The Sleigh Ride

 

     I went to work with my dad when I was thirteen and stayed with the job until I went in the Navy when I turned eighteen. I had no idea of the life experiences I would have and the memories I would hold forever. 

     When school was in session I would work on the weekends and usually every Saturday dad would want to go see his bootlegger (Grady) before going home. Regardless of the weather dad couldn't pass up an opportunity to have a few drinks with friends and pick up a to go bag. 

     Grady's place was located on the banks of the Cumberland River close to the mouth of the Stones River. It wasn't much of place, a couple of shacks to house Grady and his wife and another to house their daughter and grandson. The driveway was a long downhill curvy and at one time paved, one side  was an embankment dense with brush while the other side steeply dropped off into a wooded area with a sharp right turn at the bottom. If you missed the turn there were a few sapling trees that might stop your plunge into the river some fifty feet below. Rather sit around inside watching people drinking, I would find something of interest to occupy me.

     One night drove to Grady's place, it was cold and snowing. I didn't think going to Grady's was a good idea as we might get trapped at the bottom of the hill but we went anyway. When we got there we met a friend of dad's by the name of Ben, he was a likable character and a barrel of laughs. Ben had already had a few drinks.

     I hooked up with Grady's grandson Junior, we through a few snowballs and then Ben came out and joined the fracas. The next thing I know, Junior came up with a couple of sleds which we drug up the driveway and then the fun started. For the next hour or more we drug our sleds up the drive and rode them down the hill at what seemed like a breakneck speed. Miraculously we managed to not break through the curve at the bottom, all of our laughter and yelling got Grady and most of his customers outside to watch us.

     After a while it was time to go, we hopped into Dad's '58 chevy and headed up the hill, I don't know how he did it but we made it to the top.

     I grew up a lot in those years, between Dad's friends and the people I ran across with the job, I got a good education in life's lesson of interacting with people. In a way that I didn't realize at the time I became closer to dad, I didn't understand him any better but it was good to hear him introduce me to his friends, there was a sense of pride in his voice when he told people I was his number one (firstborn) son.