50 POINTS!!!
The Black Ball
John's small son goes out to play with his ball. He plays in the front of the building instead of the back. Crying, John's son tells him that a "big white boy" (Ellison 351) asked him for his ball. The white boy threw the ball at the building and broke Berry's (John's boss) office window. Read the exchange between Berry and John below and answer the questions following:
"I looked up just as Berry appeared at the window. The ball had gone into his private office.
'John, is that your boy?' he snapped.
He was red in the face.
'Yessir, but--'
'Well, he's taken his d***ed ball and ruined one of my plants.'
'Yessir'
'You know he's got no business around here in front, don't you?'
'Yes!'
'Well, if I ever see him around here gain, you're going to find yourself behind the black ball. Now get him on round to the back and then come up here and clean up this mess he's made.'
I gave him [Berry] one long hard look and then felt for the boy's hand to take him back to the quarters. I had a hard time seeing as we walked back and scratched myself by stumbling into the evergreens as we went around the building" (Ellison 351)
What does Berry mean when he tells John "if I ever see him around here again, you're going to find yourself behind the black ball"?