Childhood Memories Of 'Charlie Boy'
- Details
- Category: Lifestyle/People
- Published: Thursday, 12 February 2015 03:25
by Lawrence A. Robinson
When I think about my friends and family members who have transitioned out of this earthly physical presence into my memory, I usually smile. I smile because my thoughts are only of the good times that we shared. I almost never think about unhappy incidents during our times here together. The memory is always clear and even if the actual incident was painful, the memory still makes me smile. Such is the case with my good friend, Charles Campbell who died several years ago.
During our childhood, we called him Charlie or Charlie Boy. Of course in high school, we had to call him
 |
 |
 |
 |
Charles. We attended elementary school together and also high school. In high school we were in band together. I was his best man at his wedding and was the first to call him and his new bride Mister and Mrs. Charlie Boy.
Charlie lived three houses down from me and I guess when my mom and his mom got together he and I would play together. Charlie was one year older than me, but I really didn't get to know him until I went into the second grade.
My mom taught me to read, write, to distinguish colors, I knew my numbers and I could count and I knew addition before I went into the first grade. After eight or ten weeks in first grade, the teachers and principal decided that I should go to second grade.
The elementary school that I attended, Dobyville Elementary School, in Hillsborough County, was very small. There may have been a total of 170 to 180 kids. The grade levels were first through sixth.
There were only three buildings. There was a one story building with two rooms; one room for first grade and one room for second grade.
Then there was a two story building with four class rooms, the principal's office and the secretary's office. Yeah, there was a bathroom that the teachers used in this building.
There was a cold water fountain on the first floor near the staircase where third, fourth, fifth and sixth graders lined up to drink water.
There was a bathroom structure outside which was the third building. It had one bath room for boys and one bath room for girls and of course we all lined up to go the bathroom also.
There was basketball type court where we had recess period. And of course, every Thursday the physical education teacher came to our school and we were on the court for that class.
The buildings faced the court yard. One building on each side with the city street on the fourth side. Next to the entrance way into the two story building was a trough with five water faucets where most of the kids would go when they wanted a drink of water.
Going into the two story building and drinking from the cold water fountain was a luxury not usually offered to first and second graders.
My new teacher in the second grade was Mrs. Bythewood. Mrs. Bythewood allowed me to sit next to Charlie because I knew him and it would make my early transition to second grade easier.
Charlie Boy and I sat near the front of the class, but we faced the back wall.
There was structured time periods of study. You could depend on certain things happening at certain times of day. After lunch, the second graders had nap time. We put our heads on the desk and for 15 or 20 minutes there was absolute silence in the room.
During this time, Mrs. Bythewood would sit at her desk and read or write or maybe she would go visit another teacher for a few minutes then slip back into the room. I know this because I watched her by peeping over my shoulder and looking behind me.
After nap time, was writing time. Everyone took out their school issued giant number 2 lead pencils and wide ruled paper. Those pencils didn't have erasers or they were mostly worn down.
I was very proficient in writing. My dad had a 'convenience' store, so I had pencils and paper and erasers, more than enough. And my mom made me practice all the time.
During this scheduled time that the students were writing, Mrs. Bythewood would nap. The room was very quiet, not a sound.
So, Charlie is sitting to the right of me and the room is very quiet. I hear in a very hushed voice, "Pssst, Lawrence. Let me use your eraser."
I look over my shoulder an notice that Mrs. Bythewood is falling asleep. So I pass Charlie one of my erasers. I let him use it then held my hand out to get it back and placed it on the left side of my paper. Mrs. Bythewood is still asleep.
A few seconds later, Charlie ask again, "Pssst, Lawrence, let me use your eraser." I glanced over my shoulder and Mrs. Bythewood is still napping and her head is rolling from side to side. I pass Charlie the eraser and then held my hand out to get it back and placed it out of his reach to the left of my paper.
Less than a minute later, Charlie asks again. "Pssst. Please let me use your eraser." "Okay, but this is the last time." I peek over my shoulder and Mrs. Bythewood is asleep with her mouth open.
I held my hand out and got my eraser back
Five seconds later, Charlie ask again. This time, I ignored him. "Please." Ignore. "Please." Ignore. "Please" Ignore. "Please"
"Why don't you use your finger to erase it?"
"Please" Ignore "Please" Ignore.
Then, I couldn't take it anymore. I jumped up and screamed, "NOOOOOOO!!!"
A little boy jumped up screaming and ran out of the door and across the court yard into the boys bathroom. Little girls were crying and hugging each other.
I looked over my shoulder and Mrs. Bythewood was standing with her a arms stretched out across the black board, her mouth and eyes wide open and looking at the ceiling. She was petrified. She was breathing heavy. She looked scared, out of her mind.
Her eyes rolled down from looking at the ceiling to looking at me. She tried to calm herself by helping a little girl crawl out from under the desk. She went to the doorway motioned for the little sprinter who ran to the bathroom, to come back.
Then, she dealt with me.
Mrs. Bythewood was a healthy woman. Nowadays they call her build 'thick.' Back then, they called it, 'stout.' Mrs. Bythwood was larger than stout, but that didn't matter because she had swag just the same. Corporal punishment was in full effect 60 years ago in Hillsbrough County's public school system.
Mrs. Bythewood talked to me for a minute as I prepared myself for punishment. She grabbed my hand and with a wooden twelve inch ruler she popped me several times on the hand as all the kids watched.
I slowly walked back to my chair and picked it up off the floor to sit down, I noticed that my eraser was in the middle of my paper not to the left where I always put it.
Charlie had used my eraser without asking. I was fuming. I looked back at Mrs. Bythewood who was staring right at me. I sat down without saying a word.
Everything settled down in the next couple of minutes. It was quiet again, and then I heard it, "Pssst Lawrence, can I use your eraser?"
Over the next twenty five years or so, Charlie Boy and I would recount that day and we would just laugh and laugh. Yeah Charlie, if I had the opportunity, I would let you use my eraser, again.
I miss you buddy. Rest In Peace.