Percy Whitfield & Willie Jones

Dead in the Afternoon
Episode Four: Cofield

- by Marvin T. Jones

Instead of an afternoon filled with heat, it rained and rained. Still, no cars passed and no one came into the store for at least an hour. Around four o’clock, the rain subsided, my father woke up from his nap and I went outside to the store corner. Everyone who knew a bit about Cofield knew that this corner of Daddy’s store was where the saints and the sinners all met. One could catch a ride, a tale, a thimble of wisdom or a cup of trouble there. At this time, I was alone, but was shortly joined by Percy Whitfield, one of the most popular people in Cofield.

The sky rumbled, and Percy, pointing up, said to me, “That’s the Lord up there. The Lord has pretty hair.” Percy ran his hands from his head down to his belt. “Pretty Hair!”, he cried out.

The next person to approach Cofield’s famous corner was Willie Jones. Mr. Willie was Daddy’s first cousin and a successful logger. He was carrying something, but I didn’t notice what it was, because Percy rushed up to Mr. Willie, his next door neighbor, saying, “Mr. Willie, Mr. Willie, look, look! That’s the Lord up there.” – the thunder continued - “He has pretty hair, pretty hair.” It thundered again, “He’ll burn your ass up!”

Mr. Willie held up the long thing in his hand and answered, “If you break another one of my hoe handles, I’ll burn yours.” I followed Mr. Willie in the store so I could put a new handle and a plug of Red Apple on his account.

Percy Whitfield, Cofield's most memorable
citizen, trucking past the United States
Post Office in 1972.

Willie Jones was Percy's neighbor
for several decades.

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