A
Anonymous
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There was Ricky, Ronald, Jerry, Dennis,(The #####ed one), and Sherry if my memory serves me. They all lived just a few blocks east of Thomas Road between us and The Big Four Drive In. All I knew of them were the ones that rode our school bus for the short time before they quit school, and the ones who went to the drive in that we always saw because "neighborhood kids who walked got in free."
Sherry was younger than me so I dont really remember alot about her except she was SO skinny and she had big brown eyes. Well, Dennis didnt go to school because of the "way he was."That left Ricky, Ronald, and Jerry.
They all drove old pieces of junk for cars, but only for one reason. The Kellys were dirt poor even compared to our family. I dont ever remember seeing their mom or dad. They did the best they could for transportation though. I remember Jerry having a 58 Chevy at one time. You would have thought he was driving a race car. Jerry drove it like the fourth of July everywhere he went.
The Kelly boys were painters by trade even though I never remember any of them working for long at one place.------Now to the real story.
I figure it was on a cold winter day somewhere over by Alcoa plant that they first met. Daddy always ran his dogs in the thickets by the plant simply because they were packed with deer and there was easy access to cut the dogs off. Ol Ronald probably heard the dogs running and decided to try to get a little closer. After all, he was hunting not for the sport of it , but out of necessity. He had to do his part to help feed his family. Daddy, on the other hand had once hunted out of necessity, but now was hunting for sport. Somehow Daddy and Ronald hit it off probably because Ronald never worked and both men shared a common secret. There was BIG deer in them woods owned by Alcoa.
I cant recall the year that they met , but I figure it was around 1966. The main reason I say that is because Arkie was graduating high school and getting ready to join the Navy and well me, I was 10 years old and was still "trying" to hunt, but had not killed a deer yet. It would be 3 more years before that happened. With me being so young and John-boy leaving, that left Daddy without a hunting buddy.
Remember yall that Ronald was a poor boy and maybe a year or two older than John-boy. He always had on the same clothes and carried a distinctive body odor about him. Many times Daddy would say, "Ronald, you need to take a bath!" Ronald swore that he did even though it is hard for me to believe.
Both men shared a love of the outdoors for various reasons and soon became close friends. With Ronald being poor though, he was always short on bullets. That boy would go hunting waiting for hours to get a shot and would finally shoot a big buck down only to see him run off.It happened so MANY TIMES! Ronald would go fishing with one lure. Hed walk in to a pond well off the road to have a bass break off his only lure! It was absolutely amazing! Daddy used to get so mad at him.
As Ronald grew older, he didnt get much smarter. He got to where he liked to drink a little bit and it really didnt matter what it was. One day Ronald came over to our house to visit and I heard him tell Daddy, "I saw this buck over by the plant today and he had one horn going this way and another horn going behind his head coming up behind his ear!" After Ronald left, Daddy said, "That was just that damn beer talkin'" Wouldnt you know it; a few days later ol Ronald came back with a buck in his trunk---and it had horns just like he said it did!
It got to be a running joke with my family about ol Ronald. Like okay Ronald, be sure and bring enough bullets with you. Ronald was never prepared that I ever knew. Many days Id see him borrow a few shotgun shells from Daddy promising to pay him back. Dont guess he ever paid back one shell either.
One thing about Ronald though. He would listen to Daddy and even sometimes take heed to what he was saying. I think Daddy was a fatherly figure to Ronald cause I know Ronald respected him. I know Ronald listened as Daddy talked knowing Daddy wasnt just blowing smoke.
I dont know whatever happen to the Kelly family after they all grew up and moved away--I used to see Ronald periodacally at one of the local watering holes back when I was still raising a little hell. Wed talk about hunting and fishing and I might buy him a beer, but hed always mention Daddy. Daddy meant alot to Ronald even 20 years after Daddy died.
Ronald hadnt changed much. He still needed a haircut, had a two day old beard on his face, wore old clothes with hints of paint staining them, and had this funny smelling odor about him. Hmmmmm. Amazing how opposites attract.
God Bless,
Lil Brother <img src="/metal/html/smile.gif" border=0 width=15 height=15 alt="
"> <img src="/metal/html/smile.gif" border=0 width=15 height=15 alt="">
Sherry was younger than me so I dont really remember alot about her except she was SO skinny and she had big brown eyes. Well, Dennis didnt go to school because of the "way he was."That left Ricky, Ronald, and Jerry.
They all drove old pieces of junk for cars, but only for one reason. The Kellys were dirt poor even compared to our family. I dont ever remember seeing their mom or dad. They did the best they could for transportation though. I remember Jerry having a 58 Chevy at one time. You would have thought he was driving a race car. Jerry drove it like the fourth of July everywhere he went.
The Kelly boys were painters by trade even though I never remember any of them working for long at one place.------Now to the real story.
I figure it was on a cold winter day somewhere over by Alcoa plant that they first met. Daddy always ran his dogs in the thickets by the plant simply because they were packed with deer and there was easy access to cut the dogs off. Ol Ronald probably heard the dogs running and decided to try to get a little closer. After all, he was hunting not for the sport of it , but out of necessity. He had to do his part to help feed his family. Daddy, on the other hand had once hunted out of necessity, but now was hunting for sport. Somehow Daddy and Ronald hit it off probably because Ronald never worked and both men shared a common secret. There was BIG deer in them woods owned by Alcoa.
I cant recall the year that they met , but I figure it was around 1966. The main reason I say that is because Arkie was graduating high school and getting ready to join the Navy and well me, I was 10 years old and was still "trying" to hunt, but had not killed a deer yet. It would be 3 more years before that happened. With me being so young and John-boy leaving, that left Daddy without a hunting buddy.
Remember yall that Ronald was a poor boy and maybe a year or two older than John-boy. He always had on the same clothes and carried a distinctive body odor about him. Many times Daddy would say, "Ronald, you need to take a bath!" Ronald swore that he did even though it is hard for me to believe.
Both men shared a love of the outdoors for various reasons and soon became close friends. With Ronald being poor though, he was always short on bullets. That boy would go hunting waiting for hours to get a shot and would finally shoot a big buck down only to see him run off.It happened so MANY TIMES! Ronald would go fishing with one lure. Hed walk in to a pond well off the road to have a bass break off his only lure! It was absolutely amazing! Daddy used to get so mad at him.
As Ronald grew older, he didnt get much smarter. He got to where he liked to drink a little bit and it really didnt matter what it was. One day Ronald came over to our house to visit and I heard him tell Daddy, "I saw this buck over by the plant today and he had one horn going this way and another horn going behind his head coming up behind his ear!" After Ronald left, Daddy said, "That was just that damn beer talkin'" Wouldnt you know it; a few days later ol Ronald came back with a buck in his trunk---and it had horns just like he said it did!
It got to be a running joke with my family about ol Ronald. Like okay Ronald, be sure and bring enough bullets with you. Ronald was never prepared that I ever knew. Many days Id see him borrow a few shotgun shells from Daddy promising to pay him back. Dont guess he ever paid back one shell either.
One thing about Ronald though. He would listen to Daddy and even sometimes take heed to what he was saying. I think Daddy was a fatherly figure to Ronald cause I know Ronald respected him. I know Ronald listened as Daddy talked knowing Daddy wasnt just blowing smoke.
I dont know whatever happen to the Kelly family after they all grew up and moved away--I used to see Ronald periodacally at one of the local watering holes back when I was still raising a little hell. Wed talk about hunting and fishing and I might buy him a beer, but hed always mention Daddy. Daddy meant alot to Ronald even 20 years after Daddy died.
Ronald hadnt changed much. He still needed a haircut, had a two day old beard on his face, wore old clothes with hints of paint staining them, and had this funny smelling odor about him. Hmmmmm. Amazing how opposites attract.
God Bless,
Lil Brother <img src="/metal/html/smile.gif" border=0 width=15 height=15 alt="
"> <img src="/metal/html/smile.gif" border=0 width=15 height=15 alt="">