The Smith Boys

At Sixty-One I write these stories not for fun or prosperity.... Or profit..... You have to understand the times.....It was the Fifties.... The Smith boys..all three of us... Greg, my brother Reggie and Me... We had it all....and didn't know it. Our Summers were spent Running wild...In Ontario California.... Mom would tell us get out of the house In the morning....So she and my sister Could clean the house in peace.... Yahoo.... My big brother Greg always had An adventure for us....and Reg and I Were always up for whatever he had planned.... Let us not forget that Greg was only Ten.... And I was a tender kid of Eight.... This adventure as I recount was Greg's idea.... He told my Dad that his grades were good And a trip to Holey Jim's Canyon was in order... A place my Dad had taken us before.... Trout streams and shade trees.... He told my Dad that he'd make sure we Would be okay....If he would give him five dollars for food for five days... Yep! It was a done deal... Against Mom's appeal... We said good bye with fishing poles And blankets In hand we watched them drive away.... No fear we shared as we were The Smith Boy's..... I remember Mom crying just before they drove away... Her little boys away from home....and all alone... But hey...it was an adventure.... Dad knew the value he was teaching us... We swam and played and fished all day... At night we built a fire.... Bathing was a thing we did In the morning....after the fish stopped biting... I remember going with my brothers to a Little store....they had an ice box machine there... For five cents you could choose a soda pop... My favorite was an Orange Crush.... Sitting on an old wood bench outside This country store...I was in heaven.... We ate peanut and jelly sandwiches For most of the five days...as far as I can remember.... And slept under the stars... I think it was the day before Mom and Dad Were due....when playing and running...we found To our dismay a hive our honey bees... Run...run...Greg told us.... I was just behind him....the bees were made as hell As I ran.....poor Reggie last in line... While I know we all got a sting or two... Reggie got the worst.... His eyes were swollen almost shut His face was just a mess.... But a true Smith he was and never did he complain As Mom and Dad drove into camp and took us home That day..... What a great adventure we did have....The Smith boy's Us three great traveler's unafraid.....