All Roads Got Forks

One Friday night, Pudge made one of his treks to his uncle’s house to read. After a while, the old folks began to yawn and putter around folding back the covers, getting ready to go to bed. Finally, Aunt Fran told Pudge that he had to go home or spend the night. He knew that he could not spend the night. While Uncle Ted held the kerosene lamp high so he could get down the high steps and find the gate, Pudge began the dark journey home. As he closed the front gate, Uncle Ted turned off the light. Instead of heading directly down the road to his house, Pudge followed the spot of light coming from Cephas’s house. The two boys sat on the porch steps talking boy talk. When Pudge made his going-home motions, Cephas inquired, “How you gonna see to get home dark as it is?” “Oh, don’t you know I got owl vision? Naw, really, I’ll use my bare feet to find my way. Mule tracks and an occasional ‘horse apple’ will tell me I’m still on the road.” Cephas laughed, “If you get home with horse apple ‘tween your toes, yo mama ain’t gonna let you in the house. You better clean them feets good when you get in the yard.” Pudge hopped up to leave. “I’ll whistle a signal when I cross the creek. See you, Cephas.” Leaving the soft circle of light from Cephas’s house, Pudge looked for stars or the moon. The night had clouded up and was so black that when Pudge held up his hand, he literally could not see it. He thought, “Boy, I done played the wild by staying so late.” He turned and started feeling his way with his bare feet across the grassy yard to the cool dirt road. Pudge thought, “I’m glad I’m barefoot – that is, unless I step on a snake.” The pitch dark was beginning to scare Pudge until he remembered the time that he, Cephas, his brothers and a couple of cousins talked Grandpa into taking them possum hunting. Soon after they got in the woods, the clouds began to move in. In a little while, Grandpa’s lantern went out. Total black – they all stood looking up and all around. Nothing could be seen -- total darkness. The boys felt helpless and scared. Then Grandpa said, “Dadgum! It’s as dark as four feet up a bull’s butt!” Grandpa’s humor took the edge off of their fear. Pudge laughed as he thought of that other black night. Finally, Pudge shuffled to where he could feel the mule tracks. He knew if he walked on their tracks, he would not run into briars and bushes. Nearly jumping out of his skin each time an owl hooted, he felt his way down the small hill, then onto the bridge over the creek where he could feel the wooden planks. In his mind, he pictured every step of the way. He could see each tree and stump and where each really thick bunch of briars and bushes grew. He could hear the rustling of small night creatures in the undergrowth along the edge of the road. Cupping his fist and placing it to his mouth, he made the promised signal to Cephas, who hooted back. Pudge heard the screen door slam behind his good buddy as Cephas went inside his house. Little worries crept into Pudge’s mind. He began to imagine a dog, a cow, or some other animal that he might encounter on such a black night. As he made his way, feeling for the mule tracks, Pudge tried to whistle. The only sound he could make was a very weak squeak along with air blowing through his lips. Pudge’s walk home was taking forever. He strained to see Mama’s lamp in the front window. Mama always stayed up later than the others. That was her quiet time for reading the paper and always the Bible. “Yep,” Pudge said, out loud, “I almost got it made.” WHUMP! Pudge hit something. He felt himself being squeezed really tight, so tight that he could not make a sound. He could feel his heart beating in his temples. He could not imagine what had him. His lungs burned! He needed to draw a breath! Pudge thought he was a goner!