Louie Caffrey Willis affectionately known as Blackie lived on Harkers Island where I grew up and only lived about a half a mile away from us on the west of Red Hill. I remember him with his slender build and dark skin always sporting a crew cut. He was always in a clean white t-shirt with the sleeves neatly folded up a time or two. His profession of auto mechanic had taken its toll on his ears so he was a bit hard of hearing. As you may very well know, people with hearing trouble can often times be LOUD! With his long and successful career in the auto industry he got to know a lot of folks from all around the county. He was influential amongst his peers and found favor with many State workers and employees. He loved motorcycles and more times than not when Id pass by his home he could be seen sitting in the garage on his milk crate rubbing and polishing or just tinkering on his bike. Blackie could do really good impressions of other folks that lived on and around the island. He was funny and witty and his bit was to act mad or at least really serious about any given topic that may come up in conversation. The funny thing about that was simply the way he would say things so funny and then stand there and not crack a smile while everyone else around him was in stitches. The harder we laughed the madder he seemed to get. Eventually after everyone was tore up he would begin to smile himself. Well, you may be wondering why Ive wrote this.... About thirty years ago on a cool October day my parents had gone out of town and left my sister and I alone (probably for the first time) well, at least the first time since I had gotten my drivers license. Sometime before lunch on that particular Saturday morning, I received a call that a crowd from the eastard was wanting to see if any body from the westward would dare show up at Shell Point for a game of tackle football. Well, I jumped at the chance and started calling friends of mine to drop whatever they had going on and come play some football. I remember hating having to beg some of them but then realized if I had to beg them to go they probably werent gonna be worth having around anyway. In all the rush of finding my football jersey and my worst pair of jeans to play in I remember having a since of pride that I was gonna be the one picking up some of my friends for the first time. In just a matter of minutes those boys from the eastard would see us pulling up in that yellow Ford sedan and know that we meant business! I jumped off the front porch heading to the car all pumped up and full of raging hormones and testosterone. I had learned all the driving skills I needed to know by watching the Dukes of Hazard. I backed out of the driveway and squealed the tires for as long as I could. I loved it and simultaneously worried if the neighbors saw me. Heading west, I was giddy as I approached dead mans curve (no kidding, thats what we called it) continuing to increase my speed. You see in my mind Id reasoned the longer it took us to show up down there the more afraid they might think we were. I had to hurry and pick up everyone and get down there! Barreling into that sharp curve with tires screeching under me I felt like Bill Elliot heading into turn four at Darlington race way. As the curve straightened out to my dismay I passed one of those black and grey crown victorias with the green license plate that read welcome to North Carolina. To make matters worse it was right in front of Blackies house and he was watching from the garage. He and daddy were pretty good friends.....he was going to tell on me just as soon as he saw them! My goose was cooked! Oh no, what about the football game and all my friends waiting on me? Theyll think we chickened out! Too scared to come play. I knew my parents would come home to find me in Prison! For a second it crossed my mind to try and out run him, I mean come on, thats what the Duke boys woulda done. The only thing I could manage was turning on my blinker and slowly pull off the road and wait. The racing of the troopers motor and even squealing of his tires made me realize my day or rather life was over. He pulled right up on my bumper and those blue lights flashed for all of down east to see.....Hey, everyone look! Its David and Carols boy they should be really proud of him. The trooper sat there for what seemed like eternity while all my macho hot shot testosterone ran into the floor board of the car. Just then the long wide door with the state shield on the side swung open and as the trooper stepped out of the car putting one of those flat brimmed hats I turned off the car. This was it! I was going to jail and I began thinking that maybe thats a good thing because my parents couldnt hurt me there. I felt so nervous and sick that everything seemed to be in slow motion and I had tunnel vision or something coming over me. It was then that another car came up at a high rate of speed. As I came out of this fog I realized it was Blackie. Oh great....My thought was he had come to watch the trooper lock me up. Now I was completely terrified and mortified. The trooper was now standing at my door my window all ready cranked down and the brand new license in my trembling hand. It was then that I heard these few words as Blackie slowed to pass by.....you leave that boy there alone! Hes a good boy with that the trooper turned, looked at me and only said this slow it down a little for me son. What had just happened? You mean thats it? Im free to go? I can go play football? The long shinny black LTD that Blackie drove speed out of sight (she didnt sound bad) and the trooper was turning around to continue his patrol. I remember driving slower than Andrew Guthrie to get all my friends. I was too ashamed to let them know Id been busted. After we took the field and went to war with the eastard crowd of youngerns that highway patrol mans car came by the park. I felt like he could only see me standing out on that field and I wished Blackie would pull up again. Years later I had several motorcycles of my own and got to know him much better. We rode with a gang of twenty or more all from the island. With Blackie as our leader some nights we would venture off as far as the cross roads. But in all the rides we had and the many times I stopped to see him sitting in his garage I dont believe I ever thanked him for saving my butt that day and I guess he never even mentioned the incident to my Daddy either. Im not even sure how long its been since his passing. Time escapes me. I know its been at least ten or twelve years (maybe more). I can hardly pass by that house just off dead mans cure and to the foot of Red Hill without looking to see if hes sitting on his milk create. Take it easy man....and Blackie thank you!
Posted on: Sun, 12 Oct 2014 00:55:14 +0000
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