When in doubt, jump in the pool.

Summer 1960.
My irascible aunt Elsie and I finally arrived in Wilson, Oklahoma. Elsie went on to her cousins and I checked in at my Grandmothers. Never the less, After arriving at my grandmother’s house in Wilson and all we dozens of cousins were settled in, we were assigned our sleeping spot. My cousin Jacky Paul and I were to sleep out on the front porch beneath the stars on a roll-away bed. That was okay but the street lamp across the street was a bit bright. However, the two of we teen boys tried our best to throw rocks to put it out but we couldn’t hit the broad side of a red barn if we had to. So we gave up on breaking the big clear light bulb.
None the less our days consisted of walking from our Grams house about a half mile to main street and visit the local pool parlor. A place that smelled like a chewing Tabacco spittoon. Up near the front window and always in their places were four older gentlemen playing dominos. I had never seen dominos played so fast. Slap slam boom. Game over. And that went on all the time Jacky Paul and I had visited the Wilson house of billiards.
But now, Pool games were only a nickel. I had not played much pool up to that time so I had lots of scratch cueballs. Almost embarrassed to play but I forged ahead. Then other boys came and played. The rules were loser pays. And again, each set up and game was just one nickel. Five cents. I had a pocket full of nickels and maybe a few dimes. I got to the point I would just place a nickel on the pool table side rail and the pool hall manager came and picked it up. Even though I lost most games, well, I lost all games. I considered this cheap lessons on how to play pool. Snooker, rotation, color and stripe, and whatever.
Then once in a while our girl cousins would peer in the front door and watch a bit. Girls were not allowed in this charming palace of billiards. Not sure why. Never mind the horrendous chewing tobacco smell. It all was for boys only.
Then Jacky Paul and I were in the billiard hall one evening when a cigar smoking kid, who said he was eleven and was allowed in the gentlemen’s recreation room and smoke. My cousin mentioned to the little boy he looked a bit green around the gills. Oh no, he said. But then without excusing himself he suddenly dashed out the back door and threw up out in the alley. Many interesting events happened at the Wilson Pool Palace. Just try not to step on the dark brown blobs around the heavily stained spittoon.
So this is what Jacky Paul and I did for several days. This and go to the ten-cent movie. A movie theater that was COOL inside. But that is part of another story from the Summer of 1960. Fade to black.