THE ROCKET FUEL DANCE
DOROTHY WAS RUNNING AROUND IN CIRCLES SHOUTING "OH
MY GOD, OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD." JOHNNIE YELLED, "
DOROTHY SHUT UP AND SIT DOWN BEFORE YOU TURN US
OVER." JOHNNIE WAS HOLDING ON TO BOTH SIDES OF
THE LITTLE BOAT FOR DEAR LIFE AS IT VIOLENTLY
ROCKED BACK AND FORTH.
JOHNNIE AND I HAD GONE TO CADDO LAKE FOR A WEEK OF
FISHING. AT LEAST I HAD GONE FOR THE FISHING,
JOHNNIE JUST WENT ALONG TO BE WITH ME. WE WERE
STAYING IN NUMBER 1 CABIN AT MRS. TUCKERS CAMP.
THIS IS WHERE WE ALWAYS STAYED WHEN WE WERE
THERE. IT HAD A BIG SCREENED IN PORCH AND WE
LOVED TO SIT OUT THERE AND WATCH THE WORLD GO BY.
NOW JOHNNIE HAS A COUSIN NAMED DOROTHY THAT SHOWS
UP AT TIMES WHEN WE ARE DOWN THERE. I NEVER DID
FIGURE OUT HOW SHE KNEW WE WOULD BE AT THE LAKE ON
ANY GIVEN DAY. WE NEVER TOLD HER WE WOULD BE
THERE. BUT EVERY SO OFTEN THERE SHE WAS. IT'S
NOT THAT SHE WAS UNWELCOME, WE JUST DIDN'T KNOW
WHEN TO LOOK FOR HER.
WELL ON THIS PARTICULAR DAY I HAD GONE BASS
FISHING AND JOHNNIE WAS SITTING ON THE PORCH
READING A BOOK. ALONG COMES DOROTHY. SHE AND
JOHNNIE DECIDE THEY WILL PADDLE ONE OF THE LITTLE
JON BOATS OUT IN FRONT OF THE CAMP AND BREAM
FISH.
NOW THEY WEREN'T SERIOUS ABOUT FISHING THEY JUST
WANTED TO GO OUT ON THE LAKE AND SIT IN THE SHADE
OF ONE OF THE CYPRESS TREES AND VISIT. THEY GOT
IN ONE OF THE LITTLE 12-FOOT JON BOATS AND PADDLED
OUT TO THE NEAREST CYPRESS TREE AND STARTED
FISHING. AS THEY SAT THERE TALKING THEY FORGOT
ALL ABOUT THE FISH. THEY HAD A LOT OF FAMILY
GOSSIP TO CATCH UP ON.
DID I TELL YOU THAT THIS WAS ON A THURSDAY
MORNING? BECAUSE ON THURSDAY MORNING THE PLANT
OVER AT KARNACK TESTED THEIR ROCKET FUEL THEY
MADE. WHEN THEY TESTED THE ROCKET FUEL IT MADE A
ROARING SOUND LIKE THE WORLD WAS COMING TO AN
END. I MEAN IT WAS SO LOUD THAT IT RATTLED THE
WINDOWS IN THE CABIN. IT WENT ON LIKE THAT FOR
ABOUT 90 SECONDS.
WELL DOROTHY HAD NEVER BEEN THERE ON THURSDAY
BEFORE SO SHE HAD NOT HEARD THAT SOUND. ARE YOU
GETTING THIS PICTURE? HERE IS DOROTHY THAT WEIGHS
A GOOD 200 POUNDS AND JOHNNIE SITTING IN THIS
LITTLE 12 FOOT JON BOAT. EVERYTHING IS QUIET AND
PEACEFUL AND THEY ARE HAVING A GOOD VISIT. WHEN
ALL OF A SUDDEN.
ROOOOAR GOES THE ROCKET FUEL TEST. THE SOUND IS
DEAFENING. BIRDS TAKE FLIGHT, TURTLES FALL OF
THEIR LOG AND DOROTHY GOES BALLISTIC. SHE JUMPS
UP AND STARTS RUNNING IN PLACE TURNING AROUND IN
CIRCLES SHOUTING "OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, OH MY
GOD." THE LITTLE BOAT IS ROCKING LIKE IT WAS IN
AN EARTHQUAKE. JOHNNIE IS HOLDING ON WITH BOTH
HANDS TRYING TO KEEP FROM GETTING THROWN OUT OF
THE BOAT.
JOHNNIE'S YELLING, "DOROTHY SHUT UP AND SIT DOWN
BEFORE YOU TURN US OVER." WELL I GUESS JOHNNIE'S
YELLING FINALLY GOT THROUGH TO DOROTHY BECAUSE SHE
SHUT UP AND STOPPED RUNNING BUT SHE WOULDN'T SIT
DOWN. WILD EYED WITH PANIC SHE BREATHLESS ASKED,
"WHAT WAS THAT?" JOHNNIE TOLD HER IT WAS JUST THE
PLANT OVER AT KARNACK TESTING THE ROCKET FUEL THEY
MADE. "THEY DO THAT EVERY THURSDAY MORNING."
"OH" DOROTHY SAID. SHE FINALLY SAT DOWN AND
JOHNNIE PADDLED THE LITTLE BOAT BACK TO SHORE.
NOW NORMALLY DOROTHY STAYS FOR DINNER AND WE HAVE
A BIG FISH FRY FOR HER BUT THIS TIME SHE TOLD
JOHNNIE SHE HAD TO GO JUST AS SOON AS THEY GOT
BACK TO SHORE. JOHNNIE NOTICED THAT THE SEAT OF
DOROTHY'S SLACKS WAS WET. NOW HOW DID THAT
HAPPEN? SHE DIDN'T REMEMBER ANY WATER SPLASHING
INTO THE BOAT.
JOHNNIE AND I HAD TO EAT THOSE FISH BY OURSELVES
THAT DAY. THEN THERE WAS THE TIME WHEN DOROTHY
SHOWED UP AND… BUT NO, THAT'S A WHOLE NOTHER STORY
FOR A DIFFERENT TIME.
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