grilled burgers and hot dogs and my mom supplied a seemingly endless buffet of side dishes and desserts. For any faults my mom might have, she is an incredible cook, and the occasions when she'd invite our friends over for a meal were always well received and well attended. We spent the evening around a campfire talking, telling stories and jokes. I miss nights like that in West Virginia.

The following morning, it was time for Dylan and Hayden to head home. My mom insisted on feeding them one more enormous breakfast before their parents arrived to start their long drive back to Boston, and they both politely forced down yet more food. Their parents arrived, and we made small talk standing on the front porch of our house. "So, how was your week, boys?" Dylan's mom asked them. "Awesome!" Both Dylan and Hayden agreed. "We should come here every summer, mom, this is better than summer camp!" Dylan exclaimed. "What's summer camp?" I ask him. "Oh, we go away for a week and sleep in bunk beds and go hiking and swimming and kayaking and stuff," Dylan said dismissively. "Kayaking sounds fun," Cole mumbled. "Its no big deal," Dylan said, "I'd rather hang out here," he waved his arms around at the mountains that we'd spent the last week adventuring around. "Well, y'all are welcome here any time," my mom assured them, and Cole and I both bobbed our heads enthusiastically. "Well, what do you think, you ready to go?" their dad asked. Dylan and Hayden made no move to leave, and in fact were standing slightly behind me and Cole. "Looks like they want to stay," their mom said kindly, "come on boys, Cole and Petey have to be tired of putting up with you by now!" "No ma'am!" Cole and I both said in unison, hoping that maybe our new friends might be allowed to stay longer. But it was not to be, and they finally made their way to the car. My family were really "hug people," but everyone exchanged hugs before they left. "PLEASE come back and visit us," I begged, and Cole enthusiastically bobbed his head next to me. "We will!" Dylan promised. "Actually, Petey, Cole, you guys should come up to Boston and visit us!" "Can we?" Cole and I turned to our parents. "We'll see," was their response, as predicted. "You are welcome any time," Dylan's mom kindly assured us.

With that, they piled in their car and pulled out of the driveway, turning right on the highway taking them away from town, back towards the interstate. And suddenly, with the departure of just two people, the world suddenly felt like it got a lot smaller. And all the sudden, the space we occupied between those unforgiving mountains that towered over us started to feel a lot more cramped.

Follow Ups:

- Re: Memoir - Outsiders Part 11 Sleeping Pill 23:13:09 5/20/2021 (1)
  - Re: Memoir - Outsiders Part 11 Pete 23:37:33 5/30/2021 (0)
- Re: Memoir - Outsiders Part 11 Neverdry 22:05:25 5/20/2021 (1)
  - Re: Memoir - Outsiders Part 11 Pete 23:36:55 5/30/2021 (0)
- Re: Memoir - Outsiders Part 11 wetchas 12:13:27 5/20/2021 (2)
  - Re: Memoir - Outsiders Part 11 Pete 23:36:17 5/30/2021 (0)
  - Re: Memoir - Outsiders Part 11 LeviLovR 14:49:25 5/20/2021 (0)

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