Dennis Crocker Memories - Part 6 (June 17, 2013)
The year was 1949. I was 7 years old and was in the second grade at Pacolet Elementary School. Mrs Lorraine Wells was our teacher. The school was in what most of you will remember as the high school, and grades 1-12 were all in the same building.
Our school lunches were $1.00 back then, per week that is! We would usually take our lunch money to school on Monday mornings, and one of the first orders of business once the bell rang for classes to begin, was for the teacher to take up the lunch money from those students that were going to eat in the school cafeteria that week. Those whose parents couldn't or wouldn't pay the dollar sat in the auditorium while those who did had lunch.
My Dad worked second shift at the mill then, and he usually hadn't gotten up by the time I left to walk to Kegtown to catch the bus, usually about 7:15 AM. On this particular morning, Mom didn't have a dollar for me , and she was getting ready to leave also to get to her teaching job at Beaver Dam , and she was running a bit late. When I asked for my lunch money, she told me to tippy-toe into Dad's bedroom and get a dollar out of his billfold, which he kept in the bib pocket of his overalls.
I tippy-toed in, and found his overalls hanging over a chair, and got his billfold out of the bib pocket. As I looked into it, he had a lot of money, several ones, a couple of fives, and a ten. HMMMM, I wonder if he'd miss a five? I took a five out, put the bill fold back into his overalls, and tippy-toed out and closed his door, all without waking him. "Did you get your lunch money?" Mom called. "Yessum" I responded, and she and I went our separate ways.
I could hardly wait to get to Mr. Carl Whitlock's store. Running in, I went straight to the counter where the pocket knives were, and I bought a Boker with 4 blades for fifty cents and a smaller Case with two blades for thirty five cents. Then I got 4 boxes of Crackerjacks and went outside and poured 'em all out to get the prize that was in each box.
After getting to school, when Mrs. Wells took up the lunch money, I pulled out a wad of bills, peeled one off , and paid for my lunches for the week. That night I was real quiet, but Mom was her usual self, and Dad wasn't at home, so nothing was said about Dad 's missing the money. Next morning at Whitlock's, I bought a nice Yoyo for a quarter. Man, was I rich. I bought everything I wanted and still had money left over. And, so went the week. Each morning I'd buy something that caught my fancy. I was spending like a drunken sailor. Good thing Mr. Whitlock didn't offer Tattoo 's or I'da probably bought one of those too.
I was sort of dreading Saturday. I hadn't seen Dad all week, so I didn't know if he had missed the $5 I had swiped or not. We all had breakfast together on Saturday morning, and Dad was his usual self. Looked like I'd pulled off the perfect heist! After breakfast. Dad went out to work on underpinning the recent room he'd added to the house that was going to be our INDOORS bathroom-no more cold morning trips down the path! I started to go over to Bob's, across the middle field, when I met him coming toward our house and he was crying!!! UHOH!
"Hey Bobby. Whatsa matter? "
"My Mama said I have to tell your Daddy about all the money you been spending this week. If I don't the Sheriff 'll come and they'll put you on the chain gang" he sobbed.
Double UHOH!! It had already been proven too many times that I couldn't whip Bobby, so fighting him wasn't an option. Well, I was rich, and rich folks travel, and they have investments to check on, so I knew I had better travel and check on mine. I needed to go a long ways, perhaps to China or Japan or Jonesville - someplace a ways off, and I better leave NOW! So I did!
I took off up the dirt road, heading toward Pacolet Mills, but I hadn't made it all the way up the hill to the Brown's house when I could head Daddy calling. I didn't answer. I just ran faster. In just a few minutes I could hear his big ol #13's slapping the road behind me , and directly a strong hand grabbed by the scruff of my neck. "Come on, Uncle Bud, you and I have some talking to do!" (When I was in deep doo doo Daddy called me "Uncle Bud". I don't know where that came from, I surely knew I wasn't his uncle and he knew it too!)
He marched me into the interrogation room and called his deputy in (Mom) and the inquisition began. No Miranda Rights, no small talk , just jumped right in to the issue! "Dennis", he began, "Bobby tells me you have had a lot of money this week at the bus stop. He says you have been buying pocket knives and all kinda stuff. Where did you get that money?"
Hah! He hadn't missed the money. I can lie my way outa this! "I don't know what he is talking about. I ain't had no money. Where would I come up with a lot of money?" Was I seeing things-did a trace of doubt cross his face?
"Empty everything out of your pockets-put it all right here on the cabinet," he commanded. OhOhOhOH!! Not good! " C'mon Dad," I moaned"don't you believe me. That Bobby is lying and trying to get me in trouble."
"If you don't empty those pockets right now, I am gonna jerk you up by the ankles and shake you until everything in them falls out".
Sullenly I pulled out the two pocket knives, a Yoyo, a wrinkled dollar bill, and almost a dollars worth of change. They looked awful lying there on the cabinet.
"Dennis", he said sternly. "where'd you get that stuff? Where'd you get that money?"
"I found it". I could tell he wasn't buying that and his face was getting mighty red. This looks awful bad for a boy named Dennis, real bad, the worst kinda BAD.
"Son" he growled, "I am going to give you one chance to tell me the truth. If you'll tell me the truth I won't whip you." They'll tell you anything to get a confession! I stuck to my guns, and I continued to deny it. Mom suddenly piped up,"Jim, I'll bet he got it out of your billfold Monday morning. I sent him into your room to get his lunch money. See if you are missing any "!
I am DEAD. He counts the money in his wallet, and he sees he is short by $5. With that , he grabs my arm , takes me to the back bedroom and LOCKS the door. Ain't gonna be no reprieve from the Governor (Mom)cause she is locked out of the room.
Looking back on it, I can truthfully say that if I had had any idea of how much a whupping you could buy for five dollars, I swear I wouldn't have bought more than a nickle's worth, and I'da had to study on that. I didn't get to keep the knives neither!!
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