“Huckleberry Charlie.” I Run Away from Home!

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Introduction 

How I runway from home in Los Gatos – 1963.  Emulating my Boyhood Heroes – Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. 

The Story as I remember it… 

My Mom for all her faults gave me the gift of reading. At an early age I was devouring books by the pile because of her. So Thank You Mom! 

She would often read to us in this beautiful English accented speaking voice. She had immigrated from England to America at age 30 years old so she still had her accent.

As I child I would be enraptured by books like Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, The Waterbabies, The Wind and the Willows, and Alice in Wonderland. All of these she read to us. There were many others but I have forgotten the titles over the years.

Oh wait. There was that “Hobbit” book that my Pals at school were talking about. Mom started it but we never got through it. I was not really interested about little troll like guys with gnarly feet anyway. But the wizard stuff was kinda cool.

Anyway..

These books opened worlds of imagination. A world where wrongs were righted,  human cruelties were not mentioned or if they were – the guilty parties got there comeuppance – Pronto. And Adventures were just a step away from your front door. 

I grew up in a different world. A world where a child could walk by himself for quite a distance alone. Go to the town library and check out a bunch of books. 

This was back in the early 1960’s which was simpler and safer time. It is time that I miss for it’s nostalgic period that I think future generations would miss out on. 

For better or worse parents didn’t worry as much about their “kid’s safety” back in those days. As long as one was home before it got dark out, in time for dinner – Things were Cool. Kids just went outside and “Played” – and that was that. 

So it wasn’t uncommon for me to walk all the way to the local Los Gatos library and check out books. Once mission was accomplished I’d trot all the way home with a couple fat tomes in my arms. 

I remember once checking out all the Oz books by L. Frank Baum and staggering back home with a large stack. Once home I would sit in my Father’s Den chair and read and read. That was my idea of bliss. 

Although I Loved the Oz books and some of the others – no other author had a greater impact on me than Mark Twain. 

His writing was funny and cynical. It was sentimental without being sappy. He was brilliant when it came capturing the voices of boys and men. He knew how a boy would think, act and process life’s events and he put this all down on paper. And he did it seemingly with ease.

 
He was a brilliant writer. A humorist without peer. And he knew how to write entertaining stories for Kids – Boys in particular. 

I just Loved reading his books. But even better was when Mom would read to us. She knew how to read a story. She didn’t stumble over words, her pacing was great and she knew how to speak in a character’s voice. 

She made reading fun because she had that rare ability to bring books to life for us Kids.

 
And so.. 

One day during one of Mom’s readathon sessions I got the brilliant idea that I wanted to run away. I wanted to run away and have adventures just like Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn.

 
Me having Adventures? Now how Neat would that be?! Heck maybe good old Mark Twain would write stories about me? He could entitle them “Chuck Sawyer ” Hmm… “Chuck Sawyer” sounded kinda lame. Hey?! How about “Huckleberry Charlie?!” Yeah!!! Super Cool!

Maybe I could meet up with Boys like Tom and Huck? Maybe we’d become best friends? And then the three of us could go off and explore the world. 

We could foil the Bad Guys, rescue fair Young Maidens, and live off the land. Who knows maybe hitch a ride on a boat and go sight seeing or fishing? Or go slowly down a river on a raft and just do nothing but just be. 

Decision made. I was going to run away. 

However, I knew if I announced my decision about boogeying to parts unknown – I’d be vetoed by Mom. Dad had already moved out of the house – so he was a non issue. So mum was the word. 

I made my plans. 

I would pack a small sack of stuff and sneak off when Mom went to bed. That night seemed to be a good choice since that meant I could leave quickly before Mom could catch on. Also it would circumvent my kid brother Matty from snitching on me. Thus blowing the whole deal. Matty could be a real fink sometimes.

Leaving home meant I needed stuff to take with me. 

But what to take?

 
Being a resourceful nine year old I grabbed a spare pillow case and put a pair of sox and underwear in it. I added a shirt . Now what to eat? Oh yeah? I needed food so I grabbed a block of cheddar cheese from the fridge. That went into the sack too. Plus a roll of toilet paper…well you know because…

I was ready. 

That Sunday night progressed like every other Sunday Night. We had a dinner of boring Hamburger Helper and an iceberg lettuce salad – cause “Kids need their vegetables.”

As I munched my semi palatable dinner I reflected that tommorow night I’d  be dining on fresh caught fried fish and drinking that stuff Adults go on and on about needing – Coffee. Now that was food! And it sure sounded a lot better to me than Hamburger Helper. 

Mom, Matty and I then sat watch “The Magical World of Disney” on our black and white TV. I remember the program quite well as it was about a newspaper boy named “Gallagher” and his most recent efforts on becoming a “real” newspaper reporter. Snoresville! 

Then it was time for bed. 

I waited for about hour or so for Mom and Matty to go to sleep. It might have been an hour or more. But whatever. It seemed like an eternity. 

Finally I saw Mom’s light was off in her room. So it was time to split. 

I crept down the stairs and made a beeline for the front door. But there was a black shape lying on the ground in the foyer blocking my door to freedom. 

It was my dog. A big black Labrador I had  named Star. I loved Star even though she farted alot and always smelled kind of gamey. 

Even in the dark I could see those sad eyes looking at me with a silent accusation of profound disappointment. 

So I gave her a hug and whispered in her ear “Don’t worry Star. I Love you. I’ll be OK.” 

Star gave me one of those sad brown eyed  looks as if to say she didn’t believe a word I said. But she moved away from the front door and plopped down – still staring at me as I tugged the front door open. 

I then tiptoed, closing the door quietly behind me. 

I was off. Ready to start my Big Adventure!

 
I gave the ol’ Homestead one last long look before turning around and walking quickly out of the street court our house resided. 

I had places to go and people to see. And adventures to be had. Plus if I was going to meet Tom and Huck I’d better get a move on. 

I remember it took a suburban block or so for me to stop sniffling. Seeing Star had shaken me up. It made it real that I actually was running away. Leaving Home for good.

Another block so went by and suddenly the spring in my step started to fade and I began to walk a little slower.

 
“Gee it’s kind of dark outside tonight” I thought suddenly noticing a late summer sky that was kind of cloudy. Even the street lights seemed subdued. 

I continued walking even slower. 

Then it hit me. Where was I going to sleep that night?! Followed by “Oh Crap! I hadn’t even thought to bring a blanket with me. 

I had reached a point near the edge of our housing development that was lined with old eucalyptus trees. They looked like ghostly giants in the semi gloom. A sudden gust of wind had them swaying and whispering. 

Things were starting go from sad and desperate to kind of Spooky. 

There was a moaning noise as the trees continued to sway in the wind and the half moon became obscured by clouds.

It seemed alot darker all of a sudden.

OK now things went from kind of Spooky to Super Creepy.

Nervously I pulled out the block of cheese from my pillow case and began gnawing on it. Looking around and checking out shadows that seemed more than ominous. 

Where the Hell was Tom and Huck?

And if they eventually showed up would they bring “Food.” I mean something besides cheese? Did any of them know how to cook Hamburger Helper? 

I continued to gnaw on my cheese and stare into the all pervading gloom. 

A sudden rustling in a nearby Eucalyptus tree grabbed my attention. 

Oh God I thought it’s probably “Injun Joe” come to kill me! Or worse. It might be that Scary monster from “I was a Teenage Frankenstein” come to kill me. Kill me – then Eat Me!!! 

The rustling became louder and louder. I was paralyzed with terror. Sweat broke out all over my body. OH MY GOD, IT’S ALL OVER! THIS WAS IT. THE END. SAYONARA. CURTAINS . INJUN JOE WAS TO BE AVENGED. THEY’D BE FINDING MY BONES RIGHT HERE TOMMOROW – AND LICKED CLEAN TOO. MOMMMY!!!

A Dark Creature emerged from behind the tree – casting a large black shadow. Two beady red eyes reflected eerily in the dark squinted at me with interest.

It was a very Small Possum.

A Possum that seemed Very Interested in Me or My Cheese. 

The Possum started shuffling towards me.  It’s beady red eyes glowing demonically. It shuffled closer and closer.

Mr. Tiny Possum definitely wanted my cheese! The Darn Thing even started drooling.

And with that  I dropped my cheese with a squawk and bolted  home. 

It only took a few panicked minutes to get back to our house. 

Quietly I entered the house expecting to be busted by Mom in her “Aunt Polly” mode. But all was quiet. 

Within moments I was back in my room and safely ensconced in bed. My pillow case with my stuff thrown into a corner. 

Whew. Made it. 

As I layed in bed I reflected that Tom and Huck were probably going to be bitterly disappointed. But my thoughts soon took a different turn as I began to fantasize about how our latest adventure would turn out. 

A jolt of my bed frame momentarily startled me but it was just Ol’ Doggy Smelling Star climbing into bed with me.

She put her big paws on my stomach and gave me a thorough head to toe sniffing. Satisfied – she gave a “Wuff” of approval and plopped down by my feet. 

It had been a long day. 

I was totally worn out from my Big Adventure and my near death experience courtesy of Mr. Possum. 

Possum? Nah. It was a Big Grizzly Bear. I couldn’t wait to tell my friends about this at school! 

Star began to snore and I began to get sleepy. 

And as I started to close my eyes to fall asleep it suddenly occurred to me. That I really hadn’t needed to run away from home after all.

I could have all the adventures a Boy could ever want – right here at home.

 
All I had to do was dream.