In my early youth near 10 years old I would 'slip off' from my rural home to the bayou for a swim during the hot Summer. Often my brothers older and younger would join me. In fact, it was, Cordell my older brother who introduced me to swimming & taught me to swim.
I also enjoyed swimming with L.C. Humphrey and other friends who dropped by our house on their way to Bayou Bartholomew and sometimes, Sally Creek.
The point we swam was more often shallow than deep. Especially in the Summer. Nonetheless, it was wet, cool, and very muddy. It was not only a place to swim but the very place I learned to fish for Perch / Catfish. Using grasshoppers, sewing thread, and a carefully bent safety pin. All attached to a green cane stalk cut down near the place we swam / fished.
I had the ultimate respect for L.C. for he was so smart & muscular. As compared to my skinny frame without any muscle definitions other than bony knees, and ribs. L.C. was one I admired very much. On the other hand, I was also intimidated and 'skeered' of his superior power when we scuffled. When those scuffles got 'out of hand' it as often turned into a fight. In which case, I always lost!
YET, the next rural neighborhood excursion when we met the previous day's fight was forgotten and we were close friends once again.
That introduction to L.C. brings me to the time, he and I had a fight (sort of) while swimming. The area we swam was often waist deep to a young boy a little less than 5' tall. Nevertheless, we knew how to splash dive as some call "belly busters". Never to penetrate the water's surface head first avoiding sticking our head into the mud. (dangerous but yet the way of my boy life)
As I quickly became the loser of the fight in the water with L.C., I jumped out going to the bank to retrieve my jeans. None of us wore shoes, shirts, or underwear. So, it took me a very short time to clothe as L.C. and his equally tough buddies stood in the waist deep waters flapping their elbows like a chicken uttering, "squawk, squawk, squawk" with humiliating laughter!
I WAS SO MAD! So, was my brother. Yet, he coaxed me to go home with him and forget the matter. So, I reluctantly left with Cordell. In parting we spotted L.C.'s jeans near the place I retrieved mine. I quickly picked them where we ran like rabbits down the dusty trail back to the road homeward.
I never saw L.C. afterwards ... (I can recall). Another meeting with L.C. occurred after I was grown up with a wife and child. In our 'reunion' L.C. reminded me of our childhood and he having to go home after dark being "naked as a Jay Bird". It was a meeting at a service station near my parent's home (Blunt & London's GULF oil station). That is another long story to write BUT it was wonderful meeting my best Summer time buddy of my youth.
Bill Chavis is a well known retired papermaker and contributing writer to Paperitalo Publications.
