March 7, 2020
I crouched down besides my mother in the warm, early evening darkness. The porch
light faintly glowed behind the car that my brother and family friend, Richard has slid
under to inspect a prospective repair. I remember Richard’s white bell bottom pant leg
spread across the sparse grass of the front yard. His thin, man’s haired leg was
allowed to be exposed by the wide legged Naval uniform. His black shoe tilted, as he
laid relaxed under the car while their voices excitedly discussed the workings of it all.
Crickets conducted their summer’s evening serenade that I always loved. The
Bobwhite calls were dwindling off in the distance and fading with the last pink tint of
sunlight that the blue velvet sky held.
My mother had gotten an idea. Stretching the long green garden hose across our small
front yard, she gently raised her finger to her mouth, showing me the quiet signal. We
tiptoed over to the side of the car where my brother and Richard’s feet protruded out
from the mystery of the temporary mechanics’ grotto.
Ever so quietly, we crouched down. She was on my left side, ready to run. She
maneuvered the hose, silently and slowly, up Richard’s pant leg, totally undetected.
With continued secretiveness, we returned to the spigot. With a little giggle, she turned
the faucet on.
The early night’s silence was wildly split open by the squeal of Richard feeling the cold
hosed water fill his bell bottomed leg. Laughter replaced the crickets’ chirping and the
Bobwhite flew far beyond hearing it’s call.
Without denting his skull, Richard was able to maneuver himself out from under the car
to remove the hose and halt the cold water shock. His squealing was soon replaced
with laughter and the congratulating of my mother for thinking of such a prank.
Being three at the time, a little giggle here and there was all I could muster as I tried to
comprehend all of the laughter with my overly serious young mind.
Years later, I totally understood the joke of it all. But, at that time, I couldn’t quite figure
out why getting Richard all wet when he was under the car was so funny. Now, he had
to go home and change his clothes. So, why? I was three and my humor development
was immature. At that time, I just didn’t get it.
The lasting impression of it all has stayed with me for a lifetime. My mother would refer
to this incident and always comment, “we didn’t have much money, but we had fun!”
That was nice, if you were an adult and you weren’t me. What I got out of that was a
much different and deeper meaning. This comment, along with others she had made
over the years, stuck in my brain in a way that she could not have conceived. My
resulting feeling was that anyone with money could not have fun. My resulting feeling
was that if you were poor, you were happier than anyone with money.
Watch what you teach your kids when you think you aren’t teaching your kids
