Untrusting (Troubled) Read Online Free PDF Page A

knows, has always
known, where to find it.  I wonder why they’ve never mentioned it before.
    Maria and I find out that Bob and
Steve, being full time, work one week on days and one week on nights, but the
volunteer firemen take turns on the weekends.  So the four full time
firemen have the weekends off, but are on call incase of a fire.  The
shifts are twelve hours long and start at five a.m. and p.m.  The
schedules are arranged that way so the men with families have time with them
and some time for socializing.
    Sunday, after church, we go to
Maria’s and change out of our “Sunday go to meetin’” clothes and go to Miss
Lili’s to meet everyone.  Soon after our arrival, we’re on our way in
Bob’s extended cab truck.  Shay’s thrilled to be riding in a big truck.
  Bob and Steve say the races can’t be held without firemen there,
because of the fire hazard.
    We park away from the edge of the
mud puddle.  Shay’s excited when Bob takes him down for a closer look at
the ”mud buggies” entered in the race.  Maria and I follow with Miss
Lili.  She admits to having been here before and how she’s enjoyed the
foolishness and the competition.  She says the last time she got mud in
her lap so she wants to sit a little further away this time.  We don’t
mention it, but Maria and I are surprised Miss Lili is in jeans, a Dallas Cowboys’
t-shirt, a blue jean jacket, her big floppy hat and sneakers.  We’ve only
seen her in slacks or a skirt, nice blouse or sweater, a light over blouse,
pumps and a floppy garden hat.
    Lili picks the place and the guys
come back with Shay.  They go to the truck to get the rest of the chairs,
the umbrellas, and the coolers.  We sat down to watch the
preparations.  They have races with smaller trucks, and mud buggies
first.  Bob says they’re first because the bigger trucks need the mud
“conditioned,” whatever that means.
    Mom and Dad come over to sit with
us.  They already know everyone so introductions aren’t necessary. 
They brought their own drinks and lunch.  Shay’s jumping up and down with
the excitement of the crowd.  He starts to run over to one of the buggies
and Bob runs after him, scooping him up and taking him to where he can see the
buggies that are so full of mud, it’s dripping off everything, even the
driver.  When he brings him back he tells Shay to apologize to “his Mommy”
for scaring her and not to run off like that anymore.  He’s to ask someone
to take him down for a closer look.  Shay apologizes to Maria and gives
her a big hug and starts asking for a closer look when he wants one, which is
often.
    Bob loves taking him down to look
at the muddy buggies and trucks.  Steve and Dad go with them several
times.  Once they were talking to the drivers, not noticing the next race
starting and come back splattered with mud, all four of them.  Shay starts
to cry, but the men start laughing when the shock of being hit wears off, so
Shay’s laughing, too.  Maria isn’t as sure about the mud as the guys are,
but she doesn’t say anything.  Bob apologizes for not watching and getting
out of the way.  Shay’s smearing the mud trying to get it off before he
gets scolded.  Maria, coolly, gets out the baby wipes and cleans what she
can off.  She notices he’s getting sunburned and wants Shay to stay outta
the sun for a while.  Before she knows it, he’s asleep in her lap and
she’s almost as muddy as he is.
    The afternoon’s fun and
interesting.  We meet most of the drivers and their families, talking to
them for a while.  One of the drivers insists on taking Bob and Shay for a
ride in a buggy that’s been washed down inside.  Maria takes some
convincing, but Bob and the driver insists it’ll be a slow ride through the mud
puddle.  She finally gives in, figuring Shay can’t get much dirtier, and
watches as Shay goes through the puddle at a safe two miles an hour.  When
Bob puts him down on the ground Shay’s jumping up