said, that is we need
jobs down here. Every one of them what's spoke up against this here
plant, they ain't been out of work for months. Now this man done
said can't nothin' show what y'all been sayin' about it being, how
you say, unsafe for the environment. Now if y'all can't prove what
you sayin', and we need jobs then I say let 'em build it. It's
plenty us that barely makin'."
"That's right!" a short man shouted from the
back.
"I got a family to feed," another man
yelled.
"And I tell you this; it's a lot more than me
that feel this way." There were shouts and applause to support
Manny's assertion."We need jobs bad, real bad. Nobody said we
didn't." Antoine spoke from where he stood, his voice ringing clear
even without the microphone. "But they play on that so we don't ask
too many questions. They figure we gone be so grateful that we take
anything and too ignorant to know enough to think past gettin' a
job to what that job gone do to our health."
"Who you callin' ignorant?" Manny spun around
to face Antoine.
"Don't take that stuff offa him, man," a
gruff male voice spoke over Antoine's shoulder.At the same time
someone shoved Antoine toward Manny who swung wildly at him.
Antoine received a glancing blow that caused his head to snap back.
A woman swung her large handbag to hit Manny. She missed him, but
smacked one of his defenders full in the face. Suddenly a wild free
for all with shouting, shoving, and a few punches landing, broke
out. Savannah tried frantically to push through the press of
scuffling bodies to her father. Paul tried wading through to her
shouting that she should get back. As he reached for her, a stocky
man rose from nowhere to deliver a right jab to his jaw. Savannah
somehow managed to get behind the attacker and gave him a sharp
kick to the back of both knees. He went down like a sack of
potatoes, falling against another man who slammed him in the mid
section. Savannah stepped on his back to reach Paul's side.
Grabbing her arm, he pulled her away from the crowd. He pushed her
behind the table where the two state officials stood looking
desperately for a safe way out.
"Stay here," he shouted over the din and went
back into the fracas.Paul found Antoine quickly enough, but had to
fight several men to get him free. They joined Savannah at the
front of the auditorium just as several sheriff's deputies
arrived.
"Galee, if dis ain't a mess!" Sheriff Triche
paused to look around in amazement. "What y'all waitin' on? Get on
in dere an' break dis up." He shouted to his men at the same time
he grabbed two sweating combatants and pried them apart.
Paul tried to lead Savannah and her father
out by a side door, but was blocked by a deputy.
"Don't nobody leave here till we sort out who
done what to who." Sheriff Triche took out a large striped
handkerchief from his pocket to wipe the sweat dripping from his
chin. His plump face was red from exertion.
"I tell you right now, he the one started
it." Manny, his shirt torn open with all the buttons gone, pointed
at Antoine. "I'm filin' charges on him, sheriff."
Loud voices on both sides of the fight
competed to be heard. The Sheriff shouted several times before
restoring order.
"Manny, number one, much as I done picked you
up offa the floor after you done started a fight you couldn't
finish, if somebody hit you then they probably had a reason." Low
grumbling could be heard. Manny scowled but didn't speak. "Number
two, when I come in Antoine wasn't nowhere near you. But I saw you
punchin' on Floyd. Fact, I'm gonna issue a whole bunch of
disturbin' the peace citations before I let anybody go on
home."
"That ain't right, no. I wanna file charges
on him! You s'pose to enforce the law," Manny barked.
"Enforce the law, huh? Okay, since you ain't
done paid the last fine for brawlin' over at the Gator Bar and
Grill, since you was released without paying no bond for public
drunkenness last month, I b'leive we gone start enforcin' the law
with you." Sheriff Triche
jobs down here. Every one of them what's spoke up against this here
plant, they ain't been out of work for months. Now this man done
said can't nothin' show what y'all been sayin' about it being, how
you say, unsafe for the environment. Now if y'all can't prove what
you sayin', and we need jobs then I say let 'em build it. It's
plenty us that barely makin'."
"That's right!" a short man shouted from the
back.
"I got a family to feed," another man
yelled.
"And I tell you this; it's a lot more than me
that feel this way." There were shouts and applause to support
Manny's assertion."We need jobs bad, real bad. Nobody said we
didn't." Antoine spoke from where he stood, his voice ringing clear
even without the microphone. "But they play on that so we don't ask
too many questions. They figure we gone be so grateful that we take
anything and too ignorant to know enough to think past gettin' a
job to what that job gone do to our health."
"Who you callin' ignorant?" Manny spun around
to face Antoine.
"Don't take that stuff offa him, man," a
gruff male voice spoke over Antoine's shoulder.At the same time
someone shoved Antoine toward Manny who swung wildly at him.
Antoine received a glancing blow that caused his head to snap back.
A woman swung her large handbag to hit Manny. She missed him, but
smacked one of his defenders full in the face. Suddenly a wild free
for all with shouting, shoving, and a few punches landing, broke
out. Savannah tried frantically to push through the press of
scuffling bodies to her father. Paul tried wading through to her
shouting that she should get back. As he reached for her, a stocky
man rose from nowhere to deliver a right jab to his jaw. Savannah
somehow managed to get behind the attacker and gave him a sharp
kick to the back of both knees. He went down like a sack of
potatoes, falling against another man who slammed him in the mid
section. Savannah stepped on his back to reach Paul's side.
Grabbing her arm, he pulled her away from the crowd. He pushed her
behind the table where the two state officials stood looking
desperately for a safe way out.
"Stay here," he shouted over the din and went
back into the fracas.Paul found Antoine quickly enough, but had to
fight several men to get him free. They joined Savannah at the
front of the auditorium just as several sheriff's deputies
arrived.
"Galee, if dis ain't a mess!" Sheriff Triche
paused to look around in amazement. "What y'all waitin' on? Get on
in dere an' break dis up." He shouted to his men at the same time
he grabbed two sweating combatants and pried them apart.
Paul tried to lead Savannah and her father
out by a side door, but was blocked by a deputy.
"Don't nobody leave here till we sort out who
done what to who." Sheriff Triche took out a large striped
handkerchief from his pocket to wipe the sweat dripping from his
chin. His plump face was red from exertion.
"I tell you right now, he the one started
it." Manny, his shirt torn open with all the buttons gone, pointed
at Antoine. "I'm filin' charges on him, sheriff."
Loud voices on both sides of the fight
competed to be heard. The Sheriff shouted several times before
restoring order.
"Manny, number one, much as I done picked you
up offa the floor after you done started a fight you couldn't
finish, if somebody hit you then they probably had a reason." Low
grumbling could be heard. Manny scowled but didn't speak. "Number
two, when I come in Antoine wasn't nowhere near you. But I saw you
punchin' on Floyd. Fact, I'm gonna issue a whole bunch of
disturbin' the peace citations before I let anybody go on
home."
"That ain't right, no. I wanna file charges
on him! You s'pose to enforce the law," Manny barked.
"Enforce the law, huh? Okay, since you ain't
done paid the last fine for brawlin' over at the Gator Bar and
Grill, since you was released without paying no bond for public
drunkenness last month, I b'leive we gone start enforcin' the law
with you." Sheriff Triche
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