Chapter 6

Chapter 6
Life was not all horses and Willie. I spent hours, playing with my little sister. She was small enough to ride on my back, while I got on all fours and pretended to be her horse. We trotted all over the front yard, all over the house. I was my baby sister’s delight.


My brother, on the other hand, was a rip-snort. He brought two of his little friends into the house, one day, just to ask my mother, “Tell them about when Judy used to wash her hair, in the toilet”.My mother replied, “It was about the same age as when you used to eat, what you did in your diapers”. I laughed so hard, my face was wet with tears.


School was a whole other world. A world, I certainly was not used to. I had entered the world of switchblades and fights, jealousy and opposing gangs.


As it turned out, Willie and I didn’t share one class. Even for chorus, she had it an hour before me. At least, we had each other for company on the walk to and from school.


Behind the school, and still on the school property, there was a small stable with three compartments, for the student’s horses. On occasion, Willie and I rode Starlight to school. We would bring along, a fold of hay, to keep him occupied.


I had no idea, that the ringleader of the local gang had an immediate crush on me. As I later discovered, this was the reason several of the girls constantly tormented me. The school laid out in several long buildings, with six classrooms in each. The students were constantly passing from building to building, going to their next class.


My locker was located in the middle building, so I would have to return to that building between classes. Coming and going, these girls tripped me in the hallway, at least once a day.


As time went by, the attacks accelerated. The girls became more confrontational, especially one girl in particular. She seemed determined to end my life. This school was one bad place and the teachers had no control, whatsoever. Even the principal’s new car got keyed, one morning.


As part of my lessons in Home Economics, I made a cute little sundress. When I brought it home, to show my mother, she made me rip out every seam. Then she taught me how to sew, properly.
Our final grade came on the day we modeled our dresses for our parents. It was after that class and just before school let out, that this jealousy from these other girls, came to a head. It had rained, earlier that day, and puddles of muddy water were everywhere.


Just as I approached the outer door to the building where my locker was, one of those girls tripped me. My knees hit the mud, ruining my dress. My books had also fallen into the muddy water. My parents would have to pay for those books.


With money so rare, in our family, this dress was precious to me. It was the prettiest thing I had ever owned.


Never before, had I experienced such a rage. I felt as though someone had put blinders on me. I suddenly had tunnel vision and ‘seeing red’ made sense.


I reached around and grabbed the girl by her hair, slung her around until she faced the pole that held up the awning. With my other hand, I grabbed the pole, and then began smashing her face into it.


Soon, we were both in the mud, beating each other in the face. A crowd gathered around us and soon there was also the principal, who stood there saying, “Now, girls”.


In my rage, I sat up off the girl, with my fist still poised in the air and said back to him, “You want some of this?” at which, he backed off with a stupefied look on his face.


There never was a punishment for what had happened. This was already a lawless school.
The next day, as I stood in line for lunch, a cute little redhead came to stand with me.

She said, “I hear you finished the war, yesterday”.

“Huh?”

“You know, of course, you’re the hero of the school, now.”

“Huh?”


Just then, the very girl I had beat to a pulp, came up from behind me. She reached her arm around my waste, as though we were the best of buddies and say, “How ya doin today?”“Huh?” I had no idea how to act.


I was learning a lot of hard lessons about some very strange characters. I was hardly a gang personality, and the last thing on my mind was this constant fighting. It just was not in my nature but these kids would not leave me alone.


Regardless of what it took, I was glad the war was over. I was tired of looking over my shoulder. Now, there was peace at last.