"THAT OTHER BULLY!"

Guest Post by Richard Drake:

Mil, your bully story reminds me of my bully story!

In the Fifth grade at La Casita, we had a bully like the one you described.  I don't remember his name. He was the biggest kid in school by a very large measure and he was at least two years older.  Maybe he was the younger brother of your J.J.  I avoided him as much as possible and since I lived west and south of the school yard, I missed him after school.  I think he lived on the north side of the school.

 One day he decided that it was my turn and told me to meet him outside of the play ground after school.  I was scared to death with all kinds of images running through my mind.  I had told my Dad about the bully and his advice was to fight him as best as I could.  The bully would not stop until he beat me up or I beat him. I thought about telling my Mother but decided against that idea.  Typical of La Casita Mothers at that time, she would have taken one of my Dad's belt with her to school and given the bully a lesson in proper school manners.  The embarrassment  of that thought was worse than that of a beating.

 After school I made a dash towards home with the bully in hot pursuit.  He was faster and caught up to me just as I jumped the rock fence.  Against the fence there was a tree limb about four feet long and about two inches thick.  I picked it up and as he made his charge, I took a swing and I hit him on the arm just below the shoulder.  He screamed out loud and started to cry.  As he took another step towards me, I took an stance like I was going to hit the ball out of the park.  He took off running.

 For the next two weeks I went to school every day ready for another round.  I made certain that the tree limb was hidden but still handy.  He never threatened me again.  As my faulty memory recalls, he moved away shortly afterwards.

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    BY Richard Drake, CHS Class of '53

    Guest writer for MIL'S PLACE

    9/23/12