by C. T. Raye
Spud
By: C. T. Raye
Copyright ©2014 C. T. Raye
Chapter One – A Hot Day
I remember thinking to myself, could it get any hotter. It was so hot outside, and you could not get away from the heat. It was hot before daylight and it stayed hot after it got dark. You would start to sweat just by thinking. It was so hot that the eggs were frying before we could them out of the hen house, and the milk was soured before we got it out of the cow. Well, I might be exaggerating a little, but it was extremely hot.
Dad had told me that cooler weather should be starting very soon. He also explained to me that it being so close to winter and still so hot, that if a hard cold front was to move in that it could possibly cause a twister. I understood some about tornadoes because we had learned about them at school. At the present time that was the least of my worries and I had to get some relief from the heat.
I guess the reason the heat stood out so bad is because mom would not let me go down to the creek swimming. She informed me that I was still recovering from my fall. I told her I was fine, but who can convince a mother of something like that when she nearly lost her son. Who knows I may never be able to go to the creek and I was doing great with no severe side effects. I would have occasional headaches and would get weak, but that was normal according to Dr Cooper. He was not on my side either and that didn’t help my case at all.
No amount of talking would convince her otherwise and her mind was made up and there was no changing it. So I had the privilege of sitting around and suffocating in this intense heat. I also had the privilege of keeping the flies out of the house. This could be very fun and amusing if you made a game out of it, and now you see exactly how bored I was at the time.
Killing the flies could be somewhat difficult and then there were some flies that you could get on the first try. They would get into the house and land on the kitchen table or the wall. SMACK, one swing, and one kill. Then there were others that you would move in to swing your fly swat and they would fly at the last moment. It took sitting still for a long time to kill these little boogers. I would sit there until it would land close and then swing and get the kill.
At this present moment I was trying to kill the boss of all flies. He was big and green, and normally these were slower and easier to swat. Not him. I chased him all over the house and I had swatted at him probably a dozen times or more. I would get so close, but only to hear him buzz off into another room.
I finally had him right where I wanted him this time. He had landed about three steps away from me and he was sitting on the back of one of the kitchen chairs. I knew he was mine, but he was just out of my reach. I took one slow step forward, so slow that it felt like twenty minutes had passed. I had sweat pouring down my forehead and my back; I knew this was my big chance.
I raised my arm slowly and when I had it stretched all the way. I stopped, squinted one eye, and took my aim. I then came down with all my might toward my trophy and I knew I had him this time. I thought.
About the time I was coming down on this fly. My best friend in the whole world came running into the house and into the kitchen. His entry scared the fly and it flew off the chair. I stopped and just stared at Spud. All that time wasted on that fly that he just scared away and then I listened as the fly made his way around the room. The loud buzz was so annoying.
I watched as Spud’s ears perked and he was watching the fly. His head would jerk as the fly buzzed around the room. The he jumped and snapped the air. I listened and the buzzing had stopped. I stared at him, in less than one minute he had killed a fly that I had chased all day.
“You are so dumb!” I said as I dropped the fly swat.
He sat and stared at me with that look that asked. ‘What have you been doing?’
“Mom I am going outside, and if you ever need any more flies killed. Call Spud, he will take care of them.” I said, as I walked out the front door.
Spud was following close behind me with his pink tongue hanging out of his mouth. Most people have duck dogs, quail dogs, or sheep dogs. I had myself an original, one of a kind fly dog. You couldn’t just pick one of these dogs up anywhere.
I sat down on the edge of the front porch and looked up at the sky. It had changed and it wasn’t quite as hot. There was a slight breeze blowing and I could see a line of dark clouds in the distant sky. I had a feeling that we were in for some bad weather.
Chapter Two – Preparation
I stood up and looked out towards the distant sky and I could not believe how dark that it was getting. I noticed that way across the field a small dust devil had formed and was swirling the dust around in an ever widening circle. I watched it until it disappeared as if it had never been there at all.
Spud was just sitting beside me watching the dust devil and he moved closer to my feet. He then started to whimper lightly and I noticed that his ears were in the position that told me he was scared. I reached down and gave him a scratch behind the ears.
“It will be alright boy. It is just a little storm.” I said as I tried to console him.
Dad came running around the end of the house.
“Tom, follow me and do as I say, and do it fast.” He said as he ran in the house.
I followed him in the house as he hurried into the kitchen where mom was cooking.
“Paula, I need you to get the things that you would like to save together and don’t get a bunch of things. Just a few things, small things, and put them by the front door.” He looked at me and finished what he was saying.
“Go through the house opening every window, and door, make sure anything loose is on the floor. After that get the stuff off the front porch and carry it to the cellar and after you finish that come find me by the barn.” He turned and started to run out of the house.
We did not ask any questions and we knew that it meant that dad felt there was going to be a good chance for a tornado. I left my mom and started to open every door and window in the house. I then pulled some heavy furniture in front of the door so they would not close. Leaving the doors and windows open will allow the wind coming against the house to go through it.
I finished this chore to find that the chore waiting on the front porch was a greater task. That is when I heard the loud crack of thunder and knew it had hit close. I thought about Spud and how he was probably running in circle scared to death.
Mom by the looks of things had brought every keepsake from the last fifty years out to the porch and I knew dad would not be happy about this. So, I picked the things I thought were more necessary and carried them first. All items that were under the food category got main priority, and then I chose the clothes. That was where I was at when dad came around the house. His shirt was soaked and his pants had mud all over them. He gave me that look and I knew that Spud had something to do with his wet and muddy clothes.
“I thought I would get a little milk before we went into the cellar, and that was as far as it got. The weather has got old Betsy all worked up and I could not get her to cooperate. I was trying to calm her down and just about the time I was almost finished milking the thunder cracked so loud that she bolted. She kicked the bucket of milk sending it all over me, and Spud ran in the barn and flew into my arms sending me sprawling into a fresh pile of manure.” He said as he walked passed me.
I giggled a little as he walked by me and towards the porch, and boy did he smell ripe. Spud got over his fear and came out from wherever he was hiding. He came from the same direction as dad and he had that scared look on his face. He did not like thunder and if you were anywhere close by and had an empty lap when it hit. You would be holding a dog. I turned and joined dad and mom on the front porch as dad tried to explain to mom that all the stuff that she had brought out was not
necessary. She informed him that it was necessary and that she would be lost without some of those things. Then we heard the faint roar in the distance.
“Get to the cellar now.” Dad said as he began to place the boxes inside the house.
Mom grabbed her family Bible that had been in her family for many years. She hugged it close as she ran towards the cellar. I stayed and was helping dad with the boxes. We finished the last few and dad took off his hat and said a small prayer. Prayer was very important to our family, but we do not only pray when there is a need, or trouble. We try to be thankful to God for all that he does for us.
We then turned and ran towards the cellar that was about seventy-five yards from the house and as we got to the opening we stopped and looked around the ranch. We knew that everything we had worked for could be lost if the tornado was to come through this area. Then we seen it in the distance a big black cloud that outlined the barn, and it was throwing debris all around.
I was climbing down into the cellar when I thought about Spud. He wasn’t with me and dad and I didn’t see him by the house.
“Spud, dad where is Spud? We can’t leave him out here.” I said as I started to climb back out.
That is when I heard mom from the other end of the cellar say. “He is in here with me.”
That figures. To think that he is so tough when it comes to other animals, but you let the thunder roll and he is a chicken for the rest of the night.
I walked into the room and sat down at the small table. We had made it inside the cellar and that was good enough for me. I had my family with me and that is what matters anyway. If we lost our house, barn, chickens, and the cow I knew we would be alright because we still had each other, and I still had my dog. That was enough to make me smile.
Chapter Three – Cellar Time
I sat at the table for a long time just staring at the walls and listening to the roar outside. I knew that we were going to be in here until the morning. Dad would not let us go outside until he felt that the storm was completely over, and he meant completely. Just because we didn’t hear the roar did not mean that the storm was finished. One storm could produce multiple twisters and by the sounds, this one produced more than one.
I got up and walked to where mom was sitting and sewing on something that looked like a shirt.
“Tom you might as well just relax we may be in here for a few days.” She said but never looking up from her sewing.
“I know, but I just don’t like being cramped up. It makes me want to go crazy.” I said.
Then Spud arched his back and began to growl. It was a low growl, but I knew he meant business. Mom turned and looked at him and gave him that look that let him know not to start barking.
“Why don’t you go play with Spud and don’t let him start barking it will wake up your dad.” She said.
I could hear dad asleep in the next room over and you may ask a cellar with two rooms? Yes, my dad had built it that way so that we would have more space and would not be so crowded. I liked it and I would often come down here to play. Me, and Spud would keep the mice out of the cellar and any other trespasser’s.
Then I heard it again. Spud’s growl was louder this time and I walked over to him and scratched him. His hair was standing straight up on the back of his neck and he was very serious about something.
“It’s ok; the storm will be over in a little bit and you can calm down.” I said.
Then I noticed what he was growling about and it was in a dark corner of the room. I seen a little head stick out, wiggle his nose, and stand on his back legs and look around. It was a mouse! He then ran back into the dark corner where we could not see him. He kept doing this every time he would get braver, and braver. I knew he wanted to go into the adjoining room.
Every time he would run out Spud would just lay there and raise his lips and growl. Finally, the little mouse mustered enough courage and took off like a streak of lightning. He was running as fast as he could for the entrance to the front room.
Spud jumped up and took off like a streak of lightning and he was right behind the mouse as it made its way into the front room. I followed trying to stop Spud and he ran into the next room with me close behind. The terrified, little mouse, when he seen Spud on his trail climbed up on the cot that my dad was laying on and went right into the open end of his pant leg. Spud at that time had felt like he was winning and bit at the little mouse but all he got was the end of my dad’s pants. He then pulled and dragged my dad off the cot and onto the floor.
My dad who had been in a deep sleep was wide awake now. He jumped up off the floor and started yelling and running around in a circle. Trying to catch the mouse that was loose in his britches and Spud being all excited was barking his head off. He started jumping, and snapping the air every time my dad would let loose a yell.
About that time lighting struck so close to the cellar that it shook my teeth. Spud jumped about two feet in the air yelped and turned and ran into the other room. Mom was just sitting and staring at the commotion and had an open lap. Spuds filled the vacancy of her lap and sent needles and thread flying in all directions.
Dad was still hollering, and screaming as the mouse made his way into his shirt. The mouse was running up his back as dad twisted and spun trying to reach him. I grabbed the broom that was standing in the corner and I took my aim at the small bulge in the back of his shirt.
I swung down with all my might just as my dad spun in a circle again. I caught him across the forehead with the handle of the broom instead of the head of the broom. Oops.
My dad straightened and looked at me; his eyes crossed and fell to the floor and the mouse scurried out of his shirt. Spud jumped out of my mom’s lap and missed the mouse. He knocked over a chair and the wind from the chair caused the lantern to go out and we just stood there in darkness. I heard a whimper and I could not tell whether it was my dad or Spud.
Mom broke the silence.
“Tom, get the matches and light that lantern.” She said in a calm voice.
I walked over to where I thought the matches were and finally dug until I found them. I struck a match and found my way to where the lantern was hanging. I lit the lantern and looked around the room. Spud was sitting by my dad wagging his tail with the dead mouse in front of him. He had caught the crazy thing and in the dark.
Then I noticed my dad, he was laid out in the floor with the imprint of a broomstick on his forehead. I gulped and hoped he would not remember this night.
“Go throw the mouse out of the cellar doors and then go sit in the corner with Spud. If you see another mouse, even if we have to do this all over again make sure you kill it. I can’t stand a mouse.” She said, as she shivered and started to wake dad with a cold rag.
I guarantee you if dad would have heard that, he would have thought different.
Chapter Four – House Check
Mom sat on the floor by dad for a few minutes while me and Spud sat in the corner watching. He moaned a little and finally woke up and started to mumble about being hit by a truck. Mom just kept wiping his face with a cool, wet rag. He finally got up and did not even look our way. This was fine by me. I did not do it on purpose and his moving is what caused my miss and I really felt bad about the whole thing.
We soon heard him snoring from the front room and knew that he was sound asleep. Mom came from the front room and had a wide smile on her face.
“He doesn’t remember a thing, and he probably won’t either. We will just let him sleep for a while and maybe the swelling will go down in the morning.” She laughed a little to herself.
I think mom was just glad to be rid of the mouse. She was terrified of the little things and I still don’t know how Spud caught it while the lantern was out. I also don’t know how he can jump and catch a fly out of the air either. To be honest I really don’t know why he would want to do that anyway. Yuck!
We had sat there for a few more minutes and when I looked down and Spud had fallen asleep. I la
y down on a blanket next to him and was soon asleep.
I awoke a little while later to the sound of rain, and thunder, and I could hear another roar. The only thing that was different it was close, very close. Spud was almost underneath my blanket, the thunder was getting the best of him. He was shivering and I realized for the first time I was a little frightened. It sounded so bad outside.
I began to think about my friend’s. What about Pete and his family. What about all the kids that I went to school with? Were they ok? I then began to say a prayer under my breath for all the people in our small community.
Only God, the Creator, can stop a tornado. No man can come close to stopping a tornado and I was thinking this as I drifted back off to sleep.
I felt someone shaking me and I opened my eyes and looked around. The room still had the same glow, but I thought I heard birds chirping in the distance. I sat up slowly and looked at my dad who had waked me up. I rubbed my eyes and looked up at him again. He had a nasty bruise on his forehead and I immediately apologized.
He chuckled for a minute and said. “Don’t worry about it, your mom told me all about what happened. Get up we got a bunch to do now that the storm is over.”
“Yes sir.” I said as I stood up and stretched.
Spud also decided this was a good time to stretch and I heard his toenails scraping the concrete. I made my way to the other room where mom and dad were looking toward the doors exiting the cellar.