There’s another place, too.
It’s a town called Free Charles in Kentucky. Well, it’s called Charleston now, but it was originally Free Charles. And naturally, it was named after a freed slave named Charles, who started a tavern there.
This is all just based on things I’ve looked up, but he and his wife, his wife’s name was Maria, and they supposedly made the best food anywhere. People would come from miles and miles around, trying to beat the sunset and get there in time for dinner.
The whole town sprang up around those two.
The tavern’s not there anymore, but right at the edge of the Alabama A&M field, there’s a church.
Are you a religious person?
No, not really.
Mhmm. I go in and out. I don’t know if I’ll ever stay one way or the other.
But the music ...
I’ve been through there a few times. The last time was about ten years ago, and of course, I just had to roll through there on a Sunday morning, right in the middle of service.
I just sat there in the woods and listened. I had to stop myself from walking right off the field and going inside.
Do you have much out-of-bounds time saved up?
I do. About nine and a half minutes.
I’ve thought about it. My 20,000th birthday is coming up in a couple thousand years. By then, if all this is still going on and I’m still playing, I figure I’ll almost have enough time to sit in for a full service.
Could be a nice birthday present.
Hmm?
I said, it could be a nice birthday present.
Ha. Yeah, it sure would be. Might just do that for myself. If I’m good.
