Story # 20 of 40 in book.
One of my scariest times as a boy was when I was off by myself on one of my first jobs. I didn't wonder off that time. Mr. Hadley hired me and drove me way out in the country to work in the woods. He'd already cut some of the big trees, but he hired me to saw up some of the smaller limbs for stove wood. He told me he'd be back to pick me up at four o'clock.
I had my lunch and a jar of water, so I was set for the day. I liked working by myself and I had done this kind of work before with my dad. It was an easy job and I was already thinking of how I would spend my money.
Just one thing worried me a little. Mr. Hadley was known to drink at times. Even though my dad knew I was working for him, he didn't know exactly where Mr. Hadley was taking me. There wasn't a house or barn in sight. It was just the woods and me.
The morning went by quickly. I worked at a steady pace, stopping to drink from my jar of water from time to time. When the sun was straight over head, I opened my lunch bucket, sat down and leaned against a tree, and ate. Mom had fixed me two fried potato sandwiches with mustard on white bread, and for dessert, she had put in a couple of fried apples pies. I wolfed them down, drank some more water and returned to work.
The day wore on and the sun moved on across the afternoon sky. About mid-afternoon, I heard a low rumble of thunder. I looked west and saw that a dark cloud had moved in. I continued working, hoping the cloud would draw around and go up the river.
BOOM!
The thunder was louder this time and I could tell it was closer. I wasn't normally afraid of storms, but then, normally, I had shelter when a storm actually hit.
CRACK!
A bolt of lighting had come with the thunder that time, and it had struck somewhere. I didn't have a watch, so I didn't know what time it was, but I hoped it was time for Mr. Hadley to come pick me up. I hadn't been watching the sky that closely, but I remembered that it had been fairly low in the sky when I first heard the thunder. Maybe it wouldn't be long. Maybe it wouldn't long. Maybe he would beat the storm.
KER-BOOM!
The thunder was closer than ever. The cloud definitely was not going around. It was headed toward me. My eyes scanned the distance for a sign of Mr. Hadley's truck, but I saw only leaves and grass stirring in the wind. The rain hadn't set in yet, but the doubts did.
What if Mr. Hadley didn't come? What if he had gotten drunk and had forgotten me? Nobody knew where I was but him! How would my dad find me if I didn't get home? Where would I find shelter in the bad storm that was quickly approaching? I wished now that I had saved some of my food and water. I just had a little water left. What if I had to stay here for days?
Boom! Boom!
I looked up, but this time the booms weren't thunder. Mr. Hadley's old truck was backfiring as it bumped over the field to pick me up. I think the sight of that old truck was one of the prettiest things I have ever seen.
"Four o'clock!" he said. "Looks like you finished."
"Yeah," I answered, climbing in to the cab of that truck as fast as I could. I was just in time, because the sky opened up and the wind whipped the rain across the windshield in sheets.
"Better get out of here before we get stuck," he said. "You can come back and help me haul the wood out later if you'd like to make some more money."
I grinned and nodded.
The rumble of thunder and the beat of the rain were soothing as we drove home. I was thankful that he didn't forget to give me my money before he let me out in front of my house.
As I ran toward the door, I didn't care what Mom had for supper. I knew it would taste wonderful. The storm had settled in for the night, and that was exactly what I did after I ate. My bed never felt better, and thoughts of that approaching storm and the dark woods drifted away as I drifted off to sleep. I'd forgotten how good it was to be home.
Written By: Lonnie E Brown
From his book "Stories You Won't Believe"
"Forgotten?"
07/28/2022 posted
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