17

Florida
Enrique and Amanda
Folklore

-15-

us to bring them a copy of the paper and some cigarettes and we did. When we got back it was raining like hell and the picket lines were standing out in the rain. Then the policemen drove up with big open trucks, and they went on the ship with their blackjacks and guns and arrested everybody and put them in the trucks.
"They put all them men in them trucks and they was packed in just like cattle. They drove to the jail standing up in the trucks in the rain and singing all the way. They sing all kinda songs and say they ain't gonna be in jail long.
"All our cigar unions took up a collection and also went to a loan company and borrowed money to pay the fines for the strikers so they could get out of jail. We sent cigars and cigarettes to the jail for them and the restaurants in Ybor City sent good food free. The police searched all the food and cigarettes before they would give it to the men in jail. For a long time after the men got out of jail all of us cigar union men paied ten cents a week to pay back the loan company for the fine money. But now the national office of the NMU is paying us all back.
"This morning, everybody is supposed to register for the social security. I am going down to register at the Labor Temple if you want to come with me."
Perico suddenly becomes attentive. "Let me go with you," he says to me, "and then when you leave daddy you won't have to ride back all by yourself."
"Smart kid, huh?" says Enrique, and chases Perico out of the house. So Enrique and I drive to the Labor Temple alone.
"I am not sure about how this social security works yet; he says,

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