Crews stands in front of her Uncle Rudy's red Ford, circa 1951
Circa 1951 there about, third grade, barefoot tomboy. Life was full of fun and disaster. I took advantage of anything needing to be taken advantage of.
Uncle Rudy, Daddy's baby brother, home on leave from the Navy with all that braided gold on his uniform. Made Chief something or other along the way before retirement. Circa 1951 his pay allowed him to own a RED Ford convertible. Shiny chrome grille centered with those big old shiny bullets. Uncle Rudy let us ride with the top down in his RED Ford convertible. Oh, my!
Humpy got dibs on shotgun, me and Buddy fought for the hump in the back floorboard that gave us a bit more heightened view as we lay between the slits of the front seats., besides the wind whipped us around which was fun. Uncle Rudy and Humpy accommodating our rooting and shoving. Off to the store up at the Barnett Crossroads for our annual chance of gleaning and cleaning out the old glass candy case for Clyde Hawkins to increase his bottom line. We rid him of any outdated, wormy candy bars. Uncle Rudy must have been loaded with ready cash or planned to skip the next monthly payment on his RED Ford convertible. Buddy and I never ask if there was a limit, "Don't ask, just grab".
Big old two ply brown paper sack was filled, starting with all the Mars Bars, Hershey, Butterfinger, Milky Way, Pay Day. Zag Nut, Power House, Baby Ruth, and lastly the ten sticks of peppermint bundled and wrapped in cellophane. Daddy bought and brought this candy for us as he was thrifty and wanted to insure we all got a stick. Buddy, being Uncle Rudy's favorite little nephew (baby boy on both sides) decided our family needed a new comb as the one back at the house had gaps due to snags and heavy usage. Uncle Rudy being made aware of this much needed implement, told Clyde to sack one. Old Clyde Hawkins thinking about the day's total, stuffed combs of all sizes in while asking if perhaps did we like Cracker Jacks. "Heck Yeah"! We saved them to eat last as the hardened feel of the boxes let us know the thrill of that purchase would be the little plastic prize found inside.
Everybody loaded for the return trip home. Uncle Rudy, very aware of how we were feeling riding down that red dirt road in a RED Ford convertible with the top down had another thrill in store for us. He was well aware of a coming bellyache/ headache/sugar induced coma for Mama to deal with as he goosed the gas pedal. Humpy with his elbow hanging out the window and gripping a major pucker as Buddy and I were thrown into the back seat. Buddy begging for more, "Faster Uncle Rudy" and me screaming with delight as we split the wind. Estimated MPH in thinking on this as I write today, had to be about 55, tops. Uncle Rudy gave it up for us that day. Seems like a split second later we hit the dip at the sawdust pile just before topping the hill to our house, Uncle Rudy's RED Ford convertible coasting into the lane. Daddy doing something at the side of the barn looked up to see us piling out to SHARE the candy and combs. He and Uncle Rudy went on to do whatever needed to be finished. Daddy knew what had happened as he could hear the horsepower and us screaming and laughing with glee as that RED Ford convertible splayed rocks and red dust curled behind us.
I thought on that ride and decided that Uncle Rudy and his RED Ford convertible could win a race over Clyde Hawkins and his six hole Buick Special. Jet black, white walls, all decked out in that big old shiny chrome toothy looking grille, outside sun shield, chrome window flange, stripes of chrome running down each side to the fin curved fenders. Fancy! In circa 1951 the Smith family could identify all vehicles coming up or down our road by the sound of the motors. Daddy would warn us to get back onto porch with, "Here comes Clyde Hawkins and he ain't slowing down".
In awe, we watched from the front porch as he passed.
Clyde and his six hole Buick Special made an impression on folks in our community who drove old aged, overdue for the scrap heap cars and trucks. Poor and proud, we eventually got to where we needed to get.
Humpy and our cousin and neighbor O'Neil Dawson played cars. O'Neil was always a Buick. Called "Buick" by his friends, that moniker stayed with him for all his childhood. They would run through mud holes and spin mud from pretend tires.
RIP Humpy & O'Neil
Sweet memory!
Can't remember how long Uncle Rudy stayed with us, but the last day he helped Daddy and my brothers cut a load of fodder for the animals. Being summer, those corn rows crowded with knee high water grass and morning glory vine made for high humidity. At the dinner table that day Uncle Rudy announced to Daddy that he thought he would go on over to Jay and visit with Aunt Carrie, he and Daddy's oldest sister. Daddy drooped a bit and Uncle Rudy drooped even more as I jumped up to hand him a aqua colored, glass chip, dangle ear bob, announcing proudly that I had found it in the back seat of his RED Ford convertible. Uncle Rudy turned the color of his RED Ford convertible. Daddy mumbled something while smiling. Mama glared at me.
"What?".
I thought finding that Woolworth ear bob would make me a hero.
That was our time for, " Life With The Top Down".
