When we first moved to the country there were many things that were not available. There were only gravel roads and sometimes when it would rain, no cars could leave. There were a few times when Mom made me walk in the rain to the bus stop (about 1/2 mile) because the car couldn't drive in the mud. I would get to school drenched and covered in mud.
Also not available was trash service. I remember thinking that we had moved up a notch in status when we could say that the trashman came by today to take away our trash. Until then however we burned our trash. We had two empty oil barrels that we would set fire to. By the time I was around 8 or 9 I was given the responsibility to start fire to and keep an eye on the burning trash. I suppose that my parents saw that I was fulfilling my duties and one day left me outside with Chris Regalado to keep the trash burning. It was during the summertime while Dad was working and Mom was inside tending to my siblings who couldn't feed themselves. Chris and I of course were burning things outside of the barrels and quickly putting them in the barrels when we couldn't hold on to them any more. Suddenly the wind picked up and blew one of the loose items we had just put into the fire onto the ground. Our yard at the time was covered by dry weeds and it immediately caught fire. Chris and I had put out a few other situations like this with the hose and we figured that this would go the same way. The wind though kept blowing and the fire spread very quickly. I remember that the fire was spreading in all directions and I just couldn't put it all out as it raced towards the back.
I was filled with panic and I of course had no intentions on bothering my mother who certainly didn't need to know that her shack was about to catch fire. From the back of the trailer to about half way to the cotton fields were on fire and I thought that the empty lot next door was next. Luckily though, as quickly as the wind picked up in speed, it died down. The fire then became manageable and we were able to put it out. Chris and I felt like true heroes. I remember Mom coming out on the porch and seeing nothing but a black back yard. Looking back on it I can't believe that they continued to let me burn the trash!! Chris and I only burned the back yard down one more time during our careers as trash burners. Not bad considering our lack of supervision.
1 comment:
I think I remember one of the times you burnt down the back yard - it was a lot less the second time, right?
Also - I am pretty sure Butterball was not going to exert himself for anything - much less a butterfly he couldn't even eat. Like boy, like cat.
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