1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,560 Radio Verté presents A Hooga by Corey Zimmerman. 2 00:00:04,560 --> 00:00:26,720 Riff Raff Act 4 3 00:00:34,560 --> 00:00:54,560 Yaelor's Dead by Corey Zimmerman. 4 00:00:54,560 --> 00:01:01,440 Yaelor's dead, says Clarence. Why, what happened? I ask, bottle bouncing off the wall and clattering 5 00:01:01,440 --> 00:01:06,880 across the brick alleyway. Chomping on a tootsie roll, Clarence tells the story. 6 00:01:08,880 --> 00:01:13,040 Well, I was sitting out back, looking up at the darn branch with my tooth stuck in it, 7 00:01:13,040 --> 00:01:17,840 with my heart telling me to go on and get in the house, or you'll break something else. 8 00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:23,200 Well, the second I jumped to my dang feet, that old hickory, for no dang reason, fell right over, 9 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:29,200 broke Yaelor's chain, nearly flattening him like a toad. Anyhow, Yaelor howled to high heaven and 10 00:01:29,200 --> 00:01:34,560 ran for the hills, but as soon as the old mutt hit the road, Ford done plowed him over just like that, 11 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:40,800 flat as a toad. I'm half speechless, half wondering if it's a flat out lie. First and final run for 12 00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:48,160 the old gal, such is a dog's life, I suppose. But hell, gotta see the brat side, at least he died free. 13 00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:53,920 Anyhow, Paul buried Yaelor under the porch, for I could get him up in the loft and into the trunk, 14 00:01:53,920 --> 00:01:57,440 and hell if he didn't have that old hickory chopped up to bits by noon. 15 00:01:57,440 --> 00:02:01,920 Gustin gave him some medicine while back, says it'll help him with his devilish ways, 16 00:02:01,920 --> 00:02:07,600 some cocaine or another. Either way, sure has had a wild hair up his ass lately. 17 00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:11,760 Ma don't know what to think, twisting the neck all around, walking weird too. 18 00:02:11,760 --> 00:02:16,320 Clarence throws a bottle, and pulls a half melted Hershey bar from his back pocket that leaves a 19 00:02:16,320 --> 00:02:23,760 stain, looking like he crapped himself, again. Snagged it when Gustin wasn't looking, he says. 20 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:28,160 Paul set me up to get him another bottle of his medicine, took a nip, not too bad. 21 00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:32,160 Wanna try some? He asks, taking a nip from the brown bottle. 22 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:37,360 Why are you always stealing from Gustin? I ask. Just like stealing, I guess. 23 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:43,200 Shatter. Another bottle breaks, shards in my face. I rub my eye and feel the burn. 24 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:47,600 And guess what? What else, I think. My jar of dead flies is almost full. 25 00:02:49,520 --> 00:02:53,520 Yuck, I say as he takes another nip. Sure you don't want to try it? 26 00:02:53,520 --> 00:02:58,080 Tastes like metal or something, but it's darn near sweet too. Like a shot of whiskey. 27 00:02:58,080 --> 00:03:03,680 No, I'm full, I say, just chug to pop. Anyhow, thought to collect ham bones next, 28 00:03:03,680 --> 00:03:08,000 but Granny smacked my wrist with her dang wooden spoon. Four days for the whale to go down. 29 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:11,200 She got one hell of a grip with that old spoon, I tell you what. 30 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:16,080 My mother's baking apple pie today, I say. Granny's cooking ham and beans again. 31 00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:21,120 I throw another bottle, but it bounces off the wall as Clarence pokes around in a trash bin. 32 00:03:21,120 --> 00:03:25,520 I worry I might go blind with my left eye, but I hope if I ignore it, it'll go away. 33 00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:31,680 What you looking for? I ask. Aw, nuttin'. Just like digging through trash, I guess. 34 00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:35,200 I cringe as he buries his arm deep, trying to catch a rat. 35 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:40,480 Damn, he says, and shrugs off the stench as the rat jumps a good four feet in the air 36 00:03:40,480 --> 00:03:44,480 and scurries off to the next trash bin for cover. You should come and sit in that old 37 00:03:44,480 --> 00:03:49,120 hickory hole with me. I can't, I say. I can't be late for supper again, 38 00:03:49,120 --> 00:03:57,760 or my father will have my hide. Apple pie sure sounds much fine, he says, 39 00:03:57,760 --> 00:04:01,440 finger in his nose. He rolls a booger and holds it up to the light. 40 00:04:01,440 --> 00:04:06,160 Hail, maybe I'll start a booger collection, fill up a whole pickle jar in no time. 41 00:04:06,160 --> 00:04:11,840 He sneezes, hacks, and spits. Snorts a big snort, and sticks his finger back in his nose. 42 00:04:11,840 --> 00:04:17,760 Knuckle high as they watch in amazement. Cob me a trophy, he says, a genuine smile 43 00:04:17,760 --> 00:04:22,800 spread wide across his face. Sole tooth, shining bright as a buttertooth might. 44 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:32,560 Slowly, he pulls out a tough string of snot. One, two inches. 45 00:04:32,560 --> 00:04:37,680 I can feel it combing up my throat like an earthworm, he says, eyes crossed in joy. 46 00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:42,800 Four inches, five inches, and a good foot and a half later, he was dangling a two-foot snot 47 00:04:42,800 --> 00:04:48,160 snake from one finger. He started to twirl it around. Hail, I got me a lasso, he says. 48 00:04:48,720 --> 00:04:54,480 I found a dead body, I say. What? No. What? How? Where? 49 00:04:54,480 --> 00:04:57,440 And you forgot to tell me? Down in the creek. I don't know. I'm 50 00:04:57,440 --> 00:05:01,680 trying to forget about it, I suppose. It had a bullet hole right between his eyes. 51 00:05:01,680 --> 00:05:06,400 Bet it's that dang crook, says Clarence. No way. He got away, I say, 52 00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:09,840 as the snot lasso breaks free and slaps against the brick wall. 53 00:05:09,840 --> 00:05:14,800 Show me, he says. Come on, he begs, as they look down and kick another bottle. 54 00:05:14,800 --> 00:05:19,120 And with a flash, I spot Josephina brisk by in a purple dress. 55 00:05:20,240 --> 00:05:24,080 I gotta go, I say, and sprint down the alleyway after her. 56 00:05:24,080 --> 00:05:40,720 I wanna see a dead body, hollers Clarence. Hey, Oscar, why you always chasing that girl? 57 00:05:42,240 --> 00:05:47,520 Josephina turns back slowly in front of the flower shop, and I notice her solemn face. 58 00:05:47,520 --> 00:05:51,360 Hello, Oscar, she says. Want to get a pop? I ask. 59 00:05:51,360 --> 00:05:55,360 No, I'm not thirsty, she says. Want to take a walk? 60 00:05:55,360 --> 00:06:00,400 Sure, I guess, she shrugs, but not in that usual way, and her robozo stays in place. 61 00:06:01,360 --> 00:06:05,680 On the tracks near P&O, I kick a pebble that bounces over three good sleepers, 62 00:06:05,680 --> 00:06:11,040 as the backs of our hands touch in the train yard. That's where Papa works, she says. 63 00:06:11,040 --> 00:06:17,760 Arturo, too, nodding toward P&O as we pass by. But I am not surprised. Everyone works at P&O. 64 00:06:17,760 --> 00:06:22,800 Josephina, I'm sorry, I say. Why are you sorry? She asks. 65 00:06:22,800 --> 00:06:26,320 I don't know. About the dead body, I guess, I say. 66 00:06:26,320 --> 00:06:30,880 Her eyes soften and well with tears as she says. I saw a dead body before. 67 00:06:31,760 --> 00:06:36,960 I want to stop and hug her, at least hold her hand, but we keep strolling along awkwardly. 68 00:06:36,960 --> 00:06:42,080 When I was little, she says, we lived with mi abuelo in Mexico. He was a judge. 69 00:06:42,080 --> 00:06:46,240 One Christmas Eve, he was helping me learn to walk when there was a knock at the door, 70 00:06:46,240 --> 00:06:50,480 when my grandfather answered, the man stabbed him to death right in front of me. 71 00:06:50,480 --> 00:06:53,600 I don't remember it, but after that, it wasn't safe for us no more. 72 00:06:54,160 --> 00:06:58,080 So we left in the middle of the night. We traveled by foot to El Paso. It took many, 73 00:06:58,080 --> 00:07:04,320 many, many days, she says. I hate to admit it, but I wonder if not remembering it counts. 74 00:07:04,880 --> 00:07:09,520 Because, hell, I can't get the dead man's eyes out of my head, especially at night when I'm 75 00:07:09,520 --> 00:07:14,880 trying to sleep. And especially that rotten hole. I dreamed I saw a worm crawling out of it. 76 00:07:14,880 --> 00:07:20,880 In Texas, she says, we stayed in a migrant camp. Papa worked in the mines, and Mama watched over 77 00:07:20,880 --> 00:07:25,840 Arturo and me during the day. But sometimes people came to the camp to scare us, and we would run 78 00:07:25,840 --> 00:07:30,480 off into the desert and hide from them until they left. When we come back to camp, everything will 79 00:07:30,480 --> 00:07:35,280 be broken, and we'd have to make new tents. And when they came back to burn them, we gave up and 80 00:07:35,280 --> 00:07:40,320 slept under the stars. The stars in the desert are beautiful, but it gets really cold at night. 81 00:07:40,320 --> 00:07:46,800 Then one morning they came again. But this time, they did more. They did bad things. Bad, bad things. 82 00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:51,520 They started shooting people. There were so many screams and so much banging. Papa tried to get us 83 00:07:51,520 --> 00:07:55,520 out of the camp, out into the desert where it was safer, where we could hide in the arroyo like 84 00:07:55,520 --> 00:08:00,720 before. And he told Mama to run, holding me in her arms. But then there was a real loud bang, 85 00:08:00,720 --> 00:08:05,200 and she tripped and fell on top of me. Papa pulled me out from under her and covered my face 86 00:08:05,200 --> 00:08:10,240 in Mama's robozo. When Papa finally took the robozo off my face, I didn't see Mama anywhere. 87 00:08:10,240 --> 00:08:15,920 I cried for her, but she never came. Later we went back to look for her, and there she was, 88 00:08:16,800 --> 00:08:20,880 lying on the ground right where she had fallen. The buzzards had pulled her guts out 89 00:08:20,880 --> 00:08:25,280 and her eyes. Her eyes, they were empty and dark. And I do remember that. 90 00:08:27,520 --> 00:08:32,160 Papa and Arturo buried her under some stones, and sometimes I dream of her alone out there in the 91 00:08:32,160 --> 00:08:42,800 desert at night. We've stopped walking, and Justifina trembles in her jaw. She kind of looks 92 00:08:42,800 --> 00:08:49,040 up at me, but then away. Over at P&L, as tears stream down her face. I try to wipe them away, 93 00:08:49,040 --> 00:08:55,680 but she rises on her toes to stand firm on her own. Don't dry them, she says. I step toward her, 94 00:08:55,680 --> 00:09:00,320 and she doesn't back away. After a long moment, I can feel her heart beating into mine. 95 00:09:00,320 --> 00:09:06,560 I want to say I am sorry, but the cat has my tongue once again. No, the cat has shredded my 96 00:09:06,560 --> 00:09:11,120 tongue to pieces. I've never heard anything remotely like what she has just told me. 97 00:09:11,840 --> 00:09:16,560 I feel stupid, and realize I don't have the words because I'm a spoiled little shit. 98 00:09:16,560 --> 00:09:21,760 I decide not even to try to say anything anymore. And as I slowly shake my head back and forth, 99 00:09:21,760 --> 00:09:27,360 feeling a fool, Justifina hugs me tight, wrapping her robozo around me. And I cry. 100 00:09:27,360 --> 00:09:33,440 I begin to sob into her shoulder. I am a child, wailing snot, and she holds me like a child and 101 00:09:33,440 --> 00:09:38,960 begins to sink softly in my ear. I don't understand the words, but they calm me nonetheless. 102 00:09:39,760 --> 00:09:45,440 My weeping turns to sniffles, and my sniffles slow. She removes her arms from my waist and 103 00:09:45,440 --> 00:09:50,880 reaches into her basket. I look down through swollen, mucus-filled eyes, and I see she holds 104 00:09:50,880 --> 00:09:58,640 a pack of Victorias. Want a candy cigarette? She asks. Sure, I say. Wait, where did you get these? 105 00:09:58,640 --> 00:10:05,440 I ask with one last sniffle to clear my nose. I got them for you, she says, and I smile wide. 106 00:10:05,440 --> 00:10:25,600 And for the first time, I understand love. Wow, thanks, I say, stepping from sleeper to sleeper, 107 00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:32,720 fingers interlocked. Want to get a pop? I ask, feeling I owe her something in return. Sure, 108 00:10:32,720 --> 00:10:38,080 she says as we step off the tracks, puffing on powdered sugar and making our way into town. 109 00:10:43,920 --> 00:10:47,760 The storyteller I am, I ask Josefina if she wants to hear a tale. 110 00:10:48,480 --> 00:10:55,680 Tale of a town. Sure, I love stories, she says, and with a smile and a genuine skip in her step. 111 00:10:55,680 --> 00:11:04,560 Tale of a town. In the spring of 1835, the American frontier was alive with opportunity and promise. 112 00:11:05,360 --> 00:11:09,920 Among the many hopeful souls seeking a better life was William Parlin, a young man with a 113 00:11:09,920 --> 00:11:15,680 heart full of ambition and dreams. Born and raised in New York, he had long felt the pull of the 114 00:11:15,680 --> 00:11:21,280 expanding West, drawn by the tales of fertile land and the chance to forge his own destiny. 115 00:11:21,280 --> 00:11:26,000 William's journey began with a long trek across the rugged landscape. He traveled by wagon, 116 00:11:26,000 --> 00:11:31,520 laden with supplies, and a few cherished possessions, including a well-worn journal, 117 00:11:31,520 --> 00:11:36,560 where he recorded his thoughts and observations. Each mile brought him closer to a new life, 118 00:11:36,560 --> 00:11:41,920 but also tested his resolve. He encountered rough terrain, unpredictable weather, and the 119 00:11:41,920 --> 00:11:46,880 occasional band of weary travelers, each with their own stories of hope and hardship. 120 00:11:46,880 --> 00:11:52,240 After weeks of travel, William finally reached the banks of the Spoon River in central Illinois. 121 00:11:52,240 --> 00:11:58,320 The area was lush and green, dotted with wildflowers and framed by tall, swaying trees. 122 00:11:58,320 --> 00:12:03,360 As he gazed at the sparkling water, he felt a sense of belonging wash over him. This was the 123 00:12:03,360 --> 00:12:07,920 place where he would build a future, he decided. In the summer of that year, 124 00:12:07,920 --> 00:12:11,440 William settled near a small settlement that was beginning to take shape. 125 00:12:11,440 --> 00:12:16,320 There were only a handful of families, but the spirit of community was strong. He quickly became 126 00:12:16,320 --> 00:12:21,520 a familiar face, earning the trust and respect of his neighbors with his hard work and friendly 127 00:12:21,520 --> 00:12:26,960 demeanor. He helped clear land for farming, and in the back of his mind, as he shared stories around 128 00:12:26,960 --> 00:12:34,320 the evening fire, William had a vision. A vision. As the town began to take form, inspired by his 129 00:12:34,320 --> 00:12:39,700 surroundings and the 130 00:12:39,700 --> 00:12:46,360 potential for growth, he proposed the name Canton, believing if you dug a hole straight through the 131 00:12:46,360 --> 00:12:51,880 center of the earth, you'd end up in Canton, China. As silly as it might have seemed, the name was 132 00:12:51,880 --> 00:12:58,120 embraced by the settlers, and soon plans for a formal community emerged. William and the other 133 00:12:58,120 --> 00:13:03,160 settlers organized a first town meeting. Together they laid the groundwork for a school, a general 134 00:13:03,160 --> 00:13:12,120 store, and a church, all vital to the life of the community. William's leadership and enthusiasm 135 00:13:12,120 --> 00:13:16,920 inspired others to contribute their skills and resources, and he became known not just as a 136 00:13:16,920 --> 00:13:22,760 founder, but as a guiding force in the lives of those around him. As winter approached, the 137 00:13:22,760 --> 00:13:27,800 challenges of frontier life grew. Harsh weather and limited supplies tested the resolve of the 138 00:13:27,800 --> 00:13:34,200 settlers, yet William remained steadfast, his optimism a beacon of hope. He organized communal 139 00:13:34,200 --> 00:13:39,320 gatherings, where neighbors shared food, stories, and laughter, reinforcing the bonds that held them 140 00:13:39,320 --> 00:13:43,720 together until spring lastly returned. 141 00:13:50,520 --> 00:13:55,640 Passing through the low part of town, houses stand like tired old friends, paint peeling like 142 00:13:55,640 --> 00:14:01,080 memories forgotten, cracked sidewalks weaving through wild grass, weeds pushing through the 143 00:14:01,080 --> 00:14:06,760 parched earths, while the distant rumble of a train whispers stories of journeys unmet, souls 144 00:14:06,760 --> 00:14:12,760 trapped behind shuttered windows, and with porches that sag, echoes the neglect and the tarnish of 145 00:14:12,760 --> 00:14:20,040 time. I see a dirty-faced child glaring as Josephina and I pass by. The dirty-faced child, 146 00:14:20,040 --> 00:14:24,760 he peeks through a grime-smeared window framed by the peeling paint of his weathered house, 147 00:14:24,760 --> 00:14:31,160 dark hair tousled and unkept, white eyes that barely shimmer with curiosity and a hint of longing. 148 00:14:31,800 --> 00:14:32,520 But for what? 149 00:14:35,160 --> 00:14:41,160 Smudges of dirt streak across his cheeks, remnants of the dusty yard outside. His expression is 150 00:14:41,160 --> 00:14:46,520 mixed of wonder and lostness as he watches the soot-encrusted world beyond, where sunlight sits 151 00:14:46,520 --> 00:14:53,960 stale in the air. The cracked glass pool against his forehead, a thin barrier between him and my 152 00:14:53,960 --> 00:15:00,840 life unfolding just outside, a life filled with bicycles and apple pie, adventure in the promise 153 00:15:00,840 --> 00:15:12,040 of tomorrow. And at this moment, a scene as I both gloom anchored to his fate and possibly a spark 154 00:15:12,040 --> 00:15:19,720 yearning for the vibrant world beyond. But no, it was but a reflection of the sun beginning to lower 155 00:15:19,720 --> 00:15:24,840 in the western sky. I lose sight of the tiny figure caught between innocence and the weight 156 00:15:24,840 --> 00:15:31,320 of this unpromising world and I kick a tuna can, long lick clean of its tuna, and I foolishly 157 00:15:31,320 --> 00:15:37,000 mutter. They say this town is cursed, you know, that it's built on top of an ancient burial ground. 158 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:41,880 This whole country is cursed if you look at it that way, says Josephina. The whole world even. 159 00:15:43,320 --> 00:15:46,040 I nod in wonderment, and she has quite a point. 160 00:15:46,040 --> 00:15:57,480 But Canton is different, I say. And I tell her a tale of the curse. The curse. A tale. 161 00:15:59,480 --> 00:16:05,400 When William Parlin stepped off the wagon in Canton back in 1835, the crisp autumn air filled 162 00:16:05,400 --> 00:16:10,520 his lungs with the scent of promise. He had clutched a worn hammer in one hand and put two 163 00:16:10,520 --> 00:16:15,160 pennies in his pocket. But as he surveyed the modest gathering, bustling with life, 164 00:16:15,160 --> 00:16:20,840 he had a vision. And with determination etched on his face, he approached his new neighbors, 165 00:16:21,560 --> 00:16:27,800 announcing, I'm a blacksmith. His voice steady despite his uncertainty, and I want to build a 166 00:16:27,800 --> 00:16:33,800 shop. His neighbors exchanged glances, intrigued by this newcomer with nothing but a hammer and a 167 00:16:33,800 --> 00:16:40,520 dream. But encouraged by their interest, he set to work. Day by day, he crafted his shop from 168 00:16:40,520 --> 00:16:45,480 salvaged wood and iron, the rhythmic clank of his hammer ringing through the streets. 169 00:16:46,200 --> 00:16:52,200 And as the forge took shape, word spread. Locals began to stop by, drawn by the promise of tools 170 00:16:52,200 --> 00:16:58,120 and horseshoes. With each piece he crafted, William not only shaped metal, but also forged 171 00:16:58,120 --> 00:17:04,840 connections. His shop became a hub of the community. In the dim light of his blacksmith shop, 172 00:17:04,840 --> 00:17:10,680 William Parlin hunched over a zanvil, the rhythmic clank of metal filling the air. 173 00:17:10,680 --> 00:17:17,960 It was the mid-1850s by now, and the fields surrounding Canton, Illinois, stretched endlessly, 174 00:17:17,960 --> 00:17:23,320 a canvas of potential waiting to be cultivated. Yet farmers struggled with wooden plows that 175 00:17:23,320 --> 00:17:29,160 splintered and broke in the tough Midwestern soil. As William hammered away, a thought ignited in his 176 00:17:29,160 --> 00:17:36,680 mind one day. Another vision. A plow that could withstand the rigors of the land. He had seen the 177 00:17:36,680 --> 00:17:43,960 farmers toil, their backs bent and hands calloused. And so, he set to work, gathering scraps of iron 178 00:17:43,960 --> 00:17:49,240 and steel, driven by the challenge ahead. Days turned into nights as he experimented with 179 00:17:49,240 --> 00:17:55,640 different designs, forging and welding, testing each prototype against the earth. Finally, after 180 00:17:55,640 --> 00:18:01,480 countless trials, he crafted a steel plow that glinted in the sunlight, strong and resilient. 181 00:18:05,320 --> 00:18:09,880 Word spread quickly through the farming community, and farmers flocked to his shop, 182 00:18:09,880 --> 00:18:15,560 eager to see his new invention. When they tried the steel plow in their fields, they were amazed 183 00:18:15,560 --> 00:18:22,040 at how it cut through the soil with ease. Turning hard ground into fertile rows ready for planting, 184 00:18:22,040 --> 00:18:27,560 William's steel plow revolutionized farming in the region, and his innovation earned him respect and 185 00:18:27,560 --> 00:18:33,320 gratitude from the community. As crops flourished and harvest grew bountiful, the man who had arrived 186 00:18:33,320 --> 00:18:39,080 in Canton with just a hammer and two cents, became a pioneer, forever changing the landscape of 187 00:18:39,080 --> 00:18:45,400 agriculture. In that humble blacksmith shop, William Parlin forged not just a tool, but a legacy 188 00:18:45,400 --> 00:18:54,600 that would endure for generations. But on cursed soil, the more the buried bones of the ancients 189 00:18:54,600 --> 00:19:01,240 were tilled up, the more vengeance simmered in that blackness below. And on a bleak March morning in 190 00:19:01,240 --> 00:19:08,280 1886, the town of Canton was still wrapped in the lingering chill of winter when a thin veil of fog 191 00:19:08,280 --> 00:19:14,520 clung to the air, muffling the sounds of the community slowly buzzing to life. The Parlin 192 00:19:14,520 --> 00:19:20,600 blacksmith shop standing resolutely at the end of a narrow street, a sturdy facade a testament to the 193 00:19:20,600 --> 00:19:27,320 craftsmanship within. Within, the rhythmic clank of hammers on anvils filled the air, 194 00:19:27,960 --> 00:19:31,720 mainly with the sharp tang of iron and the warmth of glowing coals. 195 00:19:31,720 --> 00:19:45,240 As the sun began to rise, illuminating the dusty interior, a group of skilled blacksmiths worked 196 00:19:45,240 --> 00:19:52,200 diligently. Among them was Henry, a seasoned smith known for his artistry and keen eye. He was deep 197 00:19:52,200 --> 00:19:57,880 in concentration, shaping a horseshoe. His brow beaded with sweat, despite the coolness in the 198 00:19:57,880 --> 00:20:03,800 shop, the flickering light from the forge danced across the walls, casting shadows that seemed to 199 00:20:03,800 --> 00:20:10,760 move with a life of their own. But lurking beneath the surface was danger. Beneath the surface, 200 00:20:12,600 --> 00:20:18,200 a gas line that powered the forge had developed a slow leak. Unnoticed amidst the clamor of tools 201 00:20:18,200 --> 00:20:24,680 and the clatter of workers, it wafted through the shop a silent omen of vengeance. And just as the 202 00:20:24,680 --> 00:20:31,320 clock struck ten, a loud boom shattered the morning calm as the ancients lashed out. 203 00:20:32,680 --> 00:20:38,760 The gas igniting in a sudden, blinding flash, the explosion reverberated through the air like a clap 204 00:20:38,760 --> 00:20:44,680 of thunder, sending a shockwave that rattled windows many blocks away. The force of the blast 205 00:20:44,680 --> 00:20:50,840 hurled workers against walls and sent tools flying, turning the once bustling shop into a scene of 206 00:20:50,840 --> 00:20:58,520 chaos and confusion. Smoke billowed from the wreckage, mingling with the cries of the injured. 207 00:20:58,520 --> 00:21:05,080 Henry found himself on the floor, dazed but alive, his ears ringing. Around him comrades 208 00:21:05,080 --> 00:21:11,160 struggled to rise, their faces smeared with soot, shock, and blood. The smell of burning wood and 209 00:21:11,160 --> 00:21:20,040 iron filled his nostrils, mingling with the metallic taste of fear. Outside, townsfolk rushed to the 210 00:21:20,040 --> 00:21:26,600 scene, drawn by the sound of destruction. And they found the shop in ruins, its roof partially 211 00:21:26,600 --> 00:21:32,200 collapsed, its walls crumbling. Rescuers scrambled to pull trapped workers from the debris, 212 00:21:32,200 --> 00:21:37,800 their hearts racing as they searched for any sign of life amidst the wreckage. A once bustling 213 00:21:37,800 --> 00:21:45,160 workshop now as silent as the dead. Josephine looks back over her shoulder, 214 00:21:45,160 --> 00:21:50,920 piano just out of sight, with an eye of dread, a weight of genuine concern in her step. 215 00:21:52,520 --> 00:21:59,720 And then, I say, and tell her another cursed tale. Another cursed tale. 216 00:22:05,560 --> 00:22:12,200 On the warm summer evening of May 15th, 1882, Canton was humming with excitement. The air was 217 00:22:12,200 --> 00:22:16,920 filled with laughter and the echoing sounds of a traveling circus that had set up its vibrant 218 00:22:16,920 --> 00:22:22,760 tents on the outskirts of town. Colorful banners flapped in a gentle breeze, and the smell of 219 00:22:22,760 --> 00:22:28,840 popcorn and roasted peanuts wafted through the streets from the high to the low part of town, 220 00:22:28,840 --> 00:22:33,560 drawing families and children alike to the spectacle. The circus was the highlight of 221 00:22:33,560 --> 00:22:45,240 the season, bringing all the classes together. Acrobats twisted through the air, clowns painted 222 00:22:45,240 --> 00:22:49,960 smiles on the faces of delighted children, and the roar of the crowd filled the sky, 223 00:22:50,520 --> 00:22:56,520 casting a magical glow over the fairgrounds. But as the revelry reached its peak around 4 p.m. 224 00:22:56,520 --> 00:23:03,560 that late afternoon, the atmosphere began to shift. A low rumble rolled through the air, 225 00:23:03,560 --> 00:23:09,160 unnoticed by the joyful crowd. The temperature suddenly dropped, and the wind began to stir, 226 00:23:09,720 --> 00:23:15,160 rustling the leaves of nearby trees. The ringmaster, with his top hat and booming voice, 227 00:23:15,160 --> 00:23:19,400 continued to captivate the audience, oblivious to the brewing storm. 228 00:23:19,400 --> 00:23:28,760 And just as the final act, a daring trapeze performance took to the sky, the winds intensified. 229 00:23:28,760 --> 00:23:33,640 A sense of unease swept through the crowd as they looked up to see dark clouds swirling 230 00:23:33,640 --> 00:23:40,600 ominously above. And suddenly, a deafening roar erupted, drowning out the music and laughter. 231 00:23:40,600 --> 00:23:49,080 The sky twisted, and from its depths, a funnel cloud descended, spiraling down toward the ground. 232 00:23:51,080 --> 00:23:55,800 Panic erupted in an instant. Families grabbed their children and ran for shelter, 233 00:23:55,800 --> 00:24:00,840 but the tornado was upon them too quickly. The ground trembled as the massive storm tore 234 00:24:00,840 --> 00:24:06,280 through the fairgrounds, ripping the canvas tents apart like paper, scattering debris in all 235 00:24:06,280 --> 00:24:11,880 directions, horses whining in terror, and the sounds of chaos filled the air. 236 00:24:13,240 --> 00:24:18,200 In the midst of the turmoil, a young boy named Tommy clutched a stuffed animal tightly, 237 00:24:18,200 --> 00:24:24,040 searching for his mother. He watched in horror as the colorful tents were torn asunder, 238 00:24:24,040 --> 00:24:30,200 the once vibrant circus transformed into a scene of destruction. Nearby, the ringmaster shouted 239 00:24:30,200 --> 00:24:33,800 orders, trying to help performers and spectators alike find safety. 240 00:24:33,800 --> 00:24:39,320 And as the tornado roared through Canton, it left a path of devastation in its wake. 241 00:24:41,640 --> 00:24:46,760 Buildings uprooted, trees splintered, and the streets littered with remnants of the circus. 242 00:24:47,400 --> 00:24:53,240 Broken wagons, scattered props, and the echoes of laughter now replaced by cries for help 243 00:24:53,240 --> 00:25:05,960 that broke the eerie silence that fell over a town laid in ruins. And then, I say, before telling 244 00:25:05,960 --> 00:25:14,280 yet another cursed tale, yet another cursed tale, as the day of May 15th, 1882 wore on. 245 00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:19,960 The circus was in full swing while William Parlin was at work in his shop when a sudden 246 00:25:19,960 --> 00:25:25,640 shift in the air turned the day ominous. The sky darkened, and as an uneasy stillness fell 247 00:25:25,640 --> 00:25:31,240 over the shop, whispers of a nasty storm brewing began to circulate. But William, 248 00:25:31,240 --> 00:25:37,000 ever the reassuring figure, smiled and said, just a summer squall, we've weathered worse. 249 00:25:37,880 --> 00:25:44,040 However, nature had other plans. As the winds began to pick up, William's family was at home 250 00:25:44,040 --> 00:25:48,680 in their cabin. Back in the shop, William's heart began to pound as he could hear the 251 00:25:48,680 --> 00:25:55,800 sound of his wife, Mary, and their children, Ella 10 and a 12-year-old, also named Mary. 252 00:25:58,680 --> 00:26:05,160 In the cabin, his family huddled together, fear etched on their faces. Sarah held tightly to 253 00:26:05,160 --> 00:26:11,320 Mary and Ella's hand, her eyes wide with fright. We'll be fine, she said, trying to instill calm 254 00:26:11,320 --> 00:26:17,160 in the chaos. But the storm unleashed its fury. Tornado touched down with a deafening roar. 255 00:26:17,160 --> 00:26:21,480 A monstrous force that tore through the landscape. The house shook violently, 256 00:26:21,480 --> 00:26:27,000 and debris flew through the air like arrows. Sarah shielded her family with her body, 257 00:26:27,000 --> 00:26:33,640 whispering words of comfort even as fear gripped her heart. And in that moment of terror, 258 00:26:33,640 --> 00:26:39,400 a powerful gust ripped through the home, sending wooden beams crashing down as the world about them 259 00:26:39,400 --> 00:26:51,880 crumbled. When the storm finally passed, the skies cleared, revealing a scene of utter devastation. 260 00:26:52,440 --> 00:26:58,040 As the workers in the shop, once again in ruin, rushed to help one another, William Parlin was 261 00:26:58,040 --> 00:27:09,480 found crushed in the wreckage. Meanwhile, young Mary's corpse was found strewn amongst the debris. 262 00:27:09,480 --> 00:27:13,640 The loss struck deep as news of William and Mary's death spread quickly, 263 00:27:13,640 --> 00:27:20,200 and the town mourned the loss of its leader. Miss Clancy's poodle is on the porch, 264 00:27:20,200 --> 00:27:24,920 peering at us timidly as we pass by. But the hound herself is nowhere to be seen. 265 00:27:24,920 --> 00:27:32,920 In front of Goosteens, I search my pockets. Damn, I say. Oscar, she scolds me. I can't find my nickel. 266 00:27:33,560 --> 00:27:39,880 I say. It's okay. I don't need a pop, she says. We can walk to my house and I'll get another nickel 267 00:27:39,880 --> 00:27:46,360 from my mother. I say. No Oscar, it's okay. Come on, I say, pulling her by the hand, 268 00:27:46,360 --> 00:27:53,400 suddenly excited to show her where I live. We take a left at the bank and walk down an alley, 269 00:27:53,400 --> 00:27:59,560 passing Edison phonograph and Baldwin pianos. Moving, grunts a man shuffling under the weight 270 00:27:59,560 --> 00:28:06,040 of a mason and hamlet. Hey, let's cut through here, I say, speaking of the alley. We can go the 271 00:28:06,040 --> 00:28:13,560 back way. Anyhow, this is the best gift anyone has ever given me, I say, puffing on another cigarette. 272 00:28:14,360 --> 00:28:20,600 I don't want you to ask your mama, she says. I have to give you something, I say. You can give me a 273 00:28:20,600 --> 00:28:28,760 kiss, she says with a grin. What? I can't believe my ears. My heart races as I stop to face her. 274 00:28:28,760 --> 00:28:36,200 A kiss? I ask. Well, only if you want to, she says. And before I know it, I'm pulling my lips 275 00:28:36,200 --> 00:28:44,760 away from her cheek. What was that? She asks. A kiss, I say. My brother can kiss better than that. 276 00:28:44,760 --> 00:28:51,640 On the lips, silly, she says. My heart is now beating into my ribcage. She rises on her tiptoes 277 00:28:51,640 --> 00:29:04,920 and leans towards me. And I toward her. And, and. Oh, wow. Her lips. Her soft, warm lips. Her soft, 278 00:29:04,920 --> 00:29:07,000 warm lips. A poem. 279 00:29:07,000 --> 00:29:14,520 Soft, warm lips like petals bloom. With the essence of the sun. A taste of honey, sweet perfume. 280 00:29:15,080 --> 00:29:21,240 Where dreams and hopes are spun. In every kiss a story told. Of love that knows no bounds. 281 00:29:21,240 --> 00:29:29,720 A spark of fire. A heart of gold. In her embrace, joy resounds. So let the world around us fade. 282 00:29:29,720 --> 00:29:37,000 In this moment, hearts intertwined. For in her lips, a serenade of love that's pure and undefined. 283 00:29:37,000 --> 00:29:41,320 Ahooga! Come on, give me a break. I'm only 12 years old. 284 00:29:42,440 --> 00:29:47,000 Hey, what you doing to that there beaner? A shout echoes from down the alleyway. 285 00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:52,920 Hey, Richie Rich, I'm talking to you. Yes, Richie Rich. That's what the boys call me. 286 00:29:52,920 --> 00:29:59,880 Oscar, says Josefina with concern. And I quickly pull her by the hand away from the shouting, 287 00:29:59,880 --> 00:30:04,840 trying to remain calm as I place one foot before the other. Josefina shuts her eyes tight, 288 00:30:04,840 --> 00:30:11,880 trusting my lead. Hey, Rich boy, you a spick lover? Oh, shit. It's Jimmy of all people. 289 00:30:12,760 --> 00:30:16,940 Jimmy of all people? As previously mentioned, I'm a little bit of a 290 00:30:16,940 --> 00:30:23,480 spick lover. Oh, shit. It's Jimmy of all people. Jimmy of all people? As previously mentioned, 291 00:30:23,480 --> 00:30:28,760 lives on a strict diet of steady violence. I could recognize his hog squeal anywhere. 292 00:30:29,640 --> 00:30:36,680 His hog squeal. A poem. In shadows deep, a bully sneer. His voice like a hog squeal, 293 00:30:36,680 --> 00:30:43,320 gruff and queer. With every grunt, he seeks to sting. Yet beneath the bluster, fear takes wing. 294 00:30:43,320 --> 00:30:51,000 Oh, Richie Rich, I'm talking to you, spick lover. He squeals. I pull Josefina faster as he and his 295 00:30:51,000 --> 00:30:57,480 friends come running down the alley behind us. Footsteps in closing. Hey, Bean Humper, stop. 296 00:30:57,480 --> 00:31:02,920 Jimmy just wants to talk to you. Jimmy's friends scream right into the back of my head. Get him. 297 00:31:02,920 --> 00:31:14,120 Crack. Wait. I've been here before. By the tightening of your grip, I can tell that you have not. 298 00:31:14,120 --> 00:31:20,520 We are well beyond the post office. Your pace slows as we cross Avenue A. West Elm, lined with 299 00:31:20,520 --> 00:31:27,320 sidewalks on both sides of the street, must make things confusing. You look up at third-story attics 300 00:31:27,320 --> 00:31:33,640 and the windows of third-story bedrooms of homes, fenced with freshly painted pickets. Pearly white, 301 00:31:33,640 --> 00:31:40,760 of course. At Avenue B, we dip down into a narrow valley where the houses have classic Greek columns, 302 00:31:41,320 --> 00:31:47,160 tall chimneys, and ancient shade trees towering out front. You kick a chestnut and it hobbles 303 00:31:47,160 --> 00:31:54,600 over the fine brickwork. And over the top of a gentle rolling hill, we cross Avenue C and we've 304 00:31:54,600 --> 00:32:02,680 made our way to the land of milk and honey. Down into a more expansive valley, we approach an estate 305 00:32:02,680 --> 00:32:09,160 with sprawling acreage of clover behind wrought iron gates of ivy. Set well back, the four-story 306 00:32:09,160 --> 00:32:16,280 Prairie School Chateau has two prominent gables and a steep terracotta roof. Its face, a geometric 307 00:32:16,280 --> 00:32:23,720 grid of large timbers. Confounding, I can tell. A carriage house and gazebo sit by a small twisting 308 00:32:23,720 --> 00:32:30,280 stream into bronze plaque on the perimeter wall of river stones that reads, Red Crest. 309 00:32:31,080 --> 00:32:34,840 Yes, this is the home of Ulysses Orndorff, your papa's boss. 310 00:32:38,040 --> 00:32:44,040 Next, a home with a veranda large enough to play football. A picturesque home, crisp white, behind 311 00:32:44,040 --> 00:32:50,920 a yard of broad sugar maples. Dutch gabled. The house has three red brick chimneys, but one's eye 312 00:32:50,920 --> 00:32:56,760 naturally shoots up the front-facing Queen Anne Tower. Topped with a copula, finished with slate, 313 00:32:57,480 --> 00:33:03,480 fish-scaled shingles, and copper weathervane. Your belly fills with sour apples, with quite 314 00:33:03,480 --> 00:33:24,600 noticeable unease. Yes, I've been here before. I seem to awake from my dream, already on my feet, 315 00:33:24,600 --> 00:33:30,200 to Josephina walking me as she uses her rebozo to wipe spit and blood from my face. 316 00:33:30,200 --> 00:33:34,600 I have no memory of the swift bottle that came smashing down upon the back of my skull, 317 00:33:34,600 --> 00:33:41,240 as all had gone black with a flash in the twirling of lights. With me lying at Josephina's feet, 318 00:33:42,120 --> 00:33:47,560 as she swung her basket wildly at Jimmy and the other boys, who took turns kicking me in the ribs, 319 00:33:48,280 --> 00:33:54,360 shouting, Spick Lover, Bean Humper, Eat Shit, Rich Boy, and with an impressively clever play of words 320 00:33:54,360 --> 00:34:00,520 for an inbred imbecile. You ain't so spick and span now, are ya? As they stripped my trousers off 321 00:34:00,520 --> 00:34:06,280 my legs, tearing my shirt and undergarments to shreds, and before they pinned Josephina against 322 00:34:06,280 --> 00:34:12,280 the wall, they soiled my face with spit and the sole of the shoe. I would have done anything to 323 00:34:12,280 --> 00:34:17,880 help her, to stop them from groping her under her purple dress. I would have stabbed Jimmy in the 324 00:34:17,880 --> 00:34:23,640 neck with a broken bottle, to keep him from feeling her up and down, and to stop him from 325 00:34:23,640 --> 00:34:28,360 feeling her up and down with his filthy hands. I would have broken every bone in their bodies, 326 00:34:28,360 --> 00:34:32,360 and ripped out their tongues to prevent them from saying all those awful things to her, 327 00:34:32,360 --> 00:34:38,600 as they took turns groping her breasts. But it had all happened so fast, like a nightmarish dream. 328 00:34:41,480 --> 00:34:47,640 Now that I found myself awake on my feet in the high part of town, with no idea how I got here, 329 00:34:47,640 --> 00:34:54,520 half my size, Josephina holds me up all on her own. My ribs must be cracked as pain shoots through 330 00:34:54,520 --> 00:35:01,960 my lungs, and I can hardly breathe as I struggle to take another step. My mind is lost in a swirl 331 00:35:01,960 --> 00:35:08,520 of concussion as she helps my nude, battered body through the high part of town. Which way, Oscar? 332 00:35:08,520 --> 00:35:14,680 She repeats again and again. Which house is yours? Echoing through my mind, dehumanized and 333 00:35:14,680 --> 00:35:22,040 tremoring, as tears stream like a river from her eyes. She begs of me to focus. Oscar, which way 334 00:35:22,040 --> 00:35:28,840 do I go? Josephina yells help at a lady planting flowers, and a pot on the porch out front of the 335 00:35:28,840 --> 00:35:36,440 same giant house. The lady turns to see Josephina walking me up the road, my body nude, for all but 336 00:35:36,440 --> 00:35:45,400 a lime green robozo about my shoulders. Please help! She yells again. Oscar! Running down the 337 00:35:45,400 --> 00:35:51,560 pathway lined with roses from our front door, freshly painted brilliant red, the over door 338 00:35:51,560 --> 00:36:00,280 gilded in gold lettering that reads Hawthorne, a name unfamiliar to me. Oh my sweet boy, what happened? 339 00:36:00,280 --> 00:36:07,160 asks my mother. They beat him and took his clothes, says Josephina out of breath. Who did? 340 00:36:07,160 --> 00:36:13,640 She cries. What the hell is going on? Shouts my father from the front door. Some kids from school, 341 00:36:13,640 --> 00:36:19,960 Josephina says, handing me off to my mother's arms. My father storms down the path to look me over and 342 00:36:19,960 --> 00:36:26,920 says, damn son, I don't know why you can't get along with the other boys. My mother tells Josephina 343 00:36:26,920 --> 00:36:33,720 thank you for bringing me home. That will be all, says my father to Josephina, who slowly backs away, 344 00:36:33,720 --> 00:36:41,240 her belly full with sour apples, with quite noticeable unease. Shoulders bare. I said that will be all. 345 00:36:50,680 --> 00:36:54,600 Cherry Street, my father's growl wakes me through the floorboards. 346 00:36:54,600 --> 00:37:02,440 Cherry Street lips undoubtedly wet with whiskey. Riff raff, he shouts. I don't understand. I hear 347 00:37:02,440 --> 00:37:08,120 my mother's soft voice say, pleading for reasoning as she always has. What you don't understand, 348 00:37:08,120 --> 00:37:13,320 Roxy, is that your son has been playing merry hell in the low part of town with none other than 349 00:37:13,320 --> 00:37:20,440 a goddamn spic, he says with a whip of a tongue. Spick, she says puzzled. The filthy girl that was 350 00:37:20,440 --> 00:37:26,040 standing in front of our godforsaken house, wearing nothing but sackcloth and ashes, says my father. 351 00:37:27,800 --> 00:37:34,680 You're gonna wake Oscar, she says. What will the neighbors think, he says. I hear the front door 352 00:37:34,680 --> 00:37:42,520 open. The neighbors, shouts my mother, losing her composure. Who, Miss Smith or the dog she's walking? 353 00:37:43,160 --> 00:37:47,000 Why, good afternoon, Miss Smith, she says before the door slams shut. 354 00:37:47,000 --> 00:37:53,160 You better zip those lips shut, says my father. Before what, exclaims my mother, as any following 355 00:37:53,160 --> 00:38:00,120 words jam up her throat, lips fluttering uselessly. Nonetheless, she searches for reason and meaning 356 00:38:00,120 --> 00:38:06,840 behind such sudden madness. I feel my soul slipping from my body as she comes running up the stairs. 357 00:38:06,840 --> 00:38:13,560 I close my eyes and feign unconsciousness. My door creaks open by the inch, and I feel her 358 00:38:13,560 --> 00:38:22,120 peering in at me. As it shuts, I take a breath, and with it, the words. Josephina, can you hear me? 359 00:38:22,120 --> 00:38:28,200 As I try to lift my pounding head and look out the window through swollen eyes, over the sugar maple 360 00:38:28,200 --> 00:38:44,120 for the low part of town. But you are long out of sight, exactly where you are supposed to be. 361 00:38:44,120 --> 00:38:50,120 You need to get that boy after damn me, carries up through the floorboards as the clink clink 362 00:38:50,120 --> 00:39:04,040 of ice on crystal slides in under my door. Single Malt, a gift from the Mayor.