So That’s Where Junebug Came From

The following article contains anti-Black racial slurs.

“So That’s Where Junebug Jabbo Jones Came From ” was the first story Junebug ever told to his good friend John O’Neal.

 

Hey!

Hey!

Hey Y’all!

All a Y’all!

 

My name is J.J.

J.J. what?

Just J.J.

That’s all!

 

All right now

Don’t you be no fool.

You don’t know me

You better be cool!

You don’t be interrupting people

When they trying to tell you something

 

My daddy’s name was J.J. too.

I’m a junior.

 

All right now,

I done told you once,

This makes twice,

Ain’t going to tell you no more.

 

I swear!

Sometimes people’ll give you a headache!

 

My granddaddy’s name was J.J. too —

Now try to make something out of that!

Turkey!

 

Granddaddy J.J.

Now he was a hell of a man,

Six feet four inches tall

and he weighed two hundred thirty-two pounds

butt naked!

’N wasn’t nair ounce

of fat on him.

 

He was three shades darker than midnite

and twice as mean

as a female bobcat

in mating season.

 

When he was thirty-three years old

He beat three white men to death

with his bare hands.

That’s right!

Right up here outside of Magnolia, Mississippi!

And you know where that’s at!

 

You don’t believe me.

You can go up there and ask anybody.

Sheoot!

They still talk about it up there.

 

He was what they call

a “Crazy Nigger,”

a tee total

“Crazy Nigger”

Sheoot!

 

See, Daddy —

that’s what we called him,

“Daddy” was coming home late from work one night —

he was always coming home late from work . . .

As he come past the widow Hammond’s house

He heard her and her oldest daughter, Lucille,

Hollering for help.

He run up in the house

And found the three of them.

One of them was holding Miss Sarah

one of them was holding Lucille

and one of them was holding his pants down round his knees.

 

The first time Daddy told them to leave they wouldn’t.

The next time he told them to leave they stayed.

The third time he grabbed the one next to Miss Sarah.

In less than ten minutes’ time

It was all over.

 

Lucille was crying all over her self and shaking like a leaf in a thunderstorm.

Daddy told Miss Sarah to get some clothes on her and take her to our house.

Then he turned around

and walked back to town

and told the High Sheriff

what he had done —

That’s when they started calling him a “CRAZY NIGGER.”

 

I see you still don’t believe me.

Well, truck on up to Magnolia and see.

Ask them about J.J. Jones

Anybody will tell you it’s true.

 

Well, Daddy took the Sheriff to Miss Sarah’s house.

Then they came over to our house

and talked to Miss Sarah and Lucille in the kitchen.

And then they left.

Lucille cried all night long.

Daddy called all us boys around

and told us what had happened

and said,

 

“Boys

you got to be strong.

Don’t you ever let nobody

do you or your people wrong.

Remember your Granddaddy,

J.J. Jones.”

 

Did they get him?

Did he run?

Man, you got to be a fool.

Daddy died a natural death

right there in Magnolia, Mississippi

and never spent a day in jail.

 

I’m talking about my granddaddy, J.J.

J.J. Jones.

J.J. What?

Just J.J. that’s all.