MY HIDEOUT
DURING THE SUMMER OF 1945 WHEN I WAS THIRTEEN YEARS OLD I WAS
HAVING A BAD TIME. I HAD JUST LEFT THE TWELFTH YEAR OF MY LIFE
WHERE I WAS AT THE TOP OF THE FOOD CHAIN OF CHILDREN AND ENTER THE
BOTTOM OF THE TEEN GROUP. I HAD JUST FINISHED JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
AND WOULD BE STARTING HIGH SCHOOL. IN SHORT I WAS BETWIXT AND
BETWEEN.
I
LIVED IN THE CITIES SERVICE OIL COMPANY CAMP IN EAST TEXAS. THERE
WERE ABOUT THIRTY FAMILIES LIVING IN THE CAMP AND THERE WERE ABOUT
FIFTY KIDS. THEY RANGED IN AGE ANY WHERE FROM BABIES TO
EIGHTEEN-YEAR OLDS.
THE
FAMILIES WERE SEGREGATED BY RANK OF JOB LEVEL. THE SUPERINTENDENT
AND THE FOREMEN LIVED IN COMPANY OWNED HOUSES ALONG THE HIGHWAY
NEXT TO THE OFFICES. NEXT WERE THE FAMILIES OF THE OFFICE WORKERS
AND MEN THAT HAD JOBS OF RESPONSIBILITY. THEY OWNED THEIR HOMES
AND THESE HOMES WERE SET OFF TO ONE SIDE AWAY FROM THE REST OF THE
HOUSES.
THEN
THERE WAS THE BIG PIPE YARD AND BESIDE THAT WAS AN EQUIPMENT
STORAGE AREA. UP THE HILL FROM THERE WAS ANOTHER BUNCH OF
HOUSES. THESE HOUSES WERE NOT AS LARGE AS THE OTHER HOUSES. THIS
IS WHERE THE HOURLY WORKERS LIVED.
AS
THE FAMILIES WERE SEGREGATED THE KIDS OF THE FAMILIES WERE ALSO.
I LIVED UP ON THE HILL IN ONE OF THOSE HOUSES AND THE KIDS I
PLAYED WITH WERE THE KIDS FROM THIS AREA. THERE WERE TWELVE OF
THEM FROM THE AGE OF TWELVE AND DOWN AND SIX OF US FROM THE AGE OF
THIRTEEN UP.
I
WAS THE ONLY THIRTEEN YEAR OLD SO I WAS ON THE BOTTOM OF THE TOTEM
POLE AND AFTER BEING ON THE TOP OR NEAR THE TOP FOR SEVERAL YEARS
IT WAS A REAL BLOW TO MY SELF ESTEEM TO HAVE TO START OVER. I
BECAME MORE OF A LONER THEN EVER.
ONE
DAY I WAS WANDERING AROUND WHERE THE COMPANY HAD STORED LOTS OF
EQUIPMENT AND I SAW THE TOP SIX FEET OF A 500 BARREL OIL STORAGE
TANK SETTING ON THE GROUND. I CLIMBED UP ON IT AND THERE WAS A
THREE-FOOT DIAMETER INSPECTION HOLE IN THE TOP. I DROPPED DOWN
INTO THE TANK THROUGH THIS HOLE AND LOOKED AROUND. THAT’S WHEN I
REALIZED THE TANK HAD NEVER BEEN USED. IT WAS CLEAN ON THE
INSIDE.
BOY,
I THOUGHT, THIS WOULD MAKE A GOOD HIDEOUT. SO I SET OUT TO
FURNISH MY HIDEOUT. I FOUND A STACK OF 1X6 BOARDS TEN FEET LONG
NEAR BY AND PUT ENOUGH OF THEM THROUGH THE HOLE IN THE TOP OF THE
TANK TO MAKE A FLOOR FOR MY HIDEOUT. THEN I WENT TO THE CAMP
TRASH DUMP AND FOUND AN OLD CHAIR. I COULDN’T CARRY THIS CHAIR SO
I WENT HOME AND GOT MY OLD WAGON AND USED IT TO TAKE THE CHAIR TO
MY HIDEOUT. BY THAT TIME I HAD TO GO HOME FOR SUPPER.
THE
NEXT MORNING FIRST THING AFTER BREAKFAST I WAS BACK AT THE DUMP
WITH MY WAGON. I FOUND FOUR WOODEN APPLE BOXES AND A LAMP TABLE
THAT HAD ONE LEG BROKEN OFF. THESE I HAULED TO THE TANK AND PUT
THEM DOWN THE HOLE.
I
WAS GETTING TIRED OF HAVING TO PULL MYSELF UP BY THE EDGE OF THE
HOLE TO GET OUT OF THE TANK EACH TIME I DROPPED IN SO I SCOUTED UP
SOME LARGE WOODEN BLOCKS AND MADE A SET OF STEPS SO I COULD WALK
UP ON THEM AND BE WITHIN THREE FEET OF THE TOP. I COULD STAND ON
THEM AND HALF MY BODY WOULD BE OUT OF THE TANK.
THE
APPLE BOXES I SET UP ON THEIR END AND THEY MADE DANDY SELVES, I
PUT A WOODEN BLOCK UNDER THE TABLE WHERE THE LEG WAS BROKEN OFF
AND IT WORKED JUST FINE.
I
WENT HOME AND GOT MY SCOUT PACK WITH MY CANTEEN AND COOKING KIT IN
IT. I PUT IN SOME CANDLES I FOUND IN THE KITCHEN CABINET AND A
COUPLE CANS OF CAMPBELLS TOMATO SOUP. THEN I TOOK TWO APPLES AND
AN ORANGE FROM THE BOWL ON THE KITCHEN TABLE AND PUT THEM IN MY
PACK.
NEXT
I WENT IN MY ROOM AND GOT A STACK OF MY FAVORITE FUNNY BOOKS AND
INTO THE PACK THEY WENT.
NOW
I’M READY I THOUGHT. OPPS! ONE MORE THING I REMEMBERED. THE
LITTLE STERNO STOVE MY UNCLE HAD BROUGHT ME WHEN HE CAME BACK FROM
THE WAR.
OUT
THE DOOR I WENT TELLING MY MOM I WOULDN’T BE BACK FOR LUNCH. I
WAS GOING DAY CAMPING.
“OK”
SHE SAID, “JUST BE BACK IN TIME FOR SUPPER.”
OFF
I WENT FOR MY HIDEOUT. I WAS CAREFUL EACH TIME I WENT TO THE TANK
TO MAKE SURE THERE WAS NO ONE AROUND TO SEE ME.
I
UNPACKED THE ITEMS IN MY SCOUT PACK AND PUT THEM ON MY APPLE BOX
SHELVES. THEN I CURLED UP ON MY RAGGED QUEEN ANN CHAIR AND READ
ONE OF MY SUPERMAN FUNNY BOOKS.
BY
THIS TIME IT WAS TIME FOR LUNCH. SO I GOT OUT MY STERNO STOVE AND
MY BOY SCOUT COOKING KIT. I OPENED A CAN OF CAMPBELLS TOMATO SOUP
AND HEATED IT ON MY LITTLE STOVE. I HAD TOMATO SOUP AND AN APPLE
FOR LUNCH.
WHAT
TO DO NEXT? WELL A LITTLE SIESTA SOUNDED GOOD, BUT LYING DOWN ON
THOSE BOARDS DIDN’T. SO I POPPED UP OUT OF MY HIDE OUT AND RAN
HOME TO GET THE TWO OLD BLANKETS MOM HAD GIVEN ME FOR A BED ROLL
WHEN OUR SCOUT TROUP WENT CAMPING.
AFTER MY NAP I ATE THE OTHER APPLE AND MADE PLANS TO LAY IN MORE
GROCERIES. I KNEW I COULD GET AWAY WITH A CAN OF BEANS AND MAYBE
A CAN OF PEACHES FROM MOM’S CABINET. ALSO THREE OR FOUR POTATOES
AND ALL THE ONIONS I WANTED. WHICH WOULDN’T BE MANY.
SO
FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS I KEPT BRINGING SUPPLIES TO MY HIDE OUT. I
ALSO FOUND AN OLD DINING TABLE CHAIR THAT I BROUGHT IN. MY LITTLE
NEST KEPT GROWING AND GETTING MORE COMFORTABLE EACH DAY.
THEN
ONE DAY MOM SAID WE WERE GOING TO SEE HER FOLKS AND WOULD BE GONE
FOR A WEEK. I TRIED TO GET HER TO LET ME STAY HOME WITH DAD BUT
SHE SAID NO. SO OFF WE WENT FOR KILGORE AND A WHOLE WEEK AWAY
FROM MY HIDEOUT.
THE
DAY WE CAME HOME I MADE SOME KIND OF EXCUSE AND TOOK OFF FOR MY
HIDEOUT. WHEN I GOT THERE ALL I SAW WAS … NOTHING. THE TANK TOP
WAS GONE, ALL MY FURNITURE WAS GONE. ALL MY SCOUTING EQUIPMENT
WAS GONE. EVEN THE LUMBER I HAD USED FOR A FLOOR WAS GONE. ALL
THERE WAS, WAS A ROUND SPOT OF DIRT WITH NO WEEDS WHERE THE TANK
TOP HAD BEEN.
I
STOOD THERE STARING AT THAT BARE SPOT FOR A LONG TIME. THEN I
TURNED AROUND AND WALKED BACK TO THE HOUSE. I SPENT THE REST OF
THE DAY IN MY ROOM LYING ON MY BED. MOM CAME IN ONE TIME AND
ASKED ME IF I WAS SICK? I TOLD HER I WAS JUST TIRED AND WANTED TO
REST FOR A WHILE.
BUT
AS I LAY THERE I WAS THINKING ABOUT WHERE I COULD BUILD ANOTHER
HIDEOUT. THEN IT CAME TO ME. BUT THAT’S A WHOLE NOTHER STORY FOR
A DIFFERENT TIME.
BY
LOREN
MOORE
COPYRIGHT
2003
GOT TO GO, SEE YA LATER
