only a few years ago, a very
wealthy man.
They stopped at The Tower for
barbecued sandwiches. The
Tower was a part stucco and
part wood filling station and
dance hall set in a clearing
outside of Timothy. A fat man
named Red Sammy Butts ran it
and there were signs stuck here
and there on the building and
for miles up and down the
highway saying, TRY RED
SAMMY'S FAMOUS
BARBECUE. NONE LIKE
FAMOUS RED SAMMY'S!
RED SAM! THE FAT BOY
WITH THE HAPPY LAUGH.
A VETERAN! RED
SAMMY'S YOUR MAN!
Red Sammy was lying on the
bare ground outside The Tower
with his head under a truck
while a gray monkey about a
foot high, chained to a small
chinaberry tree, chattered
nearby. The monkey sprang
back into the tree and got on
the highest limb as soon as he
saw the children jump out of
the car and run toward him.
Inside, The Tower was a long
dark room with a counter at
one end and tables at the other
and dancing space in the
middle. They all sat down at a
board table next to the
nickelodeon and Red Sam's
wife, a tall burnt-brown woman
with hair and eyes lighter than
her skin, came and took their
order. The children's mother
put a dime in the machine and
played "The Tennessee Waltz,"
and the grandmother said that
tune always made her want to
dance. She asked Bailey if he
would like to dance but he only
glared at her. He didn't have a
naturally sunny disposition like
she did and trips made him
nervous. The grandmother's
brown eyes were very bright.
She swayed her head from side
to side and pretended she was
dancing in her chair. June Star
said play something she could
tap to so the children's mother
put in another dime and played
a fast number and June Star
stepped out onto the dance
floor and did her tap routine.
JOY FEELINGS | DECEMBER ISSUE
234