Best Days of My Life

By Lucille Wilson, January 31, 2019 — One of the best days of my time was when I gave birth to Rodney. He was something and I just knew it because he caused me complications so bad that they had to suture up my cervix. I knew he gave me my purpose though, especially after I thought I had lost it.

I really failed myself with Dr. King’s movement because I feel like my purpose in this life was to help him deliver his message. I lived in South Carolina before I went off to California and got myself all messed up with Rodney’s father, Chester. I used to try to support Dr. King’s speeches and movements he would have near me because he wasn’t very far from where I lived. There were black schools and white schools and same with the stores and shops. It was nothing like today, and it wasn’t normal to ever see people all mixed up with different races like you. I just loved how that gracious man was trying to make a difference for our culture and black community. I remember the night he was killed down at the Lorraine Hotel in Tennessee. Is that right? Yes, I think so, and I know he went on the balcony and someone shot him. That was in ’68. It was a bad day, and a sad one because I loved everything that man stood for and so did the rest of the communities all around us. He wanted to change the world, and he did even after those white folks killed him.
I went to California after that, but I had no business moving to California the way I did. I went there to go to school, but I never even went. Oh lord, I did a bunch of things I wish I hadn’t done. I always worked though, always had a job and girlfriends to go out with. Reese was my best friend, and we did everything together. We would go dancing, to entertainment shows, professional basketball games and I would meet so many new people. I dated a lot of entertainers and famous sports players. Jackie Wilson, yeah, I dated him about two or three times. I wish I had married someone like him and maybe I would have lived a good life. He passed away right here in New Jersey sometime in the 80’s. Instead I let Chester, take me to another dimension or something. I remember walking down the street in California and him going ‘Oh hey girl, come here with those fat legs!’ The rest was history after that. I had Rodney and I knew he was something special because I had five miscarriages before him. I think that was God’s way of telling me that Chester was no good for me. Oh how I loved him, but oh no, he was not good for me.