It's springtime in 1956. Boogie had just finished paying for a sack of groceries at the counter when he hesitated. If you run a country store, you learn to smell it coming………….Boogie says," Loan me five dollars till next Friday". Daddy reached in the cash register and handed Boogie a five dollar bill. Next Friday Boogie paid the loan as promised, plus an extra dollar for interest. The next week Boogie bought supplies and before leaving the store wanted to borrow five dollars again. Of course, he got the money. Daddy seldom turned anyone down for a small, short term loan. After a couple of weeks Boogie appeared in his old Chrysler at the gas tanks in front of the store with smoke billowing from the tail pipe and from all under the car. We thought the car was on fire. Boogie came in the store with a long face and sad story of why he wasn't able to pay back the five dollar loan. According to Boogie, his aunt died and he had to go to Detroit to help tend to arrangements. On his way, he had to buy two new tires because of blow-outs. The engine had overheated and now his car was using oil and would probably have to be overhauled. He told of other troubles but before he could finish, Daddy accepted the story and told him that he could pay the bill next week. Boogie smiled and said thank you, then lingered for a moment with that big gold tooth smile before asking for a little credit on some groceries. Daddy obliges by lending credit on another sack of groceries.

The scene is repeated for several more weeks with Boogie paying part of the debt while the balance on the account grows, with Mamma all the while saying that Boogies' gonna skip the country owing a big bill. Sure enough; the time comes when weeks pass with no sight of Boogie, then months pass, then a year. Boogie had completely disappeared from sight just like Mamma said. Neighbors said that Boogie had gone up North. Boogie's charge book was set aside in the "dead box"; that was the little wooden tobacco box under the counter that held the old unpaid accounts.

Mid summer 1958………… Boogie drives up to the gas tank in a shiny, clean new Lincoln, or close to new, anyway. He steps out and strolls through the front door with the same big winning smile, dressed in black dressy slacks, bright silky shirt, sparkling shoes, and a white straw hat with a small feather peeping above the wide black band. Boogie steps briskly towards the coke box and proceeds to ask how everybody is doing. "Everybody's doing fine", Daddy says. "Where you been Boogie". He responds,".. been up in Dee- Troit, work'in for Ford Company, just come down to visit my cousin for the fourth."

Daddy reaches under the counter and pulls out the dead box, flips through the old charge pads and finds Boogie's account. Looking at Boogie, he says "now that you're mak'in all that money, you can pay this account you left owing. Boogie smiles, "Mr. Willie C, I'm gonna pay you that bill, I sho am. I know I owe you and I aint't forgot it. I'm gonna come by here 'fore I leave for Dee-Troit next Saturday and pay you".

I guess Boogie never went back to Detroit.