STORY COURTESY OF THE WAYNE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
PICTURE COURTESY OF SHUTTERSTOCK
"STORIES YOU WON'T BELIEVE" BY LONNIE E. BROWN, IS A BOOK FILLED WITH SHORT STORIES, THAT I AM SHARING WITH ALL OF YOU, WE'LL GO THRU IT FULL STORY BY FULL STORY.
THIS ONE IS -
"A MATCH FOR ME"
"A MATCH FOR ME"
THERE MUST HAVE BEEN GENES IN THE MALE MEMBERS OF OUR FAMILY, WHICH CAUSED US TO PLAY PRANKS THAT GOT US IN TROUBLE. I SUSPECTED THIS WHEN I WAS ABOUT NINE YEARS OLD AND WAS FORCED INTO A SITUATION AGAINST MY WILL. SOMETIMES WHEN CORNERED, BOYS, LIKE SKUNKS, WILL TAKE ACTION THAT MAY NOT MAKE THEM A POPULAR MATCH WITH EVERYBODY AROUND THEM.
IT WAS A WARM DAY IN LATE SPRING, AND I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A PERFECT TIME TO GO BY MY FRIEND JERRY'S HOUSE AND PERSUADE HIM TO GO SWIMMING. I KNOW IT WAS MONDAY BECAUSE MONDAY WAS WASHDAY IN THE COUNTRY. THE SUN WAS JUST UP, BUT MY MOM AND OLDER SISTER NELINE WERE SORTING THE DIRTY CLOTHES TO GET THE WASH DONE AND ON THE LINE IN TIME TO DRY. I HAD CARRIED WATER FROM THE SPRING AND WAS JUST GETTING READY TO MAKE MY GET-AWAY TO JERRY'S HOUSE WHEN I HEARD A FAMILIAR VOICE FROM THE YARD.
"LENA! IT'S ME! LAURIE! WHERE ARE YOU?"
"HERE IN THE BACK," MOM CALLED. "COME ON AROUND."
AUNT LAURIE SINCLAIR CAME ROUND THE CORNER OF THE HOUSE, WEARING HER BONNET AND APRON AND CARRYING AN EMPTY BUCKET.
"OH, ARE YOU WASHING?" ASKED AUNT LAURIE. "I ALREADY GOT MY CLOTHES HUNG OUT. OF COURSE, I DON'T HAVE MANY THINGS TO WASH, LIVING BY MYSELF AND ALL."
"YES, I DO HAVE SEVERAL MORE TO WASH FOR," MOM ANSWERED.
"I WAS HOPING YOU'D GO SALLET PICKING WITH ME," SAID AUNT LAURIE. "I'VE BEEN WANTING TO MAKE ME A MESS OF WILD GREENS, BUT I DON'T LIKE TO GO BY MYSELF. SNAKES ARE OUT THIS TIME OF YEAR AND A PERSON COULD GET BIT."
"I'D LIKE TO GO," MOM TOLD HER, "BUT I'VE ALREADY GOT MY WASH WATER ON HEATING. I REALLY HAVE TO GET THE WASHING DONE IN TIME TO DRY. IT MAY RAIN BY LATE AFTERNOON."
"MAYBE NELINE COULD GO THEN," SUGGESTED AUNT LAURIE.
"I NEED HER TO WATCH THE LITTLE ONES WHILE I WASH," MOM EXPLAINED. "I WISH I COULD HELP YOU OUT, BUT I CAN'T TODAY."
IT WAS AT THAT POINT THAT I MADE MY FIRST MISTAKE OF THE DAY. I CAME OUT THE BACK DOOR AND STARTED ACROSS THE YARD TO HEAD TO JERRY'S HOUSE.
I FELT AUNT LAURIE'S EYES FOCUS ON ME. I SHOULD HAVE DASHED OFF AND NOT LOOKED BACK, BUT I FROZE LIKE A DEER IN HEADLIGHTS.
"LONNIE COULD GO WITH ME, COULDN'T HE?" AUNT LAURIE ASKED.
ALL MY SENSES CAME TO LIFE AT ONCE. I RAN UP TO MOM PLEADING.
"MOM, DON'T MAKE ME GO SALLET PICKING! JERRY AND I ARE GOING SWIMMING THIS MORNING!"
"YOU AND JERRY CAN SWIM ANYTIME. NOW GO HELP YOUR AUNT LAURIE!" MOM ORDERED.
"BUT MOM" I PROTESTED.
"HUSH AND GO ON BEFORE I GET A SWITCH TO YOU," MOM INSISTED.
I KNEW I WAS NO MATCH FOR THE TWO OF THEM, SO I RELUCTANTLY FOLLOWED AUNT LAURIE DOWN THE DIRT ROAD TO MR. OTHIE BROCK'S FIELD BY THE BRANCH.
A BARBED-WIRE FENCE SURROUNDED THE FIELD, BUT AUNT LAURIE OPENED THE NARROW GATE AND HELD IT WHILE I WENT THROUGH. THEN SHE CAREFULLY CLOSED AND FASTENED IT BEHIND US. THEN SHE STARTED WALKING THROUGH THE TALL SAGEBRUSH TOWARD THE LITTLE BRANCH THAT FLOWED THROUGH THE FIELD.
"YOU CAN HELP ME LOOK FOR WILD GREENS AND WE'LL PICK ENOUGH FOR YOUR MOM TO FIX, TOO," SAID AUNT LAURIE.
I WAS STILL SULLEN FROM BEING FORCED TO ABANDON MY SWIMMING PLANS, SO I DIDN'T ANSWER. I WANDERED OFF BY MYSELF AND PRETENDED TO LOOK FOR POKE, DANDELION, DOCK, MUSTARD, AND THE LIKE. AUNT LAURIE HAD HER BACK TO ME, BENT OVER PICKING THE WILD GREENS SHE HAD LOCATED. THE DRY SAGEBRUSH RUBBED AGAINST MY LEG AS I WALKED WITH MY HANDS IN MY POCKETS, AND I STOPPED AND LOOKED AT IT. THEN I MADE MY SECOND MISTAKE FOR THE DAY - SO BIG, IN FACT, THAT IT COULD HAVE COST US OUR LIVES.
AS I STOOD LOOKING AT THE DRY SAGEBRUSH, MY FINGERS TOUCHED ONE OF THE TREASURES THAT BOYS MY AGE ALWAYS KEPT ON HAND. WHEN MOM OR ONE OF THE NEIGHBORS WOULD SEND ME TO THE STORE TO GET A BOX OF MATCHES, I ALWAYS TOOK OUT TWO OR THREE AND KEPT THEM IN MY POCKET. THEY NEVER MISSED THEM, BUT I HAD BUILT UP AN AMPLE SUPPLY FOR WHATEVER I MIGHT NEED FOR IN THE FUTURE. TODAY SEEMED LIKE A GOOD TIME TO USE ONE OF THEM. IF I COULD GET THIS LITTLE AREA OF SAGEBRUSH ON FIRE, IT WOULD SCARE AUNT LAURIE OUT OF THE FIELD AND WE COULD GO HOME IN TIME FOR ME TO GO SWIMMING.
I BENT OVER, TOOK A MATCH OUT OF MY POCKET, SCRAPED IT SWIFTLY ACROSS A ROCK ON THE GROUND, AND WATCHED AS THE HEAD OF THE MATCH BURST INTO A TINY BRIGHT FLAME. THEN I TOSSED IT INTO THE PATCH OF SAGEBRUSH. THE WHOOSH AND CRACKLE OF THE BLAZE BEGAN IMMEDIATELY, AND IT HEADED IN A STRAIGHT LINE TOWARD THE GATE AND AUNT LAURIE AND ME. THIS WAS NOT WHAT I HAD PLANNED AT ALL. I STOOD FROZEN FOR THE SECOND TIME THAT DAY, EVEN THOUGH THE HEAT WAS CLOSE TO ME NOW. AUNT LAURIE STRAIGHTENED UP AND TURNED AROUND, AND A LOOK OF SHOCK AND HORROR SWEPT OVER HER FACE.
"OH, MY LORD, FIRE!" SHE SCREAMED. "GET OUT OF HERE, QUICK!"
I DON'T REMEMBER MOVING, BUT SUDDENLY SHE HAD ME BY THE HAND, PULLING ME AHEAD OF THE LINE OF FIRE. WE RAN WITH THE FLAMES LICKING AT OUR HEELS. AS AUNT LAURIE STRUGGLED TO OPEN THE GATE, I NOTICED THAT SHE NO LONGER HAD HER BUCKET. SHE HAD THROWN IT DOWN SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY. I WAS MOVING UNDER MY OWN POWER NOW, AND I HURRIED THROUGH THE GATE AND HELD IT OPEN FOR HER. SHE WAS HOLDING UP HER LONG SKIRT SO IT WOULD NOT CATCH FIRE, BUT SHE MADE IT THROUGH THE GATE AHEAD OF THE FLAMES.
I COULD HEAR OTHER VOICES YELLING NOW, AND I SAW MR. OTHIE AND SOME NEIGHBOR MEN HAD COME TO FIGHT THE FIRE AND KEEP IT FROM SPREADING TO MR. OTHIE'S BARN AND HOUSE AND THE NEIGHBORS' FIELDS, TOO.
AUNT LAURIE HEADED TO STRAIGHT DOWN THE ROAD TOWARD MY HOUSE, WITH ME LAGGING BEHIND. I KNEW WHAT I WAS IN FOR AS SOON AS SHE TOLD MOM WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND I HAD NO DESIRE TO HURRY. BY THE TIME I GOT HOME, MOM WAS FULLY INFORMED AND READY WITH THE SWITCH IN HER HAND.
"GET IN HERE, LITTLE MEANNESS," SHE YELLED AT ME. "WHAT ON EARTH DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING?"
AUNT LAURIE WENT ON HOME TO RECOVER AND LEFT ME TO MOM AND THE SWITCH. WHEN MOM HAD FINISHED NETTLING MY LEGS, SHE SENT ME INSIDE TO WAIT UNTIL DAD CAME HOME.
"YOU'LL GET ANOTHER WHIPPING FROM HIM," MOM ASSURED ME. "WE'RE NOT RAISING A LITTLE FIREBUG. NOBODY WILL WANT TO SEE YOU COMING!"
FACING DAS WAS WHAT I DREADED MORE THAN ANYTHING. IT WAS HIS TALKS THAT HURT THE MOST WHEN HE WAS DISAPPOINTED IN ME. HE WAS DISAPPOINTED THAT NIGHT AND, INSTEAD OF SPANKING ME, HE SAT ME DOWN TO POINT OUT WHAT I HAD DONE WRONG.
"YOU COULD HAVE BURNED MR. OTHIE'S BARN AND HOUSE," HE POINTED OUT. "IT COULD HAVE REACHED THE NEIGHBORS."
IT TOOK A LONG TIME TO LIVE THAT ONE DOWN. THE NEIGHBORS, AND EVEN JERRY, LAUGHED AT ME WHEN THEY HEARD WHAT I HAD DONE. THEY KNEW IT WAS JUST A BOYISH PRANK, DONE WITH NO THOUGHT FOR THE CONSEQUENCES BUT MADE LIFE HARD WITH THEIR TEASING FOR A WHILE.
I NEVER SET ANOTHER FIRE. AND I'M SURE IT WAS JUST A COINCIDENCE THAT JERRY GREW UP TO BE A FIREFIGHTER AND ARSON INVESTIGATOR!
WRITTEN BY: LONNIE E. BROWN
STORY FROM THE BOOK "STORIES YOU WON'T BELIEVE"
TITLED "A MATCH FOR ME"
COURTESY OF THE LOCAL LIBRARY
02/12/2022
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