Ed Nelson [Nelson - The Beginning

The Richard Jackson Saga

Book 1: The Beginning

by Ed Nelson

Copyright August 2019 by E. E. Nelson

Eastern Shore Publishing

7545 Lovey Lane

Parsonsburg, MD 21849

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage retrieval systems without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places , events are either a product of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely conincidental

Contents

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4

This is dedicated to my wife Carol for her support as first reader and editor. Also Bellefontaine High School class of 1962, just because.

"That is exactly how it happened, give or take a lie or two."

James Garner as Wyatt Earp describing the gunfight at the OK Corral in the movie Sunset

Copyright August 2019 by E. E. Nelson

Eastern Shore Publishing

7545 Lovey Lane

Parsonsburg, MD 21849

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage retrieval systems without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events and incidents are either products of the author's imagination or are used ficititiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely conicidental.

Chapter 1

Your homework for your first day of English class, due tomorrow is one on your summer vacation, said Miss Bales.

This should be interesting I thought should I tell the truth or make up the usual crap, like we went to the beach on Lake Erie or to Columbus to the zoo.

I guess I should explain why I am even thinking of making something up. I have proof of what happened, but I dont know if I want all the nonsense that will go with it when it comes out. It will become public anyway after that last bit in Philadelphia, so I might as well go for it.

It all started late May of last year. I had just finished 8 th grade, and my dad Jack Jackson and I were discussing what I would do for the summer. Dad was a child during the great depression and had been in the Civilian Conservation Corp, as a youth out in Idaho, killing coyotes. He was in the Army during World War II, where he met my English mother. I think I was the reason they got married but this wasnt discussed, but I could do arithmetic.

My name is Richard Edward Jackson, known as Rick or Ricky; I am large for my age at five-foot ten inches and one hundred seventy pounds. From my Father, Cousins and Uncles sizes, I still had a lot of growth left. I am fourteen years old, turning fifteen in October. I am known as Ricky to friends and family.

Anyway, Dad said, By the time I was your age, I had been all around the country. Hell when I was twelve. I ran away with the carnival, but your grandmother had the Sheriff chase me down. Later, she swore she should have just let me go.

You wouldnt mind if I traveled around a bit?

Not at all, but your Mother might care.

If I mention it to her would you say it is okay?

That would be better than running your paper route and sitting around reading all the time.

Now Dad was happy that I worked and had been doing so since the fifth grade. He didnt mind that I read all the time, which was easy because the library was a stop on my paper route. What he minded was me sitting on the porch swing for hours at a time reading and getting a little pudgy.

Taking my life in my hands; I broached the subject at dinner that night. My two younger brothers and sister had not acted up, and Dad hadnt gone on a toot (what he called a drinking spree) for a while so there wasnt any tension at the table. Additionally money must have been okay, because Dad had moved up from the extra board as a switchman on the railroad to become a conductor.

This wasnt like a conductor on a passenger train. His job as a supervisor was making up a freight train by having the cars put in the correct order. The switchmen and brakemen had to take their direction from him. This irked two of my Uncles, who did those jobs.

I asked, Mum would you care if I saw a little of the country on this vacation?

What do you mean?

Well I only go up to Indian Lake, about ten miles, with you and Dad. Would you care if I rode my bike or even hitchhiked up there?

In those days, hitchhiking was quite common and not considered a bad thing.

I might even get to Cincinnati to see a ball game!

That sounds ambitious; I doubt that you would have the nerve for that, it is one hundred miles there.

I wont know if I dont try.

Mum looked at Dad and asked, What do you think?

Well I sort of put it in his mind, so I am okay with it.

Mum then gave me a look and said, You can do it. Now tell me what you really have in mind?

I should have known I wouldnt get anything past her.

I would like to hitchhike out west and see as much country as I can during the summer.

I thought it was something like that. Actually, I dont see anything wrong with it. You have the size, seem to have common sense. I certainly did more adventuresome things when I was your age.

Like what?" I asked.

Well you know we lived in Grays, a small town on the Thames River between Dover and London. We used to make rafts to cross the river. You dont know fear until an Ocean Liner is blowing its horn for you to get out of the way when you are on a homemade raft. So I do understand. Just be careful of who you take rides with.

And so my summer vacation started. I saved forty dollars from my paper route which I no longer had. This was almost a grown mans weeks wages in those days.

I had a thin sleeping bag, ground cloth, shaving kit and an old army rucksack to carry several changes of clothes. Plus the Barlow pocketknife which was required of all boys my age, and a comb.

What I did have that was unusual was my American passport. Since Dad was a GI and Mum British, I had dual citizenship. My parents thought we could afford a trip to England several years ago, which didnt work out, but I did end up with an American Passport. It was very handy for impressing the girls.

It was the only ID that I had on me, other than my library card. Mum gave me five dollars to be used in an emergency and told me I had to send a post card every few days, so they knew about where I was at.

I had already learned in life, what parents approved one day might change the next. So I was up early May 31. The school calendar was easy to follow those years. School ended the day before Memorial Day and took up again the day-after Labor Day. The dinner conversation was on Thursday night May 30, and school was over for the year. I passed eighth grade going on to the ninth.

I was up at day break and packed, Mum had breakfast waiting. It was my favorite bowl of cereal, Quaker Oats puffed rice. While I ate she made me two baloney sandwiches for lunch. Dad had left an Army surplus canteen for me. He was at work, but both figured I wouldnt waste time once I had permission.

After a hug from Mum, I walked the five blocks to Main Street, which was also US 68 in Bellefontaine, Ohio. From there I started walking south. It didnt take long before Ernie Nevers slowed down. He was an older paperboy who could drive. He offered me a lift. He thought I was heading out to the fairgrounds south of town.

When I told him, I was heading towards Springfield, he really questioned me. I explained my summer mission, seeing the West.

He scoffed, You will be home tomorrow, but since Im heading to Urbana, I will take you that far.