Free A History of the African-American People (Proposed) by Strom Thurmond by Percival Everett, James Kincaid Page B

before then, I’m afraid I can’t help you.
    That’s rather interesting, that doctor game Wilkes outlined. Wonder if he has a little brother. I don’t see anything kinky or out of line in his letter. Probably you are just timid, McCloud, sexually repressed. I’m not saying you should offer yourself to him or he to you. Nor should either of you find a third party, male or female. It’s not a question of gender; that’s obvious enough. Besides, you affirm that you are straight, though I don’t recall giving you any cause to inform me of this “fact” so often or so insistently. You are barking up the wrong shrub in the garden of gender.
    What’s your concern—that he will plead to give you an enema?
    Martin
    I see you’ve redacted the copy of the letter you sent me, the part that deals with the mystery of the “R.”

    F ROM THE D ESK OF P ERCIVAL E VERETT
    October 25, 2002
    Jim:
    Well, now I’m with you. What in the name of the KKK are we dealing with here?
    Barton now sends us “clarification” that is about as clear as yo mama’s reputation.
    I can make nothing out of this, not one damn thing.
    You want to cut and run?
    P

    Interoffice Memo
    October 27, 2002
    Percival:
    You put me in the unaccustomed position, yes you do, of telling you to take it easy. Usually it’s you telling me to take it easy but now it’s me telling you. So, just take it easy and leave this to me.
    It’s not like you, an ex-rodeo champeen and all, to quit just because the challenges mount. I do not lay the claims to athletic accomplishment that you devise, but I do remember my days on the intramural basketball team. I played both guard and forward, even, when Jimmy Canton didn’t show up once, center. We called our team “The Klondykers,” because we all, apart from one guy, came from a part of town called Klondyke. I really enjoyed all that, you know. I’d give anything to be back there right now, though just between you and me, it’d be better to go through high school again a whole lot better looking. It wouldn’t hurt to be a cool guy too. I wasn’t cool back then, were you? I mean, I wasn’t the worst geek or that sort of thing, but not really cool. I can say that now. Why is it we don’t have a chance to just fold time over like a sheet or a piece of legal pad paper and live it all over, only good looking and cool? I’d give anything. You ever think of that?
    Don’t you get some feel from this latest material? I get some feel from it. Look again and tell me.
    You’re a good friend.
    Jim

    F ROM THE D ESK OF P ERCIVAL E VERETT
    October 29, 2002
    Jim:
    You OK?
    Percival

    S IMON & S CHUSTER , I NC .
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
    October 30, 2002
    Dear Barton,
    I figured out that backwards spelling. Very clever. Did you do that on purpose?
    Thanks for the details on the playing doctor experiences. That all sounds delightful, and of course I understand when you say your motives were altruistic. It’s just that I cannot myself ever remember acting altruistically—certainly not when my clothes or anybody else’s clothes were off. I once told the most obnoxious girl in our (or anybody else’s) high school not only that she had a great personality but that I loved her. And you know what that bought me—simply the right to remove her bra and suck on one nipple. I don’t know why one, but she guarded the other as if it were the Hope Diamond. Maybe she was saving that one for marriage.
    You are much more outward-thinking, I see.
    OK—east of Wilmington. Got it! Philly. Not my favorite city but certainly easy to get to. Right? And I don’t mean to suggest I know Philly well enough to have an opinion really. Who knows? I expect you do. Is it sort of like Paris? Anyway, Philly it is.
    Duolccm
    p.s. Tomorrow’s the Halloween party Snell has cooked up. As far as I know, I’m the only guest. He says he’ll supply costumes. Pray for me.

    F ROM THE D ESK OF P ERCIVAL E VERETT
    November 1, 2002
    Jim:
    I