(2)

 
The Sunset Grove

part 3 of 483 parts

About a half mile from the house where I grew up, there's a bar where all the blue collar workers from the neighborhood gather to drink themselves into oblivion.  They had two pool tables and opened every day at 6 am for an eye-opener breakfast.  The also had a pretty blonde barmaid at night, the owner's daughter, that was usually game for whatever I suggested, but that's another story.
 
Everybody knew each other at the Sunset Grove.  It was like a communal livingroom attached to smelly bathrooms.
 
Bear Heinz* had a reputation for being a very dangerous brawler.  He had a mean streak about a mile wide, a grownup schoolyard bully type. 
 
My buddy Doug and I were sitting on our regular perches swapping rounds of Jack Daniels washed down with pitchers of Bud.  Bear came in the door, took one look at 400 pound Doug on his barstool and said, "Hey fat boy".
 
Doug, ever good natured, didn't bother turning around which apparantly enfuriated Bear.  He snatched up a pool cue off the table and hit Doug right across the back of the head with the thick end.
 
Doug sat for a moment, shook his head and without turning said, "If that's all you've got, you're in deep shit buddy."  He then got off his stool and proceeded to knock Bear down with one punch after another exploding into crimson showers of blood.  He'd knock him down, pick him up to his feet and knock him down again.  When Bear was nearly unresponsive, Doug picked him up by the hair and the seat of his pants and threw him out through the plate glass door.  He then went out and took the money out of his wallet.
 
Going back inside, he put the money on the bar and told Butch, the owner, "If that doesn't cover the price of the door, let me know.  I'll collect the rest from the asshole."  We all helped Butch put plywood up in the door and went back to our evening of drinking.
 
  *name changed to protect me,  in case he's still around.

 

Ok, here's a shot at number 4 of 483. 

 High School Days.

"Dougie, wanna skip today?", I whispered into the phone.  "Ya, I'll meet you at Hutchababydoin's"
 
An hour later, I'd convinced the bus driver to drop me off a mile before we got to the school at the old time dusty grocery store.  It was owned by a guy named Hutchadew Babaiin so we called it...
 
I grabbed a paper cup of coffee at the greasy diner across the street and went around to the back of the store to wait for Doug where the truant officer and my parents' friends couldn't see me.  It was early spring but the weather was nice already.  At 7:30 am it was already 70 degrees, far too warm a day for school.
 
"What's up man? What're we gonna do today?" came Doug's voice from around the corner.  I jumped up and we exchanged a hooked thumb handshake as I said, "Where's a good place to go swimming?"
 
After ruling out most of the closer swimming holes as having leeches or being too well patrolled by the police I said, "Let's hike down to Charge Pond, nobody goes there and the water's crystal clear.  I've got a few joints for the walk.  If we get too tired, we can just turn around and come back."
 
Doug said, "It's got to be 25 miles down there.  I'll go but I doubt if we're going to make it.  Let me make a quick stop for food, got any money?  Just a quarter for a candy bar or something."
 
Five minutes later Doug came out of the store with a candy bar in his hand and an overstuffed gym bag.  We walked a ways down the railroad tracks that we'd follow for the first 5 miles before he started unloading it one item at a time and displaying a wide array of junk food and soda.
 
We trudged along talking and singing, (Doug and I could sing in front of each other without feeling 'un-cool'), and smoking a couple of joints and the time went by.  By noontime, we were in the State Forest and nearly to our destination.  The sun was hot and we were really ready to take a swim in the cold pond.
 
As soon as we got there, Doug started taking his clothes off for a swim.  "Doug, it's all broken glass at the edges.  Better put your sneakers back on."  He did and then ran and jumped into the water with a mighty splash.  I followed his lead after stripping to my undershorts and sneakers.
 
"Wanna swim across?" I asked through chattering teeth.  "I can, but can you swim that far?" Doug asked.  Pushing doubt and good sense to the back of my mind I said "Sure, my swimming got a lot better over the summer."
 
I'd just about reached the middle of the pond when I had a cramp of major proportions.  I started to go under, and began flailing my arms wildly and sinking like a rock.  "Don't panic, just relax and you'll float" I could barely hear as I went under again.
 
The next thing I remember was the pain of having my head pulled up by my long hair and getting punched in the face.  Doug then slowly swam back to shore, dragging me along with him by the hair, keeping my face out of the water.
 
On the littered beach, I caught my breath and realized what had happened.  "You saved my life man, but what'd you punch me for?"  "You would've drowned us both the way you were thrashing around. I had to make you stop."
 
That was the first time, and not the last, that Doug saved my life.
 
When we were barely into our long walk home, still in the State Forest, a Ranger truck pulled up next to us.  The young man inside said, "Why aren't you boys in school, playing a little hooky today?"  When we walked over to the truck, I was relieved to find out it was Tom S, one of my older brother's friends that had recently gotten the forest ranger's job.
 
"Hey Tom, can you give us a ride?  It's a long walk back home."  Tom said "I'll give you a ride to just before the ranger station.  Start walking home.  I get off in a half hour.  If I see you I'll pick you up and drive you home."
 
True to his word, Tom picked us up and gave us a ride to the High School where we were just in time to take the bus home.

 

Return to the Library

 

Turn Page  

 Return to Creative Writing Index