HAY RIDES

8-5-09...HAY RIDES
Remember Hay Rides? I sure do. They were so much fun. Hay was scattered on a wagon and a local farmer would pull the wagon. We would all pile on and ride that bumpy, dusty thing down the dirt roads in the country. We sang and laughed. I always loved them.
The first ones I went on were pulled by a team of horses or mules. They were always in the late evening and we got back to the starting point well before dark. I loved it then but later things got fancy and the wagon was pulled with a tractor which had lights. That way we could go after dark. That is also when things got out of hand. Some of the kids started pushing and shoving and people got hurt. One boy was pushed off the wagon and left behind. Poor thing had to walk back to town. A lot of the kids thought that was funny but this square britches didn't. Nope, I thought it was uncalled for and I made my point clear to all who would listen. I wasn't the only one who felt that way just the only one to let it be known. The stuff kept going on though and no one said a word. My mouth always overloaded my brain and still does so when I wouldn't shut up the culprits decided to shut me up. They were going to tie my feet together and push me off the wagon. Thing was I heard them planning it and I was ready for them. Also they weren't counting on anyone helping me. Nope!
One of them started talking friendly like to me to distract me while someone else was gonna tie my feet together. I kicked the tar outta someone and bloodied his nose but the other one was still busy at my feet. There were only about three of the bullies and heck fire I figured I could handle them. Course I probably couldn't have but I didn't know that at the time. I kicked, and scratched, and squirmed. Next thing I knew I was free and the three boys were sailing over the side of the wagon and landing on the hard ground. Their feet were tied together. And I mean tied together by six feet firmly tied together. The tractor was noisy and we were noisy so we kept on up the road. My friends had finally helped me.
Next day we heard that one of the boys had a broken arm and they were all bruised and had black eyes and cuts.
We just knew we were in bad trouble then but no one said a word about the hay ride. Nary' a peep was peeped! Not even the culprits. They told everyone they had been in a fight.
The hay rides went on and those bullies never were on another one by golly. To this day I doubt anyone knows what actually happened. I don't even know for sure who helped me. It sure pays to have friends, don't it? That is something we all must have is friends. No Man Is An Island. Nope!