Tall Tales at the Country School—a Story

We didn’t visit a lot, in the country where we grew up, so we didn’t know much about how our neighbors lived, but we did know what they drove.

And we could tell, especially in the fall, when the crops were in, that this family, or that family had a good yield and could buy something new to drive.

We knew that Irene’s family, down the road, had some bad luck for the past few years, just like everyone else in the country. But this year was different, everybody said. The rains came at the right time, there was lots of sunshine, and the crops were in before the first frost came.

The first red truck in the country!

So when Irene arrived at the school in a new truck, the first red truck in the country, one with shiny red paint, and room for a whole family in the cab, we weren’t completely surprised.

The boys gathered around the truck as Irene and her brother were dropped off, then quickly scattered as her father revved the engine before he slowly drove away. Two of the boys hung on to the rear bumper as it made the circle in front of the school, something they always did for some strange reason.

Irene gave me a small, secret smile as she walked slowly into the cloakroom to put away her coat and lunch bucket. We were both in grade three, so our coats were hung together, and our lunch buckets sat side by side.

Right away, I had questions I wanted to ask. When did your dad buy the truck? How come he bought a red truck? How did it feel, riding in that high cab? But the bell rang just then, and we all went inside. Teacher started talking, so I couldn’t ask my questions.

At recess, I waited at the door for Irene. I wasn’t there because I was her friend. I didn’t even like her. When she came out, I asked my first question:

He bought the truck on Saturday, she answered. I didn’t have to ask the other questions because she told me everything .

How Irene fueled my envy

“I felt like Princess Margaret when I was riding to school this morning,” she said. “And we bought a red truck because I know all of the kids would want one too,” she went on.

My face got really hot, and I felt like punching her. But I didn’t, even though I knew I could beat her. Because last winter I wrestled with Charlie when he picked on my little sister, and I won. But instead, I said this:

“So you think we would all want a red truck like yours? Just wait until you see the car we bought. It’s sky blue, and it has white seats.” I took a breath, “And the inside is all white too.”

Her eyebrows shot up, and she opened her mouth to speak. I didn’t wait to hear what she would say. I was sure she would be very jealous.

Irene sat across from me, two aisles away. At lunch time, while we were all sitting at our desks, with our lunch pails spread open, I saw her sneak a look my way, so I gave her a secret smile, and squinted my eyes at her. She knew what I meant.

After school, Irene’s big brother told her to hurry, and she didn’t have time to say anything. But she gave me a mean look, so I knew she wanted to.

All the way home, I thought about the sky blue car and how it looked in our reader. I didn’t remember if it really had white seats, but I thought white seats were beautiful and it was probably what the royal family would have.

We all had stuff to do when we got home. Mumma needed help with supper, so I peeled the potatoes, then I went outside to play. My sisters and I played hopscotch, then we got our marbles out, and then we skipped rope. I stayed skipping the longest, and I was very happy that I was getting better than my older sister, June.

News traveled at warp speed!

As we were eating supper, Uncle John drove up, his truck stirring up a bunch of dust, he was going so fast. With one quick knock he was in,

“Where do you keep that new car of yours? I don’t see it anywhere? Where is it?”

My mother and dad looked at each other, as if to say, “What’s he talking about?” Mumma shrugged, and looked at us. No one said anything.

My dad went out with Uncle John, and they talked a bit. Then my uncle spun the truck around and drove away.

When dad came in, he said, “Some damn fool started a tall tale that I bought a new car. Blue, it was supposed to be. Whoever heard of that.”

“Wouldn’t that be something,” Mumma said, “A blue car…one thing about tall tales, they sure travel fast.”

Quiet as a mouse, I began to stack the dishes, and finished my chores. Then I went outside to skip rope again. So that’s what it was—a tall tale.

Well, I decided, then and there. I better not tell Irene about the other thing we really didn’t buy—a pink doll house with polka dot curtains in the windows.