| General Fiction posted July 30, 2022 |
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when wisdom prevails
A Silent Standoff
by Lobber
The author has placed a warning on this post for language.
It’s 1967 - I’m in a dangerous situation. I’m the only “whitey” on a packed Detroit bus; it’s filled with young, black, anxious rioters with switch-blade knives and sweat.
They've blocked the back Exit Door.
A sweet feminine voice floats above the heated crowd,
“Bros, he ain’t done you no wrong.”
A calm silence descends on the bus.
I see a radiant smile with rich ruby lips as I exit the back of the bus unharmed.
75 Words Flash Fiction contest entry
It’s 1967 - I’m in a dangerous situation. I’m the only “whitey” on a packed Detroit bus; it’s filled with young, black, anxious rioters with switch-blade knives and sweat.
They've blocked the back Exit Door.
A sweet feminine voice floats above the heated crowd,
“Bros, he ain’t done you no wrong.”
A calm silence descends on the bus.
I see a radiant smile with rich ruby lips as I exit the back of the bus unharmed.
"Whitey" (sometimes abbreviated as "yt") is a derogatory term for a white person.
switch-blade - used as an adjective - 2010, Bobby Neal Chapman, Bastion, ISBN 1608449653, page 1:
"He had a switch-blade knife in his boot that was carried for this kind of situation, but he was reluctant to cut himself loose from his chute until he had some idea how far it was to fall."
https://www.wordsense.eu/switch-blade/
The 1967 Detroit Riot, also known as the 12th Street Riot or Detroit Rebellion, was the bloodiest of the urban riots in the United States during the "Long, hot summer of 1967". Composed mainly of confrontations between black residents and the Detroit Police Department, it began in the early morning hours of Sunday July 23, 1967, in Detroit, Michigan.
- Wikipedia
It's hard to believe that this event occurred 55 years ago. I remember standing on the roof and parapet of the Detroit Institute of Arts - there were fires in every direction. I was helping to build a set for "Sweet Charity." The show never opened.
- Lobber
Pays
one point
and 2 member cents. switch-blade - used as an adjective - 2010, Bobby Neal Chapman, Bastion, ISBN 1608449653, page 1:
"He had a switch-blade knife in his boot that was carried for this kind of situation, but he was reluctant to cut himself loose from his chute until he had some idea how far it was to fall."
https://www.wordsense.eu/switch-blade/
The 1967 Detroit Riot, also known as the 12th Street Riot or Detroit Rebellion, was the bloodiest of the urban riots in the United States during the "Long, hot summer of 1967". Composed mainly of confrontations between black residents and the Detroit Police Department, it began in the early morning hours of Sunday July 23, 1967, in Detroit, Michigan.
- Wikipedia
It's hard to believe that this event occurred 55 years ago. I remember standing on the roof and parapet of the Detroit Institute of Arts - there were fires in every direction. I was helping to build a set for "Sweet Charity." The show never opened.
- Lobber
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