Kids In The Hood 2...

      In yesterdays blog I gave a brief history of the first friend I ever had in the whole world, Lily. Today I'll talk a little about the second friend I ever had, the boy in the photo, Jackie Parker.

      He lived  two doors down from us and was the son of a white father (John, who was the pharmacist at the local Rexall Drugs) and a Japanese mother, Keiko. Looking back now she may have been a mail order bride because she was very traditional Japanese. I only ever remember her dressed in a kimono with the white socks and some sort of Japanese footwear.

     I've never been the bullying type (it was usually the exact opposite ) but for some reason I used to bully Jackie and it seems dumb because I liked him. I remember this time we were playing in the ditch by my house. Sometimes when mud and grass gets mixed together it produces a weird smell. I mixed some together in an Export "A" tobacco can and forced him to eat it--then when he finally did I told him he was going to die in two weeks... some friend.

   His Mom had these delicious Japanese tea candies that she kept in a jar in the kitchen. They were cool because you didn't have to unwrap them, the wrapping was made from this clear, edible rice paper that dissolved in your mouth. He really wasn't allowed to take them but I would force him to sneak into the house and grab a handful (I probably told him I wouldn't be his friend if he didn't, that or I'd make him eat some more grass and mud).   

    After one of these bullying candy episodes I got busted lying for the first time. When I walked through the back door Mom immediately said, "You were picking on Jackie again weren't you?"  Of course when I said I wasn't Mom said, "Don't lie to me mister." I felt sick and wondered how she knew but I guess Jackie's Mom had called...busted.

    Jackie couldn't come out to play very often because his Mom was a real slave driver with him on the piano-- you would not believe the sounds coming out of that house from a four year old. Most of his time was spent practicing (which seemed stupid when you could be outside playing) so he rarely came out to play-- but then with friends like me why would he want to? (in my defense here I should say all our play time wasn't spent with me pushing him around...I think).

    As a bit of a sidebar Jackie also had a younger brother named Jamie that played the piano as well. One day I went to call on him and when he opened the front door Jackie said Jamie had done a "job" on the living room rug. There it was in all it's glory, a poop right in the middle of the room (what is it with these North Burnaby kids taking a poop wherever they wanted?) and both of them terrified of Keiko finding it. 

   Anyhoo I always felt bad for the way I treated him but it turns out he had the last laugh. All that practicing when he could have been playing has turned him into a national treasure, Jon Kimura Parker  a world renowned concert pianist and I managed to make it all the way to  house painter...stings.