The
River Hideaway is a story that is based in the
area of Wilmington, North Carolina. The time line is 1967. This is a work of
fiction and all the characters exist only in my heart and mind. Still, I could
not have written this story without growing up in the South during the time
that I did.
I
was a product of the first year of forced busing in our area to achieve real
integration in our schools. My classmates and I left our predominately white
junior high as eighth graders in 1971 armed with the knowledge that we would be
the kings of our school after summer vacation. Shortly before our ninth grade
began we were informed that we would be bused downtown to what had been two
predominately black schools that now would serve as ninth grade centers. It was
a clash of cultures that proved interesting to say the least.
Wilmington,
NC, like much of the south was a place of much civil unrest during my youth. We
were on national news when a curfew was installed because of rioting. There was
also the famous Wilmington 10 trial.
As
a boy, I was very close with my Grandmother, Ruth Rogers, and had a more
distant relationship with my Grandfather, Jack Rogers. They ran a local fish
market until I was nine years old.
We
were watching racial riots play out on television when my grandfather said
something I hold dear to this day. He was not an educated man but looking back
as we watched white and black fight over skin color he said a simple but very
wise thing. "Good and bad in all. Good and bad in black. Good and bad in
white." I did not realize then what gives me great pride today. My
Grandfather delivered fish to black neighborhoods and sat and ate with his
customers during a time that was not done. My mom said that she truly believed
that Granddad saw no color. My grandparents have long ago departed this earth.
But there was a time when I was in the work force as a young man and I would
cross paths with an elderly black person and as we shared stories I would
mention the fish market. It warms me to this day to recall the endearing voice
used when someone would say, "Mr. Jack was your Granddaddy!"
I
also recall during that time of unrest recall sitting in the Southern
Baptist Church my family attended and thinking shouldn't this be where we bring
our differences? Isn't God's love what could heal all of this ugliness? I did
not dare voice that. I knew I was in a place where they would rail against
drinking a beer while telling racial jokes in the parking lot. My mom once
shared a story that a choir from another area visited our church. The choir
contained a black girl. People left and that included some of the deacons of
the church.
The
idea for the book came to me while watching one of my favorite movies, "A
Time to Kill," with my best friend Jack Humphrey. At some point I said to
him what if this rich white kid and a black kid meet on a basketball court back
in the 60's and become best friends? Many years later here we are.
One
of my favorite scriptures is 1 Samuel 16:7. ...People look at the outward
appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."
One
of my favorite characters in The River Hideaway has a belief that 'Hearts have
no color.' I concur wholeheartedly.
It
is safe to say racial issues have intrigued me for a long time. Next is a blurb
of The River Hideaway.
The year is 1967 and Wilmington, NC,
like much of the nation is embedded in racial turmoil. Bret Marin and Money
Wilkins, two boys on the cusp of manhood meet on a basketball court where each
earns a measure of respect that leads to an improbable friendship.
Bret’s life is
constructed around his love for his little brother Alex and hatred of their
cruel wealthy father. Money Wilkins possesses no external luxuries but thanks
to his proud black father, Clarence, a builder of houses and lives, he has the
greater riches. When his beautiful sister Teke visits it sets off a series of
events no one could foresee. The most chilling being the dark night the Klan
appears.
