How much do you know about Reginald Todd Hewitt?
Allen Tyler_ I knew Reginald Todd Hewitt (Reggie) when we were in first grade together at Homewood Elementary School in Conway, South Carolina. As I recall, This was a era when times were hard and living and growing up in the deep south was even harder, especially when you weren’t wealthy or white; no matter whether you were black or white, in my case, I was neither, but both! Sadly we were only allowed to talk or interact or play together was on the bus to and from school. Although I only knew him for a very short time, I always knew he would be a force to be reckoned with and I mean that in a good way of course.
I do remember this one incident that happened, that made me realize then what a determined man he would grow up to be. One day after school, I was in my yard playing with a stick and a tin can. Like many other little boys and I guess girls too, was pretending it was a baseball bat and a ball. Well, Reggie and his daddy, Mr. Hewitt were at this little store just across the field from where I lived with my mother, father and two sisters. I was just hitting my imaginary ball, with my imaginary bat pretending I was making a home run. I would swing that bat and hit that old can so hard and then I would take off running just as fast as I could run, which just happened to be in the direction of the store. Any way, after my second or third homerun….
I ran and of course I was almost at the store by then, didn’t realize how close! I looked up and there was Reggie!
SAFE, he yells to the top of his lungs! SAFE!!
He yelled so loudly that, I remember his daddy and old Mr. Martin come running out of the store to see what was wrong.
Well, his daddy, Mr. Hewitt grabbed Reggie by his arm and told him to get his little behind back in the car and told him if he ever saw him talking to another N***** he would beat him until his nose bled turpentine!
I was so scared.. I knew I had been beaten by my daddy before, but I never heard of turpentine and I sure didn’t want to see it or anything else coming out of my nose or Reggie’s!
I’ll remember this until the day I die, although we were only seven and eight year old little boys at this time in history, Reggie told his daddy,” you might be my daddy, but you will never tell me who to be friends with, never!” Lord, when Mr. Hewitt, heard Reggie say that, I just knew he was going to come after me, so I took off across the field, running home just as fast as my little black legs go!
Times sure have changed through the years and God knows many years have passed since then. When I first saw or heard from Reggie again, he was grown and had grown into the man, I always knew he would be. I am so proud to have known him way back then and am equally proud to know him now. He is admired by so many people from around the world as he continues his quest to raise global awareness of PML after losing one of his children to this disease last year. I enjoy and look forward to keeping up with Reggie’s news stories and posts at various sites on the Internet. One last word for you Reggie:: Remember that time we were in first grade, you crawled out the window at Homewood Elementary School, because you wanted to go home…..and when you’re little feet hit the ground below, Mr. Burman Jones smacked that behind with that old paddle? Me, Nell and Jimmy Long, laughed until we all but peed in our pants…Wait a minute, I’m laughing so hard now, I think I just did! Yup!!
Stay blessed old friend and keep up the good work. I know God has a plan for all of us and our job is to see it through!
I have saved this link from one of Reggie’s many informative and educational posts to share with all readers who wish to share and follow Reggie as he continues his quest to raise awareness of PML.
Courtney’s Story: https://851.5b0.myftpupload.com
His book, “Courtney’s Story”, about his daughter is available at http://www.Rosedogbooks.com
‘That’s where I ordered mine from and it took just a few days.’
It’s a small easy read book but it has so much good information, my daughter said after she read her’s it should be in a library.
Allen Tyler
Article cross-posted from: http://www.allvoices.com/
Courtney's Story: How much do you know about Reginald Todd Hewitt?
January 5, 2011 by
