One Of The Good Ole' Days

Liz LaMac

I turned over and stretched, hitting my hand on the iron bed post. It was then that I heard the sound of the ole' Maytag washer being dragged across the back porch.

"Oh No! It's wash day, I'm out of here. I'm not missing school today!"

I scrambled out of bed, pulled on my long brown stockings and rolled them neatly down to my knees with two stretched jar rings. Running my hands over the skirt of my dress I thought, "I can wear this dress again if no one notices that I slept in it.

I could hear mother dragging the exhaust pipe from the gas motor down the porch steps. It had a big ball on the end of it that shot out streaks of fire. I swear it did. The loud bang, bang hurt my ears.

I needed to hurry and "use it." Out on the back porch I looked over the edge for a good place to pee. The new snow was all clean and white. Mother saw me and yelled, "What are you doing? It is time for the school bus."

"I'm on my way to the out-house," I said as I hunched my shoulders up to keep warm and ran down the snowy path only to find the door frozen shut. I kicked and banged and tugged until I got it open.. There was a smattering of snow and ice on the board around the two-holer. No way I was going to sit on that. Even without the ice I never did, I was afraid something would reach up and grab my bottom. So, I climbed upon the slippery seat and straddled the hole. I had just "started" when my foot slipped into the hole. I grabbed hold of the rim of the second hole and gave a lunge that sent me sailing across the seat and into the floor.
My dress was wet, my stockings were soaked and I had a big scratch on my cheek. I kicked that frozen door wide open once again and ran to the house.

I had missed my good breakfast. My sisters were ready for school. Mother was filling the washer with hot water. I barely had time to eat "soakie" and run. I got to the front porch as the bus was stopping in front of the house.

Class had just started when the boy in front of me turned and hit my hand with his pencil, teasing me. I was wet, cold, and crying. I took my book and hit him over the head just as Ms. Myers looked our way.

"You march right up here in front, so all the class can see you show off."
She drew a circle on the blackboard over in the corner of the room and told me to put my nose in it. Noon time came and I was still there in the corner. Everyone ate their lunch and went out to play. I was still back in the corner. Even Ms. Myers went out and locked the door. I never moved. When she came back and saw me standing with my nose in the circle she was upset again.

At the end of the day I was happy to climb off that ole' school bus. I ran across the foot-log and opened our front door. Oh My! The aroma of home made bread filled the air. My sisters set about helping mother set the table.
There was a bench in the back and chairs on the other three sides. An extra place was set for the neighbor boy who liked my Mother's cooking better than his Mother's.

The table was soon filled with large bowls of brown beans, bean dumplings, creamed potatoes and potato dumplings along, with a platter of home canned sausage and a glass bowl of home canned peaches. The homemade bread, cow butter, fresh made cottage cheese, jam, and pickles were in their usual spots.

The flickering oil lamp at the center of the table added soft "hominess" to the warm toasty scene.
My mother was waiting on the table as I looked around and saw my sisters, my bother, and the neighbor boy passing the food. Daddy was sipping his coffee from his saucer. I thought to myself, "This is a day I'll never forget!"

Remembering now, I wonder if that whole day would have been any better had I known then it was one of "The Good Ole' Days."