There were nine in our class all through 12 years. We picked up one now and then but they were always gone in a flash leaving just us nine. There were five girls and four boys. Yep we had em' outnumbered. That didn't mean a lot though because we were like a family of nine siblings. Can't remember any major battles or upsets. It was a small school and all classes were small but ours was really small. So much so that we had to recruit from other classes to have enough characters for our Jr. and Sr. plays. Also we had to go with the Senior's on our Senior trip when we were Juniors. I have to say I was a bit put out with that situation. The very idea, I thought, making us miss the big trip when we were Seniors. Nope didn't like that.
But that was after we were in High School so I'm getting the cart before the horse. We were tolerant of one another in grade school up to a point. Well Gordon was a big pest and aggravation to us constantly. The orneriest , most mischievous little boy I had ever seen. His sister Pat was in our class too and she was just as leery of him as we were.
The back side of the school building had doors and the start of steps that were never finished leaving the concrete blocks up to the doors which we climbed on. We would also go in between and play in our own private little world. Gordon would throw things over on us. Dead things, live things, and in between.
We were sitting in our little cubby hole one day and Gordon was extra obnoxious. Just wouldn't leave us alone. We five sat right there and planned what we were going to do. We didn't get it all worked out during that recess but there were others recesses. We wanted to get him good so it was a few days before we put our plan in to action.
It had snowed a few days earlier and it was starting to melt. It was a mess. Mud and snow and cold. Gordon started running by our private refuge and kicking snow in all over us. We got fed up and I mean rip roarin' mad fed up. YEP! We might not have put our plan in to motion though if he hadn't stuck his head in and say, "Hey, look down your blouse and spell attic". Well heck I didn't know what I was doing so I decided to do it. Gordon's sister Pat said, "No Clydene don't do that. Don't you know what he is doing"? Well heck no I hadn't caught on yet. I suppose Gordon had already pulled it on her and she knew better. Or maybe she was just smarter than me. Whatever it was I was too stubborn to pay attention so I looked down my coat and said, "a-t-t-i-c. Well by golly I got it then and even if I was only 8yrs. Old I knew that was not allowed.
"Lets Get Him Girls" I hollered. They were ready. Two of us grabbed his legs while the other three got ready. When he hit the ground they got his arms and we pulled and pushed at the same time. Everyone was laughing all around us and cheering us on as we drug him out in to a big area of snow. We turned him over on his belly and kept dragging till we drug him through a muddy spot. We rolled his face around in the mud for a spell.
Gordon was yelling, "I'll get you. Just wait till I get up". "Heck you aint a getting' up Gordon till you tell us you will leave us alone". "NO, he said I'm gonna roll all of you in this mud". "Oh? Ya think you can"? "I sure can".
Gordon was a mess and a half by now. He wasn't hurt anywhere but his pride though. He was muddy and cold and we were afraid we were gonna get in trouble so we let him up. Couldn't have been long cause' the teacher didn't catch us. Gordon was trying to act mad but everyone was laughing so he finally got tickled too.
When we got back in side Miss Hogan asked Gordon how he got so muddy and he told her he fell. No one else said a word so that was that. Gordon still pestered us from time to time but it wasn't as bad. Finally it just stopped. Probably we were all getting' more mature by then bit I don't know about that. Oh we squabbled from time to time but mostly the nine of us were pretty close.
Eight of us are still around. We lost Pat to cancer about five years ago. It was a sad time, we miss her.
Our Senior Class.
