NO 4th
OF JULY PARADE
WHEN I WAS A KID WE LIVED IN AN OIL COMPANY CAMP THREE
MILES EAST OF GLADEWATER TEXAS. WE DIDN’T GO INTO
TOWN VERY OFTEN. MOTHER AND DAD TRADED AT A LITTLE
GROCERY STORE – FILLING STATION JUST A MILE FROM OUR
HOME.
DAD AND MR. JOE (OWNER OF THAT STORE) WERE HUNTING AND
FISHING BUDDIES. BUT THAT’S A WHOLE NOTHER STORY FOR
A DIFFERENT TIME. WHEN THEY WOULD GO OFF SOME WHERE
FOR A WEEKEND HUNT OR FISHING TRIP I WOULD WORK AT THE
STORE TO HELP MR. JOE’S WIFE.
ONE YEAR JUST BEFORE THE 4th OF JULY I
WORKED IN THE STORE. MR. JOE ALWAYS STOCKED A BUNCH
OF FIREWORKS A COUPLE OF WEEKS BEFORE THE 4th.
AT CLOSING TIME I BOUGHT A BUNCH OF FIRE CRACKERS.
SOME OF THEM WERE THE LITTLE LADY FINGERS, SOME WERE
REGULAR SIZED FIRE CRACKERS AND SOME WERE THE GIANT
TWO INCH JOBS.
I
WASN’T INTERESTED IN ROMAN CANDLES OR SPARKLERS. I
THOUGHT THOSE WERE FOR SISSIES. I WAS JUST INTERESTED
IN THE BANG AND THE BIGGER BANG THE BETTER. YEAH I
KNOW I SAID I BOUGHT SOME LADY FINGERS, BUT I INTENDED
TO SET THEM OFF A WHOLE PACKAGE AT A TIME.
WELL I COULDN’T WAIT FOR THE 4th TO START
SHOOTING MY FIRE CRACKERS. ONE MORNING MY BUDDY
SWEETPEA AND I WERE OUT IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE SHOOTING
OFF FIRE CRACKERS. I HAD JUST LIT A FULL PACKAGE OF
LADY FINGERS AND THEY HAD BANGED AWAY FOR A COUPLE OF
MINUTES.
WHEN THEY FINALLY STOPPED SWEETPEA AND I WALKED OVER
TO WHERE WE HAD SET THEM OFF. WE FOUND SEVERAL LADY
FINGERS ON THE GROUND THAT HAD NOT GONE OFF. I HELD
ONE BY THE VERY END AND TOLD SWEETPEA TO LIGHT IT. IT
MADE A SMALL BANG AND DIDN’T EVEN MAKE MY FINGERS
STING.
SWEETPEA ASKED ME IF I WAS GOING TO TOWN ON THE 4th
OF JULY TO WATCH THE PARADE? THE 4th OF
JULY WAS ON A WEDNESDAY THAT YEAR AND DAD WOULD HAVE
TO WORK. I TOLD SWEETPEA I WASN’T INTERESTED IN NO
PARADE. I JUST WANTED TO SHOOT MY FIRE CRACKERS.
WELL WE STARTED ON THE ONE INCH FIRE CRACKERS. I
WOULD LAY ONE ON THE GROUND, LIGHT IT AND RUN BACK A
FEW STEPS. AFTER AWHILE THIS GOT BORING. SO I WOULD
HAVE SWEETPEA LIGHT IT WHILE I WAS HOLDING IT AND I
WOULD THROW IT UP INTO THE AIR WHERE IT WOULD GO OFF.
THAT WAS FUN UNTIL WE GOT ONE WITH A FAST FUSE. JUST
AS I BROUGHT MY ARM FORWARD TO THROW THE FIRE CRACKER
IT WENT OFF. OH BOY! DID IT HURT. IT WASN’T ANYTHING
LIKE THAT LADY FINGER HAD BEEN. MY FINGERS WERE NUMB
AND BURNED.
THAT STOPPED OUR FIRE CRACKER SHOOTING FOR THAT DAY.
SWEETPEA WENT HOME AND I WENT INTO MY HOME. BUT I
DIDN’T SAY ANYTHING TO MY MOTHER. SHE WOULD HAVE
WANTED TO KNOW HOW IT HAPPENED AND I WASN’T ABOUT TO
CONFESS TO HER THAT I HAD BEEN HOLDING LIGHTED
FIRECRACKERS IN MY HAND.
SHE DID ASK ME IF I WANTED HER TO TAKE DAD TO WORK SO
SHE WOULD HAVE THE CAR ON THE 4th SO SHE
COULD TAKE ME TO THE 4th OF JULY PARADE. I
SURE WASN’T INTERESTED IN ANY PARADE RIGHT THEN AND I
TOLD HER SO.
COPYRIGHT
2005
