The Watsons Go to Birmingham Page #2

Joey and Kenny, go with your daddy!

Okay, sweetheart, now you know

we're gonna have to do something.

I'm just gonna warm up your

face a little bit, okay?

All right, just relax, just relax.

Okay, now you know I love you...

and I wouldn't do anything

to hurt you, right?

- Right? Okay.

- Wait, what are you gonna do?

All right, it's okay.

It's okay, baby.

No, no, can't... can't

hurt my mouth! Oh! No!

No, no! No! Come on!

Get off me!

Yee-ow!

I didn't see it, but I bet

Byron's lips stretched a mile...

before he let go of that window.

I bet his lips looked like a giant rubber band

before they snapped away from that glass.

- Hey, Joey, guess what?

- What?

When I get to Aunt Cydney's...

I'm going to start writing

my own comic book.

About what?

Well, it's going to be about

this really mean criminal...

who has a terrible accident that

turns him into a superhero.

Do you know what I'm gonna

call that superhero?

Mm-mm.

The Lipless Wonder.

All he does is beat up other superheroes

who are smaller than him...

and the only thing he's afraid of...

is a cold window.

You wait, I'm gonna kick

your little behind!

As the weather warmed up, Byron

and his friend Buphead...

were happy to be on the streets

after being cooped up inside.

We all were, but Byron and

Buphead together were dangerous.

There's a problem?

What up, punk?

You want to learn something that

may save your stupid life one day?

Er, uh, no.

No? Well, we're gonna

teach you anyway.

Yeah, this is called how

to survive a tornado.

Byron, why would you do that?

Are you okay, Kenny?

I'm fine, get on the bus.

Give my regards to

Clark, Poindexter.

You're not going to school?

School is for punks.

The only thing worse than

when Buphead and Byron...

were around, was when they weren't.

It was like an open season on me

for the other kids to jump me.

Poindexter the punk.

Sometimes when Byron

tried to cut class...

he got busted and

dragged to school.

On those days, it was

particularly rough on me.

Like it was my fault.

I've stressed on

numerous occasions...

the importance of being

familiar with literature.

And I want to remind you of the vital

importance of being able to read well...

and to be able to present

yourselves well in public...

with the highest of standards.

Today I want to give you a demonstration

of your own possibilities in this regard.

I want you to know we

can be outstanding.

Kenneth Watson?

Come on in here.

Respect your fellow students.

Go on, son, show them how it's done.

Because I liked to read, I was a

target for torture and ridicule.

I was so nervous, I couldn't

even open up my book.

Good thing I didn't need it.

This is a poem written by

Langston Hughes in 1935.

Let America Be America Again.

Let America be America again.

Let it be the dream it used to be.

I am the young man full

of strength and hope...

tangled in that ancient,

endless chain of profit...

power, gain of grab the land.

We the people must redeem

the land, the mines...

the plants, the rivers,

the mountains.

An endless plain, all...

all the stretch of these

great, green states.

And make America... America.

Again.

Bravo. Outstanding, Mr. Watson.

Here that little egg head punk is.

Leave the little clown alone.

It's a crying shame, takin' him

around like a circus freak.

Look, at least you oughtta make

them pay you for doing that mess.

If it was me, they'd be

coming out their pockets...

with some serious folding money

every time they took me around.

I figured they were going to

tease me or beat me up...

but just like that,

Byron saved my neck.

He could be like that sometimes.

You just never knew which

Byron you were gonna get.

Byron, do you really think the

genie behind the couch...

is gonna fix my doll's arm?

I told you, he will fix it.

Just give it time.

Leave it back there overnight

and see what happens.

Don't believe him, Joey.

He's just making this all up.

Hmm, that's what he's saying now...

but, Joey, remember when Kenny

had that big math test?

- He went behind the sofa to study and guess what grade he got?

- What?

- An A.

- Really, Kenny?

Byron is the one who made us

believe in magic powers...

that genies and angels

lived behind the couch.

I wasn't sure if I believed,

but just in case...

sometimes I studied back

there for reinforcement.

Yeah, yeah.

Byron, I want you and Kenny to go up

to Mitchell's and get some milk...

a loaf of bread, and a small can

of tomato paste for dinner.

Why can't Kenny go by himself?

Byron, I want some milk,

a loaf of bread...

and a small can of tomato paste.

On Thursday, the Negroes

gave vivid evidence...

that they would no longer tolerate

the patterns of the last 100 years.

The crowd surged into downtown

and outside the south...

voices were roused to ask why the

federal government was not involved.

You shouldn't watch that in

front of Kenny and Joetta.

Yeah, I understand, grown-ups only.

Oh, Byron, please don't start.

After Byron got busted

stealing from Mitchell's...

he wasn't supposed to be

outside of the house at all.

It was like he

couldn't help himself.

He couldn't stay out of trouble.

He kept digging deeper and deeper.

Byron was out of control.

Action!

Enemy parachutes attack America...

shot down over Flint River by Captain Byron

Watson and his flamethrower of death.

Take six.

Ja wohl, mein Fuhrer!

Auf wiedersehen!

Such a brave soldier

deserves our respect...

so we give him a burial at sea.

Momma, I...

Come here.

Didn't I tell you, Byron?

I told you... one more time.

One more time!

If I found you burning matches

in this house one more time...

putting this family in danger,

I was gonna wear you out...

and this time, I am going to do it!

You have left me no choice.

Momma, please don't do it!

He won't do it again,

will you, Byron?

- Promise her!

- Joetta, move! Move!

Promise Momma you

won't do it again!

He needs to learn a

very important lesson.

No! No!

Come here.

And what are you doing with

a hat on in this house?

Take it off!

- Momma, I...

- Right now!

What have you done?

Byron had gotten a conk...

a process, a doo, a

butter, a ton of trouble.

Byron, run and get out of here!

- Can't you see she's not playing?

- Joetta, move away from him!

Momma! No!

Hey! Hey!

What is going on?

Oh, man!

Hold your head still, boy.

Take off one of those

ears by mistake.

Kenny, what are you doing?

Uh, nothing, Momma.

What's your daddy doing?

He's whistling... and

cutting off Byron's hair.

Come on with me and

leave them alone.

Yes, Momma.

The genie did it.

The genie did it,

that's pretty amazing.

- Ow!

- Cut it out, it's just a little aftershave.

Mrs. Watson, I would like to introduce

you to your long-lost son from Siam...

his royal highness, Yule Watson.

And Mrs. Watson, you can't possibly

deny that this is your child...

because as you can see, he has

a lot of Sands blood in him...

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