My Recess Education

     Getting an education at Fourche Valley School was a memorable experience. I'm sure many noteworthy events occurred during class time, but it’s recess that fills my mind with memories. Some names are changed to protect the innocent, and to protect me from the guilty.

     One of my classmates in particular educated me considerably. Bobby Ray was a grade behind me, but older.  He had broad, muscular shoulders, a bull neck, and tree trunks for arms. His recesses were filled trying to think of new ways to make life miserable for the rest of us.

     My buddies and I dammed up the sewer ditch from the lunch room. This made a dandy pond. The next day we brought little fish from home that we had caught in the creek and stocked our pond. We were so proud. Each day, we slipped some bread out during lunch period and fed our fish. Things went fine for a week or so; then Bobby Ray figured out what we were doing. He tore out our dam, stomped our fish, and, daring us to do anything about it, laughed and walked away, looking for new kids to torment.

     We hatched a plan. We agreed to circle Bobby Ray. While those of us in front distracted him, Snake Aikman, the strongest of our group, would back jump him. Then, the rest of us would help. Things slid smoothly along according to plan until we got to the point where the rest of us were to come into action. Snake held Bobby Ray around his arms, but as Bobby Ray struggled, becoming redder and redder, madder and madder, we all knew Snake's moments were numbered. Finally, I could stand it no longer. I jumped in to help. Together, Snake and I pulled Bobby Ray to the ground and held him. Long moments passed, some of the longest of my life. Bobby Ray introduced us to several new vocabulary words, and made us a number of promises, none of which were very appealing. At long last, the bell rang. We jumped up and ran for our lives. Our only saving grace was that Bobby Ray was slow afoot. The next several days we spent hiding and running.

     A few months later, Bobby Ray again contributed to my education, in an even more memorable manner. While my friends and I played kick ball, Bobby Ray saw another chance to torment. He grabbed our ball and sailed it into a briar patch, across the fence. We finally fished it out and continued our game, as Bobby Ray laughed and walked away. Later in the recess, as Bobby Ray and his friends played kick ball nearby, an opportunity arose to return the favor. His ball rolled over toward us. Without taking time to think out my actions, I threw their ball into the same patch. Even as I released the ball, I longed to have it back, to smile and gently pitch it back to Bobby Ray, but it was too late. My heart sank, and I well remember the contorted, red face as he strolled toward me, rolling up his sleeves. A circle of people gathered. Bobby Ray and I stood face to face. If Mary Lou had not been in the front of the circle, I think my feet would have found wings. But I just could not bring myself to do that in front of Mary Lou.

     Suddenly, Mary Lou stepped forward, stared Bobby Ray in the eye, and said, “Bobby Ray, why don't you just leave him alone! I'm not too sure about Pat, but I know Jack Larry can whip you.” 

     I heartily agreed to let Jack Larry take my place, but as I glanced over at him, I saw him ease his cap down over his face and slip to the back of the circle.

     My mind raced as I searched for a way out. Suddenly, I remembered. A few months ago, Bobby Ray was picking on Butch. Though he was much smaller, Butch took the initiative and popped him in the eye. Bobby Ray ran off crying and never bothered Butch again, at least to my knowledge. So I stepped up and popped him in the left eye, then it all broke loose! Fists the size of softballs began to rain all over my head. Knuckle bumps started popping up. I swung blindly, but it didn't slow him up a bit. Finally, he stopped. I thought to myself, “Why didn't it work? It worked so well for Butch! Maybe I hit the wrong eye.” I stepped up and popped him in the right eye, but Bobby Ray then found places to raise all new bumps, plus close and eye or two. At long last, the bell sounded, ending the longest recess of my life.

     A few months later, my chance to redeem myself in Mary Lou's eyes arose. As we sat in class one day, Miss Durah, our fourth grade teacher, saw that a grass fire threatened a small house nearby. Not wishing to endanger the class by letting the entire class rush out, she picked Butch and me to run help. Butch was two steps faster than me, so he was first to arrive. The exhausted woman fighting the fire pitched Butch a wet tow sack and directed me to get a tub of water sitting nearby. As Mary Lou and the other students watched from the window, I grabbed the tub. I couldn't budge it! I tried pushing it, tearing up the grass with my mother’s tennis shoes I was wearing that day. ( my allotted one-pair-of-shoes-yearly had already been torn up) I pulled at it, yanked it, but it did not move. By the time Mary Lou and the rest of the kids arrived, Butch had the fire out and I was heaving from exhaustion, lying beside the still-full tub of water.

     All the class gathered around Butch. Mary Lou said, “Oh, Butch! You are so brave and strong!” Maybe I only imagined it, but I thought I saw a side-long glance and a little smirk at me as she said “strong.”