Ridin’ the Rocket

Well, I’ve just had my seventh birthday, and Momma is tellin’ me as one of my presents, is she's gonna to take me to see Grandma and Grandpa Noggle all the way up in Oklahoma. That’s right, and they live in a little town called Wetumka, which is a really funny name and Momma doesn’t have no idea where it came from. Uh huh, and it’s just gonna be me and Momma ‘cause my little brother William is too little. He’s gonna stay with Daddy, who can’t get off work to go. Well, to me, the most excitin’ part of this trip is gonna be ridin’ on the Rocket. That’s right. Yeah, it’s the Rock Island Rocket, and it ain’t no little stop at every little town kinda train. Not on your life. Shoot, it only stops in El Dorado for a few minutes, and that’s in the middle of the night. Of course, the Rocket, as everybody calls it, looks like some kind of a Red Rocket on train wheels. We’re gonna be getting’ on it this comin’ Saturday night at the Rock Island Railroad station in El Dorado and Momma said it would be after midnight when we get on. Heck, it don’t even slow down when it goes through them little towns like Norphlet and Smackover. The first stop is Little Rock, and when the durn train gets to Oklahoma, it don’t even stop at Wetumka. Naw, Grandma and Grandpa has got to drive over to Holdenville to pick us up. Heck, I can hardly wait. Shoot, outside of two trips to Malvern to see my Aunt Claudia and Uncle J. R. I ain’t been nowheres. 

Momma has just come in my room to wake me up, but heck I ain’t been asleep so shoot, I’m hoppin’ into some clothes that me and Momma picked out last night and heck, Daddy is already warmin’ up the old Ford. William, my whinny, little brother, hasta go with us cause they ain’t nobody to keep him, and he’s wondering why we’re going somewhere, but he’s so little he can’t figure it out even after I told him fifty times. Gosh, the danged road is empty. Shoot, we’re the only car on the road, and heck were whippin’ into the train station in no time atall. …..oh, wow, look at that! The Rocket is just pullin’ into the station and they’re doing something---uh huh…. Daddy said they were puttin’ on coal or something. I forget what. Anyway, I have never been this excited in all my born days. Momma is huggin’ Daddy and I just gave little William a thump on the head, and Momma is wavin’ for me to follow her.

Shoot, I’m on board now and Momma just said we didn’t get a sleeper ‘cause they cost extra, so I would just hafta try to sleep in a leanin’ back seat. Naw, I ain’t about to go to sleep…oh my gosh…the train just jerked and heck we’re moving…yeah, I can see them telephone poles whippin’ by, and heck it’s not even five minutes until we’re done out of El Dorado. Shoot, Norphlet is not but eight miles up the track, and …..I think that was it.

This is so much fun…but I’m getting’ kinda sleepy and Momma has just handed me a pillow…..wow, the train is just rumbling along, and I’m leaning back in the seat…..

Heck, the Rocket just squealed to a stop. We must already be to Oklahoma…naw Momma just told me we’re in Little Rock, and I’m lookin’ out the window and there are all kinds of people scurryin’ ‘round, and now I hear the conductor blowing his whistle, and heck, I know that means the Rocket is about to start moving……gosh, this pillow feels so good….

Uh, the danged train has just stopped again, and Momma is shakin me to wake me up.

Yeah, I’m so sleepy I can just barely make myself say hello to Grandma and Grandpa, and ....well, I just want to go to sleep.....and I guess maybe I took a nap riding over to Wetumka, ‘cause all I remember is Momma putting me in bed….Uh huh, Momma has just waked me up to eat breakfast, and I am so danged hungry I could eat a horse, but Grandma’s eggs and toast is really good. Heck, I can’t wait to get outside and see what Oklahoma looks like, and just as soon as I pull up these pants, I’m headin’ out the door.

            Hummmm.....well, it don’t look much different than Arkansas, but I don’t see any big trees. Oh, there’s a truck stopping in front of Grandma’s House.

            “Hello there young man....humm. Looks like the Noggles could use an extra quart of milk today.”

            Yeah, I’m wonderin’ what’s going on, and then I see him walkin’ toward the front porch with me right behind him, and as he sets down a couple of bottles of milk, he picks up two empty bottles, and I guess he sees be shaking my head, cause he’s just smiles and says, “I’m the milkman, son.”

            Well, shoot; I think that’s real good, and I wish we could have milk just settin’ on our porch when we need it. Heck, Momma hasta milk Old Jersey.

            Okay, I’ve spent at least an hour checkin’ things out, and I think I see some kids about my age right across the street. I figure I’d better get Momma’s okay before I do any runnin’ around....but hey, there’s another truck pulling up in the driveway. What in the world?....he’s got a big block of .....well ....it’s ice, and he just turned around a sign that Grandma had hung on the screen door that said twelve and a half pounds.

            Well I’ll be, he’s openin the front door now..I can’t believe he’s just gonna go into Grandma’s house.

            “Iceman,” he just yelled, and I’m right behind him to see what and where he’s going with that block of ice. ....Well, I’ll be, he just walked back to the kitchen and put that block of ice in the refrigerator. Shoot, I wish we had someone to do that back in Norphlet. Yeah, we do have a refrigerator that makes little pieces of ice, but nothing like that big piece the man put in grandma’s refrigerator.

            Yeah, I just got to go across the street and play with the kids, and you know, Oklahoma kids are ‘bout like Arkansas kids, but they sound a little different, and I got into a pushin’ thing when one of ‘em kids called me an Arkie like it was a bad word.

            Course, I just had to ask Grandpa about a really different name for a town. You know, Wetumka. Yeah, Momma didn’t know where that name came from. Shoot, Grandpa knows everything and ... heck, he said it was an old Indian name. And now I’m askin’ him if there are any Indians still living here, and he’s nodding his head like, yes.

            Well, it’s the next afternoon and Grandpa just asked me if I want to go with him to town to pick up some groceries. Course, I do, ‘cause I figure that we might see some Indians, so I said, “Grandpa do you think we’ll see any Indians in town?”

            “Well, Richard, there’s a reservation about ten miles down the road, and the Indians who live there are usually in town like we are...you know ...buying groceries.”

            “Are you gonna take your shotgun, Grandpa?”

            Yeah, Grandpa is laughin’ and shakin’ his head.

            “No, Richard. You’ve been watching too many Hoot Gibson picture shows. These Indians are just like us.”

            Course, I didn’t believe him. I figure he just didn’t want to upset me. But I’m locking the truck door as I get in.

            “But what if they go on the warpath, Grandpa? I don’t want to get scalped. I think that would really hurt.”

            “Richard, these Indians aren’t going to ever go on the warpath. That’s just stuff in picture shows. Don’t worry.”

            Uh, huh, but I’m thinkin’ that just what Momma says when a really bad storm is comin’,  and I’m all upset, and then I remember last year after a big storm when Daddy took me down to the little town of Strong where a couple of houses were  just blowed away, and Momma had told me not to worry. I am really gonna be on the lookout, and if I see an Indian headin’ for our truck, I’m going to take off runnin’ like nothin’ you have ever seen.

Well, the grocery shopping is about like back in Arkansas, and we’re bout ready to drive back home when Grandpa says, “Richard, there’s a couple of Indians crossing the street.” He’s pointing to a couple of men who looked kinda like cowboys.

            “Where?” I’m askin’.

            “Right there...those two men.”

            Well, I’m lookin’ real hard, and they ain’t red. They look a little brown like maybe they have a good tan, but they don’t look nothin’ like Indians.

            Gosh, it has already been a week since we got to Oklahoma, and Momma just told me we’d be riddin’ the Rocket back to Arkansas tomorrow. Uh huh, I’m ready to go. Shoot, I even miss my whiny, little brother William, and I sure miss Daddy and my best friend, John Clayton.

            Hey, there’s the train, and boy oh boy, we’re gonna be riding the Rocket back to Arkansas during the day, and I’ve got a window seat!....Gosh, there’s the conductor’s whistle, and we’re pickin’ up speed real fast, When we came up here it was nighttime and I couldn’t tell how fast we were going, but I can tell you right now the Rocket is living up to its name. There ain’t nothing that can go this fast, and when we just roar through all them little towns, people just stand there and some of them wave. Course, I wave back, like I’m some big shot waving to the poor folks who can’t ride the Rocket.

            Heck, it didn’t seem like no time a-tall until we’re pulling into Union Station. Uh huh, that’s in Little Rock, and the Rocket didn’t stop long, and I hear a whistle. That is the conductor, and I can tell you, as soon as he blows that danged whistle, the Rocket starts moving, and shoot it don’t take it no time a-tall to get up speed, and I figure it will be going about a hundred mile as hour, but momma says more like sixty, which I still think is real fast. Heck, we’re just flyin’ low.

I just saw a sign that said Smackover, so I’m looking real hard to see if I can spot Norphlet, which ain’t but about uh, maybe ten mile down the track….and heck I think that was Down’s Grocery Store…and we’re in Norphlet…there’s the durn station, and I’m wavin’ like crazy at folks watchin’ the Rocket roar by.

            Shoot, it ain’t been ten minutes, and I can feel the Rocket slowin’ down, and I know that means we’re pullin’ into the Rock Island Depot in El Dorado.

            “Momma look! There’s Daddy and little William!”

Uh, huh, and now we’re slowing way down…shoot, I’m taking off down the aisle, and with a jump off the top step of where you get on and off of the train, I’m back home, and huggin’ Daddy…and yeah, I’m even grabbin’ whinny little William.