Ugly People

By Uncle Ralph

Part 1

The little school we went to in South Haven Michigan was a good school, filled with farmers, trailer trash like us and a few city kids who's parents were doctors or layers and even the local judge.  ( The local judge was known to be a bit shady and many years latter he was appointed to a seat in Detroit.  The big city guys busted him doing the same thing he was doing in our little town and went to jail.  But that's another story.)

I never really understood the social workings of high school.  The complexities of it all was just beyond me.  The little clicks of all the kids who were just too cool for the rest of us, always seemed to be mocking us.  Laughing at us. However, even though we were poor we still had our pride.   Trailer Trash Pride.

In my senior year, I had actually settled in.  I had just discovered the joys of alcohol in my junior year and since now I was 18, and the drinking age at that time was still 18, I was the source of many good times.  So I had my friends.  I had my good friends and I had the friends that loved me for my beer.  I knew the difference between them but sometimes they didn't. 

I remember once standing in the hallway between classes just waiting for the bell to ring. A group of my friends had just left after talking with me, when one of the "Cool" people approached me.  She was defiantly a  beautiful girl, just not my type.  She asked me if she could ask a personal question.  I agreed.  What she then asked was typical for the way these people thought back then.  She asked, "why do you hang out with the ugly people?"  I was stunned into silence and saved by the bell.

Ugly people?  These people she referred to "ugly" were my genuine friends.  I was one of them.  I never considered them ugly.  As a matter of fact, one black girl I hung out with, a state troopers daughter, was quite pretty.  I might have actually dated her but her brother threatened to kick my butt. 

But I have to admit, I did hang out with some ugly people.  Why not?  I wasn't that good looking either.  But Hank took the cake for ugly.

When he was born he had a full set of teeth and from there he just kept getting more.  I never knew anyone else with so many teeth.  He was generally a happy guy, but when ever he smiled you couldn't help but duck.  The long hair that fell to the middle of his back was only washed once a year but it had a certain quality that suggested he may have some Indian blood in him.  His face nearly exploded with acne and if you were quiet and thought about it, I bet you could have heard his face erupting.

Yes, Hank was ugly.  He knew it.  He accepted it.  But he didn't like people pointing it out.  Hank was also 18 and an eligible buyer of the golden nectar.  These factors put together could lead up to some fun.

Early in October of 79, Hank decided to throw a party.  A good trailer trash party is a lot of fun.  There is always lots of beer, loud music and in this case a good bonfire.  Hank chose his uncle's place because it was pretty secluded and the Black River ran through the back end of it.  A nice place to party.

The Party got started around 8 o'clock,  just after dark.   The fire was built and stoked, the music was cranked and the beer flowed from two kegs.  I don't even remember what we were drinking then.  At that time it didn't matter. It was beer!  I suspect it was Miller but it could have been Buckhorn.   The usual people were there.  Nick, Karen, Jessie, Mike and myself along with the normal assorted high school dropouts and soon to be dropouts.

Car after car drove the two-track dirt drive that led to the small field by the river.  This site was called Fisher's Point and the word got out where the party was.  People came and went.  Most times we knew who they were and sometimes not.  Everyone was welcome.  

But remember the old movies where the bad guy walks into the saloon and suddenly the music stops and everyone stops talking?  It was just like that.  Hank and I were talking by the kegs as he poured the beer.  The music stopped and everyone got quiet.  All you could hear was the crackling of the fire.  Out of the shadows steps Mick, Mark, Justin and their dates.  One of which was the one who asked me why I hung out with Ugly people.

Continues on Part 2

Advertisements

Copyright September 2008 all rights reserved