Spirits and Demons

Winnie-Stowell, Texas

                                                              Part Twenty Six

  Bubba leaned against his sister's Volkswagon as Arlis, Virginia, and their six kids drove by leaving town. He was hollering and waving bye madly, honking his horn and Mike detected tears on Bubba's face. Bubba had related to Mike on their Woodstock trip that he really hadn't any close friends. Everyone knew this to be true since he stuck out like a sore thumb. He always had a surprised look on his face when Virginia would invite him in to eat with the family. Mike realized he'd miss Bubba's friendship though he also realized being away from Bubba would keep him out of deep trouble. Mike hollered back to Bubba, telling him to stay out of trouble and enjoy the upcoming concerts. Mike and all his brothers waved goodbye to Bubba and south Louisiana.

  Several hours on the highway and everyone was hungry by now since there was no time for breakfast before leaving Baton Rouge. Arlis pulled over at a hamburger joint where there was a sign advertising the largest hamburgers in the world served there. Everything is big in Texas and the kids believed it after they each received a hamburger larger than their heads and a drink to match. Directly across the street was an A.J.Foyt's auto dealership. A.J.Foyt had been a highly successful Nascar race car driver for many years. The boys asked Arlis if that was the place he was going to work and he said no. He related we'd be stopping by a nearby Dodge dealership to drop his toolbox off where he'd be working. Arlis thought to himself the moves from state to state and job changes he'd been going through over the last years attempting to keep his family intact. Houston was a large city and he knew he wouldn't like living there so he and his family would live in Winnie-Stowell, about an hour away. Virginia's brother, sister, cousin, and uncle lived there. Virginia's brother Earl and his wife Yvonne had purchaesd land in Winnie and opened a trailer park. About ten houses came with the land and they had about five rental trailers. Of course they lived in the nice brick house near the entrance with the swimming pool. Everything was rented already so Arlis and Virginia rented a home across town for them and the kids.

  The first week in school, Mike's teacher spoke with him about his reading and math levels. His teacher spoke with the principal about his reading and math skills and Mike was tested according to Texas school district standards. Upon results immediately after testing, Mike was asked if he'd be comfortable jumping from the sixth grade to the eleventh grade. Mike was ecstatic, relating he'd have no problem moving up five grades. Still Mike had to have his parents approval before he would be allowed to skip from the sixth grade up to the eleventh. Mike brought home the papers for his mother to sign and it took quite a bit of talking to convince Virginia to sign. She related to him that he'd not be around children his age and that she thought this would have a negative effect upon him. Mike reassured her that he was looking forward to graduating high school early and beginning college at an early age. After three days pondering the situation, Virginia drove to the school and talked with the principal and Mike's teachers to make sure everything would be alright. She finally signed the papers and Mike was immediately placed in the eleventh grade. He thought how good life is to be able to graduate high school by the age of thirteen and be in college for his first semester by the age of fourteen. Mike's brother's beat him up after his first week in the eleventh grade because they were so damn jealous pertaining to all the attention being showered upon him. When Virginia asked him who blacked his eye, Mike related to her that some kid at school did it. Mike knew if he told on his brothers, they'd beat him up worse than before so he kept his silence.