Spirits and Demons

Country Life

                                                           Part Thirty Six

  The past Christmas Arlis gave Mike a Marlin .22 rifle. Often he went rabbit hunting alone and would stay gone all day in the woods. He enjoyed the peaceful times he could get away from everyone and have time to think. When his birthday arrived in May, Arlis gave him a Susuki motorcyle much to his surprise. Everyone wanted to ride it and once in a while he'd let them. Jimmy Don and Ricky would stay gone on it all day while Mike would be waiting to ride it so he put a stop to allowing anyone to ride it. Everyone got mad at him but he didn't care, it was his motorcycle and and he'd ride it any time he wanted to without having to wait for others to return it. It wasn't easy telling them no but seemed he didn't have any other choice. Virginia's baby sister, Aunt Myrl and her husband, Uncle Max lived in Crossett, Arkansas. Since Mike's mother knew he had too many responsibilities forced upon him the last few years, she decided to let him stay the summer with his aunt and uncle. He had a great time there that summer, Uncle Max was a ranch farmer and he ran his own trucking line named Red Ball Express. Mike discovered what it was like to work on a ranch farm, helping put shoes on the horses, picking tomatos, okra, purple hull peas, digging up peanuts and such. He had no idea peanuts grew under the ground until that summer in Arkansas. Uncle Max also had quite a few horses, shetland pony's, bulls, cows, and chickens. Every morning Mike milked the cows, gathered eggs, and baled hay to feed the horses and cattle with. Finding short pieces of grass rope, he tied it together so it would be long enough to rope the shetland pony's with. Once he had one roped he'd jump on it and ride until the pony would throw him off, usually on the pea gravel road beside the ranch farm. He received lots of cuts and bruises and was told it's simply the way of a cowboy's life. The downside was having to strip down outside and bathe with rubbing alcohol to get all the itching, biting ticks and redbugs off of his body.

  Aunt Myrl was strict and proper and she kept their home immaculate, it was definitely showroom quality. She wouldn't let her kids or Mike inside all day, preferring they stay outside until time for dinner and to go to bed. Mike's cousins, Max Jr. and Joe Earl were used to their mother's strict discipline and laughed every time she became upset about something. Uncle Max was away on a truck run when lightning struck the barn, catching the hay on fire and burning it all the way to the ground. An older cousin, Michael happened to be home at the time and he hurriedly loaded Mike, Max Jr., and Joe into his truck and drove across the field to the barn just before it burned down. Not being able to put the fire out, they were at least able to save the horses just in time. Then they helplessly stood in the rain and watched it burn whilst some of the neighbors who had seen the smoke stopped by also. Uncle Max arrived home late that evening and cried when he saw the barn had burned with all of the hay that had recently been stored inside. Drying his tears, he and Aunt Myrl got on the phone and called all of their neighbors and asked them for their help raising a new barn the upcoming weekend. Mike had never before seen the coming together of caring neighbors as he witnessed that summer. They came from far and wide, the women bringing all kinds of dishes of food. All the women cooked and cooked with Aunt Myrl and made the best tasting homemade pies. Uncle Max and the men dug a large pit and roasted a large pig all night on a splint, drinking beer, and telling jokes. Uncle Max filled a large clawfoot bathtub he had outside with Miller beer and cokes for all the kids. The barn raising was a lot of work yet the men had it finished by late Sunday evening. It was the experienced of a lifetime to be had and Mike enjoyed every single minute of it. Everyone got drunk and had a ho-down dance after working on the barn. The next weekend the local rodeo was held and Mike got to ride one of his Uncle Max's horses in it. It was an exciting summer he'd never forget for as long as he lived.