Dear Readers, Please feel free to comment on my new book cover.

It will be some time before it is complete, but here is a tiny excerpt, as well…

Chapter 1 – He’s Leaving Home

My name is Melvin Jenkins. I was born and raised in Albany, New York. But I wasn’t content to be a small town kid; I wanted to live in the city. So I left the nest, and moved to Manhattan. 

My parents did not support the move. They wanted me to go to college at SUNY and maybe get a better life than the decent one they had.

But I wanted to be a movie star. How I got that idea into my system I don’t know, but my parents used to send me to the movies on weekends so they could have time to themselves. I was an only child, and they could spare a few bucks to keep me in popcorn and tickets. I guess I got sucked in by repetitive exposure to weekend flicks.

But they didn’t intend that I should get the acting bug. They came from a long line of low-rent bean counters, insurance salesmen and appliance repairmen. They’d done okay in Albany, living in a middle class neighborhood, keeping the status quo and not rocking the boat of society. But I had moved to the amazing borough of Manhattan. 

So here I was, in the city, with little money and no prospects. I knew my parents wouldn’t let me starve to death, but for the time being, I was going to have to be resourceful.

It was the middle of June, sweltering heat, but the humidity was the kicker. I decided to locate an air-conditioned hideaway…  

I went to Lindy’s for a slice of luscious cheesecake, and chatted with a pretty waitress.

“So how does a guy get work around here?”

“What kind of job?”

“Something so I can rent a place.”

“You’re homeless?”

“No.” Sort of. 

“Do you have experience?”

I was a middle-class brat; I had no work experience, just my knowledge of the world based on my age-biased parents’ view of it.

“Not really.”

“You could bus tables. That doesn’t really take any experience.”

“Are they hiring here?”

“We’re always hiring.”

“Can you get me an interview?”

“I’ll get you an application.”

“How much can I make?”

“We pool tips; it’s not bad.”

It was not glamorous, but it might do the trick.

I finished my slice and filled out the application on the table top. She took it from me when I paid the check with some of the last of my money.

“What’s your name?”

“Jillian.”

“Jillian?”

“Call me Jill.”

“Okay Jill, I’m Mel.”

“Hi Mel. You want more coffee?”

“No, I’m fine. “Your boss want to talk to me?”

“Come back at 3pm when the shift changes. His name is Joe Feinman. He’s a slim guy, thinning brown hair, yarmulke. Wears slacks, and one of them ‘Member’s Only’ jackets. You ask for him at three o’clock and he’ll get you set up.”

“He’s Jewish?”

“Does it matter?”She made it sound like ‘mattah’

“No, I’m just curious.”

“Okay. He’s Jewish and Italian.”

“At the same time?”

“Yeah, at the same time.”

“Okay, I like that.”

“I’m glad you approve.”

“Thank you for helping me, Jill.”

Now I had to keep busy for a couple of hours. I went to the main branch of the New York Public Library and used the computer. I couldn’t check out a book yet. I didn’t have an address. But I didn’t want my hands full with a book until I had a place to put it. 

The library computer helped me look up acting jobs, and was air conditioned. Some of the people there looked kind of sketchy, but none of them seemed to have anything bad in mind; probably they were homeless, biding their time and keeping cool like me.