ONE DAY WHILE I WAS GOING THROUGH THE MAIL I
FOUND A LETTER FROM "THE GLADEWATER HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION."
WHEN I OPENED THE LETTER IT TOLD ME ABOUT PLANS FOR A 50th
REUNION FOR OUR CLASS AND IT HAD A LIST OF MY ALL MY CLASS MATES FROM
1951.
I HAD NEVER CONTACTED MANY OF THESE CLASSMATES
SINCE WE GRADUATED IN 1951. AS I SAT THERE LOOKING AT THE LIST I
WONDERED WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO THEM. THEN I GOT OUT MY CLASS ALBUM CALLED
"THE BEAR’S TALE."
I BEGAN TO
PUT THE NAMES TOGETHER WITH PICTURES.
THERE WERE PICTURES OF J B LILLEY, PRESIDENT OF
THE STUDENT BODY, AND ANN TRAMMELL, SECRETARY OF THE STUDENT BODY. THEN
THERE WERE PICTURES OF JOHN SHIP AND MARJORIE McCARTHY, THEY WERE
ELECTED SENIOR FAVORITES. ALSO JOHN WAS PARLIAMENTARIAN AND MARGE WAS
REPORTER FOR THE SENIOR CLASS. THERE WERE PICTURES OF JAMES HALL,
PRESIDENT, JACK CRUTCHER, VISE PRESIDENT, AND RUTH HANNA, SECRETARY, FOR
OUR SENIOR CLASS.
JAMES HALL WAS A GOOD LOOKING GUY AND VERY
INTELLIGENT. YOU JUST KNEW THAT ANYTHING HE SET HIS MIND TO HE WAS GOING
TO BE SUCCESSFUL. I SEE THAT HE MARRIED HIS HIGH SCHOOL SWEET HEART,
SUZANNE. I GUESS A LOT OF US DID THAT. I KNOW I DID.
THEN I SAW THE NAME HAROLD BEST ON THE LIST AND
LOOKED AT HIS PICTURE IN MY ALBUM. HE HAD A BIG SMILE ON HIS FACE IN
THAT PICTURE. THAT WAS TYPICAL OF HAROLD. HE WAS GOOD NATURED AND A LOT
OF FUN TO BE AROUND. HE AND I RAN AROUND TOGETHER DURING OUR SENIOR
YEAR. AS I LOOKED AT HIS PICTURE, TEARS CAME INTO MY EYES AS I
REMEMBERED WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO HIM. HE GOT DRAFTED SOON AFTER
GRADUATION AND WAS SENT TO KOREA. HE WAS KILLED OVER THERE.
WHEN I LOOKED BACK AT THE LIST I SAW EDDIE AND
BILLY PHILLIPS’
NAMES AND I
LOOKED AT THEIR PICTURES. THEY WERE TWIN BROTHERS. THEY HAD LIVED OUT
EAST OF GLADEWATER CLOSE TO WHERE I LIVED AND WE HAD KNOWN EACH OTHER
FOR SEVERAL YEARS. AS I TURNED THE PAGES OF MY ALBUM I SAW THE PICTURES
OF MANY FRIENDS THAT I REMEMBERED. I SAW ELEANORE TUCKER, JOHNNY SASSER,
HELEN GIBBONS, BILLY KIMBROUGH, WANDA SINGLETON, RUTH KENNEDY, WALTER
WHEELER, JOAN PRICE, DOROTHY MILLS, RICHARD ROSE AND MANY OTHERS.
THEN THERE WAS ELWIN BROOK. ELWIN AND I HAD A
FIGHT ONE TIME AND HE BROKE MY NOSE. YES I DEFINITELY REMEMBER ELWIN.
AND THERE WAS EDDIE PENNINGTON. HE SIGNED MY ALBUM "I’LL SEE YOU IN
KOREA."
BUT HE NOR I EITHER ONE
WENT TO KOREA.
HEY, THERE IS A PICTURE OF W. D. EVENS. W. D.
DIDN’T GRADUATE WITH US BECAUSE HE RAN OFF WITH A CARNIVAL ABOUT THE
MIDDLE OF THE YEAR. NO ONE EVER HEARD FROM HIM AGAIN. WELL HERE’
S
A PICTURE OF ZACK KIRBO. HE CHASED THE OIL BUSINESS ALL OVER THE WORLD
AND NOW I HEAR HE IS RETIRED AND LIVING AT WINNSBORO.
NOW THERE’S A SPECIAL PICTURE. IT’S A PICTURE
OF COLLEEN TALLENT. I HAD A SECRET CRUSH ON HER DURING OUR JUNIOR YEAR.
BUT I WAS TO BASHFUL TO TELL HER ABOUT IT. IN FACT I WAS SO BASHFUL I
WAS AFRAID TO EVEN TOUCH A GIRL. NOT THAT I THOUGHT THAT YOU GOT COOTIES
OR ANYTHING FROM JUST TOUCHING THEM. I JUST COULDN’T BEING MYSELF TO
TOUCH A GIRL. I HAD ENOUGH TROUBLE JUST TALKING TO THEM. BUT ALL THAT
CHANGED IN MY SENIOR YEAR WHEN I MET JOHNNIE PRITCHETT FROM EAST
MOUNTAIN. BUT THAT’
S A WHOLE
NOTHER STORY FOR A DIFFERENT TIME.
WELL I STARTED CALLING SOME OF MY CLASSMATES ON
THAT LIST AND I HAVE HAD LONG VISITS WITH THEM ON THE PHONE. IT SEEMS
THAT EVERYONE IS EXCITED ABOUT THE 50th REUNION COMING UP IN
SEPTEMBER. I’M NOT PHYSICALLY ABLE TO GO MYSELF BUT I’
LL
BE THERE IN SPIRIT AND WILL GET A FIRST HAND REPORT FROM SEVERAL PEOPLE
WHEN IT IS OVER.
BILLY PHILLIPS LIVES IN IRVING AND THAT’S RIGHT
NEXT TO ARLINGTON WHERE I LIVE. WE TALK ON THE PHONE QUITE OFTEN NOW AND
HE KEEPS ME UP TO DATE ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON. J. B. LILLEY LIVES IN
HURST AND THAT’
S CLOSE ALSO.
I CALLED RUTH KENNEDY THE OTHER NIGHT AND HAD A
LONG VISIT WITH HER. HER VOICE IS STILL AS SMOOTH AND SILKY AS HONEY.
JUST LIKE IT WAS WHEN WE WERE SENIORS. I BET SHE IS JUST AS PRETTY NOW
AS SHE WAS WHEN WE WERE IN SCHOOL.
NOW HERE IS JOAN PRICE. I TALKED TO HER AND SHE
GAVE ME HER E-MAIL ADDRESS AND WE HAVE BEEN CORRESPONDING SOME BY
E-MAIL. SHE IS A LOT OF FUN TO TALK TO. SHE SENDS ME ALL KINDS OF STUFF
THAT MAKES ME LAUGH.
WELL I CALLED EDDIE PENNINGTON. I DIDN’
T
THINK HE WOULD REMEMBER ME BUT HE SAID THAT HE DID. BACK IN 1951 EDDIE
WAS QUITE A TALKER, AND HE CAN STILL TALK THE HORNS OFF A BILLY GOAT.
I GUESS CURIOSITY FEEDS ON IT’S SELF, BECAUSE
NOW I HAVE CALLED SEVERAL OTHERS. I TALKED TO HELEN GIBBONS. RICHARD
ROSE, ELEANORE TUCKER, BILLY KIMBROUGH, JOHNNY SASSER, MARJORIE McCARTHY,
HAROLD MARTIN, WANDA SINGLETON, EDDIE PHILLIPS, DOROTHY MILLS AND YES
EVEN COLLEEN. BUT I STILL DIDN’T TELL HER ABOUT HAVING THAT CRUSH ON
HER. I GUESS I’
M STILL TO
BASHFUL.
WANDA SINGLETON SAID SHE WAS RUNNING A TAX AND
INSURANCE BUSINESS OUT OF THE OLD "GREEN HUT"
BUILDING IN GLADEWATER. BOY! DID THAT BRING BACK
SOME MEMORIES.
WHEN I TALKED TO DOROTHY MILLS, SHE TOLD ME HER
AND HER HUSBAND GO HUNTING AND FISHING ALL THE TIME. SHE SAID SHE HAD
VENISON IN HER FREEZER RIGHT NOW. SHE ALWAYS GRINDS IT UP IN CHILE MEAT
AND MAKES CHILE OUT OF IT. I TOLD HER I WOULD SWAP HER ONE OF MY STORIES
FOR HER CHILE RECIPE.
I HAVE FOUND E-MAIL ADDRESS FOR SEVERAL OF MY
OL’ CLASSMATES AND WE ARE IN CONTACT BY E-MAIL. IT IS SURPRISING HOW
MANY OF THEM STILL LIVE IN GLADEWATER OR HAVE MOVED BACK TO GLADEWATER.
I’
M STILL ON THE LOOK OUT FOR MORE
OF MY CLASSMATES THAT I CAN COMMUNICATE WITH BY E-MAIL. MY E-MAIL
ADDRESS IS
TO: THE CLASS OF 1951, GLADEWATER HIGH SCHOOL
FROM: LOREN MOORE
CONFESSION
HOWDY FELLOW MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 1951. I’M
SORRY THAT I CAN’T BE THERE WITH YOU IN PERSON, BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW
I’
M THERE IN SPIRIT. I HAVE
BEEN ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH SEVERAL OF YOU BY EMAIL AND TELEPHONE AND
IT HAS BROUGHT BACK LOTS OF MEMORIES.
SO NOW AFTER 50 YEARS I WANT TO CONFESS TO A
CRIME I COMMITTED AT OUR SCHOOL BACK IN 1951. I BELIEVE THE STATUE OF
LIMITATIONS HAS RUN OUT ON THIS CRIME SO THAT I CAN NOT BE PROSECUTED
FOR IT.
MANY OF YOU TOOK SPEECH UNDER MRS. NELDA NEALE,
SHE’S THE ONE THAT SIGNED OUR ANNUALS "MISERY NEALE."
IF YOU WERE ONE OF THOSE WHO TOOK SPEECH UNDER MRS. NEALE, YOU ALSO
REMEMBER THE WOODEN PADDLE SHE HAD MR. SPEIR MAKE FOR HER IN THE WOOD
WORKING SHOP.
WHEN YOU TRANSGRESSED ONE OF MRS. NEALE’S RULES
YOU GOT A LICK WITH THIS PADDLE. IF YOU GOT A LICK WITH THE PADDLE YOU
WERE ALLOWED TO WRITE YOUR NAME ON THE PADDLE. NOW I’
M
NOT GOING TO BE SO CRUDE AS TO REVEAL WHOSE NAME WAS ON THAT PADDLE WITH
MINE BUT YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE.
ANYWAY BACK TO THE CRIME. ONE DAY ABOUT A WEEK
BEFORE THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, I FOUND MYSELF IN MRS. NEALE’
S
ROOM BY MY SELF. THE PADDLE WAS LAYING THERE ON HER DESK IN PLAIN SIGHT.
I QUICKLY GRABBED THE PADDLE AND THREW IT OUT THE WINDOW.
NOW I DON’T KNOW HOW TO EXPLAIN MY ACTION OTHER
THEN TO SAY……… "THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT." OR MAYBE IT WAS BILLY
PHILLIPS. I DON’T REMEMBER FOR SURE. ANY HOW WHEN I GOT OUT OF SCHOOL
THAT DAY I WENT AROUND TO THE EAST SIDE OF THE BUILDING UNDER THAT
WINDOW AND FOUND THAT PADDLE LAYING IN THE SHRUBBERY AGAINST THE WALL. I
TOOK IT HOME WITH ME AND KEPT IT FOR MANY YEARS. MY WIFE JOHNNIE WOULD
LOOK AT THE NAMES ON THAT PADDLE AND ASK ME WHY MY NAME WAS ON THERE
MORE TIMES THEN ANYONE ELSE’
S.
I ALWAYS TOLD HER IT WAS BECAUSE MRS. NEALE LIKED ME MORE THEN THE OTHER
PEOPLE WHO HAD THEIR NAMES ON THE PADDLE.
I KEPT THAT PADDLE FOR MORE THEN 20 YEARS, BUT
SOME WHERE ALONG THE ROAD OF LIFE IT FELL BY THE WAYSIDE. I DON’
T
REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED TO IT. I WISH I STILL HAD IT TO SEND BACK TO YOU
SO YOU COULD READ YOUR NAMES AND REMEMBER WITH ME.
ANYWAY THANKS FOR LISTENING TO MY CONFESSION. I
FEEL MUCH BETTER AFTER GETTING THIS CRIME OFF MY CONSCIENCE.
GOD BE WITH YOU AND WATCH OVER YOU.
WRITE, TELEPHONE, OR EMAIL ME. I WOULD ENJOY
HEARING FROM YOU. LOREN
2001 BY LOREN MOORE
