A brief look into my childhood

Dad was building a house in Thornton. We would be moving in before school starts. Would I even like this school thing and would there be kids to play with. I hoped the house was big. Mom said it would have two bedrooms, a living room, and a kitchen dining room combined. She said it would have one door in the front with a big enclosed porch for washing clothes. And it looked like there was a junkyard across the street. Old cars were everywhere. This would be fun after all.

But there was a problem. School had girls. Who wanted to play with girls? Girls didn't know how to have fun. They couldn’t even hit a baseball. And Veronica Shelton -- she was the worst. All she ever tried to do was kiss me. Ugh! Why couldn’t I stay home? School and girls made me miss them setting down that big old house.

Now that was a sight to see. Looking down the road toward Grandma's house-and bigger than the world coming straight for me was a house! Right there in the middle of the road. Mom said they're moving it in across the street from us. I hoped they had kids. Boys, not girls; we had enough girls in this town already.

“Boy I wish the bell would . . .” and at the ringing of the bell I ran as fast as I could for home.

Great, they had seven kids. FIVE boys-yeah! Only two girls-well they better stay away from me. Wouldn't you just know it -- one of them sissy girls wanted to play. If we’d have had a back door, I'd been gone before that dumb girl could’ve said her name.

No-way, Mom was telling the sissy girl I would play with her. I'd show here how to play. I'd get my rope and we'd play cowboys and Indians. I'd tie her to a tree in old lady Thompson's back yard.

"Tommie, the little girl from across the street is here to meet you. Be nice now and go out and play," said Mom.

Moms don't understand boys. What a stupid name, Nadine Lane, la-de-da. "If you don't play with me, you can't play with my brothers, so there you dumb boy," she whimpered.

Good thing her brother Jake got there when he did, my fist was on its way to her nose. Even with the stupid girl around us boys had the advantage. Jake's brothers Mikey and Paul were younger but that didn’t matter. I was the oldest I would be the leader.

"Come on guys let's play cowboys and Indians," Jake said.

"Wait a minute Jake, I'm the oldest, so I’ll be the leader and decide what to do."

"You’re a big baby is what you are Tommie Miles," said Nadine.

I raised my fist and said, "You better watch your mouth or I'm gonna knock your teeth out."

With a toothless grin she sang out, "Na, na, na, na, na, na, Tommie's a baby, sticks his head in gravy."

Just before I took off to catch her I remembered the old cars, "Hey, Jake, who do all those cars belong to?"

"They're my dads. He's a car salesman and a preacher," said Jake. A preaching car salesman what next. We were Methodists. Rickie and I folded church bulletins on Saturdays. We got cookies and ice cream for helping. Grandma would give us candy bars and sometimes a quarter for memorizing Bible verses.

My favorite verse was I Corinthians 3:11: "For other foundation can no man lay than that was laid, which was Jesus Christ." Grandma said that means if we put our trust in Jesus, he'll be our strength and support. She said we can't see him but he was with us always. It sure was nice knowing someone was always there for you.

"Hey, Jake, Can we play in those junk cars."

"You bet!"

"Great," I said loudly, staring right at that silly girl, I wanted to punch her but I supposed I should pray instead. Grandma said we should pray for everyone and love everyone. I’d have to think twice about that sissy girl though. Grandmas really were nice and extra special. Especially to a six year old, well I would be six in January. I loved the winters especially when we went sledding, I wondered if Dad would go with us this year.

1 John 3:18, "My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth."