Jazz Musician To Buy Back His Childhood Block
By Doc Jones
Homes, once vibrant city dwellings, now lay empty. Any attempt at upkeep had long been abandoned, along with the houses themselves. An entire block was left to rot away amongst the trash and debris scattered around it. Patches not covered by debris were coated with thick moss. Weeds grew uncontrollably through the ground, nestling in every crack in the aging tarmac.
Mario Abney, who had flown into town from New Orleans that day, stood outside his car and looked at the deserted neighborhood that lay before him. He remembered how it had been. He could still hear the kids playing and their mothers chatting. The smell of each family’s food wafting from house to house was in his nostrils. It was as real as it had ever been. And yet, it was just a memory of something gone by. This place, a block on 15221 Lexington in Harvey, Illinois, was his home as a child. Now, although he still recognized it, it was something unrecognizable.
He could not bear to look at it for too long. The level of neglect and devastation had not been expected. With a last look, he got back in his car and traveled back to his brother’s apartment, where he was staying.
Click Arrow to read more
